Make It, Spin It, Can It: - WLCT

ARCHIVES NEWSYour ArchivesWe are delighted to announce the publication of adiary from the Edward Hall Diary Collection. This is thefirst diary to be published from the Hall DiaryCollection since Hall himself published the Journal ofEllen Weeton in the 1930s.We decided to begin publishing the diaries as a wayto widen the audience for this fascinating andnationally important collection of over 250 diaries andmanuscript journals. The first diary chosen was theDiary of Kasturi Venkataramayya, a record made by anIndian gentleman in London in the early 1860s.Thanks to the hard work of Archives Volunteer, CarlTowers, who transcribed the diary in full and hasproduced a wonderful introduction to the diary, wewere able to release the volume to the widerreadership that it deserves. Kasturi Venkataramayya’saccount is in the form of letters to his brother inMadras and includes details of the long journey by seato England, as well as the adventures he has in London,the growing metropolis and capital of the empire.The Diary of Kasturi Venkataramayya, published bythe Wigan Archives Service.In the next few months we will be working on thepublication of further diaries from the Hall Collection,including the diary of a First World War, Royal FlyingCorps pilot, Major Eric Sherbrooke Walker, and thediaries of Mrs Walker, a regency diarist and unhappyresident of Manchester as she follows her soldierhusband to the town.The Diary of Kasturi Venkataramayya is availablefrom the Museum of Wigan Life or the ArchivesService, priced at £8.99.On the subject of diaries, we are also pleased toannounce that we will be hosting an event at theArchives on the subject of Women’s Diaries, as part ofthe Leigh and Wigan Words Together Literary Festival.We will be joined by academics, Zoe Kinsley (LiverpoolHope University) and Claire Jones (University ofLiverpool), as well as Dr Irving Finkel from the GreatDiary Project. More details and booking informationcan be found at www.facebook.com/WiganArchivesService or on the Festival websiteRecent AcquisitionsNew listings continue thanks to the work of Archivestaff and volunteers. Collections accepted or listedin the last few months include:• Local music collection (folk, jazz) (Acc. 2012/77)• Upholland photographic collection, 1892-1940(Acc. 2012/78)• Records concerning the ‘Wigan Kebab’(Acc. 2012/79)• Programme for the "Trafalgar Day" Matinee, heldin aid of the Mayor of Leigh's Bickershaw CollieryDisaster Relief Fund, 1932 (Acc. 2012/84)• Records of Wigan County Borough Police Force(Acc. 2012/85)• Records of Leigh Conservative Club (Acc. 2013/1)• Golborne British School Records (Acc. 2013/10)Thank you to all recent donors and depositors ofrecords to the Archives.Details of the collections listed above areavailable from the Archives Service, as isfurther information on other recent acquisitions.A full list of acquisitions made by the Archives in2012 is available on the Archives Service –Collections webpage.Collections Corner:At the end of 2012, Lancashire Archives asked ifwe would accept the return to Wigan of therecords of the Wigan County Borough PoliceForce. We swiftly accepted their offer and so thePolice Force records are now back in Wigan atthe Archives.These records will give researchers of local andfamily history an enourmous amount ofinformation both on members of the localconstabulary and the attitude to crime andpunishment within the Borough at the time ofthe records.The oldest record dates from 1878 – anappointment and sick book – and the mostrecent from 1968 when the Wigan BoroughPolice Force merged with other forces to becomethe Lancashire Constabulary.The collection includes annual reports of theChief Constable, licensing records for a variety ofdifferent activities, orders made by the ChiefConstable, charge sheets, wages books, watchcommittee report books and police occurrencebooks. The latter are a wonderful record of life inthe town, recording as they do every incidentreported to or investigated by a member of thepolice force, regardless of whether it proceededto prosecution of any kind. This could and doesinclude everything from the clichéd attendanceat a cat stuck in a tree, to reports of shadowyfigures seen in locked buildings late at night.The police orders are similarly varied,everything from wartime orders for plain-clothedpolicemen to monitor seditious behaviour atWigan Hippodrome to reprimands issued toofficers in Pemberton for riding withoutpayment on the trams.Most of this collection is already catalogued, atreference code PL/Wi; the full catalogue list willbe available shortly on the Archives Servicewebsite. Please note that some of the recordsare closed to public access, but staff will behappy to offer advice on which records areavailable at present to consult.Police Order for the observation of performancesat the Wigan Hippodrome, 1941.Stone Throwing: Chief Constable's Orders, 1910.8 9

The Diary of aRambling Life asa Soldier’s WifeIt is often said that behind every great manthere is a great woman and Anna Walker wassuch a woman. She was born on the 24 May1763 the only daughter of Rachael and RichardAllen of Bury, Lancashire.On 9 July 1789 she married George TownshendWalker, a dashing Captain Lieutenant of the 14th Footin the British Army. From her wedding day until theday she passed away, in March 1814, Anna kept adetailed account of her life with her ‘dearest, beloved,Walker’ (as she affectionately refers to him). Herdiaries chronicled her day-to-day life and her manytravels made in supporting her husband’s career. Sadly,she did not live to see the dividends of her efforts. Itwas only after her death that Walker went on tobecome Sir Baronet KCB and Colonel Commandant ofthe Rifle Brigade.These diaries, 14 of which are in the Edward HallCollection (EHC1/M769) provide a unique insight intoeighteenth century life and reveal much of thefascinating similarities between modern day life andthe era of the Walkers.In 1797, after much house hunting, they bought ahouse in Queen Ann Street, East London for £950.Mrs Walker details her shopping trips for furniture,‘We went to Lord Guilford’s sale, were highlyentertained with Christie’. In April, she moved inalone and wrote of ‘being alone to take Possession ofa New Home Made me quite Melancholy’, Walkerhaving been deployed to Lisbon.While waiting to hear from Walker she is staying withfriends in Yorkshire and feeling lonely, writes of herfriends ‘I almost feel inclined to envy them the Comfortof the Country Parson’s Retreat – when comparing it tomy own rambling Life as a Soldier’s wife.’BY JOAN PIKEExtract from Mrs Walker’s Diary, May 1798.On her eighth wedding anniversary, alone once more,she commented ‘I sat down to write – very low Spiritedcontrasting the present pain of separation to the happyDays which have gone before... A fortnight since myWalker sailed – Remained in Dreadful Anxiety &Suspense...Letter from Walker saying he hoped to bewith me this Evening – I was in Momentary expectationof him all Day & he arrived just ½ past one.’Walker returns in November but by February 1798 he issent to the Manchester Fencibles. Depressed at leavingher new home to be rented out, Anna laments ‘Left mypoor house with very great regret to the Mercy perhapsof thoughtless people who will destroy all my furnitureonly just neatly arranged’. She follows Walker withAnna, their ten month old baby. Anyone who has evertaken their children on a road trip would feel forMrs Walker, when in February, they set off from Londonto Manchester a journey of 186 miles taking five days ata cost of a princely £13 11s 6dTravel at this time was not as genteel as it appears to bein a Jane Austin film. Road rage and drunken drivingwere two events that Mrs Walker documents in her ownunique fashion, ‘...the Stupid Postillion drove againstSome Trees with such violence that the pole broke andthe trees gave way at once with the Shock. The Driver &Horses went off and left us stuck fast in the tree –Luckily, or we must have been overturned & crushed toatoms – a very civil old woman opened her doors toreceive us & took us in – till a Chaise could be procured’.On another occasion, after their return from taking thewaters at Buxton Spa, the coachman wanted to chargemore than Walker thought reasonable. A fray ensuedand Walker was struck. ‘He did not take this loosely –Several people attended Walker I saw him fall. The ManI believe got a good thrashing’ Anna gleefully reports.When returning from a dinner at Heaton Hall ‘the Driverwas so tipsy that we were obliged to make him get offhis horse & let our servant drive.’ Mrs Walker gives avery detailed account of this journey, from the cost ofthe turnpikes to the price of the meals and rates of theinns they stayed at.Of the White Horse at Towcester:‘...but I was a little angry to see a Restive Horse put inthe Carriage – to remove which I found, from theinability of the Land lord, my Remonstration would havebut little effect but for the civility of a Gentleman whoinsisted on the horse being changed.’Of the Sugar Loaf at Dunstable:‘Very well accommodated, rather highly charged... toour Friend Harrison’s, the cross road to which was sobad I was afraid of hurting the children – in theCarriage and made the Servants walk with them thelast Mile & Half.’Of accommodation at Wilmslow: ’...approach toManchester was pretty. A number of new built Housesrearing their Heads in Testimony of the Opulence of theManchester people these being their CountryResidence. The smoke and dirt upon the approach toManchester was abominable and gave little hope ofbeing pleased with’The Napoleonic War, in which Walker is involved, doesnot go entirely unnoticed. A simple remark in themargin reads:‘A mutiny at Portsmouth among the Sailors thegrand Fleet who would not sail without an increaseof wages’ a far cry from the sensationalist coverage oftoday’s media.She follows this with a full diary entry shortlyafterwards: ‘...my Brother called to tell me the delightfulNews of the Fleet at the Nore having all returned totheir duty – the only painful Circumstance was Lut:Delham's having lost his leg by the firing from thoseships that still remained Refractory. Had a veryunpleasant dream of Walker.’On 4 October 1798 she exults at the news when‘Admiral Nelson completed a victory over the French onthe Nile. The whole town in the utmost confusion -Mad with Joy’.Her diaries continue until a few days before her death,the last entry remarking of a party she has attended.The period in which Anna lived and wrote was one ofwhich we have a clear impression from sources such asthe novels of Jane Austen. Anna’s diaries should show alife with the same highs and lows, obstacles andachievements, joys and disappointments of any ofAusten’s fictional characters.Extract from Mrs Walker’sHousehold Accounts, September 1798.1011

LEIGH AND WIGAN LOCAL STUDIESWith the 2014 centenary ofthe First World Warapproaching, communitygroups and individuals arebusy collating ideas on howto commemorate theanniversary. Many willprobably be researchinghow the war affected localpeople. With this in mind,we thought it might be agood time to let readersknow the types of resourcesavailable at Wigan andLeigh Local Studies.NewspapersIn 2010, Christine Watts, Localand Family History Officer,announced that volunteerswould index local publicationsfor the war years. These havenow been completed by Museumof Wigan Life volunteers LesNorburn and Kate Irvine whohave produced indexes for TheWigan Observer, The WiganExaminer and The Leigh Journal.The indexes contain lists of localmen who were either been killed,wounded, made a POW orawarded a medal. These are afantastic resource for familyhistorians and we will be lookingin the future towards digitisingthese records.Local PublicationsThere are also a number ofpublications relating to thetopic. ‘Just Like Hell’, ‘The Finestof All’ and ‘They Lived withDeath’, is a trilogy of bookswritten by local historian, FredHolcroft, about local men whofought at Gallipoli, the Sommeand in the Passchendaelecampaign respectively. Thebooks tell the stories of thecampaigns and offensivesthrough the words of local men.Cyril Ward and Evelyn Finch’s‘Leigh and the Somme’ containsmemories and local reports onthe effect of the Battle of theSomme on the local community.Leslie Smith’s ‘The GermanPrisoner of War Camp at Leigh’uses sources from localnewspapers to tell the story ofEtherstone Mill which wasThe last German Prisoners of War leaving thecamp in Leigh, 1919.temporarily transformed into aPOW camp for Germansoldiers. The account describesthe arrival of the prisoners andseveral dramatic escapeattempts by POWs.There are also publicationsand cuttings about theManchester Regiment. Themajority of the information ishoused at Wigan Local Studies.Publications include: GeorgeDerbyshire’s ‘5th Battalion theManchester Regiment: TheColours’; ‘The ManchesterRegiment’ edited by WolmerWhyte; ‘Exhibition notes takenfrom the Wigan MilitaryChronicle: Volumes 1-3’ byGeorge Derbyshire; scrapbooksand Dawn Wadsworth’sexhibition text for ‘The CollierBattalion : a history of the 5thManchester Regiment’. BothWigan and Leigh Local Studieshold copies of the Roll ofHonour for the 5th ManchesterRegiment. Leigh also has‘Soldiers died in the Great War:The Manchester Regiment’.For more information pleasecontact Leigh Local Studies on01942 404559.Wigan Territorial Force soliders, with trenchmessenger dog at Cuinchy, January 1918.Local StudiesBook ReviewHannah Turner,Local Studies OfficerIn 2001, Philip Taylor and hiswife Susan published ‘JonathanDewhurst – The LancashireTragedian’, a biography ofJonathan’s great-great uncle,the eminent actor, JonathanDewhurst. I thoroughly enjoyedreading this first book whichlooked at Jonathan’s early lifeand acting career which tookhim to London, Australiaand India before he settledin his home town of Leigh asthe manager of the LeighTheatre Royal.Since publishing the first book,living descendants of JonathanDewhurst have contacted Philipand Susan. They have gatheredmore information which theyhave used for their new book,‘Jonathan Dewhurst – TheCurtain Falls’. The story this timefollows the lives of Dewhurst’sextended family, some whochose the theatrical world butalso some who went a differentroute such as Jonathan’sgrandson, Paul FrancisChristopher, who fought in theSpanish Civil War.The book is an entertainingaccount of Philip and Susan’sjourney, which lovers of bothfamily and local history willappreciate and enjoy.Copies of Jonathan Dewhurst –The Curtain Falls are availablefrom the authors for £10 (plus£2.50 UK p&p). Cheques,payable to ‘P Taylor’ shouldbe sent with mailing detailsc/o Philip & Susan Taylor,2 The Driftway,Shipston-on-Stour,WarwickshireCV36 4QH.Books added to thereference stock of theMuseum of Wigan LifeGenealogyTranscriptsLancashire ParishRegister SocietyVol 173 The registers of theParish of Lowton 1733-1837.Lancashire Parish RegisterSocietyVol NC 7The registers of Leigh St Marythe Virgin1754-1790. (DVD).GeneralShryhane, GeoffreyWicked Wigan in two volumes364.0942736Harrison, DavidThe Liverpool Masonicrebellion and the WiganGrand Lodge: the lastMasonic rebellion366.1Lockwood, StephenSouth Lancashiretrolleybuses388.46094273Hart, WLanky Beat784.54Dykes, GarthWigan Borough in the FootballLeague 1921-31Atherton, DavidKitt Green 1935-1950:the impact of war942.736.Collins, StephenJames Crossley:a Manchester man of letters(Chetham Society vol 50)Holmes, Peter(editor)Caroline Casuistry:the cases of conscience ofFr Thomas Southwell SJ.(Catholic Record SocietyRecords series vol 84)Jarman, E K M(editor)Justice and conciliation in aTudor church court:depositions from EDC 2/6Deposition book of theConsistory Court of Chester,Sept 1558-March 1559.(Record Society of Lancs andCheshire vol 146.)Recusant Historyvol 31 No 2 October 2012.(Catholic Record Society)Virgoe, John MThomas Eccleston (1752-1809):a progressive Lancashireagriculturist.(The Chetham Society vol. 49)Wilkes, SueNarrow windows,narrow lives: the industrialrevolution in Lancashire942.761213

By Peter J TyldesleyThe TyldesleyMonumentA brief history ofits inscriptionThe Tyldesley Monument marks whereSir Thomas Tyldesley fell whilst fightingfor the Royalist cause at the Battle ofWigan Lane on 25 August 1651. Originallyerected in 1679, the monument now standsin an enclosure at the junction of Wigan Lane andMonument Road.During restoration work in 1886 a slate plaque wasaffixed to each side of the monument. These plaquesreplaced a rather more elegant arrangement, a singlebrass plate in a shaped recess on the west face. Thisplate is evident in the sketches taken by Latham in1823 and by Whitehouse around 1829.Only two of the slate plaques are inscribed. Thatfacing south records Henry Park to have been Mayorof Wigan at the time of the restoration. Of moreinterest is the plaque on the west side which bears, incapital letters, the following inscription:An High Act of Gratitude, which conveys the memoryof Sir Thomas Tyldesley to posterity. Who served KingCharles the First as Lieutenant Colonel at Edge HillBattle, after raising Regiments of Horse, Foot, andDragoons, and for the desperate storming of Burtonupon-Trent,over a bridge of 36 arches received theHonour of Knighthood, He afterwards served in allthe Wars in great command was Governor ofLichfield, and followed the fortune of the Crown,through the three Kingdoms, and never compoundedwith the Rebels, though strongly invested, and on the25th August A.D. 1651 was here slain, commandingas Major General under the Earl ofDerby, To whom the grateful Erector,Alexander Rigby, Esq. was Cornet:and when he was High Sheriff of thisCounty A.D. 1679 placed this HighObligation on the whole family of theTyldesleys, to follow the NobleExample of their Loyal Ancestor.