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The Newsletter of Wigan Heritage Service FREE

ISSUE No. 26 AUTUMN/WINTER 2000

All comments and correspondence should be addressed to:Editor, ‘Past Forward’,

Wigan Heritage Service, Market Suite, The Galleries, Wigan WN1 1PX

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From the EditorOne downside of Past Forward - and judging byall your comments probably the only one! - is thatit brings home to me, and indeed to all thoseinvolved in its production, just how quickly theyear flies. I seem to have only just put one issueto bed, before it’s time to start preparation for thenext one. To those of you who have asked me if itwould be possible to have four issues per yearinstead of three - believe me, there just wouldnot be enough days in the year ..... not tomention funding.

The most newsworthy event during recentweeks has been the opening of the Year 2000exhibition in the History Shop. As I write, theexhibition has now been open for a week, andhas already attracted much praise andappreciation. Full details appear on pp 16,17; butI would like to take this opportunity tocongratulate Philip and Dawn, and all HeritageService staff who have been involved on makingthe exhibition such a success - despite having towork under the difficult circumstances broughtabout by staff vacancies. My thanks also to allthose in the private sector who have contributedto the exhibition.

The Mapping the Millennium Festival hascontinued its tour of the Borough, and has beenwell received. The majority of the 28 panels havenow been displayed in their locality. Some moremaps, which have not appeared so far in PastForward, can be seen on the back cover of thisissue. The Millennium Tree, a play speciallycommissioned for the Millennium, is also nearingthe end of its run as I write, with the finalperformance imminent, as part of the Ashtonfestival. Thanks to all those involved for asplendid production.

The audio-visual presentation, This Is ABorough, continues to attract a lot of commentsand praise - and enquiries as to how to get holdof a copy. Unfortunately, it is not available forsale, at least for the present - see p14.

On a sadder note, we are losing anothermember of staff! After years of priding ourselveson its extremely low turnover of staff, theHeritage Service has lost three in just over ayear, either through retirement or moving toanother job, and we are now about to lose afourth! Joanne Revill, our Archivist, is on themove. During her short tenure, though, Joannehas made great strides in developing the service,and we will certainly be sorry to see her go (herfarewell News from the Archives appears on p7).

On a happier note, I am delighted with thisissue of Past Forward. It has an excellent mix ofarticles, some serious and informative, somenostalgic and even poignant (Fred Holcroft, forexample, has written a splendid piececommemorating the 75th anniversary of Wigan’sCenotaph), but others in a much more light-hearted vein, with a delightful sense of humour.Many of the ‘old faithfuls’ are here again, but I’mdelighted to welcome some new contributors tothe fold. Finally, may I take this opportunity tothank all Past Forward readers for theircontinued support, in whatever form, and to wishall of you a very happy Christmas and aprosperous 2001. And don’t forget the HistoryShop for that special Christmas gift - theselection this year is better than ever!

Whether it's a ‘bit of fun' or ‘something unusual' you're looking for we're

bound to have something to ‘tickle your fancy' at the History Shop this

Christmas.

We're brimming full of stocking fillers for the kids, including toys you'll

know and love and new ones you'll grow to. There are chunky wooden

jigsaws in lovely bright colours, from dinosaurs and alligators to Christmas

trees and a nativity scene.

Our jewellery selection caters for young and old with both modern and

‘antique' designs in silver. New ranges also include children's jewel boxes

with matching necklace and earrings and lustrous enamel boxes for the more

sophisticated. These are in various designs, including a cabbage and

caterpillar. Don't believe us? Then come down and see for yourself!

At the more expensive end of the scale we have a variety of gift ideas,

including Victorian cherub paperweights. If you like candle holders you'll

find none better than the selection we have in finest pewter of Celtic and

Rennie McKintosh design.

As usual we have a large selection of quality Christmas cards, local heritage

related items and publications and coal figures. To coin a phrase (and we

have plenty of those as well - coins, not phrases!) there's ‘something for

everyone'.

‘Something forYour Stocking

Madam?’

Covers: Front - Mystery Object - Exhibitions Officer Dawn Wadsworthposes the question in the History Shop’s new exhibition. Back - Two of theParish Maps on display towards the end of the Mapping the MillenniumFestival: Ince-in-Makerfield (top) and North Swinley (bottom).

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A Constant PledgeAn Obligation Fulfilled

Wigan Cenotaph and War Memorial to the

Fallen of the Great War 1914-18

THE Cenotaph to almost 2000 men - and one

woman - from the former County Borough of

Wigan who fell in the Great War, 1914-18 was

unveiled 75 years ago on Saturday 17 October

1925.

The memorial which wasunveiled that day was theculmination of six years’ effortand hard work. As early asSeptember 1919 Wigan TownCouncil had debated thepossibility of erecting amemorial to the fallen, and inNovember 1919 a War MemorialCommittee was established,chaired by Alderman Ainscough.This committee met at irregularintervals to co-ordinatearrangements. In September1920 the possibility of replacingthe temporary shrine to thefallen, which had beenspontaneously built in MesnesPark, with a permanentmemorial was put forward to theBorough Engineer, whoestimated the cost at £1500. InApril 1921 the committeerecommended that the fountainin Mesnes Park should beremoved and replaced by thenew war memorial; theCouncil’s Property, Parks andMarkets Committee, however,disapproved of the choice of site.

Discussions in committeeconcerning a suitable locationcontinued and several locationswere reviewed:

* various other sites withinMesnes Park.

* outside the Post Office inWallgate.

* at the junction of WiganLane and Swinley Road.

* on the Market Square.* in the Market Place.* in the grounds of the Royal

Infirmary.Fundraising also continued

and in November 1923 a streetcollection raised over £2000 - atremendous sum in those days. In

1924, with time rapidly passing,the War Memorial Committeefinally chose an acceptable site -immediately in front of All SaintsParish Church, in the very centreof the town - and the Rector andParish Council promptly donatedthe land.

Unveiled

Events now moved rapidlyand by February 1925 the fullTown Council accepted thedesign by their chosen architectSir Giles Gilbert Scott, who hadbuilt Liverpool’s AnglicanCathedral. By May the sculptorEdward Owen Griffiths was ableto commence work levelling thesite and creating what is now AllSaints Gardens; constructionadvanced so rapidly that it wasfinished in time to be unveiled inOctober 1925, allowing aRemembrance Day Service thefollowing month. The final costwas £4,000, paid for entirely bypublic subscription.

Shortly after noon onSaturday 17 October 1925 bothWallgate and Market Place werethronged with a huge crowd andtraffic was halted all afternoon.The weather during the morninghad been showery but the rainceased shortly after 3 o’clock.The small square immediatelyaround the Cenotaph wasrestricted to ticket holders, andowing to the shortage of space itwas only possible toaccommodate one relative foreach of the deceased whosenames were engraved on thetablets, although a specialenclosure was set aside for theorphan children.

The Mayor, who had lost ason in the war, opened theceremony with a short speech:“We are come to honour ourbrethren who gave their lives forus and for this country in a justcause. This memorial is thewitness of our love for theirmemory; and the constantpledge and reminder to us oftheir valour and our duty.”

Mr. J.M. Ainscough, themain driving force behind theproject, then added:“We are assembled thisafternoon to fulfil an obligationwhich has been far too longdelayed; an obligation to placein some conspicuous position apermanent tangible memorial tothose of our townsmen who gavetheir lives in the great struggle of1914-18 that we might havepeace and security. After a longand anxious deliberation it wasdecided to place the memorial onthis site in the very centre andheart of our town, a crownedcross the symbol of sacrifice andvictory. On these stones we havecarved the names not of thosewho distinguished themselves inthe fight; nor that great numberwho, thank God, returnedunscathed many of whom arewith us today, but the names ofour fellow townsmen who wentout in the vigour of strength andyouth never to return. I trust thenthat in the future our people willapproach this spot with evengreater reverence than in thepast and that this memorial maynever be defiled by any

sacrilegious hands.”

Military Dignitaries

Among the militarydignitaries present was ColonelSir Henry Darlington,Commanding Officer of the 1/5Manchesters, Wigan’s territorialbattalion, and Major GeneralSolly-Flood who had

commanded their division, 42ndDivision. The actual unveilingwas by General Lawrence whohad been brigadier of the 1/5Manchesters in Gallipoli and hadcommanded the 66th Divisionincluding the 2/5 Manchesters.He spoke briefly:“I believe that if those whosenames are on this monumentcould convey a message to ustoday it would be to say:

‘Be of good cheerThe night is passingThe dawn is at handOnly have faith inyourselvesHave faith in your country.’

And perhaps what is better still,when your time comes and youpass to another life you will meetthese old comrades that havegone before you and you will beable to say:

‘We carried on the fight.We never gave in.’

I unveil this memorial placed herein the memory of the men ofWigan who fell in the Great War.”

After the Doxology andNational Anthem the churchbells pealed and there waswreath-laying, first by officialsand relatives of the fallen then bythe general public. As he laid hispersonal wreath the late PrivateThomas Woodcock’s little sonwore his father’s Victoria Cross.

Poignant Reading

How were the namescollected? Already in July 1919the Borough Library had writtento the local newspapers to askfamilies and next-of-kin of thefallen to submit individualnames and had circularised localchurches and firms with arequest for them to send in listsof their congregations oremployees killed in action. Theirreplies exist in the Borough

Continued on page 4

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Archives and make poignantreading.

Sadly this polite but low-keymethod of assembling the nameswas doomed to be less thancomprehensive and there arehundreds of missing names. Tobe fair the response must havebeen erratic. Many familieswould not have seen the requestfor names, some families haddied out or had left the district,while a few families obstinatelyrefused to accept that their lovedones were dead, and declined toco-operate. Many of the fallen,particularly the Irish, hadrelatives who lived farther afield.Many of the missing names are ofmen who had fallen early in thewar, or who had no known grave,or who had not belonged to localregiments, or who had fought indistant campaigns. Surprisinglymany who had not died abroadbut had died of wounds at homeand been buried in localcemeteries are also missing fromthe Cenotaph. Another similarlyexcluded category is of those whodied in the years following 1918from injuries caused by thehostilities - particularly from gas.The full list of such cases maynever be known.

Many mistakes

Sadly too, the Cenotaphentries contain many mistakes.The process by which the nameswere collected was quite faultyand made some rather glaringerrors. Some names were sent inmore than once by differentfamily members, usually by thewidow and by the parents, socausing needless repetition. Oneman is even named three times.Some names were spelt wrongly,so causing further duplication.Often the details accompanyingthe name were either erroneousor incomplete, usually withregard to the unit in which heserved. One man is named on theCenotaph although he was notdead!

The Cenotaph holds 1,893

names of whom all but one weremilitary. The great majority werein the army:

Army 1,857Navy 20R.M. 9R.F.C. 6other 1Wigan was an over-

whelmingly working-class town(the census of 1911 shows thatout of 33,355 males over 10years old - minimum workingage at that time - 29,043 men hada job) so that most men served asprivate soldiers or non-commissioned officers; only 57commissioned officers are listed.Wiganers died in every theatre ofthe war:

Western Front 1,579Gallipoli 210Mesopotamia 48Salonika 22Egypt 18Germany (P.O.W.) 7Russia 2Africa 1at sea 6Wiganers served in almost

every regiment in the BritishArmy - 84 battalions andbatteries plus the Anzacs,Canadians, Royal Marines andRoyal Flying Corps. Wiganerswere present and died at everyphase of the war: on the retreatfrom Mons in 1914, wadingashore at Gallipoli in 1915,going over the top at the Sommein 1916, struggling through themud to Passchendaele in 1917,facing Germany’s final attack in

March 1918 before advancing tovictory in the autumn of thatsame year. When HMS GoodHope was sunk at the Battle ofCoronel in 1914, ArthurWorthington from Newtown andThomas Roberts from Scholes,two reservists on board for theirannual fortnight’s refreshertraining when it hurriedly put tosea at the outbreak of war, alsowent down. When HMSIndefatigable and HMS QueenMary blew up during the Battle ofJutland two more Wiganers werelost, Able-Seaman John Bennettfrom Ashton’s Yard and stokerFrancis Blundell from Poolstock.When Earl Kitchener, Minister ofWar, was lost at sea travelling toRussia when HMS Hampshire hita mine off Orkney, so too wasstoker William Wood of HarmanStreet, Wigan.

Casualities

Casualties occurred acrossthe political spectrum: ThomasCartmel Walker and BasilScarisbrick Walker whose fatherowned the Pagefield Ironworks;Andrew Brown Tickle, only sonof James Tickle, owner of theVulcan Iron Foundry, Newtown;Arthur Walsh whose father wasLabour M.P. for Ince; JosephHargreaves whose father was thepresident of the Cardroom andRingspinners’ Trade Union;Alfred Jackson whose father wasthe head of the Wigan Co-

operative Movement.At least 48 families lost two

sons in the war. There may bemore. Three families in Wiganlost three sons - the Longshawfamily from Whelley andScholes, the Mulraney familyfrom Scholes and the Malonefamily from Wallgate. Missingfrom the Cenotaph, as they livedoutside the old County Boroughboundary, are the four Jamesbrothers killed on active service,the sons of Rev. C.H. James,Vicar of St. David’s, Haigh. Fourfamilies lost the father and oneson - Thomas Roden, father andson, from Caroline Street, whoboth worked at Wigan RollingMills; John Lowe and his sonNathan; John Culkin (49) and hisson James (19) of 21 ShawStreet, Pemberton and JohnThomas Morris and his sonStephen. The elder Morris aged50 was a former soldier who hadfought in Egypt in 1882 andSouth Africa in 1900 andalthough a time-expired reservisthad volunteered as soon as warbroke out.

The only woman on theCenotaph is Jane Johnston, astewardess on the CanadianPacific freighter S.S.Missanabie, on a voyage fromLiverpool to New York when itwas torpedoed and sunk on 9September 1918 by a Germansubmarine off the south coast ofIreland, with the loss of 45 lives

Recently retired Local History Officer Bob Blakeman interpreting the War Memorial to a class of

local schoolchildren.

➯

A Constant PledgeAn Obligation

Fulfilled

Wigan Cenotaph and War

Memorial to the Fallen of

the Great War 1914-18

–––––Continued from page 3

5

Continued on page 6

including Mrs. Johnston aged 39.Some talented and promising

careers were cut short by the war,including Edward Arthur Simm,described by the WiganObserver as:“A promising young artist,having several sketches acceptedby the periodical Bystander andmany reproduced in this

newspaper.”

Shot down in combat

John Yates Taylor, an old boyof Wigan Grammar School, wasone of very few Wiganers in theR.F.C. and was only 20 when hewas shot down in combat withtwo enemy planes on 6 July1917. His last letter homedescribed an incident only threedays earlier:“Suddenly we heard ‘pop pop’

and behind us we saw three

enemy machines above our tail.

They dived on us in turn firing

their machine guns. My observer

fired 100 rounds into them and

they cleared off. We had tons of

bullet holes in our plane, one tyre

burst, the main spar was shot

through and half the elevator

cables were shot away. With luck

we just managed to land.”

A few days later his luck ranout.

Lewis Bradley was the onlyfatality among the 21 playingmembers of Wigan NorthernUnion Rugby Club who enlisted,although C. Molloy waspermanently blinded. A native ofGloucester, he was playing forPontypool when he signed forWigan in 1911. His obituary in alocal sports paper included thisassessment of his talent:“Quick off the mark he was often

past his opposing threequarter

before the latter realised Bradley

had the ball. Shall we ever forget

this speedy wing threequarter at

Central Park? He was the idol of

the crowd and it only seems like

yesterday that he was dashing

down the touchline, his long

flowing hair blowing in the wind,

those long raking strides, and

that final natural swerve.”

These are just a miniscule

fraction of the numbers

involved. There is a story

behind every name.

