Joseph Heron

Sir Joseph Heron (3 January 1809 - 23 December 1889) was a British lawyer, politician and administrator.

He was town clerk of Manchester for over forty years, playing a dominant role in the city's growth throughout the 19th century.

[3] Amongst his contemporaries he was described as a consummate ruler of men,[3] where his will was considered law in all civic matters and common public perception was that he was not only the town clerk but mayor and corporation all in one.

[4] He was instrumental in bringing clean water to Manchester by constructing the Longdendale chain of reservoirs – then the largest such project in the world.

[5] He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1869[6] and, in 1879, Alderman John King gifted the Manchester Corporation a bust of Heron sculpted by Warrington Wood.