(Sketch by William Latham, LancashireRecord Office, Ref: DP 291/16)Without the final nine words, it would be unclearwhat obligation is placed on the Tyldesleys. Yet aletter to the Wigan Examiner in May 1886 complainedthat these words were a modern addition by therestorers. Is this correct?Remarkably the brass plate removed from themonument survives and was located by Simon Millsin the safekeeping of Lichfield Heritage Centre.On its reverse is a bolt and thumb-nut, suggestingthe plate was originally bolted to an internal fixingpoint. The plate provides conclusive evidence of theformer inscription:AN High Act of Gratitude, Erected this Monument,which conveys the memory of S.R THO.S TYLDESLEYto Posterity. Who served KING CHARLES the first asLieutenant Colonel at Edge hill Battle, after raisingRegiments of Horse, Foot and Dragoons. And for theDesperate Storming of Burton upon Trent, over aBridge of 36 Arches received the Honour ofKnighthood. He afterwards served in all the Wars ingreat Command. Was Governour of Litchfield, andfollowed the Fortune of the Crown through the threeKingdoms - And never compounded with the Rebelstho strongly invested. And on the 25th of AugustA.D. 1650 was here Slain Commanding as Major-General under the EARL of DERBY. To whom thegrateful Erector, ALEX.R RIGBY, ESQ.R was Cornet.And when he was High Sheriff of this County AD.1679. Placed this High obligation on the whole familyof the TYLDESLEYS.The brass plate removed from the Monument.Plainly, the disputed words are not included.Other differences are apparent between the twoinscriptions. Most obviously, on the brass plate theyear of the Battle of Wigan Lane is erroneously statedto be 1650, a mistake which is carried through into anumber of early transcriptions, including those bySeacombe in 1793 and Britton in 1807.The brass plate is not, however, the end of the story.It was itself added to the monument in an earlierrestoration. In 1750, a letter to the Adams WeeklyCourant noted that the monument had beendismantled. The inscription was on a piece of blackmarble, which the correspondent had located in anearby alehouse. Though the gilded letters were‘much injured’ they read as follows:A high Act of Gratitude erected this Monument, &conveighs the Memory of SIR THOMAS TYLDESLEY toPofterity. Who ferved K: C: 1ft as Left: Col: at EdghillBattell; after rais'd Regiments of Horfe, Foot &Dragoons. And for the defperate Storming Burtonupon Trent, Over a Bridge of 36 Arches, Received theHonour of Knighthood. He after ferved in all theWarrs in great Commands; Was Governour ofLitchfield And followed the Fortune of the Crownthrough the 3 Kingdoms. Would never compoundwith the Rebels, though ftrongly invefted And onthe 25th of Aug: Anno 1650, Was here Slain,commanding as Major General under the E: ofDERBY; To whom the gratefull Erector, ALEX. RIGBY,Esq; was Corne: And when hee was High Sheriff ofthe County of Lancafter Anno 1679, placed this highObligation On the whole Family of the TYLDESLEYS.Is this the earliest available transcription? Althoughthe monument was seen by Brockbank in 1693,Kuerden around 1695 and Fiennes in 1698, they didnot record the inscription. Nor did Thomas Tyldesley,grandson of Sir Thomas Tyldesley, when noting in hisdiary the cost of the repairs required in 1713 ‘GaveHen: Hosfeild Towards reparing the stone brooken,weh was the inscription on the monimentt fforSr: Tho: Tyldesley, 2s: 6’Where then, did the final words of the presentinscription originate? In 1876, Picton included themwhen noting that the monument had been, ‘repairedabout thirty years since at the expense of a gentlemannear Liverpool who claimed connexion with theTyldesleys’. However the earliest mention appears tobe by Raines in 1867, citing a manuscript at KnowsleyHouse, then the seat of the Stanleys.Sir Thomas Tyldesley and James Stanley, the seventhEarl of Derby, had been friends and comrades duringthe Civil War. It would be unsurprising if the originalinscription had been transcribed for the Stanleys priorto 1750. Could the manuscript, if located, offerevidence that part of the 1679 inscription was lost todamage by 1750 and was merely reinstated duringthe 1886 restoration?Diary of Thomas Tyldesley, grandson ofSir Thomas Tyldesley, 1713.1415

Deacons at St Paul’sCongregationalChurch, c.1865BY MAX FINNEYWilliam MedlenHutchings1827-1876: Evangelical Preacher, Writer,Debater, Printer and JournalistOne of the most prominent menin the town during mid-Victoriantimes was William M Hutchings,who was born in 1827 in Devon.He was the Editor of ‘The CollieryGuardian’ which initially startedin London, but after a few yearsmoved to Wigan.The earliest mention ofHutchings in Wigan appears in1850 when he wrote the wordsto the hymn ‘Mothers of Salem’,especially for the anniversary ofthe Sunday School of St. Paul’sCongregational Church inStandishgate. In spite of hisyoung age, he was already theSuperintendent of the Sundayschool. In 1859 the firstEvangelical Revival Meeting washeld in Wigan, and Hutchingswas present on the platform,along with members of the localclergy, and other prominentcitizens. In the same year at theWigan Sunday SchoolsConference he suggested thattwo of the topics for discussioncould be ‘the desirability orotherwise of the mixture of sexesin senior classes’, and that theyshould publish a magazine oftheir own, listing the reasonswhy it would be successful.Neither of these was taken up.Eventually there was a WiganSunday School magazine*, butwhether this was a result of hisproposals is not known.In 1860 he was involved in apublic debate at the Drill Hall inPowell Street, with CharlesBradlaugh MP. The event wasadvertised as ‘Mr Iconoclast vThe Bible’ and held over twoevenings.** ‘Mr Iconoclast’ wasthe pseudonym of Bradlaugh buthe refused to take the oath, andwas expelled and re-electedregularly for six years until hetook the oath and his seat. In thedebate Bradlaugh denied thestories in The Bible were true,and that they could not beauthenticated. Hutchings took aleading part in opposing theseviews, as also did a number ofclergymen who were present.Bradlaugh’s comments arousedthose present, and at times thedebate became noisy and unruly,causing the police to be called in.The Congregationalists were theleading proponents ofEvangelicalism but were mainlymiddle class. Hutchings believedthat they did not show anyinterest in welcoming theworking class to their services.Accordingly he was dissatisfiedwith this state of affairs, andfounded a Workingmen’sCongregational Church. Its firstmeeting was held in theCongregational Meeting Roombehind Nicholson’s TemperanceHotel in Wigan in 1862. He wastheir first preacher, taking hissermon on the topic of‘Separation not Schism’.Their second anniversarycelebrations in 1864 consisted ofa tea party and musicalentertainment, and he again tooka leading part in the reading ofseveral pieces by well-knownauthors, and also delivered hisdiscourse on Two Whole Years atanother one of the services. Thisas based upon Acts xxviii, 30,comparing the Workingmen’sChurch with St. Paul’simprisonment in Rome, duringwhich he wrote his epistles to theGalatians, Timothy, the Ephesians.In 1865 the church started tobuild a new chapel in WarringtonLane at its junction withDarlington Street East, in an areaknown as the Silverwell Field. Itbecame the SilverwellCongregational Church. Withinthe non-conformist circles he wasinvited to be a lay preacher atmany of their churches andchapels in the Wigan area, aswell as taking part in local secularand social affairs.Hutchings had many interests,one of which was theTemperance Movement in Wigan,and when one of their leadingpersonalities died Hutchings wasappointed as Secretary. In 1853when 58 miners were killed atInce Hall Pit, he was listed in theWigan Observer, as one of thefirst persons to give a donation.In that same year there was aproposal to inaugurate aMechanics Institution in thetown, and he was appointed asone of its directors, representingthem at a meeting of all of theinstitutions of Lancashire andCheshire at Knowsley Hall, theseat of the Earl of Derby.In 1856 he was guest speaker atthe Westhoughton Branch, withhis subject being ‘Mary, Queen ofScots’. At the ‘Exhibition, TeaParty and Bazaar’ held by theWigan Institution in 1860, hemoved a vote of thanks to theladies who had given donationsand contributed. In his speech hestated that it was all classes ofladies who had contributed, fromthe titled ladies of Haigh Hall tothe factory girls who called in atnight on their way home fromwork. Regular social evenings, inwhich public readings andmusical entertainment tookplace, were organised by theinstitution and he was oftenadvertised as one of the readers.The Cotton Famine in 1862caused great hardship in thetown, and there were variousrelief funds and schemesorganised, and he was acommittee member of variousorganisations dealing with theproblems. In a speech he gave atthe Hindley Free Reading Roomand Library, he commented thatnot long ago the opinion ofmany educated people was thatit would be dangerous toeducate the lower classes, as itwould only lead to disastrousresults. Fortunately, this attitudehad now changed and themajority of people now realisedwhat a great deal of good thishad produced. In his summingup, he gave examples of selfeducatedmen who hadovercome all difficulties, andquoted a few lines fromLongfellow to emphasise hispoints. In 1867 ‘The CollieryGuardian’ had become sosuccessful as the leadinginternational magazine for themining industry that it returnedto London, and Hutchings leftWigan. He died a few years laterin 1876, but the magazinecontinued publication until 1991.Notes:* No copies of this magazine havebeen traced.** An iconoclast was one who attacksand seeks to overthrow traditional orpopular ideas to institutions, or adestroyer of sacred images.1617