Fred Holcroft

● A photograph of the openingceremony appeared in PastForward 21, p21. Ed.

Pit Brow Girls’ ProtestTHE 1911 Coal MinesAct, the most importantpiece of mining legislationof the 20th century, causedconsternation, while beingframed, among the pitbrow girls, because of anamendment. This,proposed by Sir ArthurMarkham, MP., a wealthycoal owner, excluded allwomen from colliery workexcept those needed forcleaning purposes.

There was an immediateprotest from Wigan for manyof the women at work on thepit brow had lost theirhusbands in mining accidentsand had children to support.For others, because of healthreasons, the alternative of millwork was unsuitable. Anappeal was made by thewomen to the town’srepresentatives who were toldthat great hardship wouldresult if this form ofemployment were taken fromthem. Support was given atonce by Wigan’s mayor andmayoress, Mr. Sam Wood andhis wife, Stephen Walsh, the

Ince MP, Mr. R.N. Neville,Wigan’s MP, Mr. J. Knowles,JP, Dr. Cooke of Aspull andHaigh, Dr. Angrion, a Wigansurgeon and the Vicar ofAbram, Rev. Twemlow.

Deputation

It was decided that adeputation be sent to theHome Secretary, made up of43 pit brow girls from thecollieries of Abram, Coppull,Haydock, Hindley, Ince,Pemberton, West Leigh andWest Houghton. To avoid thesuggestion that financial helpwas received from the collieryowners who had an interest, itwas agreed that each would beresponsible for their ownexpenses. On Thursday 8August, 1911, the deputationleft Wigan at 10.20 am andarrived at Euston at 2 pm,from where it was conveyedby brakes to the BuckinghamHotel, the White House andthe Morris and Browns Hotel,all in the Strand. Mrs. Wood,the Lady Mayoress,accompanied the women aschaperone.

After lunch, the girls puton their pit brow clothes inreadiness to proceed to theHouse of Commons.Marching through Whitehalltheir progress created anundoubted sensation amongthe London people, theirunique attire of shawls, aprons(all freshly laundered) and“wooden boots” i.e. clogs,being something to which theMetropolis was altogetherunaccustomed. On reachingthe House, the deputation wasshown to the room where theCoal Mines Committee wassitting and where Mr.Masterton was waiting toreceive them. Mr. WinstonChurchill, the HomeSecretary, in passage from oneengagement to another, lookedin for a few moments and thendeparted, leaving his deputy tohear the deputation’s case.

Fit and properoccupation

Mr. Masterton told thewomen he wished they had

The pit brow girls of Long Lane Colliery (aka Crowpit), Bryn Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield.The pit closed Easter 1955.

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Pit BrowGirls’

Protest–––––

Continued from page 5

come earlier for theamendment had been fullydiscussed the day before andcarried by the Committee. Theonly question as he saw it waswhether colliery work was afit and proper occupation forwomen. Sir Arthur Markhamon behalf of the amendmentsaid that the conditions ofmining differed entirely fromthe conditions of any otherindustry. He maintained that“women are engaged in

loading wagons, moving

heavy tubs on the pit bank and

working in an atmosphere of

dust which makes them filthy.

In some cases, women are

working among machinery

which is an added danger. The

lifting of coal, in many cases

very heavy pieces, sometimes

causes internal trouble which

is a serious danger to health.

In some pit districts, such as

Durham and Northumberland,

women have long since

vanished from the pit brow.”

Sir Arthur concluded, “There

is a growing disposition

despite the protest being made

to this Committee to follow

those who have voluntarily

abandoned the work for the

more natural occupations for

women.”

“Junoesque figures”

Stephen Walsh (MP, Ince),who had introduced thedeputation, said he had had 30years experience of the workof the pit brow girls of whomhis wife had been one. The oldscreens had been replaced bynew ones and consequentlythe work was much cleaner.The old conditions weredisappearing and belts werenow being used thateliminated dust and most wereenclosed against the inclementweather. The women lived in adistrict in which it was noteasy to find other occupations.In the Wigan district there wasa population of 7,000 persquare mile, the most densepopulation in the world. Thegirls had chosen theiroccupation, wished tocontinue in it and, not havingthe vote, had a right to beconsulted by the Committeeand their views given fullestconsideration. He urged Mr.Masterton to listen to the

womens’ case, saying it wasnot a party matter but one onwhich all sections wereagreed. Mr. Neville (MP forWigan), corroborated Mr.Walsh’s evidence and addedthat all the women wereperfectly healthy and anyonewho studied the classicswould know what he meantwhen he said they hadJunoesque figures [laughter].

The Mayor of Wigan,Alderman Sam Wood, said, “I

have lived in Wigan all my life

and have been associated with

colliery workers for the last 25

years.....As recently as last

Monday I made a surprise

tour of the collieries and saw

between 400 - 500 girls at

work. Only three were

handling tubs and gravitation

was the motivating force for

the road sloped gently to the

tippler. That the work is not

heavy is proved by the fact that

girls of 16 can do the work

satisfactorily. No woman now

handled wagons and pieces of

coal on a belt weighing more

than 30 lbs.”

Dr. Angrion, a physician inWigan for 25 years, said thatin all that time he had neverhad to deal with a case ofhernia among the women. Hetold the Committee he hadgone further and consulted thematron of Wigan Infirmary,Mrs. Macaulay. “She told me

that in her 21 years there she

could not remember a single

case of this nature being

treated at the hospital or as an

out-patient. The women like

the work and view the prospect

of being prevented from doing

it with great alarm.”

Very healthy

Dr. Cooke, another Wigandoctor, said that the girls werevery healthy compared withother classes of workers. Hesaid the young women hadbeen forced by ill-health toleave the mill, and lately themanager of StrangewaysColliery at Hindley had toldhim that 30 of the 90 womenemployed there had comethere on doctor’s orders. Atone of the Coppull pits a 71year old woman was still

working, having been on thepit brow for well over half acentury. The vicar of Abramtestified as to the moralcharacter of the women.

Mr. Masterton was greetedwith cheers when he said thathe had toured the Wigancollieries in November lastand had come to the sameconclusion as those who gaveevidence previously. Heregretted that the deputationhad arrived late to see him forthe amendment had beencarried in Committee.However, he promised that theGovernment would do its bestto see the amendment defeatedwhen the Bill came before theHouse. The deputation thenretired to be shown over theHouse by Mr. Stephen Walsh,then treated to tea on theterraces by Mr. Neville andMr. Harmer Bannerman.

Sightseeing inLondon

The next day, Friday 9August, the women left Eustonafter a morning sightseeing inLondon and arrived back inWigan at 9.20 pm. They weregreeted at the Wallgate stationby an enthusiastic large crowdand as the party made its wayalong the platform towards theentrance they showedthemselves to be in rarehumour, as they sang, “We’rethe Lasses fra’ Lancashire” andother songs. Cheers wereraised for the Mayor andMayoress with the crowdsinging “For he’s a Jolly GoodFellow” and “She’s a JollyGood Lady”. When silencewas obtained the Mayorrequested the pit brow girls tosing the National Anthem inwhich the crowd joinedheartily and Auld Lang Syne.

Later in the month Mr.Wood was called from ameeting to receive an urgenttelegram from the House ofCommons. It said briefly,“Amendment defeated.Regards, Neville and Walsh”.It was half a century laterwhen technology in the formof washeries banished thewomen from the pit brow forever.

James Fairhurst

From all atWigan Heritage Service

to all readers ofPast Forward

a Happy Christmas anda Prosperous New Year

7

The History Shop has a MeetingRoom, with a capacity for 36.

This is available for hire by localgroups and societies at a very

reasonable cost:

£7.50PER MORNING OR

AFTERNOON SESSION

£11.00PER EVENING SESSION

COMMERCIAL RATE

£17.50(Day time only)

REFRESHMENTS ARE ALSOAVAILABLE

If you are interested, contact MikeHaddon

(01942) 828121

News From the ArchivesNews From the ArchivesWELL, it is all change again here inthe Archive. Whilst this is only mythird article, it is in fact my last. Toregular readers of Past Forward itprobably seems that I have only justarrived although it is in fact only aweek off one year. I am off to theLiverpool University Archive towork on a specific cataloguingproject using specially designedarchival software (EncodedArchival Description). A lot hasbeen achieved in the year that I havebeen here and seeing the progressthat has been achieved, it does makeme sad to leave.

A limited service will be available on

Tuesdays and Thursdays, until a new

Archivist is in post. If you wish to see

any documents, please book in

advance. To avoid disappointment,

please do not arrive without speaking

to a member of staff. I must apologise

for any disruption to the service whilst

the post is vacant and refer people to

the History Shop for any advice.

However, before I go, I would like tothank all members of staff and the publicwho have given me help and supportduring my time here and wish you all thevery best with your continuing research. Iwill leave you with some usefulinformation for all of you with an interestin local and family history.

1901 Census

Many of you are eagerly awaiting therelease of the 1901 census, so here is aninformation update on the presentsituation. The information collected foreach decennial census is kept closed for100 years. The release of census datacollected in 1901 is scheduled for January2002. When it came to planning therelease of the 1901 material the PublicRecord Office in London set itself theimmense challenge of making theinformation available to researchersworldwide via the Internet. The projectinvolves scanning microfilms of the 1901census and transcribing the returns forapproximately 32.5 million individualsinto a database that can be searched byname. A pilot of the project will be madeavailable early in 2001 using the 1891census for Norfolk.

The Public Record Office’s web sitehas current information and an emailaddress for comments and questions, plusmailing lists for people wanting to be keptup-to-date with progress. The web site iscertainly worth visiting if you areinterested in the past.

Recent Accessions

DDZ C/1 Wigan Rugby League Club

Programmes

For all you fans of Wigan RugbyLeague club you may be interested in acollection we received in August. A localresident in the borough deposited a small,but delightful, collection of familymemorabilia. This collection also includeda larger collection of Wigan Rugby Leagueclub Programmes. The collection is notcomplete, but covers matches from the1960’s up to the 1990’s. The bulk of thecollection is from the early 1980’s. Earlierprogrammes are more sporadic. Theprogrammes are in good condition and arecertainly worth perusing if you like rugby.

The collection has been catalogued butis too large to publish here, so if you wishto view any of the programmes pleasetelephone the Archive to make anappointment, quoting the documentreference DDZ C/1 and the years you areinterested in. For security reasonsprogrammes will be limited to three perperson at any one time.

DDS 56 Minute Books of the Golborne

Townswomen’s Guild

Townwomen’s Guilds began about 70years ago and came originally from theWomen’s Suffrage Movement, when fourguilds were formed as an experiment inthe study of citizenship. At a PublicMeeting on 20 March 1963 it wasresolved that an evening Townswomen’sGuild would be formed in Golborne; 84members joined on this date. The Guildstill exists today and recently depositedtheir minute books from 1964 to 1995.

DDS 1 Record Book of the Wigan and

District Field Club Volume 3

The Archive is already in possession ofthe papers of the Wigan and District FieldClub, which includes other record books.Anyone with an interest in the naturalhistory of the local area should have a lookat the record books of this society.

EA 4048 Photographs of Church

Walking Days (Leigh area)

A collection of 27 photographs wasfound among the possession of a Leighlady who recently died. The photographsare mainly of church walking days in the1930’s.

CB Wi A2/47 Minute Books of the

Wigan Youth Service

A collection of administrative minutebooks relating to youth clubs in the localarea that closed down in the mid 1990’s.Areas covered include Tyldesley, LeighFirst Lane, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Inceand Platt Bridge Tramlines to name but afew. There are access restrictions in placeon some of the documents at the requestof the department.

DP 23 Registers of St Nathaniel’s, Platt

Bridge

The Archive is the diocesan recordoffice for the 37 churches in the deaneriesof Wigan and Winwick. We thank theReverend Kevin Crinks for depositingmore recent registers to add to the existingcollection in our possession. Hopefullythese will be available on microfilm in thenear future.

All of the collections above are

catalogued and can be viewed by

appointment when the full service

resumes.

8

THE item on dance halls and

coffee bars in the last issue of

Past Forward generated a

tremendous response. It is

clear that many readers still

have vivid memories of Miss

Gee in particular. A big

thank you to all those who so

generously shared their

memories with me. The

following are only two of the

many replies received.

Dear Mr. Ashcroft,Re your article in the Summer

2000 issue of Past Forward. I amenclosing a photocopy of aprogramme, which is advertisinga Display of Dancing by thePupils of Miss Gee. This eventwas held in aid of the war effort,and, as you can see the two finaldances represented our danceteacher’s patriotism for hercountry, I think we were a littletoo young to appreciate thesignificance at the time. The onlydance I can remember was ‘I wantto be happy’. The names of all thedancers are listed on the back ofthe programme. I was E. Taylor,and was the one who led thetroupe out onto the stage.

My mother would take meevery Saturday morning to theupstairs studio in King StreetWest. You can still make out thename of Gee’s School of Dancingon the wall as you walk alongKing Street West, although it israther faded now. I was in the tapgroup and although I loved tapdancing I would have liked tohave been in the ballet class, but Iwas deemed to be too tall.

I left the dancing schoolshortly after this concert, but Iremember I was very happyduring that time and feel veryproud to have danced on the stagewhere so many famous peoplehave performed. I am still incontact with two of the dancers; itwould be interesting to knowwhat happened to the others.

E. Berry38 Larch Avenue

PembertonWigan WN5 9QN

Dance

to the

Music

of

Time

Dear Mr. Ashcroft,Your article (eaters, shoppers

and dancers) brought happymemories to me. In 1948 I met myhusband Joe at Gee’s School ofDancing and we were together for51 years.

Saturday night at Gees wasthe highlight of the week. It was afamily affair. Marion Gee (alwaysspoken of as Miss Gee) and herhusband Harry used to

demonstrate new dances and giveprivate lessons in modern andLatin American dancing; pupilswere rewarded with Gold, Silveror Bronze medals. Miss Gee’smother always served tea andbiscuits at the interval.

Whenever any local churchesor works held their annual dancesat the Court Hall or the EmpressBallroom, we used to dance thenight away - that is until 10.30 pm,

when the last waltz was played.Special dances were allowed tocarry on until 12 midnight. HappyDays!

Florence Westhead2 Crescent House

School StreetHr. Ince

Wigan WN2 2AX

➯

9

Take Your Partners PleaseWHILST still an Atherton

schoolboy and a Briarcroft Club

member in 1950, I weighed up

what joys were associated with

the pleasant pastime of ballroom

dancing and in a few short years I

was hooked, spending time

reaping satisfaction, tripping the

light fantastic around various

dance floors, dancing sometimes

to big bands like Ted Heath and

Johnny Dankworth used to have,

at Blackpool Tower, Blackpool

Winter Gardens and

Morecambe’s Floral Hall.

Friday evening dances were held

at Howe Bridge St. Michaels school

around 1950, and elaborate, more

expensive “Farmers Balls” and

“Police Balls” were organised at

Atherton’s Formby Hall, a hall

which for years showed “Bobbie

Beacon” - police, road-safety films

for local children. Around 1952,

whilst running out my final school

months in Mr. Dixon’s class at

Hindley’s Argyle Street School, I

learned that recorded “music for

dancing” was played in the

gymnasium at dinner-time.

Ince Public Hall

Most routine, basic and advanced

dancing-steps were learned and

practised at either Tommy Moss’s or

Marion Gee’s (Wigan) dance

schools, but the ‘Court Dance

School’ had an upper-floor studio

besides the Station Road Ritz

Cinema, and Bowdens had another

grand dance school off Argyle Street,

near to Hindley Labour Club. The

old record-players never ceased

playing!

Dancers won’t need reminding

that the Ince Public Hall had

“tremendously-sprung” floors. How

many Incers have attained interval

pass-outs, quaffed a short or an

alternative good-headed pint at the

Manley Pub opposite Ince Public?

