South Yorkshire Times November 29, 1947

40 Years On Footplate
Swinton Councillor Retires From Railway Service

Swinton’s railwayman councillor, county councillor, and four times civic head, Mr. Maurice Creighton, ” Sunnymede,” Station Street, Swinton, retired from the London and North Eastern Railway on Tuesday, the eve of his 65th birthday. He entered the service of the Company in 1900—on his 18th birthday; he has been driving for over 40 years. The passenger link was left behind only eighteen month ago; since then he has been on goods traffic.

Era Of Development     

Developments in railway service have been very marked over this long period, notably in the reduction of the eleven hour day to one of eight, particularly, too, in locomotive development.  In those developments County Coun. Creighton has played his part.

Joining the N.U.R. in 1902, he was Mexborough No. 2 branch delegate from 1907 to 1918, branch secretary for the next 18 years and is present Chairman. He has also been a member of the local Departmental Committee for a number of years.

Becoming Counselling Creighton in 1990, he has enjoyed unbroken service with Swinton Urban Council since that time, being on several occasions returned unopposed.

In 1919 it was a straight vote; now the Ward system is in operation; County Council Creighton is representative of the Park Ward. He is this year chairman of the Council for the fourth time. He was chairman of the council’s finance committee several years, has been three times chairman of Wath Hospital Board is the board’s oldest member, has been chairman for several years of the Rother Valley assessment committee and a member since its inception in 1929 was on the old board of governors of Mexborough secondary school (now Grammar) and is a member of number 18 Divisional Education Executive.

Educational Interests

His association with the County Council began in 1944 when he served for two years as a co-opted member. In 1946 he defeated Mr E.J.Griffith. His interest at County Hall have been markedly devoted to education. He is a member of the county education committee, policy subcommittee, school management subcommittee, school finance and general purposes subcommittee, further education subcommittee and agricultural education subcommittee.

He is also a member of the county rating and valuation Committee and the Town and country planning Committee. He is a member and past chairman of Swinton and Mexborough gas Board and the Board’s oldest member, a member of the West top Urban District Council’s executive committee, chairman of Swinton youth Council and a member of Swinton parochial Church Council.

He was married in 1910 and has two daughters and one son. Miss Mary Creighton, now Mrs Pack, is living in Hendon where she was teaching before her marriage; Miss Audrey Creighton is headmistress of Swinton Fitzwilliam infant School; Mr Godfrey Creighton, also for three years in the Navy, is a dentist in Barnsley County Council. Creighton sister, Miss K Creighton, was formerly headmistress of Swinton Bridge Infants School.

County Councillor Creighton, who began his growing career as a cleaner and passed as a driver only six years later, says the old type of railwayman is dying out. Principal cause, of course, is improvement in working hours. They were long hours in the early years, but “when you could eat three quarters of a pound of liver and half a pound of bacon you got to Liverpool on the Hull – Liverpool run, you were all right.”

He is sincere in his gratitude to his workmates and to the Railway Company for the privilege is enjoyed arranging the shift to accommodate his Council business