PROBING PICTURESMAKE IT,SPIN IT,CAN ITAs part of the new exhibition,we’re keen to collectphotographs, records andobjects relating to localbusiness. Please get in touchwith the Archives if you haveanything of interest.141Coops – fashion plateshowing the range of theirmen and boys’ clothing in1876, including the Coopfactory in the background.22Lord & Sharman Ltd,Pemberton – shoemanufacturers. Factory girlson holiday in Blackpool1936; they are wearingshoes made in the factory.534H J Heinz factory guides,1969. Visitors to the newlyopened Heinz factory inKitt Green were shown roundby these seven women.A photograph of theoriginal Poole’s tea roomson Wallgate, Wigan.365Advertisement forMassey Brothers ofPemberton, engineers.6Sovereign Toffee,Church Lane, Lowton –sweet manufacturer.Delivery van outsidethe factory.18 19

The Restoration of GullickDobson Ltd. of Wigan1986 Track Ballaster, No. BL009In the 1970s about 20 per cent ofthe time worked at an NCB collierywas spent in the transport ofminerals, men and materials. Theaverage face worker spent about 45minutes travelling to his work and asimilar time travelling out at theend of his shift. Slower diesellocomotives could travelunderground at 6mph. However,larger locomotives with 50, 65 and100hp engines were available and a25 ton twin engined 216hp dieselhydrauliclocomotive forunderground service at EasingtonColliery in County Durham couldtransport 126 men in man-ridingcars at speeds up to 25mph.Unfortunately the existing NCBunderground narrow gauge trackstandards were generally notadequate enough to cope withhigher speeds, so a programme toimprove track standards withmechanical tamping machines wasintroduced. In line with the NCBpolicy at the time of buying Britishequipment wherever possible, GullickDobson Ltd. of Wigan was sponsoredto develop a flameproof tampingmachine for use in NCB mines.Gullick Dobson was a component ofthe Dobson Park Industries Group.They later merged with Dowty in1993 and became part of JoyMining Machinery Ltd in 1995. Thecompany still exists on the site ofthe former Gullick Dobson worksjust off Manchester Road, alongsidethe Wigan to Manchester railwayline. Although empty, the factorybuildings still survive, with theremains of the Gullick Dobson signstill just readable in the oldpaintwork. Joy Mining Machinery issituated in the office behind thefactory buildings. Gullick Dobsonwere experienced manufacturers offlameproof mining equipment andsuppliers of mining equipment,powered roof supports and controlsystems; they diversified to includethe production of free steeredrubber-tyred vehicles for use inmines in addition to the minestamping machines.By 1984, the first three tampingmachines had been delivered to theNCB, at a cost of about £100,000each. Trials had taken place at twocollieries, Lea Hall in the WesternArea and Blidworth in the NorthNottingham Area. Relaying trackat Lea Hall had allowed man-ridingspeeds with existing locomotivesto be increased from 8mph to15mph and it was planned toraise the speed even further withnew locomotives.The complete tamping machineweighs almost eight tons and isabout 25 feet long. It consists ofby DaveTimperleyThe Gullick Dobson Track Ballaster, painted yellow from its originalNCB white and with extended cab roofs, after its use on the Welsh HighlandRailway. Photographed, March 2008.two separate parts which arearticulated and have differentfunctions. The locomotive drivingunit has a wheelbase of 8ft 2in withfour hydrostatically driven wheels.The locomotive unit houses thepower pack containing the engine(a Motoren Werke Mannheim),auxiliary equipment and a drivingcab. It provides power to thetamping unit through 13 hydraulicconnections, with a maximumlocomotive track speed of 9mph.The separate tamper unit which iscarried on two rear idler wheels hasa cab and in addition to thetamping equipment, has extensiblelegs on a beam to allow track realignmentwith clamps, so that thetrack can be lifted and slewed whilethe sleeper is tamped by vibratingtines either side of the rails. Toallow the tamping machine to beused on the variety of rail gauges inNCB mines, the gauge of thetamping machine could be varied.By the late 1980s many collierieswere closed or run down and mostof the Gullick Dobson tampingmachines were abandonedunderground as the cost ofrecovering them would have beengreater than their scrap value.However, three seemed to havesurvived on the surface. One wasseen in a very derelict condition atBewick Drift Stockyard inNorthumberland in 2005 before thesite was cleared. Two wereobtained by the re-formedYorkshire Engine Company (YEC)from Staffordshire Locomotives Ltd.Both machines were moved toLong Marston in Warwickshire inJanuary 1996.Tamping machine BL005 hadapparently survived on the surfaceas it had been due for an overhaulby British Coal. It was allocatedYEC number L137 and was statedto have come from HarworthColliery, having been earlier notedon the surface at Gascoigne WoodColliery. In 2000 it moved fromthe YEC to Trackwork Ltd inDoncaster for possible use on anIsle of Man contract, but itappears to have suffered anengine failure and seems to havesubsequently been scrapped.The sole surviving tampingmachine, BL009, had just had anoverhaul in a British Coal workshop,possibly at the ex NCB CentralWorkshop at Walkden, when it wasobtained by the YEC. Built in 1986,it was originally at the NCBTrentham Training Centre.Meanwhile, the Welsh HighlandRailway (WHR) had embarked onsignificant construction work andwas looking for a narrow gaugetamping machine. In 1997 the WHRbought the tamping machine fromthe YEC and paid for itsmodification to make it moresuitable for surface use. Themodifications were then carried outby the YEC at Long Marston asrework number L136.Tamping machine BL009 was thensent to Bala Lake Railway in June1997. Following wiring and testingthere, the tamping machine wasdelivered to the WHR at DinasJunction on 19 July 1997.The tamping machine successfullytamped track from Caernarvon toDinas Junction in 1997, and then inJune 2000 the locomotive unit andthe tamping unit were separatedand moved by road to sidings atCae Wernlasddu. The tamping unitfloor was extended after this, but itappears that the WHR found thetamping machine hydraulic tractionsystem unsuitable for their use andfollowing a mechanical failure in itstraction system resulting in a seizedwheel motor it was left in a sidingat Dinas.It was bought privately from theWHR in 2007 and moved forrestoration to the Derbyshire DalesNarrow Gauge Railway at PeakRail’s Rowsley site in Derbyshire inMarch 2008.Locomotive unit with new rear coupling and windows, March 2012.The remains of the GullickDobson Ltd. factory in Wigan,September 2011.Although BL009 had been leftoutside for over 10 years in Wales,externally the tamping machinewas in reasonable condition, butall the hydraulic motorcomponents had been removedand the seized wheel motor waslocked solid. Bullet holes were alsoapparent in the rear cab windows.The tamper unit was connected tothe locomotive unit by a largeswivel joint and only had two rearwheels. Before restoration workcould start, it was necessary toseparate the two units and design,build and fit a new front wheelaxle to the tamper unit. Thelocomotive unit was then jackedup and sat on sleepers to allowthe seized wheel motor to beremoved.All the locomotive unit chassis andbody box sections had to havedrain holes drilled in them to letout accumulated rain water. Newrear and side 5mm polycarbonatewindows were then fitted to thecab and having removed thenon-compatible rear couplingplate, a universal two slot pin andbar coupling was designed,built and fitted to allow easyinterconnection with other railvehicles. The seized wheel motorhas now been refurbished and willbe ready for re-fitting when thebrakes have been renewed.Work is now taking place on theelectrical system, with major workstill outstanding on refitting thehydraulic pump equipment.2021

