James Duckworth JP (1869 – 28 December 1937), was a British company director and Liberal Party politician who served as Mayor of Rochdale.
The 1923 result was similar, with Duckworth managing to marginally increase the Liberal share of the vote.
However, in a bad election for the Liberals across the UK, Duckworth saw his vote share drop.
He died the following month, and in an unprecedented move, the council chose his wife Mary to succeed him, even though she was not a Councillor or Alderman.
She served out the remainder of her husband's term of office and soon after won a by-election to become Rochdale's first ever woman councillor.