Wigan Album

My grandfather Herman Whitter was a miner all his life and worked at john pit,he lived at standish lower ground,i am interested to learn about the mine and the people who worked there and general everyday life from around this area.

I Worked at John pit as a young chap in 1952. I remember Herman, he was at the end of his mining experience and looked after the new baths and changing rooms . I always had a good chat with him, I remember him complementing me on my singing which was rubbish. If you are still living in the area I am sure there are still several ex John Pit workers in the area eg Tommy Wilkins.

Thankyou very much for your repy, yes this is my grandad, he lived on the row of houses along standish lower ground, i dont live in wigan but had brilliant christmas,s with my grandad and grandma at there house, he used to walk my brother,sister and i to the milk machine at the bus terminus up the road toward the royal oak,we would buy the milk or maybe an orange drink and then walk up the lane to wave to the engine driver i guess at the pitt ? we were very young, this would be around 1962-1965 i guess.

I knew Herman well, he used to have a plaque outside his front door, as an agent for the main funeral directors in Wigan, it said: Middleton & Wood (1919 Ltd) Funeral Directors..Telephone No 1
There were quite a few Whitters around SLG in those days.
I still live there..;o)

I descend from the Whitters of Wigan who all worked the pits. My great grandfather was Joseph Whitter, blinded in a pit explosion.