The AndersonShelter in Wigan BoroughAir raidshelters atGidlow MiddleSchool, c.1940Psychologically evocative, theAnderson shelter, along with gasmasks and child evacuees, is aniconic image of the SecondWorld War.This article is not a critique ofthe Anderson shelter per se.It is an attempt to give anoverview of the provision of airraid shelters in the WiganBorough area.Contrary to some opinions,the British government was inthe process of preparing forwar long before 1939.From 1935, councils hadbeen required to compileincreasingly detailed,provisional, annual plansdesigned to protect theirpopulations against thehitherto unknown probabilityof heavy aerial bombardment.After war was declared somecouncils were not as prepared asothers. Possibly the period of the‘phoney war’ gave few hints ofthe bombing raids to follow? Incehad very detailed plans in 1938but as late as January 1940 theirshelter provision was dismallyinadequate. Aspull required overtpressure from the Home Officebefore they provided plans, andAshton’s provision was ‘aboveaverage’. The rest lay somewherein between.Provision of shelters fell intothree broad categories;domestic, for people based athome; public, for people on thestreets, schools, hospitals andindustrial, which althoughostensibly a responsibility of theFactory Inspectorate, councilswere required to undertake oroverview the work.By Yvonne EckersleyThe Anderson shelter was thefirst choice for protecting peoplein their homes. However, theywere not popular as designoversights created enormousproblems. Logistics aside, 600Leigh shelters arrived withoutnuts and bolts; the semi-sunkenAnderson shelters were cold anddamp and tended to flood. By1942 Leigh Council had drained2,976 of its 7,746 shelters. From1940 steel shortages madeAnderson shelters impracticaland the government advisedcouncils to stop distributingthem. Surface brick and concretecommunal street shelters toaccommodate 50 were beingsubstituted. Problems occurredwhen a wrong mix of concreteand sand was used and manyhad to be rebuilt. Regional AirPrecautions (ARP) Officersinspected a small sample of23 (of several hundred) sheltersin Atherton and 15 neededrebuilding. This createdincreased demand and ashortfall in shelter provision.The Morrison shelter, comprisingof what was in effect a steelcage fitting inside private houseswas an unrealistic propositionfor most of the housing in thearea. Leigh had just 118 in1942. By 1943 steel shortageswere acute. Atherton ARPminutes record governmentalinstructions to dismantle andbuy back Morrison shelters,offering £7 for unassembledshelters and ‘any offer’for others.The first trench shelters, 7 footdeep and roofless or with acorrugated iron roof covered bytwo feet of earth were dug, asa response to the MunichCrisis, on open spaces such asAlexandra and Mesnes Parks inWigan, Jubilee Park in Ashtonand Marsh Playing Fields, Leigh.After the crisis they weremothballed. By 1939, theirinadequacy was obvious andrebuilding was essential. Thegovernment produced exactcriteria. New trench shelterswere to have pre-cast concretelinings, with proper drainage,lighting and basic sanitaryrequirements (pail toilets).However, shortages ofmaterials resulted in insufficientcompleted trenches in andbeyond September 1939.Town centres posed particularproblems. In densely developedstreets, trench shelters werenot practical. A pragmaticapproach was necessary.Existing basements incommercial premises such asMakinson’s Arcade, departmentstores in Market Place, underWigan’s Market Hall, in PublicHouses across the Borough(once re-enforced) providedshelter for staff and peoplecaught in the streets. Shelterswere built by bus stops andrailway stations at Bamfurlongand railway arches in QueenStreet, Wigan. Necessity led toinnovation. Ashton built anumber of Pill Box publicshelters, whilst investigatingthe possibility of utilisingLeyland Green Pit. Thegovernment sanctioned thecreation of shelters bydemolishing the top part ofdisused buildings, saving andstrengthening their first floorsand utilizing the resultantdebris. Complete coverage wasimpossible. Wigan Councilprovided public shelters for3000, but on Saturdays therecould be upwards of 12,000people out and about incentral Wigan.Factories and workshopsemploying more than 50 peoplewere required to provideshelters. Factory and workshopbasements were strengthenedaccording to government criteriaand a large, complex, sunkenshelter was constructed underMesnes Park for Rylands Mill,which still exists.It seemed to some WiganCouncillors that it would beadvantageous to provideshelter for the 5000 peoplefrom Worsley Hall by tunnelinginto local pit heaps. It wouldappear form the 1951 (ColdWar) Survey that Andersonshelters may have beenprovided instead. A Pit HeapsCommittee was established in1938, coinciding with theparliamentary debate on theunhealthy, dangerous andunstable condition of tips. MP’sfor Wigan, Ince and Leighpresented evidence toParliament in support of thesecond reading of the PublicHealth (Coal Mines Refuse) Bill.Joe Tinker (Leigh) emphasisedthe potential danger of burningspoil-tips as a guide to enemyaircraft. The governmentrecognised this and later closeddown the Pemberton CokingPlant because of its night-timeglow. Parkinson (Wigan) andGordon MacDonald (Ince) bothstressed the noxious fumes andthe danger of instantaneouscombustion, labelling the tips‘our Etnas and Stromboli’s’. In1938 Ashton Council wasconcerned by Garswood HallCollieries’ reluctance toaddress their burning spoil tipwhilst one BickershawCollieries’ tip erupted intoflames during 1941.Keeping miners safe was aparticular problem. Althoughsurface shelters wereconstructed in pit yards(Parsonage Pit Leigh, dug intoadjacent railway embankments)it was suggested that minerscould remain undergroundduring air attacks. At the sametime the problem of how toget miners from undergroundshould the winding engine orheadgear be bombed wasparamount. This was resolvedby the provision of mobilewinding gear stationed locally.A high priority for all thedistricts was the protection ofchildren. Each School wasprovided with a designatedshelter. Council leaders wereconcerned that these shouldbe used appropriately, andonly after some debate werethe public admitted out ofschool hours.Sources.Council Minute Books1938-1946, Borough-wideARP Minute Books1951 Shelter SurveyWigan Observer, Leigh Chronicle.22 23

A Contented andProductive WorkforceUntil their closure and demolitionin the latter years of the lastcentury, the Victoria Mills of J & JHayes were one of the majoremployers in Leigh. In an accountof the firm’s history published ina trade journal the authorcomments not only on theefficiency of the manufacturingprocesses which were adoptedand the resultant quality ofproducts but also on the supportand concern given to ensure thewell-being of employees. Many ofthese workers were recruitedlocally and remained with thefirm for many years, oftenincluding several generations ofthe same families. As well asbeing attentive to the workingconditions of the labour forcethey also provided a range ofpersonal welfare services togetherwith social and recreationalopportunities as represented bythe bowling-green and tenniscourts alongside the mills.Company records show thatmembers of the Hayes andThorpe families were involvedwith the local cotton and silkindustries in the 1820s. In the1840s Robert Thorpe and JamesHayes were partners in what wasknown as Barlow’s Factory and in1856 they erected the first of theVictoria Mills. Company recordsinclude evidence that the firmbegan to import cotton from theNile Valley in the 1850s and thissource of Egyptian cotton was toBy Bob Evansprovide a reliable supply duringthe years of the cotton faminewhen the civil war between theNorthern and Southern statesmade American cottonunavailable to manufacturers. Asa result the factory was able tocontinue production and theowners appear to have acceptedRobert Owen’s principle that acontented and educatedworkforce was a valuable assetto a successful company.The company gave support forthe formation of a social club“open to all persons employedat Victoria Mills of the age of16 years & upwards.” A smallnotebook, entitled the “Rulesand Minutes of the VictoriaInstitute,” provides a list of rulesagreed on the 13 of October1968. These state thatmembership was generally toJ & J Hayes Mill, Leigh.be 2d each week to be paidfortnightly in advance but “Bigpiecers and Card Room hands”were to pay one penny per week.There was to be no intoxicatingliquor, swearing or gambling inthe institute. A managementcommittee of seven wasformed and principle officerschosen to be President,Secretary and Treasurer.The notebook continues withminutes recording decisionstaken between 1968 and 1871to provide not only social andrecreational activities but alsosupport for education. Within thefirst month it was agreed thatthere should be a night school,initially for boys and a little laterfor girls. The necessary materialswere purchased – slates, copybooks pens, ink wells and paper.The following year a schoolmaster, Henry Winterbottom,was appointed. A library wasestablished including both localand national newspaperstogether with a varied rangeof educational journals andclassical and popular novels.Arrangements were made forbooks to be loaned with labelsattached specifying the timeallowed for reading and apenalty of 1/2d for late return ordamage. With the approval ofthe committee, the library wasopened to all residents living inthe immediate area fromAtherton to Leigh Roadnorthwards along Kirkhall Laneand defined as from “Barnhousesand the Workhouse to theParsonage railway crossing.”The only information concerningthe premises which wereoccupied at this time is that theywere capable of accommodatingup to two hundred people andthat initially rotas of memberstook responsibility for keepingthem clean. Twelve months laterMrs