It was at the Ince Public Hall

that in 1955 I first danced a barn

dance, “A Pride of Erin”, and a

square-tango, and quickstepped to

“The Yellow Rose of Texas”.

Thousands danced to the “Wheels

Cha Cha”, and to Frankie

Vaughan’s great hit “Green Door”.

“Love is a Many Splendoured

Thing”, “Tammy”, “When You Lose

the One You Love”, “Till” and

“Always” were unforgettable dance

melodies. Think back to your own

dancing days!

Wigan Empress Hall

The Wigan Empress Hall and the

Casino were always popular venues,

as were Leigh Casino, Bolton Palais,

Lower Ince Labour Club, St.

Andrew’s Labour Club, Scholes

Labour Club; many, who liked to

combine bingo with dancing,

thought Barnsley Street’s Railway

Club was a gem!

Belle Vue’s fantastic Elizabethan

Ballroom, with its revolving stage, its

“piped Handel’s Water Music

playing fountains”, plus a dedicated,

well-trained army of bouncers -

intent on preserving the peace - was

the best ballroom I’ve visited, but

the Isle of Man’s “Palace” and “Villa

Marina”, (where the all-girl Ivy

Benson Band once played) were

popular haunts.

Dim Lights

The Manchester Ritz Ballroom

had dimmed lights and its ceiling

seemed to revolve, shimmering with

miniscule lights, like a star-

spangled-banner! Hindley Monaco,

Bolton Civic Hall and the top-floor

of Hindley Industrial Co-operative

Society Building (prior to 1950),

attracted hordes of dancers.

How many local people recall

dancing on the “old” school hall

floor at Hindley St. Peter’s School, or

remember the last Hindley St. Peter’s

Dance organised in the Hindley

Cardinal Newman R.C. School Hall?

How many packed into the Hindley

Park High School’s Drama Theatre

for an exceedingly successful “Easter

Bunny Hop Dance” in 1988, run by

the P.T.A. people?

Kenneth Lucas

80 Park Road

Hindley

Wigan

WN2 3RX

I understand that Miss

Gee died fairly recently. If

any reader can supply more

details, please let me know.

For those teenagers in the

1960’s and 1970’s, do you

remember the Twist,

Locomotion, Madison and

other dance crazes? Do you

remember where you

danced? Was it any of the

following:

Room at the Top Beat

Club, Central Chambers,

Wigan; Golden Clog Club,

Wigan (opened by Matt

Munro, May 1961); Ashton

Baths or Wigan Baths Hall;

Carlton Club (opened by Lita

Rosa, 4 November 1960);

Pink Elephant Coffee Club,

Wigan; Beachcomber Club,

on the site of the now

demolished Boulevard

Shopping Centre, Leigh; Club

Caroline at Keg O’Kees,

Atherton; Garrick Club,

Leigh (opened by Ronnie

Carroll, 17 November 1961);

Ollivers Club, King Street,

Wigan; The Casino, Wigan

(opened 27 August 1965 -

Shirley Bassey appeared on

the opening night)

These are only a few of

many. If you remember any

others, please contact me.

Finally, I am keen to

obtain any information on

the Left Book Club, which

met in Leigh (monthly, in

Yates’ Cafe, Railway Road)

and Wigan.

Tony Ashcroft

Local History Officer

Leigh Library

Tel: 01942 404559

10

Alan Roby continues his most evocative series of articles on the life of Miss Weeton as she

travels to Yorkshire at the time of the Luddite Risings, to take up a position of governess to

the wealthy Armitage family.

ELLEN WEETON(1776-1849)

GOVERNESS‘Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child’

High Royd, c.1910, where Ellen Weeton was engaged as governess

to the wealthy Armitage family from July 1812 to June 1814.

IN 1812 Miss Weeton was in her 36th year, in her

prime and had gained in confidence. For almost 18

months she had lived and experienced life in the busy

sea-port of Liverpool after the stifling atmosphere of

village life at Upholland, near Wigan. For a similar

number of months she had lived in the cheerless home

of moody and unpredictable Edward Pedder at

Dove’s Nest, Ambleside, Westmoreland. She had

recently enjoyed the excitement and exhilaration of a

strenuous walking tour of the Isle-of-Man. Now she

was ready to take on a new challenge. For that she

looked eastward over the Pennines to an area

suffering greatly through the activities of Luddites.

The Armitage family wasthe oldest in the district; datingfrom the 14th century. Thefamily was prosperousthrough the trades of‘clothiers’ and ‘coal-getting’;they also ‘served the usualoffices’. Joseph Armitage, wasthe eldest son of Sir GeorgeArmitage, J.P. (known as“Th’Justice”), who hadrecently vacated High Royd.

The property’s isolatedlocation afforded some

protection against the labourtroubles Joseph had himselfexperienced at his previoushome at Lockwood, wherestones had been thrown at thewindows, and where he hadbeen shot at. All around High

Royd tragedies were takingplace because of theintroduction of power loomswhich had made the olddomestic wool weavingindustry redundant, resulting inmuch displacement of labour.

Woollen trade

Miss Weeton describedMr. and Mrs. Armitage asyoung people “not yet 30, I

dare say, either of them. Mr.

Armitage is engaged in the

woollen trade, has a

handsome fortune of his own

and another with his wife.”

She described her usualworking day and thedispositions of her four*charges in detail:“There has been a good deal

of company since I came; but,

though I dine or drink tea with

them, I am obliged to leave the

room so immediately after I

have swallowed it, that I may

truly be said to see little of them.

“My time is totally taken

up with the children; from 7

o’clock in the morning, till

half past 7, or 8 at night. I

cannot lie any longer than 6

o’clock in a morning; and, If I

have anything to do for myself,

in sewing, writing, etc., I must

rise sooner. At 7, I go into the

nursery, to hear the children

their prayers, and remain with

them till after they have

breakfasted, when I go out

with them whilst they play;

and am often so cold, that I

join in their sports, to warm

myself. About half past 8, I

breakfast with Mr. & Mrs.

Armitage, and then return

again to the children till 9,

when we go into the school-

room till 12. We then bustle on

our bonnets, etc., for play, or a

short walk. At one, we bustle

them off again, to dress for

dinner, to which we sit down at

a quarter past; the children

always dine, with their

parents. By the time dinner is

well over, it is 2 o’clock, when

we go into school, and remain

till 5. Whilst I am at tea in the

parlour, the children eat their

suppers in the nursery. I then

go to them, and remain with

them till 7, either walking out

of doors, or playing within, as

the weather may permit. I then

hear their prayers, and see

them washed; at half past 7,

they are generally in bed.

‘Punctual as theclock’

“Mrs. Armitage conducts

her house in so excellent a

manner, that we are as

punctual as the clock. I never

have to wait of anyone; and I

take care that no one shall

have to wait of me. It is the

same with all in the house;

breakfast, dinner, tea, or

supper, are always within five

Miss Weeton travelled bystagecoach from Liverpool viaManchester to Huddersfieldduring July 1812 and managedto get a seat next to thecoachman who was “verycommunicative” and whodescribed every object or placeworth mentioning en route.She arrived at High Royd, thehome of her new employer,Joseph Armitage, Esq., thefollowing day. High Royd wasthen a country houseoverlooking the village ofHonley, some four miles fromHuddersfield on the Holmfirthroad. The building still standsalthough greatly altered.

“It stands on high

ground, and will be much

exposed to the storms and cold

of winter; but, as Mr. A. has

plenty of coals on his own

estate, only a few hundred

yards off, we shall have fire

enough; and I rejoice

exceedingly thereat” wasMiss Weeton’s firstimpression.

*At the time of Miss Weeton’s arrivalthere were six children in the family.Mrs. Armitage eventually became themother of 15 children.

➯

11

minutes of the appointed time.

The only thing I feel inclined

to grumble at, is the being

obliged to attend the children

at their play in a morning, as

they are only in the yard. I

should voluntarily choose to

do it sometimes, but the

nursery maid, I should think,

would be sufficient in general;

however, I get a little air, and it

will render me less subject to

take colds; it will do me good,

though I don’t like it.

‘Ill-tempered’

“The children, though well

ordered by their parents, when

out of their sight are as unruly,

noisy, insolent, quarrelsome,

and ill-tempered a set, as I

ever met with. I am beginning

to get them to pay some

respect to my mandates, and

perhaps by and by, I may to my

requests; but I assure you, I

have had, and still have, a

tough task to perform; and if

Mr. & Mrs. Armitage had not

given me every authority, in

the most liberal manner, I

must have despaired of doing

any good. A few days ago, I

felt a necessity of proceeding

to some very severe methods;

certain, almost, at the same

time, I should meet the

displeasure of Mr. & Mrs. A. in

consequence, when they came

to be informed; but how great

was my satisfaction, when they

expressed their approbation of

the method and severity of

punishment which I had

inflicted. It has given me

spirits to proceed with tenfold

more confidence, and a

greater desire to please them,

than before. The little

creatures are very affectionate

to me already; and of the three

younger ones, I think I can

make something. Miss A., the

eldest, is the bad sheep that

infects the flock: punishment

or reward make no lasting

impression; I fear she is

naturally depraved. Though 7

years of age, she has no ideas

of common modesty; it is a

wrong thing in parents to inure

children to be stript entirely in

the nursery, whilst washing. I

am endeavouring to correct

this, by degrees, as no

innovation must be made

suddenly that affects the

mistress of the house or the

servants.

Value of minutes

“I have begun to teach the

children to dance; and a sweet

boy of 5 years old, to write; and

he does both, admirably. Their

instruction, and sewing for

Mrs. A., keep me very busy the

whole of school-time; I begin

again to know the value of

minutes, and to be very careful

to waste none of them.”

In a letter to a Mrs. Pricedated 22 December, 1812,Miss Weeton makes a directcomparison with her formeremployer, Edward Pedder andher current employer, JosephArmitage:“This part of Yorkshire seems

to be principally inhabited by

manufacturers and farmers; a

plodding, money-getting,

good kind of people; even

everything in this house is

conducted with tradesman-

like regularity and bustle; no

sitting after breakfast or

dinner, as we used to do at Mr.

Pedder’s. I generally rise from

table with some of the meal in

my mouth. Yet I like the family

far better than Mr. P’s; no

quarrelling, rioting, or

drunkenness here, that used,

when I was at Dove-Nest, to

terrify me so. Here, I know

what I have to do; there, I

never did.”

However, Miss Weetonwas concerned that whilst Mr.& Mrs. Armitage accepted theteaching and discipline metedout by their undoubtable andmethodical governess, theyseemed unconcerned as to theimprovement of her pupils:“As Mr. & Mrs. A. never

examine into the progress

their children make, except in

a very trifling manner, they are

totally unacquainted with a

great part of what their

children learn. A weekly

account which I render every

Saturday, and which is totally

my own doing, is listened to

with greater indifference than I

could wish; and the children’s

education has never, that I

recollect, been a subject of

conversation since my arrival.

For anything the parents might

know, I might teach the

children to be Deists, or

Atheists; or, what is almost

worse, might never teach them

anything like religion at all.

‘Why does God make lions?’

said George one day, ‘when

they do nothing but kill and eat

us, or anything else they can

catch?’ (George has often an

idea of the superior excellence

of mankind in general, and of

his own in particular). ‘If flies

could speak, George,’ I

answered ‘they would say, why

does God make little children,

who do nothing else but kill us

for sport?’

Vacant minds

“When I arrived, the two

eldest could read but few

words of 3 or 4 letters; the 3rd,

words of only 2; and the fourth

has his alphabet to learn; they

did not appear to have

received the slightest verbal

instruction! I never met with

children of such vacant minds,

The Luddite Risings of 1812THE Luddite Risings of 1812 were not a suddenresponse to the introduction of new machinery. Therewere a number of causes and it is necessary to look atthe years preceding the explosion into rioting andmachine breaking.

It was at the time of the Napoleonic Wars; Englandhad been at war with France since 1793 and in 1812England was also at war with America. One result wasthe virtual closure of the ports for the import of food andthe export of goods. The position was exacerbatedthrough bad harvests and no grain could be imported;combined with high unemployment, culminating ingreat distress and starvation.

In 1806 the Government published a ‘Report onthe State of Woollen Manufacture in England’. This wasbecause of opposition to the growth of factories andthe introduction of machinery. The powerful Croppersunion had been objecting to the use of machinery forsome time. What they wanted was a revival of obsoletelaws against the use of machinery and they were in agood position to cause trouble.

Croppers were highly skilled workers, the elite ofthe woollen industry, keeping themselves an exclusiveminority by restricting the intake of apprentices.Croppers’ hand shears were 4ft long and weighed40lbs and clearly needed great skill and strength tooperate. At a time when other workers received 16 to18 shillings a week, Croppers could earn 24 shillingsor more and additionally were often paid five per centof the value of the finished cloth. Furthermore it waswell within their power to make or mar the quality of thecloth.

When trade depression finally came aboutthrough the introduction of machinery andsubsequent redundancy, the highly skilled andspecialised Croppers were unable to turn to otheremployment.

It was against this turbulent background that theLuddite Risings took place in and aroundHuddersfield in 1812.

Continued on page 12

12

considering the natural

quickness of their capacities;

and so indulged, that they

seemed to know what

obedience was. I have had,

and have even yet, a hard task

to bring them under any degree

of subordination; but the worst,

I think, is over, though I am still

obliged to correct and punish

much more frequently that I

could wish. Now they begin to

want more books, and I

mentioned, the other week, a

few such as I could wish them

to have. Mr. A. made

objections to all, without

proposing any others in their

stead. The expense seems to be

an object, and I am surprised

at it; for those who choose to

keep a governess, should not

be afraid of a few shillings in

books.”

But by September 1813,Miss Weeton was beginning tofeel the strain.

“I feel more at home here

now than I have done any time

since I came first into

Yorkshire; and could be very

comfortable if it were not for

the perverse and violent

tempers of the children. And

they really are terrible;

whether I can ever subdue

them, is doubtful. For a few

months before the holidays, I

flattered myself that I had

reduced my pupils to greater

order than they had ever been

before; but - the holidays have

undone all, and again have I all

to do. Such screaming and

shouting and incessant loud

talking I dare say you never

heard in any family before; and

such everlasting quarrelling.

The rod

“For a month since my

return, the two boys never

attempted to say a lesson

without throwing themselves

into violent fits of passion;

screaming dreadfully, if I

persisted in making them say

it. I have at last resorted to the

rod, notwithstanding it is so

repugnant to the present mild

system of education; and if

you had heard their screams,

you would have thought I was

really killing them, when

frequently I had only struck

their clothes; but for the last

week, I have made them feel it,

and I have found the benefit of

it, though my reward from the

two Mrs. Armitages [mother

and daughter] is sour looks

and cool treatment. A mother

must indeed feel for her

children, and so do I feel for

them; my spirit droops under

such a task; but my duty to God

is to fulfil the duties of my

present situation, which I

cannot do by indulging the

children in their own perverse

ways, as their mother has done.

“The eldest girl, for some

weeks, would not study a

single lesson. She sat with the

book or slate before her, doing

nothing. What would you have

done in such a case? I

requested, persuaded,

insisted; but she would only

smile carelessly in my face,

and toss her head. I then

incessantly confined her at

play hours, till she had

finished not only her present

lessons, but all of which were

in arrears. Cool looks from

Mrs. A., were the

consequence; Sarah Anne’s

health would suffer, she

thought. So I thought; but

something must be done, and

as Mrs. A. did not propose any

better way, I persevered,

notwithstanding her unjust

treatment, though a frequent

fit of weeping was the

ELLEN WEETON(1776-1849)

GOVERNESS‘Spare the Rod and Spoil

the Child’–––––

Continued from page 11

The Wigan Coalfieldcompiled by Alan

Davies with Len Hudson

READERS will no doubt be awareof Tempus Publishing Ltd.'s‘Images of England' illustratedbook series through the variouslocal town titles already producedin conjunction with WiganHeritage Service.

