Produced by Wigan Heritage Service Issue No. 59 December - March 2012 Writing Competition £1 Winners Revealed YOUR HERITAGE HERItaGE SERVICE Contents Letter from the 3 Heritage Service Editorial Team 4/5 South Bank – The History of a House With Christmas fast approaching, 6/7 Wigan's Lost why not attend one of our Christmas Jewish Heritage events to get you in the festive spirit? 8 Lowton Blacksmiths Leave the shopping centre crowds behind and bring 9 Archives News your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews 10 Heritage News to our Christmas Super Saturday event. The event will take place at the Museum of Wigan Life on 11 International Pool Saturday 17 December from 11am-2.30pm. There Remembered will be art and craft activities, christmas carols, objects 12/13 Local and to handle and something special thrown in. Family History News The Arts and Heritage Team have been busy planning our exhibitions and 14/15 My Christmas Past events for January – June 2012. Look out for a copy of the new exhibitions 16 and events guide or call the museum on 01942 828128 to have a copy A Medieval posted to your door. Religious Recluse 17 Finally, if you like the front cover photograph then make sure you come Collections Corner along to our What a Picture...What a Photograph! Exhibition. In the 18/19 Probing Pictures exhibition you will find many more stunning photographs by members of Wigan Photographic Society. The exhibition is on at the Museum of Wigan 20/21 The Fate of Two Life until 21 February 2012. Soldier Friends On behalf of everyone at Wigan Arts and Heritage Service we would 22/23 All Things Bright like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a and Beautiful prosperous and Happy New Year. 24/25 Sowing Success: A brief history of Harrison, McGregor • Articles must be received by the copy date if inclusion in the next 26/27 Beginnings of White Information for issue is desired Cross Movement in Leigh and District Contributors Submission Guidelines 28/30 The Wartime Diaries If you would like to submit an article • Electronic submissions are of Leigh Tommy and for Past FORWARD , please note that: preferred, although handwritten Thomas Cooke ones will be accepted • Publication is at discretion of 31 Your Letters Editorial Team • We prefer articles to have a maximum length of 1,000 words 32/33 Frank RIdyard Horrocks: • The Editorial Team may edit An Unremarkable your submission • Include photographs or images Pioneer where possible – these can be • Submissions will remain on file returned if requested 34 Goodbye the Palace until published • Include your name and address – we 35 Society News • Submissions may be held on file for will not pass on your details publication in a future edition to anyone unless you have given us FRONT COVER • Published and rejected submissions permission to do so Mesnes Park in the Snow will be disposed of, unless you We aim to acknowledge receipt of request for them to be returned by Lisa Naylor of Wigan all submissions. Photographic Society. CONTACT DETAILS: [email protected] or The Editor at Past FORWARD , Museum of Wigan Life, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1NU. 2 HERItaGE SERVICE Writing Competition Results FORWARD There were lots of excellent entries into the Past Past FORWARD Local History Writing Competition and it was very hard to choose a winner. We would like to thank the Subscription Form Wigan Borough Environment and Heritage Network who came up with the idea to run the competition and kindly provided the prizes. The prize winners were as follows: Past Forward Subscription Subscription is £5 for three First Prize (£100) issues. Payment by cheque Thomas McGrath South Bank - The History of a House (payable to Wigan Leisure & Second Prize (£75) Culture Trust), postal order or Richard Jackson Wigan’s Lost Jewish Heritage credit/debit card (telephone Third Prize (£50) 01942 828128). Susan Rigby Lowton Blacksmiths Please state which issue you wish your membership to begin You can read the prize winning articles on pages four to eight. The judging panel consisted of representatives K I am a registered blind person and of the Past Forward Editorial Team and the Wigan Borough would like the CD version Environment and Heritage Network. We Name hope you enjoy reading Address the prize winning entries as much as we did. Postcode We would like to thank Telephone No. everyone who took the Email time to enter the competition. All entries Signed Date have been kept on file K Please tick here if you would like to receive information and may be published regarding Wigan Leisure & Culture activities and events. in future editions. Finally, we hope to run Prize winners Susan Rigby, We do not pass your