The first black person to become a councillor in Trafford has been honoured with a Blue Plaque in Hale.
Edward Theophilus Nelson, who served as a councillor for Hale Urban District Council for 27 years, was given the honour on the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Born in 1874, Nelson came to Britain in 1898 to read law at St John’s College, Oxford.
By 1906, he was living at Beech Holme on Stamford Road, Bowdon, moving to Laurel Bank on Stamford Road before settling in 1909 on Cecil Road in Hale, where he remained for the rest of his life and where the plaque is located.
A highly respected lawyer, Nelson was the defence barrister in two high profile murder trials, managing to save two defendants accused of murder from the gallows.
In 1931, he was involved in the establishment of the League of Coloured People, a civil-rights organisation with the goal of racial equality around the world, but particularly in Britain.
Those attending the unveiling included Cleveland McCurdy, who like Nelson was born in Guyana, John Moss, a lay reader from St Peter’s in Hale where Nelson worshipped, and Altrincham Grammar School headteacher Graeme Wright and Year 12 student Oluwatosin Ariyo.
Yesterday's Blue Plaque unveiling was part of Trafford Council’s celebration of Black History Month.
Trafford Mayor, Cllr Amy Whyte, said: "To become the chair of Hale Council on two occasions shows the trust and esteem he was held in by his colleagues. To become the chair of the Cheshire Urban District Councils Association shows how he was rated by his peers to be someone of supreme ability.
“He was man who achieved greatness but who also made sure that others would be able to follow in his footsteps. We are delighted to have had trailblazers like him.”
Nelson was also a keen sportsman and cricketer and played for the Hale Cricket Club 1st XI. He was awarded the Queen’s Coronation medal before his death in 1940.
A small display of Nelson’s life, organised by Trafford Local Studies, is now available to view at Hale Library.