Their latest volumeconcerning this area is different inthat it covers an industry ratherthan a specific locality. The WiganCoalfield also differs in that itinvolves a third party, thecompiler being Alan Davies whountil the recent and very

regrettable closure of theLancashire Mining Museum atBuile Hill Park, Salford was itscurator. As with the other localbooks in this series, all the printsused for reproduction wereprepared by our own SeniorTechnician, Len Hudson.

Some 2000 photographshave been selected by Alan fromhis own Museum's collection,from the holdings of WiganHeritage Service (Archives) andfrom a notable private collection.Alan's choices range from theearliest views available in the1860's to the end of the industryin the 1990's; he also has a goodgeographical spread around thecoalfield and covers manyaspects both technical and social.The selection of illustrations isfurther enhanced by hiscomprehensive captions, whichmakes for a very interesting read,and which has certainly given

added value to the HeritageService's photos. To set theindustry in its historic context afour page introduction describesthe origins, development andultimate extinction of coal miningin the Wigan area.

With the notable exception ofthe Astley Green CollieryMuseum, virtually every physicalvestige of coal mining has beenremoved from the landscape, sothis highly recommended volumewill be especially important ingiving future generations anappreciation of the working livesof miners and pit brow lasses,together with an impression of thesurface buildings and headgears,which were once such a commonsight in the district.

The Wigan Coalfield isavailable from the History Shop@ £9.99 (plus £1.00 p & p).

M.F. HaddonWigan Heritage Service

consequence; and I think I

have conquered. Miss A. is

again become not only

tractable, but affectionate.”

All weeping

After almost two yearswith the Armitage family itwas time to move on. On thenight before her departure,Miss Weeton thought she heardthe children quarrelling. Whenshe went to see them, she foundthey were all weeping, becauseshe was leaving. The nextmorning all the children rose atfive and walked with MissWeeton part of the way (it was4 miles to the coach). Theyparted company with thechildren still weeping.

She boarded the coach forLiverpool in June 1814,where she spent a fortnightbefore travelling back toUpholland to see her oldfriend Mrs. Braithwaite.

Two months later, in

September 1814, at the age of

37 she married Aaron Stock

of Wigan, a widower. Where

or when she met Stock is not

known but little did she know

that the decision to marry

him would be the biggest

mistake of her life. (See

‘Aaron Stock of Wigan’ Past

Forward 24, p11).

13

The strange case of thevanishing statue

by J. A. HiltonIN 1903, following the end ofthe Boer War, a memorial tothe soldiers of Wigan whohad fallen in the war waserected in Mesnes Park. Thework of Gascombe John, themonument was the marblefigure of a soldier holding abronze pistol in one hand anda bronze flag in the other.Now all that remains at thetop of the steps in front of thepavilion, is the base,inscribed “This memorialwas erected by publicsubscription to the memoryof the men belonging to theregular, volunteer andimperial Yeomany forces ofWigan and district who fell inthe South African War 1899-

1902.

Controversial

The was had beencontroversial. TheConservatives and LiberalUnionists, who togetherformed the government, were,of course, in favour of the war.The Liberals were divided bythe war, but the IndependentLabour Party opposed it. Thesupporters of the war regardedit as the just defence of Britishcitizens abroad. Theopponents of the warcondemned it as the unjustconquest of an independentpeople.

The origins of the war wentback to the beginning of the19th century, when Britain, atwar with the French and theirDutch allies, annexed theDutch Cape Colony to protectthe sea-route to our Indianempire. Subsequently manyDutch settlers, who were calledAfrikaners or Boers (Dutch forfarmers), trekked out of theCape and founded theindependent republics of theOrange Free State and theTransvaal. Finding itselfmenaced by the Zulus, theTransvaal agreed to beannexed by Britain in 1877,but, after the Zulu War, itsuccessfully fought for itsindependence in 1881. Then in1886 gold was discovered inthe Transvaal, and numbers of

foreigners (called Uitlandersby the Boers), mainly British,arrived to work in thegoldfields. The Boers refusedto grant the vote to theUitlanders, but levied hightaxes on them. As relationsbetween the uitlanders and theBoers worsened, theUitlanders appealed to Britainfor protection, and in 1899 warbroke out between Britain andthe Transvaal, which wassupported by the Orange Free

State .

British defeats

The war began with Britishdefeats including Spion Kop(Once commemorated by theKop at Central Park, but nowdemolished). However, thesedefeats only served to stiffenBritish resolve, andreinforcements were sent outto South Africa, including notonly regulars but alsovolunteers and yeomanry(part-time) cavalry).Eventually the Boers

surrendered in 1903, and theunions of South Africa wasformed.

The speakers at theunveiling of the statueacknowledged that the warhad been controversial, buthoped that the monumentwould be a lasting monumentto the local respect for Wigan’swar-dead. Sir Francis Powell,MP, admitted that ‘There hadbeen differences of opinionrespecting the war itself whichmust always exist in a freecountry, but there was nodifference as to the regard andestimation in which they heldthose who fought for England’.Sir Francis, whose own statuestill sits in the park, declaredthat ‘the monument wouldremain during many years asan indication of the honour inwhich they held those whofought, and suffered, and diedin the cause of their country’.He trusted that the monument‘would be treasured by theinhabitants of the town duringmany generations as proof ofwhat Wigan men had done and

how they had given anexample to those who cameforward in this country’scause’, and he knew that thememorial ‘would be longregarded by the people of thattown and district’. CouncillorFyans, the chairman of thememorial fund, regarded it as‘a memorial, which should befor all time a monument to thebravery of Wigan’s soldiers’.And so it long remained.Indeed, the memorial becamea popular place for volunteersin subsequent wars to be

photographed.

‘Removedaltogether?’

However, by 1965 theWigan Observer asked ‘Has notthe time come when this heroicfigure of a soldier might beremoved altogether? Erosion,vandalism and the ravages oftime generally have createdhavoc with the figure of thesoldier....The South AfricanWar Memorial statue hasbecome ignominious, sobattered and damaged it istoday’. Eventually, in 1968, theBorough Council ordered theremoval of the statue, butdecided to leave the base inplace. According to GeoffreyShryhane, ‘it rotted away andwas eventually disposed of atthe bottom of a compost heap’.

Obviously the statue wassuffering from decay andvandalism. Politics is the art ofthe possible and it was deemedthat the removal of the statueand the preservation of thebase was an acceptablecompromise. Nevertheless, thedisappearance of the statuereduced by half, and the moredramatic half at that, thenumber of Wigan’s publicstatuary. The response tovandalism was an act ofgreater vandalism.

Does the statue really lieunder a compost heap at theback of the Park? Could it,therefore, be excavated, andrestored to mark the year ofpublic sculpture and thecentenary of the South AfricanWar or will its absencecontinue to be a reproach?

An artist’s sketch of the unveiling of the Boer War memorial in

Mesnes Park, Wigan, published in the Wigan Observer,

11 February 1903.

14

Mapping the MillenniumAs I write, the Mapping the Millennium Festival is nearing itscompletion. Nearly 20 different venues have hosted the exhibition,including libraries, public halls and community resource centres,and feedback has been both positive and encouraging. The last fewvenues are as follows:

Atherton Library Atherton,

20 - 27 Nov Tyldesley/Hindsford

Ince Library Ince-in-Makerfield

27 Nov - 11 Dec

History Shop Wigan Town Centre

11 Dec - 6 Jan Mesnes Park, Swinley

(Two of the above maps - Ince-in-Makerfield and North Swinley -appear on the back cover of this issue of Past Forward)

Midi MusicDuring the summer, 100 young people were given the opportunityto write and perform their own songs, expressing their hopes andaspirations for the new Millennium. Sessions were held in eightdifferent venues throughout the Borough. The feedback has beendistinctly positive, with a clear wish for repeat sessions. In the meantime, a CD is currently being produced, which willinclude the songs composed and performed during the sessions.

Free Fall

Another success story. Some marvellous colourful parachutes,with their own artwork transferred onto them, have been producedby over 400 children of the Borough. Some of these parachuteshave been displayed along with the local sections of the ParishMap during the Festival tour, before being given back to thevarious community groups to use as a play resource. More sessionsare planned.

The Millennium TreeThe Millennium play proved to be an outstanding production.Although the objective of taking the production to as many venueswithin the Borough as possible resulted in some performancesplaying to less than full houses, the run certainly began on a veryhigh note with a capacity audience for the premier at the Mill at thePier, and finished with well-supported performances in October aspart of the Standish and Ashton festivals. The enthusiasm of the Youth Theatre was infectious, and thescript was brilliant. Congratulations to Edward and all concerned,both on stage and behind the scenes.

The Millennium SouvenirThanks to some generous support from Wigan Council and privatesponsorship, an attractive leather bookmark was presented to eachnursery and primary schoolchild in the Borough, bearing the words:

Presented to each young person in Wigan Borough

to commemorate the new Millennium - 2000 AD

Millennium Festival Co-ordinator (and Editor of Past Forward)Alastair Gillies presents Millennium souvenir bookmarks to

pupils of Bedford Hall Methodist Junior School, Leigh.

This is a BoroughThis 17 minute audio-visual presentation, produced by Colin Ballsof Chorley, and based on the entry which recently won him theBritish audio-visual championships, has been a great hit wherever ithas been shown. It has been widely praised for its evocation of daysgone by, and for its imaginative interpretation of the Parish Map. There is only one problem - it is not for sale! Many visitorshave enquired about purchasing it, but unfortunately, forcommercial reasons, this is not feasible at present. However, Ihope to be in a position to commission Colin to produce a brandnew programme to accompany the display of the Parish Map inthe History Shop in a year’s time, and hopefully by then a videoof both programmes will be on general release. Thanks to all of you who have expressed an interest.......andplease be patient!

15

Mapping the Millennium

2001 – So what next?Hopefully, all 28 sections of the Parish Map will

come together for the first time next autumn,

under one roof. This will be in the History Shop,

following the Year 2000 exhibition. Wigan’s

answer to the Bayeux Tapestry! A candidate for

the Guinness Book of Records?

But the success of the Festival has shown that

there is so much unfulfilled potential in this

project. It will not be enough, for example, to

simply display the Parish Map - it has immense

educational potential, for example, and is ideally

suited to interactive interpretation.

It is hoped that the complementary activities of

the last year will play a major role in the History

Shop exhibition. It will lend itself, for example, to

the display of some specially large Millennium

parachutes, with artwork by local children. Some

midi music interactive displays, following on from

the success of the midi music sessions for young

people during the summer, are also planned. This

is a Borough has been so highly acclaimed that a

brand new audio visual programme is under

discussion, devoted entirely to an exciting and

innovative interpretation of the Parish Map. A

dedicated web-site is also planned.

But all this needs money! To this end, a bid has

recently been submitted to the Heritage Lottery

Fund, to enable this exciting vision to be realised.

A result is expected early in the New Year, so

hopefully, I’ll have some good news in the next

issue of Past Forward, due out in March 2001.

Watch this space!

16

Wigan 2000

The Way We Are

In the last issue of Past Forward (No. 25 pp.14, 15) we went into a great deal of detailabout the exhibition and its aims, its content and how the wider community wereinvolved. While not wanting to repeat this, the main features are:

● An exhibition to celebrate the new Millennium by reflecting life in our boroughtoday.

● Not an exhibition about the past.● An exhibition based on a set of archive photographs specially commissioned by

the Heritage Service from local photographer Peter Muir.● Not an exhibition of photographic prints.● An exhibition involving all elements of the community in its development and

display.● Not an exhibition written by curators.● An exhibition exploring the ideas of marking a special moment in history with

putting together time capsules, recording your favourite object or relating a dayin the life.

● Not an exhibition of the objects themselves, but of the reasons for the objectsbeing shown.

● An exhibition that will be visually exciting and fun to visit, with the mysteryobject challenge and the BBC Community Archive Project.

● Not an exhibition to be missed!

After all the time, effort and hardwork put in by the exhibition team,the new exhibition in the WickhamGallery is finally complete. Wigan2000 - The Way We Are had itsofficial opening by the Mayor ofWigan Cllr. Mrs. J. Hurst on 30October. However regular visitorswill have spotted that the doorswere open much earlier on the 9thand will have enjoyed a sneakpreview. We are all indebted to allour partners for help with thisexhibition - businesses, localgroups and the public alike - as weset ourselves the challenge ofreflecting life as it is today, not asit was in the past. We think the re-display of the gallery has gonevery well and we are delightedwith the exhibition - but we wouldlove to know what you think. Comeand look at the exhibition and letus know.

A new look for the Wickham Gallery.

A family grouplook at the

numeracy andliteracy interactive

area.

17

BBC HISTORY2000:

CommunityArchive

As outlined last time, the HeritageService has entered into partnershipwith the BBC to become one of theirlocal history centres. On top ofdisplaying their History 2000programming and distributing theirnewsletter, we are getting involved intheir Community Archive Project.Members of the public are invited tobring in a personal item that hashistorical relevance to them and have itrecorded digitally along with theirreasons for choosing it. We will berunning supervised sessions to getstarted, so come down to the HistoryShop or ring up to find out the date ofthe next session. Once again the BBCwant these images and it is possible youand your object could end up on telly!

What’s in and what’sout - the fast movingworld of teenagefashion.

Examples of theMuseum’s owntime capsules.

Wigan businessesgot very involved

and helped withmuch of the

exhibition.

Peter Muir’scharacters jump offthe panels to greetyou.

The personal view.What ordinary

members of thepublic might save

for posterity.

18

HISTORY SHOP NEWS

F R I E N D SThe Friends organisation and indeed a Friends meeting have onceagain taken a back seat due to the staff turnover and work on ournew exhibition ‘Wigan 2000 - The Way We Are’.

The time has now come to concentrate on this important initiative.Despite lack of impetus from our side, the membership list standsat a very healthy 450 and is growing steadily. Please look out foryour Friends autumn mailing which will include details of ourplanned constitution and committee composition, as well as aninvitation to a special general meeting to agree the plans and selectthe committee. There are two points I would particularly like tostress:

1. Please put yourself forward or nominate someone who wouldlike to be involved in the organisation, as stressed in the lastissue.

2. If you would like to join the Friends all new members are verywelcome and are also eligible for appointment. Please fill in theslip on the right or write to us to save defacing your magazine.

Meanwhile to assist us with regularizing the system of subscriptionmay I remind you that your £5 annual subscription for 2001 is dueon 1 January. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish allour Friends a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year -although I do hope to see many of you at our meeting before that.

PHILIP BUTLERActing Heritage Services Manager & Friends Co-ordinator

FRIENDS OF WIGAN HERITAGE SERVICE

Name ..........................................................................................................

Address .....................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................

Interests ....................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................

Please enclose £5 subscription for 2001. Cheque/P.O.payable to: Wigan Council and return to the History Shop,Library Street, Wigan WN1 1NU.

Remember your subscription entitles you to a prioritymailing of Past Forward three times a year.

Opening of Wigan Photographic Society Annual Exhibition 2000,

President Derek Swift with the Mayor of Wigan, Cllr. Joan Hurst

Wigan HeritageService

Exhibition ProgrammeThe History Shop - Wickham GalleryFrom October 2000

Wigan 2000 - The Way We Are

Wigan Heritage Service’s new exhibition, a look at life inWigan today.

The History Shop - Taylor Gallery11 December - 6 January 2001

Mapping the Millennium

The Wigan Town Centre and Swinley sections of the ParishMap.15 January - 31 March

Food and Shopping

A Culinary History of the Borough7 April - 27 June

The Collier Battalion

Local men in the Manchester Regiment

Leigh Library - The Derby Room6 November - 2 December

The Wigan Coalfield

From the book by Alan Davies and Len Hudson

THE summer round of

photographic exhibitions at

the History Shop proved as

popular as ever. Both the

Atherton and the Wigan

Photographic Societies

mounted a fine selection of

prints, much enjoyed by our

visitors. Visitors to the

Wigan group’s show had an

opportunity to vote for their

favorite print; the winner I

can reveal was ‘Taj Mahal’

by Jeremy Malley-Smith

LRPS.