details to other organisations. the competition again Richard Jackson and Return to: The Museum of Wigan Life, Past Forward in 2012, so watch Thomas McGrath with Network Chairman John O'Neill. Subscription, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1NU this space! Heritage Service Christmas Opening Hours Copy Museum of Leigh Archives Trencherfield Deadline Wigan Life Local History Mill for Sat 24 Dec 11am – 3pm Closed Closed Closed Sun 25 Dec Closed Closed Closed Closed Issue 60 Mon 26 Dec Closed Closed Closed Closed Tues 27 Dec Closed Closed Closed Closed Contributors please note the Wed 28 Dec Closed 9am – 5pm Via Leigh Local Hist Closed deadline for the Thurs 29 Dec 10am – 5pm 9am – 5pm Via Leigh Local Hist Closed receipt of Fri 30 Dec 10am – 5pm Closed Closed Closed material for publication is Sat 31 Dec 11am – 3pm Closed Closed Closed Friday 24 Sun 1 Jan Closed Closed Closed Closed February 2012. Mon 2 Jan Closed Closed Closed Closed 3 South Bank - By Thomas McGrath The history of a House Nestled next to rows of terraced Jane, who was only 15 in 1891, was houses is South Bank, a large in employment as a teacher and her Victorian villa built in Atherton, younger sister followed her into this profession. This highlights the first 121 years ago, as impressive social change that South Bank now as when it was first built. witnessed over the years, as women The history of the house has at the turn of the century were many chapters, and each family becoming more independent, strong that lived there made their willed and joining the workforce. mark. More over the history of In 1892 scandal hit South Bank as South Bank reflects the history Mary O’Neill, the Peacock’s of Atherton itself. unmarried maid, gave birth to a son. It is not known who the father The Peacock Family was, but uncommonly for the time, the Peacock’s did not dismiss Mary, Around the mid-1880s construction Claude Herbert Blair, from the but kept her in employment, even began on South Bank, which at Leigh 1907 the time was land at the top of when they left South Bank in 1894 and moved to The Hollies, off Lee Street. It was completed by During the Blair family’s time South Bolton Old Road. late 1890. Bank saw its second social change. The house is characteristic of that It is unknown why the Peacock’s By the time of the 1901 census the late Victorian era, fortunately one left South Bank and by 1901 they landscape around SouthBank had of the few that is still exist intact left Atherton and moved to Derby. altered dramatically. Between 1896- today. The house features; a cellar, Mary O’Neill married William 1899 rows of terraced houses were two living rooms, a dining room, Seddon in 1895 and they set up built next to and facing South Bank, kitchen, larder, five bedrooms and their own home in Atherton, along creating Hamilton Street, but in typical Victorian fashion, a with the baby. spoiling the Blair’s views of the bathroom with separate WC farms and fields of Millers Lane. (thought to be more sanitary). The Blair Family Further construction of the Dan All the rooms are richly decorated Lane Mills took place at the back of In 1895 Claude Herbert Blair, his with high ceilings, cornicing, dado South Bank in the same period. It wife Annie Maria and their eight rails and panelled doors. was during this time that Atherton children; Annie Marie, William, was at an industrial boom, and the The first family to live in the house Claude, Ada, Florence, Herman, population rose from over 12,000 from 1890-1894 was the Peacock Harold and Dorothea moved into in 1881 to over 16,000 by 1901. family, originally from Renfrewshire South Bank from Poynton, Cheshire. in Scotland. The Head of the family, Under the Blair family, Claude was another mill manager, John Peacock was a mill manager; South Bank was a busy home, in however he was a keen athlete in his he lived in South Bank with his 1901 all eight children are still at youth and was also well travelled wife Mary, their children Mary Jane, home, and a daughter-in-law speaking French and German Harry, Jemima, John, Agnes and and granddaughter are new fluently. In 1907 he was elected as a Archibald. The family also family members. county Magistrate, and previously he employed a domestic maid, held a commission in one of As their children got older and Mary O’Neill from Cheshire. Manchester’s Territorial Battalions. married, the remaining Blair’s The Peacock family were quite He was involved in Atherton society moved to Sanderson House, also in prosperous, and this would have during his time at South Bank as a Atherton. Later they moved to been reflected in the decor and member of the Atherton Higher Southport where Annie Maria died furnishings of the house.