| John Hanscomb | |
| Honorific-Suffix: | C.B.E., M.A. |
| Office: | Mayor of Bolton |
| Term Start: | 1982 |
| Term End: | 1983 |
| Predecessor: | Joseph Wild |
| Successor: | Alan Samuel Brigg |
| Office2: | Leader of Bolton Council |
| Term Start2: | 1973 |
| Term End2: | 1980 |
| Successor2: | Robert Howarth |
| Office3: | Chairman and Transitional Mayor of Bolton |
| Term Start3: | 1973 |
| Term End3: | 1974 |
| Birth Date: | 7 October 1924 |
| Birth Place: | Bolton, England, UK |
| Birthname: | John Collins Hanscomb |
| Nationality: | British |
| Party: | Conservative |
| Spouse: | (1) Joan Ryder (2) Norma Gibbons |
John Collins Hanscomb CBE (7 October 1924 – 14 February 2019) was a British Conservative politician from the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England.[1]
Born in Bolton, he was educated at Bolton School, and Oundle School near Peterborough.[1] After leaving school he served as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force until 1953.[1] He graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge with an M.A. degree in modern languages.[1] He married twice, firstly Joan Ryder at Christ Church, Heaton in 1950, and secondly Norma Gibbons at Bolton Register Office in 1976.[2] His son, Dr Nicholas Hanscomb, a scientist who helped to develop DNA testing, was murdered after attending Notting Hill Carnival in 1991, aged 38.[1] [3]
Hanscomb was first elected as a Councillor for the Heaton Ward in the County Borough of Bolton in 1964.[1] He became the Leader of the Conservative group and the Council Leader in 1972.[1]
Following the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972, the County Borough was amalgamated with other local authorities to form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton and Hanscomb became a Councillor for the Deane-cum-Heaton Ward. At the same time, he became the chairman of the new local authority in 1973 and transitional Mayor of Bolton the following year.[1]
After the 1980 local elections, he resigned as the Leader of Bolton Council, but continued as the Leader of the Conservative group.[1] He was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.) in December 1980.[1] In 1982, he became the ceremonial Mayor of Bolton, with his wife, Norma, as Mayoress.[1]
He stood down as Leader of the Conservative group in 1994, and retired as Councillor for the Deane-cum-Heaton Ward when boundary changes took place in 2004.[1] Hanscomb died in February 2019 at the age of 94.[4]