A big thank you for all

involved with the displays.

As we go to press the

Taylor Gallery is host to a

splendid selection of

paintings by local artist

Gerald Rickards. The theme

is buildings in and around

Haigh. Gerald has been on

hand during the exhibition to

chat to visitors and offer his

advice at workshop sessions.

Our final exhibition of

the year will display the

Wigan Town Centre and

Swinley sections of the

Parish Map, the last event in

the Millennium Festival tour.

Come along and admire the

skill and dedication of local

people.

19

The first two years ofWorld War II

(as recalled by a then 6th Form pupil atAshton-in-Makerfield Grammar School)

IN THE summer of 1939 I, along

with others of my age, was await-

ing the School Certificate re-

sults, but meanwhile, during the

summer holiday, a goodly num-

ber of us went to Belgium on

what was known as the Annual

School Continental Holiday. We

stayed for eight days at the

seaside resort of Heyst sur Mer

and had a thoroughly good time.

Little did we think as we rode on

enormous tricycles along the

promenade, made trips into

Holland, and visited First World

War battlefields, that within a

short time there would be more

battlefields.

Soon after we arrived home my

friends, Alice Prescott, Kathleen

Naylor and I were relieved to hear

that our School Certificate Results

were good enough for us to go back

to school and become sixth formers.

Outbreak of war

Then, of course, came the

outbreak of war. We were told that

parts of the school must be

prepared for emergencies. There

would be a First Aid area, an Air

Raid Precautions Post, etc. We

began to attend half-time, alternate

weeks, mornings and afternoons.

We still seemed to do a lot of work

and certainly a great deal of

homework, but we had our lighter

moments. The first winter of the

war was very severe and the snow

seemed to lie for weeks. If we had

the afternoon off groups of us would

go to the “Skitters” with makeshift

toboggans and have snowball fights.

As regards the War, nothing

much seemed to be happening, so

we began to attend full time. There

would be the occasional air raid

warning when we would make our

way to the air-raid shelters at the

Old Road side of the school. I was

given the task of forming a choir to

sing while in the shelter. Sometimes

we would only be there for two or

three minutes but other times it

could be up to two hours.

Bombing

Then came the serious bombing

of Liverpool. We were told that part

of the school would be occupied by

evacuees from Bootle - so it was

back to half-time again. The sixth

formers were asked to help in any

way possible. Alice, Kathleen and I

managed to find a handcart which

we trundled around Ashton and

Bryn, begging for blankets,

clothing, etc. We had a very good

response, considering that these

items, if replaced, would cost

precious clothing coupons. We also

helped in preparing breakfasts and

making tea.

Many of the evacuees were

resentful at having to leave their

homes and didn’t make life easy.

But there were exceptions. One I

remember was a little woman called

Mrs. Gillibrand who helped all she

could. Unlike many of the others,

she was determined not to take her

five children back to Bootle. She

found a cottage to rent by the green

in Downall Green. There they

stayed till well after the War was

over. When I was home from college

and later from teaching in

Birmingham, I often used to walk up

from Bryn to have a chat with her.

Blind eye to munching

The evacuees finally went back

or found other accommodation and

we began full time schooling again.

It’s funny what little things come

back to one’s memory. Eldon

Griffiths, later an M.P., was in our

form. We had very little in the way

of sweets, owing to the rationing,

but he, somehow, often had some. I

must say that he was very generous

with them and would pass them

round in Prep Times. Miss

Hodgkinson was often sitting in

with us and turned a blind eye to

our munching, occasionally

partaking herself.

In the spring of 1941 it was time

to start applying for Teachers’

Training College. I wanted to go to

Whitelands C. of E. College in

Putney and my friend Alice chose

Southlands Methodist College, also

in the London area. We thought we

would be able to meet occasionally.

We were both successful in our

choices but Alice’s college was

evacuated to Weston-Super-Mare

and mine to Durham City - poles

apart.

We were sad to leave Ashton

Grammar. In spite of the War we

had some lovely memories.

Nora Preston (nee Glover)

(formerly of Bryn)

Rainhill

Merseyside

20

➯

THE medical details of her

arrival into the world on

18th September 1912

fascinated Mary Alicia. She

could not ignore the marks

of the forceps on her

forehead noticeable until

early middle life. A grave

decision had been made, too,

as her mother had been

given chloroform and there

was no way of knowing if the

patient was allergic to it. It

was a Wednesday.Her father was Joseph

Hodkinson, one of a family of13 who were members of theNew Jerusalem Church(Swedenborgian) in Wigan.Joseph was a lay preacher andwhen he visited Preston topreach, he met Miss Edith MaryClarkson who, like Joseph, wasa member of a family who hadbeen Swedenborgians for fourgenerations. She was a milliner,working in a haberdasher’s shopin town. They continued a modeof courtesy by which a personwas addressed and spoken of bytitle, ‘Mr. Mrs. etc.’. Theybecame engaged to be marriedafter an acquaintance of twelvemonths during which due totheir advanced age (27 and 30) achaperone was not obligatory.Money was not discussed - thisbeing bad form - but MissClarkson had a certain prudenceso consulted a local person withan Ouija board and asked “whatdoes Joseph Hodkinson earn?”

Dear Sir,I have only recently seen your magazine and I am very

impressed by its presentation and selection of material,aimed at readers who wish to be informed and entertainedby what is best in our local heritage.

I enclose a little book which could be of interest to you,particularly in relation to the Swedenborgian Church inWigan. Whatever the influences were in Wigan or in thisbranch of the Christian church, they certainly bred astalwart in Mary Alicia Hodkinson, born in the town in 1912.

Mary, Mary, Nurse Contrary (ISBN 09511642 3 6,136pp, paperback, illustrated in colour, 1997) is availablefrom New Church House, 34 Dalton Street, ManchesterM2 6LE, @ £5.95 plus 70 p&p. All proceeds from the saleof the book go via the University of Central LancashireCharitable Foundation towards the setting up of a studentnurses’ prize.

Anne BradleyHigher Walton

Preston

• The story of Mary Alicia Hodkinson is a fascinating read.The author has kindly given her permission for thereproduction here of the opening pages of her book, relating toMary’s first five years spent in Wigan. I hope it will whetreaders’ appetites to read the whole story of this remarkable

lady. Ed.

The answer spelled out theword ‘Money’. Edith marriedhim, bore and brought up threechildren who treated theanecdote with hilarity.

Standishgate

Their first child Mary wasborn in King Street, Wigan butnot long after Joseph wasestablished enough in hiswatchmaker’s and jeweller’sbusiness to move to 52Standishgate. The adjoining

shop, a florists, needed only theground floor so Joseph had theuse of all the cellars, also thefirst and second floor roomsabove both shops. The upstairsdrawing room was so large thathe planned to install a full sizechurch organ in the chimneyalcove. Two suites wereupholstered in blue velvet, thethree-seater sofas would convertinto chaises longues. Here wereheld musical soirees with otherbusiness and professionalpeople as guests. There was aresident maid and a dailywoman for rough work.

A bright future was plannedfor the young first-born. Fatherdecided she was to be an interiordesigner and he built her a bigdolls’ house on the second floorand she was to have free range tofurnish. Many years later Marydid have scope in her career forinterior design, but it was re-arranging furniture in geriatrichospitals.

Only 13 months after Mary,brother Harold was born andbefore Mary was five a third

baby, Margaret. The busymother, who was also learningto do the business accounts wasglad to let Mary spend much ofher time in the shop downstairsaway from the new baby andfrom young Harold whose goodhealth was not yet established.

Behind the Aspidistra

Mary loved the peace in theshop and liked to concealherself behind the fixtures. Herfavourite hiding place wasbehind the aspidistra in ajardiniere poised on amahogany column. Customersreceived a shock when enteringan apparently empty shop achildish voice, well instructed informal courtesy, piped:“Forward, Mr. Hodkinson,please” and her fathermaterialised from his workshop.

The maid Cissie escortedMary to her first school, a smallprivate establishment in aStandishgate house. When

From Wigan to World TourThe Life of Mary Alicia Hodkinson 1912-1995

Mary Alicia Hodkinson

1912-1995

Postcard to Grandparents Clarkson, 1913.

21

Mary was collected at midday,she was standing on the steps tothe street holding out her handto the teacher saying “Thankyou very much for having me. Ishall not be coming any more.Your children are too rough and

noisy”. The long quiet hoursspent with her father had aprofound effect on Mary, alasting appreciation of peaceand silent companionship.

This warm relationship withher father was rudely shattered:within six weeks of Mary’s firsthalf day at school Joseph wasdead and Mary was not at schoolagain until she had completed aworld tour. Her father was avictim albeit in undramaticcircumstances of the First WorldWar.

Years of carnage

By 1917 there had beenthree years of carnage on thebattlefields of France.Conscription required agegroups - late 30’s - to attend formedical examination. Strippedand waiting in a draughty hut,Joseph developed pleurisy.Partially recovered afterhospitalisation he was sent to aconvalescent home at Grange-over-Sands. He returned homefrom there seeming well enoughand played the piano at Mary’sbirthday party. She was fivewhen her father died, officiallyfrom pneumonia, on the 15thOctober 1917.

The two older children weretaken to the neat bedroom as helay there and told that Daddyhad gone to sleep and would notwake up. He was going to staywith Jesus who needed him.They would not see him anymore but he would always be

near them. Harold, nearly fouryears old, timid and sickly, tookhis Mother’s hand and said“Don’t worry Mother, I’ll beFather now”.

Later that day Mary wastaken outdoors under a clear

autumn sky. Onestar twinkledbrightly. Her mothersaid this was“Daddy’s Star” anda sign that he wasalways thinking ofthem. It was asimple belief thatsustained Mary inthe trials to come.

Brother andsister attended thefuneral service at theNew JerusalemChurch in Wigan.Each carried a

Madonna lily whose whitetrumpet flower erect on the stemwas taller than they were.

Courteous

Mr. Hodkinson had been apopular businessman and localmemories also lingered on of hisfather, an enlightened coal mineowner who, after a serious mineflood, had installed pumpinggear and was able to keep menemployed foranother 14 years.

As the cortegemoved alongStandishgate it waslined with peoplepaying their lastrespects to acourteous man ofbusiness, the officialclock winder andrepairer for theBorough and anotable lay preacher.

Financially thefamily was ruined.As an apparentlystrong young manJoseph had actedconfidently with histrade, investingwisely in equipmentto expand thebusiness. He hadpaid cash to purchase gold andsilver plating baths and hadhanded over money tocolleagues who were planningsimilar ventures. Unusually hehad not obtained receipts buthad acted on the old

understanding that agentleman’s word is his bond.Sales apart from watch repairsfor soldiers had fallendrastically during the war years.Joseph’s widow neverrecovered any money. Worsewas revealed. To assemble thecash Joseph had let his lifeinsurance payments lapse.

However, the possibility ofhis wife becoming a war-widowhad been faced and a plansuggested. Edith MaryHodkinson, rigorouslyconscientious to her spokenword, had agreed and nowintended to fulfil it.

Better life

At the time of his marriage in1911 her husband had financedthe passage to Australia of threeof his sisters. His wife had nosisters, though five brothers. Itwas a fond assumption that thefatherless children would beassisted to a better life by theiraunts in Australia. So, to find themeans to travel there, thebusiness must be sold. Furniture,silver, china, jewellery wasauctioned. After the purchase ofsecond-class tickets for £90 forone adult and three children therewas £48 left. Unsold silver and

Uncle Jack was engaged.Mary’s beautiful dolls’

house, so large that she couldwalk into it, was converted intopacking case. The tickets forsailing were late arriving but,with his usual thoroughness,Uncle Jack got things moving.Later he wished he had allowedthe muddle to reign, as he knewthat his sister would have calledoff the whole expedition whichhe deplored from the start.

The U-boat blockade hadbeen all too successful. On the31st January 1918 when thefamily were aboard the Ionic itwas the last sailing of womenand children for Australia duringthe War.

Uncle Jack had arranged foridentity tags for the children tobe printed on waterproofmaterial. Three to four incheswide and two inches long theywere firmly sewn on the insideof their vests. ‘To whom it mayconcern: if this child should bepicked up alive OR dead in theNorthern Hemisphere contactJohn Clarkson (address): in theSouthern Hemisphere contactMary Hodkinson (Australianaddress of aunt). The care of thischild will be rewarded’. Marywas very proud of this proof ofher own worth alive or dead andmanaged to keep it, transferredto other vests, on dry land, untilshe was nearly eight years old.

At five years old sailing toAustralia, like the otherpassengers, she was required towear a life-belt at all times, andnear the war zone, had to go tobed fully clothed even to anovercoat with a cork life belt ontop.

Six weeks later, Mary

arrived in Australia. But this

was only the beginning of a

world tour, followed in due

course by a position in a

Workhouse Hospital, giving

medical assistance to Freedom

fighters in World War II,

upsetting the Government in

an offshore island after the

War and becoming in her

chosen profession of nursing a

pioneer in geriatric care.

To bring dignity and

fullness of living to the end of

life was her aim. Her life story

will encourage and inspire all

who wish to bring such

blessings to those in their care.

Edith Hodkinson with Mary (2-3 years)

and Harold

Nursemaid Cissie holds baby Margaret;

Harold and Mary, 1917

jewellery was packed to be latersold for living expenses and asgifts for relatives. Furtherconfidence was given by a letterof introduction to the Australianagent of the Preston printingbusiness in which the children’s

IN AN earlier feature inPast Forward I wrote inthe centenary year of thecar (1996) that “onlyaffluent people ownedmotor cars”. Whilst thatwas manifestly truebetween the 1920’s and thetime of writing it, therewas always the exceptionas this feature will show.

For instance, if one wasprepared to acknowledge that“pride and prejudice” could betwo imposters and actaccordingly, it was possible tojoin the growing ranks ofmotorists.

In my own case I becamethe proud owner of a motorbike that had stood rustingaway in a neighbour’s backgarden for years. When sheasked if I would push it downto Calderbanks scrap yard, inWoodhouse Lane, out of sheercuriosity I decided to see if Icould “get it to go” first.

I had to pay out 5s. (25p)for a second hand tyre. Icouldn’t find a float chambercap to replace the missing oneso I made one from a metalpaste tin lid and punched a holein the centre to accommodatethe float needle. That was all itcost me to fix the bike, whichthen carried two of us everySaturday (returning thefollowing day) to Squire’s GateHoliday Camp for the wholeseason! In those days it was asandy piece of ground,alongside the railway wherecampers were welcomed at acost of 9d. (under 5p) perperson per night!

“Give me ninepounds . . .”

Many years later, I neededto replace the front section ofwiring harness on my HillmanMinx. I found what I wanted ina Minx in a Coventryscrapyard, and asked the ownerfor a price. He said, “Give me

nine pounds and take the car”,and added, “There’s nothingwrong with it except the enginecuts out without warning but Ithink its fuel starvation,because the owner drove it herefor three miles with mefollowing, and it seemed OK”

Checking it in his yard Ifound the cam driven petrolpump was choked with sand, soafter cleaning and replacing thefilter, it started easily. I boughtit, but within a few days thesand blockage returned. I thendecided to flush out the tankand “recovered” sufficient sandto lay a line of bricks if I’d hada bit of cement handy!

Now to enjoy myself andfamily with my nine quid’sworth of car which had by nowbecome my pride and joy, tothe extent that I became so sureof its reliability that we bookeda holiday cottage nearKirkham. For good measure Ieven booked my parents (whostill lived in Wigan) into aholiday apartment at SouthShore Blackpool, intending topick them up daily and explorethe Fylde area together.

