He suggested that this was a shortened form of the type, Tref Wigan or Bod Wigan, meaning, "The village or homestead of someone called Wigan". But Andrew Breeze , writing in , stated that the place name Wigan was derived from a common diminutive of the Welsh gwig, meaning "a little settlement" It has nothing to do with the personal name of any Celt.
As for the personal name Wigan, he was emphatic "It did not exist. Firstly, before CE most settlements in the North-West consisted of hamlets of a handful of homesteads or single, isolated homesteads. These dispersed settlement patterns could be found in townships near Wigan such as Abram, lnce and Pemberton, where no central village existed.
There is no point in calling a place "The little settlement", where virtually all settlements are small. Secondly, the personal name Wigan may not have existed in Celtic Wales, but it did exist in another Celtic region: Cornwall. And here it is worth mentioning that Ekwall surmised that Wigan was related to the Old Breton name Uuicon; Brittany being of course, another Celtic region, just across the Channel from Conwall.
A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, This free content was digitised by double rekeying.
All rights reserved. The River Douglas, in its unrestricted days, flowed down from the north and turned to the west round the hill upon which Wigan Church stands, thence running north-westward and northward to the Ribble.
The township of Wigan consists of the triangular area inclosed by the river and a line drawn across in a north-easterly direction from one part of the river's course to the other; in addition there are the district called Scholes on the eastern side, inclosed between the Douglas and a brook once called the Lorington, and now the Clarington, fn.
It is curious that Wigan is cut off by the river from the rest of the parish and hundred, and has on the north no marked physical separation from Standish, in a different parish and hundred. The area is 2, acres, including 47 of inland water. The population in numbered 60, The church stands on the crest of the hill, which slopes away rapidly to the south and more gently to the north.
To the north-west is the hall or rectory, with Hallgate leading to it, and beyond this again the Mesnes—part of it now a public park—or rectory demesne lands. Further away in the same direction lie the districts known as Gidlow and Brimelow, fn.
On the eastern side of the church is a street representing the ancient Roman road to the north, opening out just at that point into the irregular area in which the market was formerly held, and from which Market Street goes off to the north-west. As the main road goes northward it is called in succession Standishgate and Wigan Lane, with Mab's Cross as dividing mark, and has Swinley and Whitley on the west and Coppull on the east.
The ground once again rises as the northern limit is neared, attaining about ft. The same road, descending south from the church and turning to the west through the more level ground running nearly parallel to the Douglas, is there called Wallgate.
The border district to the south of Wallgate is called Poolstock. Another road, called Millgate, begins at the old Market-place, and proceeding south-east, crosses the Douglas by a bridge, fn. There is an easterly branch called Hardy Butts, starting near the river and proceeding through Hindley towards Manchester, probably on the line of another ancient Roman road.
Around the church and along the main roads mentioned the town of Wigan grew up. As the head of a great coal-mining district, the Douglas navigation scheme of , fn. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's Liverpool and Bury line, opened in , has a station in Wallgate, near to the church; the company's Wigan and Southport branch turns off here. More recently the Great Central Railway has found access to the town, having a station near Millgate, opened in Wigan is identified with the Coccium of the Antonine Itinerary; it stands at the point where the Roman road, north and south, was joined by another important road from Manchester.
Its position on a hilltop, surrounded on two sides of its triangular area by a rapid stream, suggests that it had been a British fort. Various Roman remains have been found.
The town continued to grow and prosper throughout the mediaeval period, and Leland thus describes its appearance about 'Wigan paved; as big as Warrington and better builded. There is one parish church amid the town. Some merchants, some artificers, some farmers. Apart from its internal growth, the history of Wigan is interesting on account of the part taken in the Civil War.
The townspeople were Royalist, fn. He placed a garrison there, fn. Many prisoners were taken, and the soldiers were allowed to plunder and carry away what they could. At first the former were victorious, but a reserve of horse coming to Lilburne's assistance, put the Royalists to flight. Lord Derby took refuge in Wigan for a brief time, and after his wounds had been dressed, he went south to join Charles at Worcester. Sir Thomas Tyldesley and other notable Royalists were killed in the battle.
The Restoration and Revolution do not appear to have affected Wigan much. The inhabitants were not molested, but no recruits joined the force.
There is, however, a fringe of open country beyond the town itself, on the north, and here are arable and pasture lands, the crops raised being chiefly potatoes and oats. The soil is clayey and sandy. The woodlands of Haigh in the adjoining township make an agreeable background.
The Douglas, turning many a factory wheel on its way, winds erratically across the district. The south-westerly part of the township lies very low, and is almost always flooded, the result of frequent subsidences of the ground. Prince, minor poet, to ; fn. A number of tokens were issued by local tradesmen in the 17th century. The printing press is said to have been introduced into Wigan about ; books dated in and later years are known.
Forges, iron and brass foundries, wagon, screw and nail, oil and grease works, and breweries are also in operation. The ancient walk-mills show that cloth was made here from early times. A goldsmith was killed at Wigan in In Bishop Bridgeman notified his objection to the 'barbarous and beastly game of bear baiting' at the wakes; but on the mayor's request he allowed the baiting to take place on the market hill after the market was over and the people had packed up their wares.
Until local government reorganisation its motto was 'Ancient and Loyal'. The Verve, whose split was announced recently became Wigan's most famous musical export since George Formby!
The band were all from the Wigan area and met while at Winstanley College, a sixth form centre on the outskirts of town. Other notable Wigan bands include the Railway Children and folk-rockers the Tansads.
Nearby Leigh - part of the borough of Wigan - is the birthplace of Georgie Fame. In the s and 70s, Wigan Casino was the spiritual home of 'Northern Soul' music, attracting thousands to its famous all-nighters. The casino burnt down in the early s. In the 90s the town gained a reputation as a centre for jazz and now hosts an international jazz festival every summer.
In soccer, Wigan Athletic have moved into a new 25, seat stadium at the town's Robin Park, which they share with the Wigan Warriors rugby club. It has been paid for by Many Englishmen joined him. However, a Royalist force was defeated by Parliamentarians in a battle on Wigan Lane.
During the 18th century, Wigan continued to be an important market town and its population grew rapidly. Clockmakers made clocks in Wigan and whitesmiths made pewter goods. Then in , the Leeds and Liverpool Canal was completed as far as Wigan. In a waterworks was created in Wigan and in a dispensary opened where the poor could obtain free medicines. Like many other towns in the north of England, Wigan was transformed by the industrial revolution from the end of the 18th century onward.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the population of Wigan was 11, It boomed during the 19th century and by the middle of the century, it was almost 32, From the end of the 18th-century coal mining around Wigan vastly increased.
Meanwhile, in , an ironworks opened in Wigan. Also from the late 18th century, the cotton weaving industry in Wigan boomed. Meanwhile, the clock-making industry continued to flourish. During the 19th century amenities in Wigan improved. From Wigan had gaslight.
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