Winterbottom, presumablythe wife of the schoolmaster,was appointed as a full-timecleaner receiving a wage of 1s-0dper week in the summer monthsand 2s-6d in winter. It was inthese premises that thecommittee was able to bring themembers together in what werereferred to as tea-meetings. Thefirst was organised for 4-30 pmon the Saturday prior toChristmas 1868. The room wasdecorated and provisions orderedfor 250 people who were eachcharged 7d. Wives andsweethearts of employees werealso invited. Following tea thereExtract from the Institute Rule Book.was entertainment whichincluded singing and reciting.At the first meeting in the newyear the committeecongratulated everyone on thesuccess of the venture whichmust have secured the financesof the Institute as it was possibleto refund the 5s which eachcommittee man had beenobliged to contribute for theinitial Institute expenses. Theopportunity for the workforce tomeet together was repeated insucceeding years with theinclusion of additional post-teaentertainment. In the spring of1869 John Lomas was paid5s 6d to “fiddle for us” and in1870 for four players from abrass band were offered 1s 6dand one boy came free to playbells and triangles.The Institute’s activities had thesupport and approval of thefirm’s management and owners.Several of the tea meetings werepresided over by Mr Alfred Thorpor Mr James Hayes. Mrs Hayesdonated books and 10s. JamesThorp gave a large map of theworld and James Hayes presentedExtract from the tea-meeting accounts.two sets of chessmen followingwhich the committee decided itwas necessary to purchase a rulebook. There is no indication if MrHayes agreed to the request for askittle ground. The minutes alsoare unclear as to what was thepurpose of an “Electrifyingmachine” which was purchased.Though the archive records do notcontain any further references tothe Institute they do provide someevidence that the firm continued torecognise the importance ofproviding basic education foryoung recruits. As well as thepayments for school books notedin the Institute minutes, furtherpayments appear in a Thorpe andHayes petty cash book in the later1870s. Items include 2s -0d forschool books for half- timers, 4s-0dfor two “Register School Books”and 2s-0d for a “School BookRegister”. In 1880 12s-0d was paidfor “School Certificate books.”SOURCES ANDACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis account is based on records ofthe firm, particularly the InstituteMinute Book and an account ofthe firm’s history originallypublished in Skinner’s Silk andRayon Record of September 1952with an updated reprint dated1960. These are amongst thedocuments referenced D/Dy/Ha.,in the Wigan Archives. Thanks aredue to the archivist and staff formaking them available for study.2425

FROM HILLTOPSTO BUNKERSDuring the 1914-1918 war my family livedin Darlington Street. This was right under thepath of Zeppelin L61 which dropped bombsall the way to The Top Place Iron Works inNew Springs.At the time, no proper warning system forthese raids was in place. This problem wasacknowledged in the 1920s and in 1924 abranch of Special Constables were trained as‘Spotters’. In 1926 the Observer Corps wasformed to take over and to issue warnings infour South Eastern counties. By 1929 thecontrol of the Corps had passed on to theRoyal Air Force.In 1937 the area covered now included theNorth-west of England with a Group HQ inManchester. In a wartime situation a postsighting an aircraft, friendly or otherwise, wouldpass on its height and direction to its GroupHQ. Its track would be plotted with the aid ofother posts. If necessary, fighter aircraft wouldintercept and public air-raid sirens would sound.The Wigan area had three spotting posts,Atherton, Billinge Beacon and my own post,named Parbold but sitting atop Hunters Hill.By the time hostilities began post crews were amixture of full-timers and part-timers; they werefrom all walks of life, a real mixture. Usuallythere would be three observers on duty 24hours a day, seven days a week.During my time in the RAF, working in Air TrafficControl, I developed a keen interest in all thingsaeroplane. An acquaintance happened to beChief Observer at Parbold. This was in the1950s and I was invited to attend a postmeeting at The Rigby Arms at Highmoor, notBY DON RAYNORvery far from the post site. I persuaded a pal ofmine from RAF days to come with me. ComeFriday evening off we both set off on our BSABantams to the pub. We were getting off ourbikes and saw a car arrive and these blokes, allwearing RAF ‘officers’ raincoats went into thepub. John took one look and said to me “we’renot joining this lot, they’re all b--------- officers”.It certainly looked that way. I should explainthat other ranks in the Air Force were givenovercoats and a waterproof cape. We did joinand got the ‘macs’. I stayed with the Corps untilStand-down in 1991. We found that some ofthe members were from war-time days. Theyhad chosen to remain in the Corps; they werethe Chief, Gordon Alstead – his father, a formerMP and one-time mayor of Wigan – and CliffTaylor, well known for his shops in Wigan, whohad run factories making army uniforms in theSecond World War. There were two ex-air crew,one of whom became the Headmaster of theBluecoats School. Several more were teachersand another owned a well known town centretobacconists. All in all it was like a gentleman’sclub. 1941 was an auspicious year for theCorps, the title ‘Royal’ had been granted by theKing. Women were admitted and the post atParbold was ready for use.Soon after I joined in 1957, a national exercisewas planned and I would have my firstexperience of spotting planes. I had seen thefilm, Battle of Britain and remembered the partwhen German bombers destroyed radarinstallations in Kent. Air Vice Marshall Dowdingsaid “all we have now is the Observer Corps”. Itwas with this in mind we walked up the hill tothe post. I had expected a little more than whatappeared. This place on the hill where guys spentnights and days was not much more than a dugoutwith a couple of shutters which folded backand a sheltered area to escape the weather; andof course a telephone and a ‘bush’.What was missing was the planes; in the laterfifties there were very few about. We were givensynthetic information which we reported toGroup Control. To the plotters, this informationwould appear authentic – OK for them but notfor us. Sadly it seemed the future of the ROC wasnot too bright. I had only just joined, but radarwas better now, planes flew higher and faster;who needed the Observer Corps?By 1960, the British Government was againseeking a new warning system. In the contextof potential nuclear warfare, it was felt thatwith adequate information of bomb burstsand the likely path of fall-out, much of thepopulation could survive. The ROC waschosen to carry out a review. It would needa substantial investment. Over 1500underground bunkers were built, aboveground Controls were replaced withunderground two storey buildings. Postslike ours, now on low ground inWrightington were equipped to measurethe bearing, height, pressure and whetherthe burst occurred at ground level or inthe air.A ground burst was classed as a ‘DirtyBomb’. The local post would also sound asiren to warn of a raid (a Red Warning).Fall-out warnings (Black) would be bypyrotechnics. Fall-out measurements atregular intervals were plotted at centresand with the help of meteorologistscould predict the path of radiation andtime of arrival. A warning time of fourminutes was aimed for.The break-up of the Soviet Union, thefall of the Berlin Wall and the ending ofthe Cold War inevitably led to defencecuts and in 1991 the ROC wasdisbanded. I had been the ChiefObserver for eight of the 34 yearsservice. We had remained close to theRAF, we could attend annual campsand be close to the aeroplanes after all.Through the Corps I met many ofthe top people in Government. I met thetwo top Royals at a Garden Party. I was toldI would be introduced to Philip but half-waythrough the introduction he said, “bugger this”and stalked off. He did speak to me later, butthe Queen was nice as she passed by. We alsomet ‘Ban the Bomb’ people during ourexercises. Some of the posts were sold, but atWrightington the farmer has taken over thebrick building which had housed the ‘WiganBeacon’, a former aid to aircraft navigation;but that is another story for others to tell.Black-Out Notice issued in Wigan forRAF training, July 1939.2627

