Wigan Album

Anyone know the history of this hous ?

Alan, I think it was built as a house for one of John Clarke's managers (1793 lease). Tucson House was close to the site of one of Clarke's pits. It was plastered over in the 1920s, as were other properties owned by the Bankes (e.g, Pony Dick Inn, if I remember correctly).
Following information is from Wigan Observer 22nd October, 1904, 29th October 1904, and 12th December, 1908 and from my 1980 interviews with William Hurst, who lived in one of the 2 new brick houses close by Tucson House, built in 1953. He was Pump Attendant (see below) and grandson of William Nicholson (ref. Nicholson's Lane or P-Nix Lane running west under the M6).
William Nicholson was born 23 December 1822 at The Pinfold in Orrell, the site now occupied by the Railway Hotel. In 1825 he moved to Wigan Lodge (up from Pony Dick) and then Rylance Mill. In 1855 he moved to Tucson House. He became foreman on Winstanley Estate for Squire Bankes. He was entrusted with regulation of the clock at Winstanley Hall. He retired in 1895. He remembered a horse gin winding up coal from the Orrell 4 foot seam at Clarkes No. 2 pit (Bye Pit? near level crossing in the Summersales). He built a primitive winding gear to bring up water from the old shaft by Tucson House and there was a line of wooden channels to transport the water from the shaft to the tub (water butt) at his door(to the right on the photo).
It appears that William Nicholson's daughter married Robert Hurst (born c. 1858 in Goose Green), who served apprenticeship as a stone mason with his uncle, William Winnard of Wallgate who later became foreman at Messers Webster and Winstanley in Wallgate. Robert Hurst opened his own business as a monumental mason in Winstanley (Tucson House) in 1914. He served as foreman mason for St. Paul's Church, Goose Green. Squire Bankes gave him timber for his workshop.
His son, William Hurst (whom I interviewed), also was a monumental mason, especially when other work (e.g., Pemberton Colliery and skin works in Miry Lane) was hard to come by. He obtained Best White Windy Way stone from Joseph Wetton and Sons, Bollington, Nr. Macclesfield. In 1949, he did the lettering on red granite for memorial to George Hildyard Bankes, which is at Billinge Church.
There used to be an old stone pumping station by the side of Tucson House, which was for one of Clarke's early coal pits. A new shaft was sunk in 1904 (water for Pemberton, which became part of Wigan that year) to the Orrell 5 foot, 66 feet deep and 12 feet diameter. There were 2x25 hp pumps with total pumping capacity 25,000 gallons per hour. Average pumping was 500,000 gallons per day and up to 750,000 gallons per day in very wet weather. George Heaton was consulting engineer, T. Partington electrical engineer and J. Fairhurst of Pemberton was contractor. The old shaft was relined in 1929 by Mr. Birchall from Pimbo.
A new pumping station was built in 1932 drawing water from 220 feet down. On March 4 water was pumped 1,500 yards to Orrell’s two main reservoir at 40,000 gallons per hour (reservoir capacity 48 million gallons over 13.82 acres). For the new pumping station, Tom Harris brought up a new 140 hp Tangye Borehole pump and Tangy booster pump from Smethwick, Birmingham. It was installed using a crane owned by Herbert Morris Ltd. of Loughborough. The main valves were supplied by Joseph Blakeborough and Sons Ltd. of Woodhouse Iron and Brass Works, Brighouse. In 1935 a Harland Borehole pump with a 140 hp motor was purchased for 1,128 pounds. The pumping capacity also was 40,000 gallons per hour. The Tangye pump quit about 1943.
Pumping water to Orrell Reservoir ceased on 12th November, 1965. Vandals set fire to Pump House on 15th December 1974 and it was demolished in 1979. The date stone from the oldest pumping station was taken up to Winstanley Hall. In the 1950s Tucson House was used as storage for tools, garden equipment etc. There was an old Yorkshire range in the kitchen. Mrs. Hurst used to clean and polish it every Friday.
Aln, if you get the chance, could you please visit The Arches Lodge just before you go over the Red Bridge across the railway. It was built at the time of The Arches Viaduct in the Pingot. I don't have an exact date for that, but maybe there is a date on the Lodge, or the owners/tenants might know. I presume it was built soon after Clarke obtained his 1793 lease. We know The viaduct carried horse-drawn waggons before The Yorkshire Horse started operations in January 1813.
Many thanks.
Derek

this is my GG uncle and aunt. William Nicholson and Mary nee Fairhurst. he was the brother of my GG grandfather Thomas Nicholson, who lived at wigan Lodge, and was a book keeper.William and Mary.s daughter Ann, married robert Hurst, and their daughter Mary 1898 married my uncle Henry Nicholson hartley 1892. her sister Clara who married John farrimond,well their daughter wrote a rather long verse, which i have called "paradise lost" about Tewson house in the early 1900.s will send a copy if given an address. don;t have a copier to put it on the web site. chris

I think that Arches Lodge was knocked down some time ago. There is now a bungalow on the other side of the road which has been named Arches Lodge but it cant be more than 20 years old.

IT WAS SO NICE TO COME ACROSS THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE JOSEPH WETTON WAS MY GREAT,GREAT,GREAT,GREAT,GREAT GRANDFATHER WHO'S HOUSE WAS WINDY WAY HOUSE :)

Does any one have a copy of Paradise Lost. Mine has disappeared

Have found a spare copy of paradise Reginald if you send me your address I'll post it on. christine.marsder1@gmail.com