Wigan Album

Two good mates of mine worked at this pit in the fifties.

What year did it close?

Hi Ron, I have full respect for these girls my auntie used to be a pit brow girl at the wood pit in garswood,her name was Peggy Carney she lived in Billinge so she had to walk five miles before work,then five miles back.Iam proud to put her name on wigan world she would have got a buzz out of it.

Just a minor point Ron. If this is the pit that was at Bamfurlong, It was Mains Colliery.

The web site for the colliery shows that it closed in 1960.

I have noticed Ron that the wagons are showing Mesnes Colliery, so it is either a different colliery than the one at Bamfurlong, or the name was changed, at some time in the future, from the date of the picture.

Albert they are distinctly different collieries. Mesnes was right in the heart of Wigan, as in Mesnes Park. Mains run by Cross Tetley was at Bamfurlong....now Viridor Wood

Thank you Neill. Looking at the website for Mesnes Colliery, and Mains Colliery. It would appear the same company owned them both.

Had these various colliery owners, and companies, also got interests in the brewing industry?

Albert you have surprised me by saying both sites were owned by the same company.I wasn't aware that was ever the case. The original Mesnes Colliery was sunk by Blundell of Pemberton Pits fame, later Ince Hall Coal and Cannel Co. had it then various other firms but I haven't seen anything linking Cross Tetley to it. The colliery was also known as Barebones. As to any brewing link....presumably you are thinking of the Tetley name at Mains? I can't say.

The name Charles Turner on the wagon tells us that the "drawing" was done between 1865 and 1874. That is when he owned the pit.
Mesnes Colliery closed in 1880.

Neil. Looking at http://lossofface.co.uk/collieries.html

It would appear that that Scott Tetley, at some time owned both collieries. In the list. Mains 78, and Mesnes 81.

Sorry Neil "Cross Tetley".

Albert I think that website has got it wrong. Winder will know for sure

Hello Albert. I've just been on the Loss of Face site and it does state that Cross Tetley did own Mesnes Coll, but they are getting the two pits, Mains and Mesnes mixed up.
Cross Tetley owned Mains not Mesnes.

Thank you gentlemen, for your knowledgeable answers, in addressing the subject.

Albert if you are Wigan based have a look at the steps outside some of the buildings on the left hand corner of Wrightington Street as you look at it from Mesnes Pak Lodge. You will see evidence of the subsidence caused by the workings

Thank you for the information Neil, this will probably be of some use to someone else. I don't live in Wigan, for the past twenty six years, I have lived in Blackpool, prior to that I lived for twenty four years in Kent. Before that, I lived in Wigan,