Ominous ‘wiring’

For three days all wentaccording to plan, until Istopped at a main road halt signon the fourth day and all I couldget, on letting in the clutch, wasan ominous ‘wirring’ sound. Atfirst I thought it was the clutchslipping, but on inspection Ifound it to be a sheared rearaxle half shaft. What could beworse? Halfway through theholiday in a place likeBlackpool in the holidayseason, what garage wouldundertake such a repair? Notthat I could afford it anyway,having already committedmyself by treating my parentsto what was to be a holiday of alifetime for them.

So the two imposters “prideand prejudice” had to berelegated once again, and a

search for a scrap yard began,once I’d arranged transport formy passengers to their twoholiday locations. Iremembered that there was onein the Cherry Tree district buthaving hitched a lift from apassing motorist, found that hedidn’t have the part I sodesperately needed. Howeverhe knew “two lads” in Prestonwho did, only to be told whenhe phoned them that, as it was7.30 pm, they were about tolock up. However, they agreedto keep open until I arrived, andthe motorist who had given mea lift so far agreed to take me toPreston Coach Station.

Catastrophe!

A patrolling beat bobbyknew the yard andaccompanied me to the cornerof the street. After just a fewminutes walk there was “oneof the lads” (a man in his early30’s) at the gate of his yardwaiting to close. Catastrophe!His mate had loaded the halfshaft into their lorry and it wasburied under a few tons ofmiscellaneous scrap! Onhearing of my dilemma theyboth agreed to unearth myprecious shaft for me with myhelp! Never was I so pleasedto be “a Lancashire lad” as thatnight, as everyone I metwanted to help, particularly asmy parents were on their firstweek’s holiday ever.

Now the “proudpossessor” of an identical halfshaft (cost £2.50p) I couldhave kissed the oily boots ofthe scrapyard “lads” quitecheerfully when they said theycouldn’t run me back, butwould take me and myprecious possession, nowwrapped in old newspapers, tothe beginning of theBlackpool new road, as theycalled it, where I could easilyget a lift. They were right. Thefirst car I “thumbed” was aBlackpool taxi returning,

having dropped his farebeyond Preston, who onhearing my story, not onlyagreed to stop at my holidaycottage, whilst my wife madeup a pack of sandwiches and aflask of tea, but also insisted ontouring the outskirts ofBlackpool to locate mystranded conveyance on thegrass verge. He didn’t want toleave me alone but apologisedas he had only just started hisnight’s work and “had a livingto make”. He wouldn’t eventake my fare and said, “havethis one on me”.

So you Lancastrianseverywhere, give thanks that

you belong to such a breed!

Easy in the garage

And my repair job? Anyengineer will tell you thatremoving a broken half shaft iseasy in the garage with allfacilities, but digging one outon a standard car jack on thegrass verge with only the sparewheel as an extra safeguard (incase the jack slipped) at 2.30 amin a gale on the main Blackpool-Lancaster road is a differentmatter. It was an achievement Ifeel I can be proud of, especiallysince my only illumination wasfrom a hand torch propped on ahalfbrick!

That said, I can only recallone other occasion which gaveme equal satisfaction. A coachload of American and Germantourists stranded in Lichfieldon an eight day tour of Englandand Scotland asked me, as theirrelief coach driver, if I knewwere Wirksworth Church was,as that was where the parents oftwo of the Americans wereburied. Wirksworth Churchactually stands on the side of a1-in-4 hill near Matlock, nearlytwice as steep as Parbold Hill -but that’s another tale foranother day (and another PastForward!)

Happy motoring to all.© E. Taberner

I remember when . . .

In this issue, Ernie recounts the days when he became the proud owner of a

motor bike!

23

IT MAY be surprising to learn that street violence had a

prominent role in the towns and cities of Britain throughout

the 19th century. Obviously, sensationalised stories in

newspapers and the attitudes of powerful people have

sometimes distorted stories involving crime and violence, but

few suggest that it did not happen.

The 19th century was particularly grim for many people.

Some parts of Wigan were overcrowded and many people

lived in damp conditions where disease was rife. Low

incomes and the availability of drink were contributing

factors in many cases of unruly behaviour in public.

Throughout history there have always been witnesses

who saw such grim realities of life first hand, people with

a tale (or two) to be told. Often, such stories were handed

over to the newspapers, but some people wrote their

experiences down in diaries. One such person was

Sergeant Newcombe of the old Wigan Borough Police

force. Sergeant Newcombe worked the streets of Wigan

and Scholes between 1881 and 1902. Printed here with

kind permission of the Greater Manchester Police

Museum is just one of the many stories that Sergeant

Newcombe recorded in his diary.

“USUALLY in BoroughPolice Forces the sectionupon duty from 6pm to 10pmis made up both of the dayand night men, a certainnumber of night men comingon from 6pm to 2am to stiffenup the remainder when thestreets are busiest. Over theweekends in the busiestthoroughfares these mengenerally work in couples soour evening duty is with twopolicemen. This is a distinctpleasure where two oldfriends come together - timepasses pleasantly and anydisagreeable job isundertaken with moreconfidence. However, veryoften the old constable has arecruit for company; this isoften unpleasant but if theolder man has any commonsense he will do justice to hiscompanion who for all he canforesee may be his futureinspector, or even Chief Con-stable.

Gasping for breath

The street at 6pm isusually packed on thefootpaths with millhandsleaving work. Mondayevenings often find plenty ofoccupation for the policemanas many of the young colliersand drawers - having notspent all their wages - stay offto get rid of the remainder.Soon comes a call to a vaultfrequented by the rougher

element, but upon arrival thepolicemen’s service is notrequired. The landlady, a finetall determined old womanwell liked by her customershad her own way of dealingwith rowdy fellows. Shewould push up alongsidethem as they were wrestlingand kicking, thrust anuncorked bottle with somespirits of ammonia undertheir noses and the fightceases instantly. When thepolice arrived the twooffenders were running intothe street gasping for breath.This effective proceeding wasusually taken in good part andonly once did it lead to abroken window; this was anunprofitable proceeding,leading to three months hardlabour upon the offender.

Plenty of occupation wasfound in keeping the cornersclear and there were manysurly glances from the roughyoung fellows who appearedto think they were entitled tocause an obstruction. This partof the town was infested by agang of this stamp called the“Black Gang”, and many werethe struggles between themand the police for supremacy,considerable damage beingdone on both sides. Nothingsuited these fellows betterwhen mischievously inclinedto come in contact with ayoung constable who did notknow them, if only to jeer andinsult him. If too much drink

had been taken then assaultwould follow.

“Monkey Moyle”

Two of these roughs mettwo policemen on the footpathplacing themselves in such aposition as to intentionallyjostle the recruit. One, a thindark evil-looking young fellow,noted more for his skill inarranging mischief than hiscourage, best known as“Monkey Moyle”. The other avery tall, very thin young manwith a cast in one eye, known inthis place as “Sneering JackDyer”. The older officer notedtheir action and rapidly changedpositions with the recruit. Thismovement was observed byMoyle who smartly left thefootpath. But Dyer who had notnoticed the change shoulderedthe policeman and turned with acurse to ask the cause of why hehad been knocked about likethat. He was somewhat startledwhen he found the push did nothave its desired effect and that apowerful hand gripped hiscollar. Moyle urged him to resistand not be taken, waving hisarms and shouting forassistance. This was at about7.00 pm and the streetlightswere just lit. The streets werefull of people who quicklythronged around.

Now was the time to showwhat a man was made of. Thepoliceman was an old enemywith only an inexperiencedrecruit to assist him. If his nerve

and courage failed him for onemoment, woe be to him in thefuture. Directing the youngpoliceman who was a well-builtserious-looking young fellow togrip tight the prisoner he drewhis own staff. This caused thegathering crowd to move exceptMoyle and another fellow. Asharp blow on the corner of theshoulder to the leader andanother on the side of the kneeto the other put them out ofaction for the moment. Dyerhad gripped the recruit roundthe waist but the feel of the stafflaid across his faceaccompanied by a sharp threat,cooled him considerably and hesaid he would go quietly. Ahowling, disorderly crowd ofpeople accompanied theirmasterly retreat to the policeoffice, but the stern determinedface and ready truncheon of theolder fellow caused them tokeep a respectable distance. Afew stones were thrown,missing the police and doingdamage to the prisoners friend.When they reached the office,the older part of the crowd haddeparted and by the time theyhad disposed of their prisonerand returned, there was verylittle sign of anything unusualexcept a few more womenstanding about the corners ofthe streets where they lived.”

● More tales from thegraveyard shift to follow in thenext edition of Past Forward.

Dave Tetlow

Wigan Heritage Service

Wigan Borough Police – Atale from the Graveyard Shift

24

HISTORY repeats itself, so says an old 19th

century proverb. With this, I would say, the

majority of us more mature beings would

agree and probably throw in some personal

experiences to substantiate the statement.

One such instance in myexperience took almost ageneration to materialisebut the similarities, up to apoint, are somewhatsingular. At the age of 13, inthe early 30’s my late,youngest brother con-tracted a synovitis kneewhich later developed intotuberculosis. Alan was theyoungest member of ourfamily of eight and had notentirely shed the maternalattentions, motheraccompanying him at allmedical appointments. Itcame as no mean shockfollowing one suchappointment when motherannounced that Alan wouldhave to go into hospital fora period of a year or sobecause of the change in thecondition of his knee.

The hospital concernedwas in some far off placecalled Wrightington ofwhich I, and I suspect, othermembers of the family hadnever heard. The effect wasimmediate and so our littlebrother was taken from ourmidst, off to this placecalled Wrightington. Manyweeks passed by duringwhich visiting wasconfined, either by accidentor design, to mother andperhaps one elder sister.This of course meant that Ihad not seen my brother formany weeks.

New bicycle

But this was about tochange, and without a word

to anyone. The periodcoincided with that of myprocurement of a newbicycle - a brand newRaleigh 22inch frame GentsRoadster with all thetrimmings, Sturmey Archer3-speed hub, Lucas dynamoand headlight etc., etc. Itwould be true to say that thismachine was ruling my lifeat the time and wasinfluencing the mostunlikely eventualities likeasking if I could run errands,where previously such anevent would trigger off anattack of profound deafness!

Though still without aclue as to Wrightington’sgeographical location I wasstruck by an uncontrollableurge to cycle there on a dayin between those ofmother’s visiting days. Itwould be true to say,however, that in the heat ofmy new found urge, I hadtried to get a fix onW r i g h t i n g t o n ’ sgeographical location in ascasual a fashion I was ableto muster at the time. Thiswas via a chat with afriendly miner Jimmy H., alovable wag in his 40’s whowas forever seeing leg-pulling opportunities, whichmade my enquiry, “HeyJimmy, hey dust gett’Wrightington?” somewhathazardous. His answer was,however, in serious vein.“Sithee lad, ah cawnt tellthi, bur ah think’n itssumweer t’other sideOrrell.” That was a start, Iknew roughly where Orrelllay and I could always ask

when I got there. And so,that was the plan.

“You’ve learnt a bito’sense”

Came the Saturdaymorning for which I hadwaited impatiently the bestpart of a week. The sight ofme wheeling my bikethrough the backyard gatewas nothing new in ourhouse - I could have beengoing anywhere. Had Idivulged my intention, thebike would have beenconfiscated and lockedaway until - to quote one ofmother’s favourite phrases -“yuv learnt a bit o’sense.”

Free of all possibleshackles I was away, withnot a word to anyone. UpStation Road, on to SimmsLane End (or Lone End),then the long climb up toWindy Arbour where Itarried awhile to admire thestocks, a reminder ofharsher times. On throughWinstanley and Orrell andsuch idyllic sounding namesas Roby Mill and AppleyBridge.

Break-neckspeed

I distinctly rememberone spot on my travels, inthe name of Back (or was itBank?) Brow. Until Iencountered Porlock manymany years later, this wasthe steepest road hill I hadever seen. To this day, Ishudder to contemplate thepossible consequences ofthe rapidity of my descent atbreak-neck speed which, at thetime, was possibly the greatestthrill of my young life!

A few miles further on Icame across a road junction,

the name of which, Ilearned, was DangerousCorner. There was a ring ofsuperfluity about this nameas I thought about thealmost daily warnings sincethe advent of my bicycle.Mother, whose charge ofany vehicle was limited to asuccession of bassinets andgo-chairs, over a periodstretching from 1904 to1922, had warned me dailythat ALL corners weredangerous.

Alfrescoexistence

The entrance toWrightington Hospital was,if I remember correctly, justa short stretch fromDangerous Corner, andthough the thought of thelong journey home wassomewhat daunting, I wasglad to find somewhere tolean my bike and make myentrance into the hospitalgrounds. After a fewenquiries I located brotherAlan in one of the manybeds situated in the open airwhich was not all thatsurprising in view of thespring-like weather. It was,however, difficult tocomprehend Alan’s remarksduring my visit that thisalfresco existence was thenorm!

Long after the visit andindeed as I pedalled my wayback to Garswood, thethought of sleeping out inthe open dominated mywaking hours. Sometimeson the coldest of nights as Ilay in bed with my other latebrother, our feet feeling forthe warmest area of theheated oven shelf motherhad caringly placed between

GOD’S GOOD FRESH AIR

➯

25

Continued on page 26

the sheets, I thought of Alanexposed to the elements.How could the authoritiesallow such cruelty? Littledid I realize that, 20 yearson, I was to find out at firsthand - quite by accident.

5 NOVEMBER 1952,mid-morning, nearDunchurch astride the A45,10 miles south of Coventry.

On my fortnightly runfrom my then home south ofBirmingham to VauxhallMotors Ltd., Luton, Beds., Iencountered the all toofamiliar build-up of trafficwhose average speed onsuch stretches was more orless governed by the thenH.G.V. speed limit of20mph. It is a soberingthought that since mymarriage to Past Forward, Ihave learned that it waswithin the realms ofpossibility that, heading oneof those crocodiles, mighthave been our own ErnieTaberner driving one of hisQueen Mary monsters!

Passage tooblivion

The government of theday, in their wisdom andeffort to make full use ofevery square yard of road,devised the idea of dividingsome wider trunk roads intothree lane, singlecarriageways, a novel idea ifnot a little suicidal. Thecentre lane was purely forovertaking - if, of coursesome driver coming theother way was not seizedwith the same idea whichmight provide an instantpassage to oblivion for atleast one party! It was undersuch circumstances that Ifound myself far too rapidlyapproaching a largepantechnicon with verylittle opportunity of a quickchange of mind!

The inevitable happened,

though the geometry of thecontact was in my favour,the collision beingbroadside on. I was thrownforward, hitting my head onthe frame of the windscreenof my fairly new Austin A40Devon. In the space of timethat happened, both car andself had beenunceremoniously pointed inthe direction from whencewe came - transferredsomehow onto a grass vergejust a few feet from ahawthorn hedge.

Excruciatingpain

One or two of theonlookers who gatheredhelped me out of the carwhich by then, had lost quitea bit of its newness.Someone must have phonedfor an ambulance which,thankfully, took little time toarrive. By that time my rightleg had filled most of thespare room in my trouserleg, though the excruciatingpain in my knee hadsubsided somewhat. Thesenior ambulanceman (thename paramedic hadn’tbeen invented) took onelook at my leg and withoutas much as a “Do youmind?” produced a largepair of scissors from his kitand proceeded to cut, thentear, my trouser leg frombottom to top. As if toappease the effect of hisvandalism he prodded verygingerly the swellingaround my knee thenannounced, “I think you’vegot a broken kneecap, son,but we’ll have to see whatthe doctors say.” Continuingin avuncular fashion, heassured me that life withouta kneecap was not all thatmuch of a handicap, thanksto all the modern medicaladvancements. “In fact”, hewent on, “the current wicketkeeper for England only has

one kneecap.”My leg splinted, I was

stretchered into theambulance and driven atspeed to I knew not where,until I was off-loaded at theaccident bay of Hospital ofSt. Cross in Rugby. Andthere began the mostmiserable seven weeks ofmy life.

