FORWARDFORWARD ISSUE No. 21 SPRING 1999 The Newsletter of Wigan Heritage Service FREE *VSQ¤XLI News from the Archives Almond’s had many other houses in the district: in Ashton, 7 pubs and 4 off )HMXSV ANSWER to letter from Eileen Jolly in Past licences; in Billinge, the Forester’s Arms; Forward 19 re Almond’s Brewery and the in Dalton, the Ashurst Beacon Inn; 3 pubs Past Forward has come of number of houses it owned: each in Hindley, Ince and Orrell; the age! This is the 21st issue Bowling Green Inn at Digmoor; the of the newsletter. It has Dear Mrs. Jolly, come a very long way since Scarisbrick Arms in Wrightington; and no its birth back in 1991, as the In the Archives we have a volume of rate less than 10 pubs and 3 off licences in worldwide mailing list, the assessments for all licensed premises within Wigan, including the Cherry Gardens and huge number of the Wigan Poor Law Union area, compiled Buck i’th’ Vine. contributions (both written between 1914 and 1931. This lists all pubs Regarding your grandmother Jane and financial) and numerous under each brewery or other owner. comments (fortunately Blundell, she is certainly listed in the virtually all favourable!) J.B. Almond owned the following Wigan Directory (1925/26) as licensee of clearly demonstrate. As houses in Standish: the ‘New’ Seven Stars, the address of which ever, I could easily produce was 225 Preston Road. In the 1932 three or four issues from the Black Bull, Market Street Standish rate book (here at Archives), the material to hand. My Black Horse, Church Street occupier of New Seven Stars is shown as apologies to all those who Horse Shoe, Wigan Road have contributed articles Edward Blundell up to 7 February 1932. Boars Head Inn, Wigan Road which have as yet not To find out precisely when Jane held the Original Seven Stars, Preston Road appeared in print - please be licence you would have to look at the [New] Seven Stars, Preston Road patient. licensing registers. Although we have the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Preston Road Another highly satisfying Wigan licensing records, Standish at that White Duck, High Street. aspect of Past Forward is its time came under Leyland Petty Sessional success in putting people in All the above had full licences except Court, and the licensing registers for that contact with each other. On many occasions, readers the Horse Shoe and the White Duck which court are available at Lancashire Record have asked to be put in were beer houses. Office, Bow Lane, Preston. touch with a contributor of an article, or have sometimes contacted the person direct, HERITAGE SERVICE CONTACTS and a new friendship has Wigan begun. I have also often been told how someone Market Suite, The Galleries - looked at a photograph in Heritage Services Manager (and Editor of Past Forward) Past Forward, and there Alastair Gillies ...........................................................................................................(01942) 708354 was an ancestor from many Fax: ......(01942) 704727 years ago looking back at them. There are further History Shop - examples of this spin-off Visitor Services Manager Philip Butler .....................................................................(01942) 827594 service in this issue. Education and Outreach Manager (and Local History, West) Bob Blakeman ............(01942) 827580 Thanks to all those readers Collections Development Manager Yvonne Webb.....................................................(01942) 828123 who have expressed their Heritage Officer (Industrial History) Mike Haddon ....................................................(01942) 828121 views on the projected Heritage Officer (Social History) Dawn Wadsworth ..................................................(01942) 828124 Friends of Wigan Heritage Service - plans are Heritage Assistant Hilary Fairclough .........................................................................(01942) 828122 progressing, and full details Heritage Assistant Barbara Miller .............................................................................(01942) 828122 appear on p15. Do Heritage Assistant Stephanie Tsang ..........................................................................(01942) 828122 remember that this is being Local History enquiry desk .......................................................................................(01942) 828020 set up on a worldwide basis Fax: .......(01942) 827645 - regardless of where you Wigan Pier - live in the world, please do Technician Denise Glassbrook-Byrne ........................................................................(01942) 828564 become a Friend. Leigh Archives, Town Hall - All comments and Heritage Officer (Archives) Nicholas Webb ...............................................................