WhitMondayBy Tom WalshWhit Monday morning hasfinally arrived. I live at the backof St Patrick’s Church. Mamhas been up and about forhours, ironing, making lastminute alterations, cleaningand polishing, not to mentionbaking, in preparation for themany visitors we would mostcertainly receive on this veryspecial day.The first thing I hear is thesound of the bands and thebagpipes tuning up. Mam hasleft the job of getting me upand ready for as long as shedare, in case I get over excited.I always need persuading toget from under the eiderdown,except on Whit Monday,Christmas Day, and EasterSunday. The teachers havebeen drilling us for weeks, onwalking day etiquette: don'twalk too close to thepavement, don't wave topeople you know, anddefinitely do not take money.The latter instruction wasalmost universally ignored.The excitement is palpable; ithas been for weeks, possiblymonths. It is difficult toexplain how important a daythis celebration of Whitsun isin the homes of the Catholiccommunity. Lining up outsideschool the teachers and theCatholic ChurchesWalking Day,Whit Monday onStandishgatec.1955.helpers would remind all thechildren again on the etiquetteof the day, adding not to walktoo fast. Starting off atSt Patrick's Church we wouldprocess down Rupert Street,on to Darlington Street. Verypoor territory for me as I knewonly a handful of people fromthat street, although my Dadhad an auntie, who if sheremembered me, might havebeen minded to give mesixpence, or being a relative,maybe a shilling. I lookedunsuccessfully every year forAuntie Maggie; had shespotted me she wouldundoubtedly have givencredence to the oldmaxim that blood is thickerthan water.After the poor pickings ofDarlington Street, into ChapelLane, then onto Caroline Streetwhere the welcome (thoughnot in financial terms) wasabsolutely unbelievable. Theparishes of St Joseph’s and StPatrick’s, both with large Irishcommunities, had an affinitythat was tangible, even to achild. I remember with greatfondness the shouts of‘Come on The Pats’ from theold ladies of our sister parish.On reaching the MarketSquare we met the otherparishes, the two alreadymentioned, with St Mary’s,St John’s and Sacred Heart.The heightened excitementwas taken to an even higherlevel with the addition ofhundreds and hundreds ofpeople. The cacophony ofsounds all added to thesolemnity of the day andcontrasted with the silence asthe conductor mounted therostrum to lead the bands andthe laity in hymns and TheNational Anthem. I think youwould have needed to havebeen present to understandthe feeling of nostalgia andpride. When Faith of ourFathers was sung, hairs on theback of your neck would standto attention. The NationalAnthem was sung with equalgusto and then what seemedthe long walk back to ourparishes loomed.The road ahead was going tobe difficult, but realising thatmy best patch lay not too faraway gave renewed vigour tomy little legs; Scholes,Wellington Street andHardybutts, full of Aunts,Uncles and older cousins, nowworking and with a disposableincome. I would probably beable to buy a bike, or at thevery least a scooter.The end result was a fewDinky Toys and a Yo-yo. Ididn't want a bike anyway andscooters are only for babies.On finally reaching home wewere treated like returningheroes, having walked sevenmiles. Forgive the poeticlicence: be it seven, or three(nearer to the truth), it wasa long way for theaforementioned little legs.Now the business of the dayto count the coins collected.We hadn't ignored theinstruction ‘Not to TakeMoney’, but it wouldhave been churlish to refuse.That's my story and I'msticking to it.Your home would be full ofvisitors, the table groaningwith home baked pies, meatand potato, apple, jam latticeand of course two flavours ofjelly, along with Carnationmilk. Few in the parish had arefrigerator in those far offdays, although most couldboast a meat safe, a cupboardwith a mesh front, usuallypainted cream or white tomake believe we had the nextbest thing to a fridge. I'venever worked out why thisdevise would keep meat, milk,or anything else for thatmatter any cooler than anordinary cupboard.All the women would pitch inmaking pot after pot of tea,cutting the pies and cakes intoequal sizes. They had to beequal to save any argumentsamong the children. As a childI always wondered where allthe uncles and older malecousins were, and was toldthey were having a chat.Only years later did I realisethat the ‘chat’ was takingplace in one of the manypublic houses that adornedScholes in those days.After the feast, the postmortem.Mam had givenorders that there should be nogossiping, everybody haddone their best and that'swhat mattered. This diktat,alas, was largely ignored.It was agreed that all thechildren looked lovely, butour parish just edged it;this sentiment would becommon parlance in thehomes of the otherparticipating parishes ofthe walk.Then to the nitty gritty, thewomen of the parish, andtheir outfits. Agnes such-abodyhad that suit on displayin Vi Almonds window. ‘Itlooked very nice in thewindow’, pause, enough said,and then just to ram homethe point, ‘It wasn't right forthe fuller figure’, and ‘the furtrim wasn't appropriate forspring’. Mary so-and-so had‘that same hat that madethree appearances before, orwas it four, my memory'sawful nowadays!’ Theconversation goes on. Notgossiping you understand justexpressing an opinion; ‘youcan do that even in Russia,Auntie Janey (Mam)’, says onecousin sullenly, having beenadmonished for unflatteringremarks about a parishioner’schoice of frock. ‘I think theK.G.B. might have somethingto say about that’, muttersone of the more politicallyaware cousins, almost underher breath.After a long day, all the guestshave gone home. Mam hastidied the house, and so tobed. Sleep doesn't comeeasily after all the excitementof the day and thoughts ofnext year running through myhead. I will be a year olderand will consequently knowmore people, who I will notwant to offend by refusing thewell intended donation, andmaybe, just maybe, my Dad’s-Auntie-Thingy might spot me;she's very well off, she usedhave a chip shop, and if shedoes, I bet she'll give me tenshillings, to make up for pastyears. What with that and mynew found friends I might getenough for a racing bike, witha dynamo, and in any case Iwill be a year nearer to beingable to have a chat with myuncles. Sweet Dreams!2829

YOUR LETTERS - CAN YOU HELPDear EditorDear EditorDear EditorDear EditorIn his letter published in the lastissue of Past Forward DerekWinstanley questioned the accuracyof my article “The Street-Names ofOld Wigan.” (Past Forward No.61).I hope that you will give me theopportunity to reply.I argued that street-names such asWallgate and Standishgate arederived from the Old Norse gatameaning “road”. This becomesgate in Middle English, soStandishgate means, “The road toStandish”.Mr Winstanley, however, believesthat these street-names refer togates in the defensive walls thatonce surrounded Wigan. In formertimes such constructions wereknown as “bars” not “gates”, forinstance, Micklegate Bar in York.His “evidence” consisted chiefly ofa lengthy descriptive passage fromDavid Sinclair’s History of Wigan(written in 1882) in which towngates are mentioned several times.However, if one reads Sinclair morethoroughly one comes across thefollowing passage:“In the most ancient towns, theDanish termination gate, meaninga street, is preserved. The fact thatthe names of the principal streetsin Wigan have this terminationwould not be proof in itself thatthe town had once been fortifiedby a wall, but would simply implythat the streets or roads led to, orhad direct connection with, someplace indicated by the previouspart of the name. Standishgate wasthe road to Standish etc”. (Volume1, p.42)So what I wrote was in accord withSinclair’s position, which is alsothat of modern historians.I read with interest the article onNurse Martha Hogg JP written byTom Walsh. I would be mostgrateful if you would pass on tohim just how interesting I foundthis article.I have been receiving copies ofPast Forward for many years dueto the kindness of my son wholives in your area and there isalways something of interest toread; it is then passed onto mylocal library in Colwyn Bay for anyother ‘Northerners’ to enjoy.Marjorie LawtonDear EditorI have enclosed a picture (below)that we came across in a boxfrom one of our Parks andwondered if you would print it inone of your upcoming editions ofPast Forward. We have no ideawhen or where it was taken orwho the men are; thephotographer appears to beRowland's of Llandudno. Wewould appreciate any help yourreader's could give us to identifythe men pictured or the reasonfor the image being taken?Cheryl HaroldWLCT Parks Activities ServiceI was pleased to see my article onthe St Helens-Lowton Line in printin Past Forward Number 62.However, further research hasprompted me to contact youagain on a couple of points.First, the present St HelensCentral station on Shaw Streetwas not the western terminus ofthe line. That was another "StHelens Central" which stood tothe west of Birchley Street andhas long since been demolishedto make way for car parking andan office development.Second, my attention hasbeen drawn to what seems tobe a comprehensive list ofRailtours excursions atwww.sixbellsjunction.co.uk. If theinformation there is correct, thefinal visit to Ashton in Makerfieldstation for fare-paying railpassengers would have been via‘The Makerfield Miner’, specialtrain on 24 August 1968.Anthony PilgrimIf you have any informationconcerning the image,please submit it topastforward@wlct.orgIn his description of the trainjourney from Bolton to Preston,George Bradshaw’s nineteenthcentury Railway Guide mentionsBlackrod as having a ‘sulphurspring’. Do any of your readers haveany