Little sign of blood

Taking my first glance atthe outward visible sign ofthe damage, I felt that mypresence there wasfraudulent. All that could beseen was a horizontal cut,less than an inch long. Therewas little sign of blood. Theinner damage, though, was alittle more sinister, havingbeen caused by the sharpend of the window windingknob as I was thrownforward in the collision -seat belts were still severalyears away. The area wouldhave to be X-rayed, thewound sutured and I wouldhave to stay in bed for atleast ten days. No operationcould be performed until thewound had healed.

My leg re-splinted I wasput to bed though it was notyet late afternoon. There Iwas left to contemplate onthe events of the day.Dominating my thoughtswas that of how lucky I wasto be alive. Had thegeometry of the collisionbeen, say, five or six degreesto the right, the bed I waslying on would have beenvery much harder andconsiderably colder, and thestaff employed would havebeen more concerned withthe problem of which bitwent where.

As the light failed, incame the evening mealdelivered by a young nursewho, on arranging the trayetc., enquired, “Would youlike to see the fireworks

later on?” Without furtherthought I answered, “Oh,yes please”.

Wicked plan

I was a fool. With thebenefit of hindsight this couldhave been a wicked plan totest out my stamina for whatthe following seven weekshad to offer. Shortly after tea,two nurses came in the ward,one positioned herself at thefoot of my bed, the other atthe head. There was a click,effecting a slight elevation ofmy bed and I was on my wayout of the ward, along acorridor and actually out intothe cold night air which wasbeing stirred by a fairlysteady breeze. On we went,over a grassy slope andeventually parked within aRoman Candle’s distancefrom a huge pyre which wasabout to succumb to risingflames, aided and abetted bythe aforementioned nightbreeze.

Suitably attired andreasonably mobile, there issomething childishlythrilling about the presenceof a bonfire with all theattendant letting off offireworks, hot potatoes,treacle toffee etc. No suchjoys filled my mind,however, as I was leftunattended, dodging the oddshower of sparks, a rip-rapin free flight etc., as well aswrestling with bed coverswhich were gradually losingtheir fight against thegusting wind which in turnwas finding its way to mytorso, reducing it to theambient temperature. Longbefore the stock offireworks was exhausted Imotioned that it was time tocall a halt to the merriment.

Wheeled back to thecomparative comfort of myward, to which I was

26

becoming just a littleattached, my bed was re-arranged and I was pliedwith a cup of cocoa. Sometime later I was approachedby a different officer(probably the bed officer)who sat by my bed, ran herfinger down a list on a clip-board and announced, “Ohyes....tomorrow morningyou will be transferred tothe main ward - The SunPavillion.” There was an airof incongruity about the lastphrase, bearing in mind themonth in question and thefact that, up to then, the 5th,an unannounced totaleclipse lasting about fourdays had descended.

But the lady was true toher word. Immediately afterbreakfast on the followingmorning she came again towitness my transfer to theSun Pavillion. Wheeledonce again down theaforementioned corridor Iwas amazed that what Ithought was the greatoutdoors the night beforewas actually part of my newdigs for the duration of mystay. I immediately decidedthe Sun Pavillion wasnothing more salubriousthan a large verandah, opento the elements in all theirmoods.

“Pavillioned insplendour”

Contrary to Hymn 167(A. & M.) it was patentlyevident that I was NOTgoing to be “pavillioned insplendour”. Neither was theHospital of St. Cross to begirded with praise. All 12 or14 beds were placed on the

wall side of the ward sothat the patient’s view wasthe permanently openframed, glass doors.Although these wereintended to slide shut, noone without the expresspermission of the hospitalboard was allowed to do so.

The novelty of sufferingfrom exposure was short-lived, though, for the firstcouple of days were bearablymild. The nights, which werevirtually sleepless, became aconstant battle againstpetrification.

On one particularlyhorrid day when the windbrought with it some nastysleet and rain, the slope ofthe fall covered half thewidth of the wooden floor ofthe ward with a deep film ofwater. This conditionclaimed one victim in theform of a patient returningto his bed after having arubber heel fitted to his halfplastered leg. Whether thepoor chap’s accident tippedthe scales, I cannot say butshortly afterwards, I took itupon myself to get out ofbed, cross the floor and,with a little difficulty, closethe sliding door.

Act of vandalism

It was a grave mistake -the ward sister havingwitnessed my act ofvandalism. The result was aticking off, but it didn’t endthere. The followingmorning after breakfast thesame ward sister attendedmy bedside , dragging alongwith her none other than thehospital matron - anAmazon, in her officialregalia, to add a little dramato the proceedings.Mounting her imaginarypodium she proceeded toread me the Riot Act which,in essence, was a long-winded dissertation aboutbreaking hospital rules. Not

once did she enquire if I waswarm enough orcomfortable. My question ofhow such conditions weresupposed to help matterswent unanswered. It wasnice to see her go.

Blood clot

Before the 10 or 12 daysof healing of my wound wasup, I started to run up a veryhigh temperature which wascausing some concern.Investigations revealed ablood clot (a chemical clot itwas called) caused bywhatever it was that wasinjected before suturing.This meant an operation toremove the clot.

On return to the ward Iwas deprived still further ofthe defence against thearctic gales blowing freelyinto the ward and all areaswithin the sheets that weresupposed to afford warmth.To avoid contact with theaffected area there was nowa cage, rather like aminiature Nissan hut,cancelling out anypossibility of insulationagainst the elements, placedover my leg.

The writing of a letter oreven reading was a processof instalment, broken intoshort periods of just howlong one could survive theintense cold on one’s armsand hands. On occasion atrolley would be wheeledinto the ward, tended byrehabilitation personnel. Iwould imagine that in thesummer months the idea ofoffering the opportunity oftrying out one of the manycrafts on offer was quitesound. In the subject period,however, it was a non-starter.

Near Belsenconditions

Eventually the day of mysecond operation dawned. I

GOD’SGOOD FRESH

AIR–––––

Continued from page 25

did not lose my kneecap as itwas decided to remove thesplinters, file the roughedges to a presentable curveand stitch things back again.As before, however, Ireceived no relief from thesenear Belsen conditions,exacerbated therefrom untilmy discharge by aparticularly cold spellincluding one day ofincessant snow stormsdriven by tooth chatteringwinds that found their wayto every conceivable part ofthe body. In some strangeway, one got inured to theconditions which, I learnedlater, were a legacy of whenthe ward was actually usedas a T.B. ward. It was then“discovered” that suchconditions were helpful inthe knitting of brokenbones.

On the morning ofChristmas Eve I was takento the plaster room wheremy plaster was fashioned insuch a way as to be easilyremovable for leg exercise.There it was announced thatI could be allowed homefrom where I could visit alocal hospital forsubsequent treatment.

And there ended the sagaof Hospital of St. Cross. Astone and a half lighter andhaving notched up no morethan about six hours sleepduring my seven weeksincarceration, I went hometo the strangestChristmastide I can everremember!

P.S. On the 40thanniversary of the event, Iwrote to Hospital of St.Cross in similar vein to theabove account. Theythought it was hilarious andasked my permission toinclude the article intheir monthly magazine,Update.

J.H. Smith

Sutton Coldfield

27

BOB DOBSONPublisher and Book Dealer

LANCASHIRE

YORKSHIRE & CHESHIRE

I buy, sell and search for second-handbooks relating to these counties: I searchfor books: I issue lists. I buy quantities ofother books.

LIST OF MY NEW PUBLICATIONSON REQUEST

BOB DOBSON

“Acorns”

3 STAINING RISE

STAINING

BLACKPOOL FY3 0BU

Tel: (01253) 895678

Coal Fires and Loved FacesMemories of an Ince childhood

DO you remember when youwere seven? It was the summerof 1960, and five weeks’ schoolholiday stretched endlesslybefore you, with the promise ofsparkling mornings, goldenafternoons and warm summernights. Do you remember takinga picnic to Ince Park - a brownpaper carrier bag containing jam-butties and pop? Down past therhododendron bushes and ornategreen wrought-iron seats, to theplayground, where else? Awoman who was a child still,was there, always, on the swings.And the crumbling old toilets,shadowy under overhangingtrees, evil-smelling, silent andmenacing, where fear lived, andchildren scared each other withtales of bad men. The “Pleasekeep off the Grass” notices, andthe “Parky”, who made sure youobeyed.

Do you remember Can-RowBrook, where you fished fortiddlers and took them home injam-jars? And why didsixpennyworth of hot, goldenchips taste better out ofnewspaper from Maggie Scott’sor Blinkhorn’s chippy than theyever did off a plate? Or perhapsyou ran to Cain’s in Belle GreenLane, trying to decide between amouthwatering hot potato pie ora chocolate eclair, as yougradually shuffled round in thequeue - a decision which reachedagonising proportions when itwas YOU NEXT! Days whenyou had all the time in the worldto “follow-my-leader”, steppingover cracked flags to avoid badluck, and doing intricate footworkon hopscotch squares chalked onthe flags, avoiding newly-mopped and donkeystoned frontsteps. And why was the hatedschool-playground suddenly soenticing when you weren’tsupposed to be in it?

“What could benicer . . .”

If you listen carefully, canyou still hear the ice-cream manplaying “Greensleeves” on abaking hot afternoon, the soundrising and falling as he meandersround the streets? Which was

your favourite? Mr. Whippy, orFerretti’s who sold threepennyiced lollies in pink or green, withtheir tops dipped in chocolate,which gave a satisfying crack asyou bit it? And you chanted -wait for it ...... “What could benicer than a Pendleton’s Twicer -ice-cream with a lolly each end!”(You’d forgotten that, hadn’tyou?!)

Walking-days, when peoplesat gossiping on chairs in InceGreen Lane long before thebanners appeared, and men cameout of the Long-Neck, beer inhand, to watch the procession.People running into the road togive children threepenny-bitsand sixpences as the sun meltedthe tar and new white sandalsstuck to the road, and oldersisters sported bee-hive hairdos,stiletto heels and sticky-outdresses supported by netunderskirts - a special day whenbands played and Aunties cameto watch the “scholars” and youhad boiled ham, lettuce andtomatoes, and jelly-and-custardfor your tea. The same chairs andthe same people were there forthe carnival, and on the daywhen we cheered until we werehoarse as a double-decker buscarried our rugby team round thestreets as they came home,triumphant in cherry-and-white,from Wembley.

“Old Mother atHindley Fair . . .”

Did you ever organise aMay-Queen in someone’sbackyard, with mum’s old netcurtain and a cardboard crown,and sally forth through Incestreets with a little retinue infancy-dress, collecting pennieson a warm spring day? I thinkyou played two-ball on ourgable-end didn’t you? - I’m sureit was you - dexterously catchingthe ball, throwing it up in the airand under your leg as youchanted “Old Mother at HindleyFair, get some papers to curl myhair”. And wasn’t it you justbehind me as we waited our turnto jump in the rope being twirledby two girls, singing “Eeper

weeper, chimney-sweeper”, and“Polly in the kitchen, doin’ a bito’ stitchin’, in comes a bogey-man and knocks Polly out”!

Coronation Street

And, as the evenings grewchilly and the nights drew in,didn’t you help us drag branchesacross the back field for ourbonfire, and stand with us underthe gas-lamp with our Guy-Fawkes with his grinning pinkcardboard face? Remember goingwith your mum to jumble-sales atthe Ince Central School and St.William’s Parochial Hall?Always at 6.30 on winterevenings, so you got home just intime to watch “Take Your Pick” inblack and white, and the newserial, “Coronation Street”, wherethe people were just like us.

Do you recall when we wentcarol-singing or playing tap-latch on the cobbles in PickupStreet and Bird Street on frosty

nights? And when fog hung lowin eerily-silent terraced rows,and the lighted window of thecorner-shop shone out like abeacon, and noses were pressedto glass as you chose pennyarrows or halfpenny “chix”,cherry-lips, pear-drops or cough-candy?

Laughing, carefree child-hood days when you were busymaking memories, but thoughtyou were just playing. And now,forty years on, when the corner-shops are gone and the gas-lamps extinguished, whenwalking-days are just adisruption to impatient driversinstead of a procession ofwitness to be enjoyed, whenchildren’s hands hold mobilephones instead of skipping-ropes, and coal-fires and lovedfaces are no more, wouldn’t youlove to go back for just anotherglimpse of your world when youwere seven?

Irene RobertsAbram, Nr. Wigan

28

SOCIETY NEWSAspull & Haigh HistoricalSocietyMeetings are held in Our Lady’s R.C.Church Hall, Haigh Road, Aspull on thesecond Thursday in the month at 7.30p.m. Further details from the Secretary,Mrs. Rosalie Naylor, 3 PenningtonClose, Aspull, Wigan (01942 256145).14 DecemberChristmas Party.

Billinge Local History SocietyFor further details contact Roger Hart,57 Windsor Road, Billinge, Wigan. WN57LD (01744 892915).

Golborne & Lowton LocalHistory SocietyFounded in 1984 the society now has anaverage monthly attendance of over 20.Meetings are held at Golborne Libraryon the second Tuesday of the month at7.00 p.m. Non-members are welcome.Further details from Ron Marsh, P.R.Officer (01942 726027).

Leigh & District Family HistorySocietyMeetings are held on the third Tuesdayof every month in the Derby Room ofLeigh Library. For further details contactthe Secretary, Mrs. O. Hughes (01942741594).16 JanuaryMembers’ Evening20 FebruaryAGM20 MarchPreserving the County’s WrittenHeritageLancashire Record Office17 AprilSubject to be announcedDan Muir

Leigh Literary SocietyMeetings are held in the Derby Room,Leigh Library, on Mondays at 7.30 p.m.Subscription £11. Visitors £1.50.President Mrs. H. Gaskell (01942605685)27 NovemberThe Manchester, Bolton & Bury CanalMrs. M. Fletcher

4 DecemberChristmas Evening - A LancashireEntertainmentMr. & Mrs. Starkey and Mr. & Mrs.Darlington8 JanuaryThe Persian Gulf and the Red SeaN.L. Brown

15 JanuaryManchester CathedralG. Robinson

22 JanuaryThe West Highland WayD. Cookson29 JanuaryThe Bayeux TapestryFred Holcroft5 FebruaryCrown Prosecution ServiceP. Watson12 FebruaryBeauty is in the Eye of the BeholderMiss A. Brown19 FebruaryScandinavian DelightsG. Cooke26 FebruaryAnnual Dinner

Leigh Local History SocietyMeetings are held in the Derby Room,Leigh Library, on the last Wednesday ofthe month. For further details contact theSecretary, Mrs. Norma Ackers (01942865488).

Tyldesley & District HistoricalSocietyMeetings are held on the third Tuesdayof every month from September to Mayat the Tyldesley Pensioners Club onMilk Street at 7.30 p.m. We do notcharge an entrance fee althoughvoluntary contributions are alwayswelcome. Refreshments available.Everyone is welcome, so come along,drag yourself away from the telly andhave an informative and cheap nightout. Contact the Secretary (01942514271 or rydings@cableinet.co.uk.)Visit our web site atwww.arnw02593.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

21 DecemberEnglish Christmas TraditionsFred HolcroftWhen and where did those traditionalcelebrations begin?

18 JanuaryA History of Manchester CathedralM. RichardsThe fascinating history of the medievalCollegiate Church which gainedcathedral status in 1847.

15 FebruaryVotes for WomenMaureen GilbertsonThe story of the important role of localmill girls in the struggle for women’ssuffrage.