(01942) 404430 correspondence should be addressed to: Senior Technician Len Hudson .................................................................................(01942) 404432 Fax: .......(01942) 404425 Editor, ‘Past Forward’, Wigan Heritage Service, Market Suite, Turnpike Centre, Leigh Library - The Galleries, Heritage Officer (Local History) Tony Ashcroft .........................................................(01942) 404559 Wigan WN1 1PX Fax: .......(01942) 404567 Cover: Wigan Parish Church, If you have an enquiry, and are not sure who the most appropriate person is to contact, from the corner of Bishopgate please ring the History Shop, Library Street, Wigan, WN1 1NU (01942) 828128. and Crawford street, 1892. You can also send an email: [email protected] 2 NewsNews FromFrom thethe ArchivesArchives Recent Accessions summary at the end of the list Springs Branch nearly 50 years Congregational Church, records that no less than 374 later; James Leigh, an engine Newton-le-Willows (burials AMONGST notable additions to people were summoned for man at the rate of 7s. [per day], from 1842)’ Hollinfare chapelry, our holdings are the following: drunkenness in 1879-80, more had originally been engaged in Warrington (oldest stone 1714); Ac. 3148: photograph of Leigh than one per day! It was this 1863 at the age of 15. Each entry St. Werbergh old church, Corporation bus decorated for problem of drunkenness that led records date of birth, occupation Warburton, Cheshire (oldest Silver Jubilee of George V, 1935. to the reform of the licensing (e.g. engine man, fireman, stone 1683). Acc. 3149: letter from James laws and the decline of the beer cleaner), date of engagement, Eckersely & Sons re wage rates house in the early 1900’s. wage rate, and other ‘remarks’ Recent research for cotton spinners, 1854. such as death or transfer. It is topics Acc. 3151: planning registers for Important document unlikely that the information will Ince 1895-1974 and Standish conserved be recorded elsewhere, the The type of research carried 1957-74. Company archives at the P.R.O. out by people at the Archives A document of great value to for instance. Occasional varies greatly. Readers may be Acc. 3152: photograph of the students of local railways, as dismissals are recorded, for students, academics, family Gidlow Athletic F.C. 1911/12. well as family historians, has instance John Leach, a turner historians, council officers, Acc. 3154: sale catalogue for been repaired and is now dismissed in 1898 for neglect of commercial interests, and Brook Villa, Golborne, 1897 available for study. Entered on duty. individuals pursuing private (kindly deposited by Mr. the official forms for ‘Particulars The conservation work was research or legal matters. Mitchell of Arizona). of Staff Return’, it is a list of carried out by R-Craft of Recent research includes: Acc. 3156: papers re employees at Springs Branch Wakefield. nailmakers’ cottages and entertainments staged by station, Lower Ince, of the workshops at Atherton (English Tyldesley Home Guard. (See London & North Western More inscriptions Heritage); Westleigh - detailed illustration below). Railway Company. Kindly published study of population, land- Acc. 3157: photograph of group donated by Mr. A. Taylor of holding, family reconstitution at Whelley Hospital, 1938. Wigan, the paper was so fragile In Past Forward 17 we and topography; land use in due to water damage that any Acc. 3158: printed schedules of described Graham Normansell’s Dalton; health in Wigan; rights attempt to turn the pages caused licensed premises and project to record memorial of way; civil war; Astley it to crumble to dust. convictions, Leigh Petty inscriptions at Emmanuel Hospital site; war memorials; Sessional Division, 1880. Compiled in the mid-1890’s, Church, Wargrave. He has now South Lancs. Tramways; the document lists about 400 N.B. This last document is completed similar volumes for Douglas Navigation; St. John’s men, some of whom had been particularly valuable. It was other churches in the area, and Hindley Green centenary; engaged as far back as the published to coincide with the has donated copies to the hedgerows; adoptions; house 1850’s. For example Thomas establishment of Leigh as a Petty Archives: St. Peter’s, Newton-le- histories; Wigan vehicle Heaton, born 2 March 1835 and Sessional Division, separate Willows (burials from 1737; licences. engaged in 1851, was still at from Warrington. The new earliest stone 1741); N.W. Division included Leigh, Astley, Atherton, Culcheth, Kenyon, Lowton and Tyldesley. The court registers (available at the Archives) date from 1880, but the licensing registers only from 1903, so this comprehensive list adds to our knowledge of Victorian pubs. For each house the name of the