A collection of historical articles, and reminiscences of Wigan

The Wigan Riots of 1851: Protest and Industrial Unrest

Article by Micahel Nelson describing the 1851 Wigan Riots. Tracing some of the incidents and the aftermath.

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The Bradshaigh Nuns

The article by Jim Meehan explores the remarkable story of the three Bradshaigh sisters of Haigh who entered the English Poor Clare convents in exile during the seventeenth century, at a time when Catholics in England faced persecution and suspicion.

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Sir Walter Parratt

Organist at Wigan Parish Church from 1868 to 1872 and lived in Clifton St. He became Master of the Queen's Musick and is buried in St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

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Jack Tilley & Edna Mountford Wigan’s Quiet Voices in a Secret War

The life and times of Edna & Jack, their work with Bletchley Park during WWII and their rugby connections.

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Empress Hall - From Civic Ballroom to Northern Soul Legend.

Brief history of the Empress Ballroom from the opening in 1916 to its demolition in the 1980's.

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Gerard Finch Brown (1835- 1913)- a Son of Wigan.

Recollections of his work and life in Wigan, London and Cambridge in Victorian times

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Francis Edmond CBE, 1881-1966

Recollections by his grandson of a life in the mining industry with family links to the Crawfords and Wigan Coal & Iron.

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John Philip Edmond - "The Mind behind the Haigh Hall Library"

The story of the man who tirelessly catalogued the Haigh Hall Library collection.

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The Great Wigan Coal Robbery

The story of the great coal robbery in Wigan in 1848 and the legal proceedings that followed. By Graham Taylor 2025

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The Mystery of the Georgian Clock

The mystery of the Georgian clock in the Netherlands that has links to the Queens Hall Wesleyan Mission..

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The Yew Tree

The story of the Yew tree in Jubilee Park, Ashton in Makerfield dedicated to Pte Walter Turton of the Lancashire Fusiliers. By Graham Taylor

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Buildings "At-Risk"

Wigan Building Preservation Trust defines an at-risk building as typically a building or structure that is in a poor or deteriorating condition, often vacant, and at risk of decay, loss, or damage. The attached list is currently under review:

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