information on the whereaboutsof this spring and what kind ofspring it was?It gets a mention in the History ofthe County Palatine and also inThe History of Lancashire Volume 2,as being near to Arley Hall.Examination of the 1908 OrdnanceSurvey map does not revealanything. Wigan, of course, hadseveral ‘springs’. Many of these wereassociated with mine workings andhad various chemical make-ups,depending on whether they weregaseous from plant decay or had aninorganic mineral constituent(usually iron salts).It would be interesting if this littlemystery could be solved.Brian LiptrotDear EditorI was wondering if it would bepossible to put an appeal in PastForward for information.I'm looking for any informationconcerning the wartime Ministry ofSupply, Ammunition Factory atBradley Hall, Standish, that wasmanaged by ICI.I would also be interested to hearfrom anyone who worked for Heinzat Bradley Hall in the early post warperiod and had any informationconcerning Heinz’s maintenanceof the site and the wartimemachinery stored on behalf of theMinistry of Supply.Dear EditorWe are investigating a historic image(above) passed down through thefamily. We think it may be an amateurdramatic group, dating perhaps from1917-1920, although we are onlycalculating the date on the appearanceof Ann Hall, front row left.William Hall, her father, is seatedcentre middle row and I'm afraid wedon't know the names of anyone elsein the photograph.There may be some connection tothe Leigh Institute, but that isAre you the volunteering type?Here at the Archives Service we really can’t thank our volunteersenough for all their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm.Without them we would not be able to offer the service we do toresearchers. They are so good in fact that we now have a largebacklog of catalogues to be typed up. If you would like tovolunteer, especially as a typist, please do get in touch. You willbe handsomely rewarded with tea, coffee and biscuits!For more information, pleasecontact Joan Livesey on01942 404 430 orj.livesey@wlct.orgspeculative. William was a minerand worked for Fletcher Burrowsin Atherton.Please can you publish the imagein Past Forward to see if any readersof the magazine can help uswith any details of the people orevent shown?Kath Graham,Ken and Florence HallIf you have any informationconcerning the image,please submit it topastforward@wlct.orgBob BlakemanMark Gaskellmark.gaskell@outlook.com07930-979275Image:Lancashire Evening Post & Chronicle,Brock Mill Office, Wigan30 31

SOCIETY NEWSWrite 1000 words - Win £100!Aspull and HaighHistorical SocietyMeetings are held on the secondThursday of the month atOur Lady’s RC Church Hall,Haigh Road, Aspull at 7.30pm.All are welcome, contact BarbaraRhodes for further details on01942 222769.AthertonHeritage SocietyMeetings held on the secondTuesday of each month in St.Richard's Parish Centre MayfieldStreet, Atherton at 7.30 pm.Members £1, Non Members £2,refreshments included. Contactfor information 01942 884893.8 AprilThe Green ManSpeaker – Mark Olley14 MayThe Leech FamilySpeaker – M PowellHindley & District FamilyHistory SocietyMeetings are held on the secondMonday of the month at 7.00pmat Tudor House, Liverpool Road,Hindley. Please contact Mrs JoanTopping on 01942 257361 fordetails for details.Leigh & District FamilyHistory SocietyMonthly meetings held in theDerby Room, Leigh Library at7.30pm on the third Tuesday ofeach month, except June and July.A weekly Help Desk is run bymembers of the Society eachMonday from 1.30pm-3.30pmin the Local History Section ofLeigh Library.For more information contactMrs M Harrop (Chairman)01942 743428, Mrs G McClellan(Secretary) 01942 729559 oremail: leighfhs@blueyonder.co.ukWigan Civic TrustIf you have an interest in thestandard of planning andarchitecture, and theconservation of buildings andstructures in our historic town,come along and meet us.Meetings are held onthe second Monday of themonth at 7.30pm. The venueis St George’s Church,Water Street, Wigan WN1 1XD.Contact Mr A Grimshaw on01942 245777 for furtherinformation.Wigan Family &Local History SocietyFor further information on thesociety and future meetingsplease call (01942) 713146 orvisit www.wiganworld.co.uk/familyhistoryDo you have a passion forlocal history? Is there a localhistory topic that you wouldlove to see featured inPast Forward? Then why nottake part in Wigan BoroughEnvironment and HeritageNetwork’s Local HistoryWriting Competition?Local History WritingCompetition1st Prize - £1002nd Prize - £753rd Prize - £50Criteria• Articles must be a maximum of1000 words.• Articles must focus on a localhistory topic within thegeographical boundaries ofWigan Borough.• By entering the competition youagree to your work beingpublished in Past Forward. Thewinning article will be publishedin Past Forward Issue 65. Othersubmissions may also bepublished in Issue 65 or held onfile for publication in a futureedition. If selected for publicationthe Past Forward Editorial Teammay edit your submission.How to enter• Articles must be receivedby e-mail or post by Friday11 October 2013.• Electronic submissions arepreferred although handwrittenones will be accepted.• You must state clearly that yourarticle is an entry into the LocalHistory Writing Competition.• You must include your name,address, telephone number ande-mail address (if applicable).We will not pass your details onto anyone.Winners from the WiganBorough Environment &Heritage Network Awards, 2012• It will not be possible for articlesto be returned.• You are welcome to includephotographs or images howeverthey cannot be returned.Submit topastforward@wlct.org ORLocal History Writing Competition,Past Forward, Museum ofWigan Life, Library Street, WiganWN1 1NU11 JuneFun with AntiquesSheila DeanLocal HistoryFederation LancashireWigan ArchaeologicalSociety9 JulyPropellers and ProjectilesSpeaker – David KayeBillinge History andHeritage SocietyMeetings are held on thesecond Tuesday of the monthat Billinge Chapel End LabourClub at 7.30pm. There is a doorcharge of £2.Committee includes:Mr Geoffrey Crank (Chairman),Dr Charles Mather(Vice Chairman),Mrs Jennifer Budd (Secretary)and Mrs Susan Mather (Treasurer).Contact us on 01695 624411or 01744 892430.The Federation holds severalmeetings each year, with avaried and interestingprogramme. For details visitwww.lancashirehistory.org or call01204-707885.Skelmersdale &UphollandFamily History SocietyMeetings held at 7.30pm on thefourth Tuesday each month at HallGreen Community Centre,Upholland. There are no meetingsin July or August. For moreinformation contact Sue Hesketh(Secretary) 01942 212940 orSuehesketh@blueyonder.co.uk orvisit www.liverpoolgenealogy.org.uk/SkemGrp/SkemWe meet on the firstWednesday of the month, at7.30pm, in the Standish Suite atthe Brocket Arms onMesnes Road - on the firstWednesday of the month(except January and August) at7.30pm. There is a car parkadjacent on the left. Admissionis £2 for members and £3 forguests. For more information callBill Aldridge on 01257 402342.You can also visit the websitewww.wiganarchsoc.co.ukTrencherfield MillBank Holiday Heritage DayWigan’s Trencherfield Mill will host a bumper Bank HolidayHeritage Day on Monday 6 May, 11am-5pm.The Heritage Day will include: classic cars, traction engines, a climbing wall,funfair rides, canal trips, vintage attractions, crafts activities and street theatreprovided by the award winning drama school ALRA.There will be an action packed programme for all the family. Some activities willincur a small charge.Refreshments available at the Red Pepper Café in the Wigan Investment Centre.FREE Parking will be available at the Wigan Investment Centre, WN3 5BA.3233

How to Find UsPFROG LANEDORNINGPARSONS WALKPGREAT GEORGE STHALLGATESTREETWALLGATESTA.CAROLINE STNEW MARKET STBUSSTA.KING ST W.SQUEEN STMESNES STREETMARKETMARKET STPTHEGALLERIESKING STNORTHWESTERN STA.SNORTHWAY POWELL STPCROMPTON ST SCHOOL LAGRANDARCADESATONLYSTANDISHGATE STANDISHGATLIBRARY STMILLGATEPA49MUSEUM HISTORYOFWIGAN SHOPLIFECHAPEL LAPPPPPRIVER WAY A49PPTESCOORCHARD STWARRINGTON LA A573A49 PARK WAMILLGATE SCHOLESDARLINGTON STPMuseum of Wigan LifeLibrary Street,Wigan WN1 1NUTelephone 01942 828128heritage@wlct.orgLeigh Local HistoryLeigh Library, Turnpike Centre,Civic Square, Leigh WN7 1EBTelephone 01942 404559h.turner@wlct.orgArchivesLeigh Town Hall, Leigh WN7 1DYTelephone 01942 404430a.miller@wlct.orgWALMESLEY RDLEIGHLIBRARYRAILWAY RDWILKINSON STBENGAL STSTRINGER STYOUD STBOUGHEY STPCOOK STVICARAGE SQSUPERMARKETSUPERMARKETST MARYS WYPCIVICSQUAREBK. SALFORDST HELENS RDKING STMARKET STARCHIVESLEIGHTOWN HALLBUSSTATIONGREGORY STPSUPERMARKETHENRIETTA STCHURCH STUNION STHOPE STBRADSHAWGATEELLESMERE STSILK STLORD STMARKETSQUARESPINNING JENNY WAYBOLD STBOND STVERNON STPGAS STPPCHARLES STPRESCOTTPSTREETMIRY LANEWALLGATECLAYTON STREETFROG LANEDORNING STWALLGATETRENCHERFIELDMILL ENGINEPHALLGATEWALLGATESTATIONBUSSTATIONSMARKET STREETWALLGATENORTHWESTERNSTATIONSQUEEN STREETPTrencherfield Mill EngineWigan Pier Quarter, Heritage Way,Wigan WN3 4EFTelephone 01942 828128b.rowley@wlct.orgCAROLINE STREETPOTTERY ROADP