15 MarchFuneral CustomsTony Ashcroft

Funeral practices from near and far,from past and present.19 AprilMore of God’s Wonderful RailwayStan SmithAn illustrated talk about the Great WesternRailway holiday lines in South Devon.

Wigan Archaeological SocietyThe Society meets at the BP Centre(Scout HQ) in Greenhough Street onthe first Wednesday of the month at7.30 p.m. Entrance is only £1.6 DecemberRamases the Great and his Forts in theWestDr. S. Snape3 FebruaryHistorical Angers (also AGM)Tom Glover

Wigan Civic TrustThe Trust meets at 7.30 p.m. on thesecond Monday of the month atDrumcroon Arts Centre, Parsons Walk,Wigan. For further information contactAnthony Grimshaw, Secretary (01942245777). New members are alwayswelcome.

11 DecemberAnnual Dinner

8 JanuaryThe Wigan War Memorial - an illustratedtalkFred Holcroft

12 FebruaryAgenda 21 - an update on progress todate in WiganJanet Withington

12 MarchVictorian Wigan MurdersJames Fairhurst9 AprilThe Life and Times of L.S. Lowry - anillustrated talkGeoffrey Shryhane

Wigan Family & Local HistorySocietyMeetings are held on the first(workshops), and third (speakers)Tuesday of the month at theSpringfield Hotel, Springfield Road,Wigan, at 7.30 p.m. For furtherinformation contact Mrs. LynneKearns, 28 Wareing Street, Tyldesley,Manchester M29 8HS (01942 878549evenings/weekends).5 DecemberOpen meeting19 DecemberEarly Settlement of Lancashire(followed by Christmas buffet)Fred Holcroft

29

Dear Sir,In the summer edition

of Past Forward my oldfriend Jim Fairhurst repeatsthe old rumour that the“Battle of Enfield Street” wascaused by the PembertonColliery “winding coal”. Thiswas a strong union pit andduring the General Strike itdid not cut, level or windcoal. A few years ago I wastold by the late GeorgeAshurst, formerly safetyofficer with the N.C.B., thatthe union had agreed to thecolliery officials goingunderground to feed andlook after the 200 pit poniesstabled underground.

There was a picket and alarge crowd at the collierygates to prevent coalmerchants buying coal fromthe pithead stocks. My lateuncle Thomas Holcroft wasthere. When the headgearwheels were seen turning asilly woman in the crowdshouted “they’re windingcoal”. The crowd surgedforward and the rest ishistory.

Fred Holcroft54 Pemberton Road

WinstanleyWigan WN3 6DA

THE OLDRUMOUR

MISSINGMILL GIRL

My great grandmotherMargaret Beesley (powerloom weaver) was born inHaigh in 1856. She latermoved with her parentsRichard and Mary Ann toI n c e - i n - M a k e r f i e l d .Margaret had two childrenbefore her marriage,William James Beesley in1876 and John Thomas(Jack) Beesley, mygrandfather in 1881.

In 1882 Margaretmarried William Crook(s);both were living in Wiganat the time of the marriage,and they went on to havethree more children,Alfred, Annie and

Margaret.My great grandmother

Margaret died in 1897,aged 40, at Taylors Yard,off Caroline Street, Wiganbut up to now I have beenunable to trace the familyin the 1891 census.

I wonder if any ofyour readers has anyinformation of this familyor their descendents.

Margaret Hegan

67 Chester Road

Stevenage

Herts SG1 4JY

Tel: 01438 233687

mhegan@tinyonline.co.uk

HELP!Dear Editor,

My Abbott ancestorswere found in Crow Lane,Dalton, near Wigan in the1841 census and were stillthere on the 1891 census.Some worked at the CrispDelf quarry and one was afarmer there at WelshmanHeys. The lane was highlypopulated in the 19th century.

Today Crow Lane is inopen country with little morethan a couple of cottages atone end.

Does anyone have printsor photos of the lane in the1800’s? Or of Crisp Delfquarry or Welshman Heysfarm?

When was the housing

knocked down?Yours in hope.

Doreen Elcox56 Cansdowne Grdns

JesmondNewcastle-upon-Tyne

NE2 1HH

Thank YouDear Editor,

Thank you for youkindness for the inclusion ofinformation regarding theLancashire Dialect Society inPast Forward. I reallyappreciate your help.

It may be of some interestto you that Mr. J. Barnes of122 Bridgewater Street,

Hindley, Wigan, won the topaward at the Fylde FolkFestival Dialect Competitionon Sunday 3 September. Heentered a poem entitled“Memories of Agincourt”. Iwill be presenting him withthe Samuel Laycock Trophyon 25 September.

A nice story has comefrom this. Mr. Barnes has justmarried last year’s winner,Sheila Mellor, also fromHindley!

Thanking you once again.Derek Stanton

Lancashire Dialect Society

30 Thirlmere Drive

Withnell

Chorley

PR6 8AY

Tel: 01254 830776

stanton@ldsociety.fsnet.co.uk

Ince Boys’ Brigade atCamp, Arnside 1929

Dear Alastair,I wonder whether you would have

an interest in the enclosed photographsfor publication in Past Forward?

They show Ince Boys Brigade atcamp at Arnside in 1929 and Arnsdalein 1931. The large photograph isc.1929 judging by the appearance ofmy father Jack Cain who is secondfrom left in the band quartet (withbugle), and third from right in thesecond row on the big photograph. Theage seems very similar to me.

Should you see fit to publishthese, I would be delighted to hearfrom any surviving member - now intheir 80’s - or similarly from theirchildren who could put names tofaces for me.

The phonograph is a period piecedon’t you think?

Neil Cain

26 Sheridan Terrace

Whitton Avenue West

Northolt

Middlesex UB5 4JS

30

Wigan Grammar School – Form 4B 1933-34Form Master Mr. Thompson

Dear Mr. Gillies,You may be interested to

reproduce in Past Forwardthe attached photograph ofForm 4B, Wigan GrammarSchool, 1933/34. Foridentification purposes I amfourth from the left on themiddle row. The photoincludes the familiar faces ofpeople like Freddie Holmes,Teddy McEvoy, Eric Hewittetc. Of special mention on theback row is Alan Harvey whosafely negotiated school withonly one arm - the science ofprosthetics was largelyundeveloped then.

Forms 3 and 4 were

housed at that time inredundant, wooden Armyhuts. The situation changed in1935, the Silver Jubilee yearwhen the new GrammarSchool was opened by OliverStanley, the Minister ofEducation.

You will be interested toknow that as a result of myitem in Past Forward I havemade many interestingcontacts. For example, I havehad extended correspondencewith the Revd. Roger Taylorof Lindsey near Ipswich whowas a school friend at WiganGrammar School. He wroteabout serving tea in the

Rectory to Mr. Whitehouse,our former Headmaster, buthe was not recognised,possibly because in previousencounters Mr. Whitehousehad only viewed his posterioras he administered six of thebest for behaviourinfringement!

Two other contacts areworth mentioning. I waspleased to receive a letterfrom Robert Ramsdale whowas one of the four whopassed the scholarship fromWarrington Lane School in1932. This was after I hadreceived a surprising letterfrom a Mrs. Hitchen in

Salcombe. She was in fact theMiss Derbyshire, ourscholarship year teacher, nowin her 90th year. I was able toput them in touch with eachother. May I explain that

anyone reading the tone of

these letters will surely

acknowledge the therapeutic

value of Past Forward.

Finally, I am left withone regret, I have still notmade any contact with theTyrer family, but the searchcontinues.

J.H. Ollerton

9 Fairfield Park

Broadstairs

CT10 2JT

Does anyone know anyoneon this photograph?

HindleySubscriptionBrass Band

1936(not 1913)

It’s Abram C.E. Colliery Mixed & Infant School, 1900 or 1909. We are hoping a relative is on thephoto Taylor - Hill - or Tighe. Any information appreciated. C. Taylor (01942 682700)

Dear Mr. Gillies,I was born in Delegarte

Street, Ince and brought upin Platt Bridge. I met myfuture husband Danny atHaydock Racecourse, wherehe was serving as a MilitaryPoliceman; between 1944and 1946, he served inFrance. We married in 1946,at Holy Family Church, PlattBridge, and went to live inthe U.S.A. in 1947. Sadlymy husband passed away on23 May 2000, after 54wonderful years together,but I have two fine sons,Daniel and William, and twoequally fine grandchildren. Iam also very proud of thefact that my son Dan is a pastMayor of Berkeley Height,New Jersey.

On a recent visit toWigan, I saw a photographof the Hindley SubscriptionBrass Band, in the Around

Hindley and Abram book. Iknew immediately thatsome of the informationgiven was wrong becausemy father Tommy Taylorwas standing there in themiddle row. The photographwas taken in 1936 and not1913 as stated. Below arethe names of the othermembers of the Band.

Hindley SubscriptionPrize Band 1936.

Bass Drum, PeterCatterall. Back Row: FredWhittle, Jack Howe, DannyBattersby, George Dale,Jack Battersby, Jack Wilks,Jack Green. Middle Row:

Jem Howe, Tommy Taylor,Tommy Smalley, BillBuckley, Dick Tollitt, BillSmalley, Front Row: HarrySutton, Danny Eaton, DickLiptrot, Arthur Cooper,Richard Wayne, Fred Mort,Albert Dawson.

I still have many friendsand relations living in andaround Wigan and

elsewhere, both in the U.K.and abroad. I am an avidreader of your excellentmagazine Past Forward,

which helps me keep intouch with things “backhome”. I have used thefacilities in the HistoryShop, (including the verykind and helpful staff) onmany occasions, to assist intracing my family tree. Onerather unusual event occurredduring my recent visit - Imanaged through my goodfriend Barbara Davis, tomake contact with a Mr.Gordon Urmston of Wigan, arelation through a sharedgreat, great, grandfather.Strange to say Barbara andGordon’s first wife hadtrained together as nurses atWigan Infirmary and Gordonhad also worked there.

Marion Palladino

New Jersey

U.S.A.

Published by Wigan Heritage Service, Leisure ServicesDepartment, Market Suite, The Galleries, Wigan WN1 1PX.

The views expressed in this issue are not necessarilysupported by Wigan Council, or by its Cultural Services Panel.Nothing printed may be construed as policy or an officialannouncement unless so stated.

Neither Wigan Council, nor the Editor, accept liability for anymatter in this publication.

Contributions are welcome but no responsibility can be takenfor loss or damage to contributors’ material.

© Wigan Council

November 2000

31

PATRIOTICPOEM

ABOUT –I N C E

‘INCE ALL BLACKS’ 1917-19

What happened to Priscilla andSarah Fearn?

Dear Editor,This fabulous locally patriotic poem about Ince has beenplaced in various Wigan newspapers periodically, havingbeen forwarded by one, Mr. Stanley Turner, (Taylors Lane,Ince) and by an Ambleside Incer, Mr. Jack McCann, someyears ago. Mr. McCann believed that “The Beauty of Ince”was written by an un-named ‘Can Row’ gentleman authorand that the poem was printed on an Ince census coveroriginally around 1940! My wife Elsie believes that peoplepaid 1s. years ago for a specially printed version of thispoem. As Jack Mcann told us in 1990, “The Beauty ofInce” would be gratefully received as a Christmas present!

Kenneth Lucas80 Park Road, Hindley

Wigan WN2 3RX

Mr. Lucas recalls his dancing days on p9 Ed.

THE BEAUTY OF INCE

Folks have talked in praise of BlackpoolAnd of Rhyl and Colwyn BayOf Southport and of MorecambeWhilst lots of folk who sayThat the Ise of Man is nicest‘Cos there’s such a lot of seaBut Ince my dear old birthplaceIs by far the best to me.Ince has got a perfect climateSuitable for young and oldFor in summer we’ve got warm weatherWhile in winter time we’ve cold.As for air that’s soft and balmyThere’s no better to be foundThan the air that’s wafted overFrom the refuse tipping ground.We’ve beauty and a splendourThat beats Switzerland to bitsWhere the Leeds and Liverpool canalFlows by the Rose Bridge pitsAnd although we have no mountainsYet there’s one thing we can claimWe’ve a great majestic slag tipAt the top of Belle Green Lane.We haven’t any promenadeOr gardens like Belle VueBut we have a nice few dirt tipsAnd a colliery or twoWhile there’s nothing I like betterthan to sit down with a book‘Neath the shade of might oaks and elmsOn the banks of Carrow Brook.I have oft times in the morningTo the singing of the larkWalked across Amberswood CommonAnd around Walmesley Park.I’ve spent many happy morningsWith this singing overheadBut I now find early morningsAre much nicer spent in bed.I love to see the CommonWhere the dandelions growWhere the buttercups and daisies nodWhen the gentle breezes blowWhere the dashing hares and rabbitsTry to dodge the sportsman’s gunWhere the cows roam in the meadowAnd Jane Green’s donkeys run.Yes, the Common is of interestThough it smells of rag and bonesFor it’s wonderful to watch themCarving out the rubbing stonesAnd ‘tis here that happy childrenFrom all corners of the landPlay with unrestricted freedomWith rubbing stones and sand.

Dear Editor,I have been researching

my family history andwonder if any of your readerscould help me to solve a localmystery.

In 1902, Sarah Fearndied in childbirth in Hindley.She left a husband, JosephWilliam Fern, a coal miner,and three small childrenJames (1902), Priscilla(1904) and the new baby,Sarah (named after hermother), 1904. The Fearnfamily had lived in Aspulland Hindley for about 30years, but they actually camefrom Macclesfield. Joseph’swife Sarah was a Rayner. Shewas one of about 10 children,the younger ones having beenborn in Aspull, the older onesin Patricroft, Salford.

Although I struggled tofind out what had happenedto the family, I eventuallydiscovered that JosephWilliam moved after hiswife’s death to Salford,Manchester, with his sonJames. The two girls didn’tgo with them, but wereadopted, somewhere inWigan. James William laterre-married, and died inSalford in 1927.

In the 1970’s, shortlybefore he died, James came

to Hindley/Wigan to searchfor his lost sisters, but foundno trace of them. James knewthat they had been adopted inthe Wigan area, but had nodetails of the families whohad taken them in.Descendents of this line ofthe family know of the lostfamily members, but havenever been able to find anytrace of them.

I am trying to find outwhat happened to Priscillaand Sarah Fearn after 1904.Were they adopted by one oftheir aunts or uncles (theRayner family)? It would bemarvellous if one of your

readers had Priscilla or Sarahin their family tree.

This is a very personalsearch for me, as I believe thatPriscilla may have been mygrandmother, who diedgiving birth to my mother atthe age of 28 in 1930, butabout whom we know verylittle. I am desperate to try toprove or dis-prove a link. Anyhelp that your readers couldgive me would be gratefullyreceived.

Janet E. Ward (Mrs.)7 Heatherdene

TadcasterNorth Yorkshire

LS24 8EZ

APOLOGIES: The correspondence re the Prince’s Cinema, Wigan, still goes

on! Mrs. Roby has pointed out that the opening of the cinema was on 29

October 1934 and not 1935 as stated in Mr. Fairhurst’s letter in Past Forward

25, p30.

Mr. Fairhurst is also due an apology, however. Unfortunately, 20 years

were inadvertently added on to the life of Tom Pey (see Past Forward 25,

p6). The final sentence in the article should have read, “Mr. Pey died in

1952, aged 73”.

Dear Sirs,I hope you can publish this photograph of

yesteryear. Perhaps some of your readers may rec-ognise some of the players, or be related to them.

My dad Billy Lees (pictured first player fromthe right, front row) was a St. Patrick’s lad. Mostof them were miners. I wonder who the little boywas (left front row)?

Any reader who can add to the story of “InceAll Blacks”, 1917-1919, please contact me.

Sadly Billy died in 1981 aged 80 years. Hewas 19 when the photo was taken.

J. Lees

49 Sherwood Drive

Wigan WN5 9QX

Tel: 01942 223496