Information AboutWigan |
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester , England 1. With a total population of 81,203,2 Wigan is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough Of Wigan . Historically part of Lancashire , Wigan is a former Industrial Centre for Textile Manufacture , having experienced rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution . Wigan is roughly equidistant from the cities of Manchester , Preston and Liverpool , and is neighboured by the towns of Leigh , St Helens , Bolton , Chorley and Warrington . HISTORY Toponymy
However, other sources suggest the etymology is from Old English ''wig'' / ''wiga'' 'warrior' (not meaning the same as modern English Wig ) or ''wicga'' 'insect', which is not supported by most written records. The name was recorded as ''Wicgen'' in 1286. In total half a dozen explanations have been recorded by a former Wigan chief Librarian .5 It is also possible that the name is cognate with Welsh ''wig hen'', meaning "old fort", referring to the Roman Vicus of Coccium. Early history The first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes living in Chochion. The Antonine Itinerary mentions a settlement, in the general vicinity, by the Romans 6 which was renamed around 79 AD following one of many War s with the Celt s to '''Coccium'''. Whilst there is evidence of Roman activity, namely coins being found during construction work and the most recent finding, a Hypocaust system discovered during the construction of the foundations for a new shopping centre in the town centre,7 there is no conclusive evidence of Wigan lying on the same site. Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book , probably as it was included in Neweton (now Newton-le-Willows ).8 The traditional date given for the incorporation of Wigan as a borough is 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III . The earliest incorporation of the town is actually mentioned in the report of the Norroy 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,".9 English Civil War The , 1651 during the Third English Civil War , between Royalists under the command of the Earl Of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne . The Royalists were defeated, losing nearly half their officers and men. The Earl Of Derby , as Lord Of Mann , had enlisted ten men from each parish in the Isle Of Man ; 170 in total. David Craine10 states, "those who did not fall in the fighting {Link without Title} hunted to their death through the countryside." A monument, on Wigan Lane, stands in memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley who was killed at the Battle Of Wigan Lane .11 Industrial Revolution Wigan, primarily a Mill Town , was once an important centre of Textile Manufacture . The Leeds-Liverpool Canal was diverted from its original planned course, at the request of the mill owners, to transport coal from the Lancashire coalfield pits into Wigan for the mills and was used extensively to transport local produce. In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power Loom s 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 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 centred around the Victorian Era coal mining in Lancashire, not far from Wigan. In 1937, Wigan was prominently featured in George Orwell 's The Road To Wigan Pier , which dealt, in large part, with the living conditions of England's working poor. Some have embraced the Orwellian link, as it has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years.12 Others regard this connection as disappointing, considering it an insinuation that Wigan is no better now than it was at the time of Orwell's writing.13 GOVERNANCE Wigan was historically part of the hundred of Newton , later becoming part of the West Derby Hundred . The ancient parish of Wigan All Saints contained a number of Township s which formed separate Civil Parish es from 1866. Wigan was one of the few Industrial Towns of the 19th century to have already received a charter as a borough. It was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , and was one of the boroughs to be granted the status of County Borough by the Local Government Act 1888 , giving it independence from Lancashire County Council. The former area of Pemberton Urban District was annexed to the County Borough Of Wigan in 1904. In 1974 the County Borough of Wigan was abolished and its former area transferred to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan.Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Volume 2. Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary Constituency . It is part of the Anglican Diocese Of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Liverpool . GEOGRAPHY satellite image of Wigan.]] The historic town of Wigan forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the areas of Orrell and Ince-in-Makerfield , this is connected by ribbon development to Standish and Abram . These areas, together with the West Lancashire town of Skelmersdale , are defined by the Office For National Statistics as the '' Wigan Urban Area '', with a total population of 166,840.14 ECONOMY Business connections to the town include:
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REGENERATION Wigan is currently in the midst of a large regeneration project with the 'Grand Arcade' shopping complex which opened its doors on the 22nd March 2007 being the largest current development. The area around the famous pier is currently being developed into the “Wigan Pier Quarter” with the redevelopment of Trencherfield Mill, as an office and residential building, being at the forefront of the development. A hotel, numerous bars and art studios are also set to the feature although plans for a new theatre look to be doomed because of spiralling costs. Other developments in the pipeline include a new swimming baths, to be built on the same site as the current baths, which are to be demolished, a new 18 storey tower block (which will include 15,000sq feet of retail and leisure units,35,000 sq feet of offices and 150 apartments) called "Tower Grand" which will be located next to the Grand Arcade, residential and office buildings on the site of the former police station and plans are also afoot to develop the old town hall which has been in a state of decay for many years. CULTURE Wigan is famous for having one of the highest concentrations of Pubs and Social Clubs in the UK. The National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs until recently held an annual event at Haigh Hall. There are still approximately twenty Labour Clubs in the area. Music Wigan has been well known for its Popular Music since the days of George Formby Snr and George Formby Jnr . It was the birthplace of The Eight Lancashire Lads a dancing troupe who gave the young Charlie Chaplin his professional debut. One member of the troupe was a John Willie Jackson, The "John Willie" to whom George Formby would often refer in his songs. Local bands that gained wider repute include The Railway Children , Witness , The Tansads , Limahl of Kajagoogoo and (more recently) Starsailor . The Verve are one of the most important British rock groups of the 1990s, finding success in the UK and abroad (even touring on the USA's famous Lollapalooza alternative rock festival). The band was formed when the members met at Winstanley College in 1989. They held their most famous homecoming gig at Haigh Hall, Wigan on 24 May 1998. The Wigan Casino was, from 1973, the location for Wigan's weekly Northern Soul all-nighters (most being DJed by famous Deep Funk & northern soul DJ Keb Darge ), until it was demolished in 1983. |
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