Wigan Album

i have an uncle john mawdsley but i think he was born 1920 so he would have only have been 4 ish,

i dont think its my uncle john but it may be his and my mothers uncle joe mawdsley we allways called him uncle joe anyway , thanks for the photo ray ; my cousin gerry might be able to comment on it , joe if its him is on front row third from right .

When I saw this was St Bills 1924, I was thinking my mam, Nora O'Neill, who was aged 5 in 1925 must have known some of these lads though they would have been a bit older. Then I noticed the name of man who kindly lent the picture to Wigan News was John O'Neill. He was known as Jack to my mam because he was her brother. I have picture of him and my mam taken on a ferry to Dublin in 1930, just after both their parents had died within six weeks of each leaving them orphaned. She was the youngest of 10 or 11 kids and the trip to Dublin was to place her with relatives in Cork but she came home within after a month to be raised by elder siblings. I'll try to post the p[ic sometime. Jack's twin brother Ted must have been poorly or something the day of the picture as he's not in it.

hi bill ,my mam had a very good friend called norah neil I presume it should be o'neil my mams name was annie mawdsley married name beckett, from hr ince, her uncle think its joe is on this pic,she was born in December 1918 and went to st Williams, I just wondered if it was the same norah I remember her too!

Hello Josie,
My mam was born January 1919 at No 3 Kirkless Lane/ Street?. I'm pretty sure our maams were mates. I remember from times when I was a little un the name 'Annie Mawdesley' cropping up in conversations many times.
So, we were Belle Green Laners alright.
In't nostalgia great!
Bill G.

These boys are in my photograph of Standard 1V in 1923. Some look as if they've grown since then but others still look very small particularly my uncle Eric Morris.

hello bill,kirkless st was just round corner from us at the top of belle green lane we lived in York st so I think your mam and my mam were childhood friends until your mam passed away, I remember your mam coming to our house many a time she was a lovely lady, my mam died age 90 she never forgot norah neil as she called her .

Hi Josie,That's nice to hear that she lived to a ripe old age. Nora passed away in 1985 age only 66. Sad.
Here's to longevity and good health for the pair of us! Cheers, Bill.

hello kath, is it possible that you could put your photo on here ? I would love to see it thankyou x

Josie,it's already on, at the bottom of the first page of St William's School and you've commented on it!

oh I will take alook kath thanks

My dad Billy Dwyer who is on the school photo lived in York St Higher Ince. His dad my grandad, William Dwyer ran an off license at nos 1-3 York St. My dad remembered seeing workers from the steelworks probably furnacemen, foundrymen or coke ovens workers calling in for pints of beer in the early morning after working nightshifts before going home.My grandad died in 1948, I'm not sure if the off license continued after his death. Does anybody have any memories, info or knowledge passed down about York St and in particular my grandad's off license.
I visited York St a few years ago, you can see where the houses were. When was York St demolished ?.

My dad was Alf Rose. This is the oldest picture we have seen of him. We would welcome any memories you may have about him.

I think the j mawdsley was either my grandad jimmy mawdsley (1914) or his brother joe (1912), they were the youngest 2 of 9 children and lived in battersby st and belle green lane

I think the j mawdsley was either my grandad jimmy mawdsley (1914) or his brother joe (1912), they were the youngest 2 of 9 children and lived in battersby st and belle green lane

My comments are relating to Bill G - This photo was presented to the Wigan Observer back in the 80’s sometime I think and there are two of them - one I think taken the year before. John O”Neill or Jack as he was know to everyone was my dad. Ted was not in the same class - yes they split twins up in those days. I remember well your mum living on Bell Green Lane with John and Aunties Bessie - before Bessie got married. I have a few family phots going back to family events - I think one of you at Au tie Bessie’s stepdaughter’s wedding. I would be really interested to see the photo of your mum and my dad - I certainly dont remember that story of them going to Ireland - but there is a lot of interesting stores about the large Irish family - I am still in contact with some cousins. I will put the other photo on here but I am in the middle of building works so it may take a while for me to get at it. Also the eldest of the family Hannah - or Annie as she was call - her grandson has been doing research into the family tree.