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Wigan is a large town in the north-west of England, in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, traditionally, and for postal purposes still, lying in the historic and geographic county of Lancashire. It is the biggest town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, with a population of around 90,000. The nearest major town is Bolton,other neighbouring towns are St Helens and Warrington and it is roughly equidistant to Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.
History
Origins
The first people reported to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes. The Romans took over “Chochion”, as it was then known, in around 79 AD during one of many wars with the Celts and renamed the settlement “Coccium”. The Romans left some time in the 5th century.
By the time of the Middle Ages, Wigan had become a constituent manor of the Barony of Makerfield, and received its Royal Charter from King Henry III in 1246 when it was made into a Borough in its own right. Its new status as a Royal Borough is reflected in the insignia of the town Coat of Arms.
The earliest incorporation of the Town is actually mentioned in the report of the Norry King of Arms in 1613, that "The Towne and Bourrough of Wiggin was antiently incorporated by the most noble Kinge, Kinge Hen, the first, in the first year of his raygne," i.e. the year 1100. If so, this would make the borough the oldest in Lancashire, and one of the oldest in the country.
How the town got its name is mysterious, although we know that it was named after 1086 (it is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book). Some suggest the name is old Welsh Gwigan, meaning settlement whilst others attribute the name to Saxon English or Viking.
Industry
Wigan was once important for coal mining and cotton textile production. The Leeds-Liverpool canal was used extensively to transport local produce. In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power looms to the Wigan cotton mills. These mills swiftly became infamous for their dangerous and unbearable conditions, low pay and use of child labour. After the 1914-18 war there was a boom followed by a slump from which Wigan's textile industry did not recover. The last working cotton mill, the May mill, closed in 1980. The novel Rose by Martin Cruz Smith is centered around the Victorian era coal mining in Wigan.
Wigan Pier
Wigan is probably most famous for its pier, once an important loading/unloading building for the mills and collieries, now a popular local museum and nightclub. Wigan Pier is certainly most famous for its connection to George Orwell and his novel The Road to Wigan Pier.
The town has a complex relationship with this association. Sometimes embracing it, the Orwellian link has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years. However, most regard the insinuation that Wigan is in fact no better now than it was as the Victorian era slum with objection and frank hostility. A recent TV documentary about Orwell visited Wigan, and made the facile comparison to less-affluent areas such as Platt Bridge, commenting that not much had changed (see chav or scally). This was met with widespread local disapproval.
Culture
Music
Wigan has been well known for its popular music since the days of George Formby Snr and George Formby Jnr. More recently, The Verve were easily one of the most important British rock groups of the 90’s but did not actually come from Wigan but nearby . The Wigan Casino was, from 1973, the location for Wigans weekly Northern Soul all-nighters, until it was demolished in 1983 after a mysterious fire gutted it.
Sport
Wigan's main sports teams are Wigan Warriors (rugby league) and Wigan Athletic (football). The two teams now share the JJB Stadium Wigan Athletic were elected to the Football League only in 1978 and had little success for many years, but they have recently gained promotion to the F.A. Premier League and the 2005/06 season will be their first ever in the top flight. As Wigan RLFC, the "Warriors" were for many years in the eighties and nineties indisputably the best Rugby League team in the world. While still a potent force in the game, recent changes to the structure and organisation of the game have diluted their dominance.
Wigan is one of relatively few towns in the UK to have an international-standard swimming pool in the town centre. The resident swimming club, Wigan Wasps, has produced Olympic standard swimmers, including medal winner June Croft.
Famous Residents
The extraordinary (Thomas) Beecham family and the Lindsay art connoisseurs are connected with the town as is John Charnley’s famous hip replacement department.
External links
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