Wigan Album

The little park as you describe, is actually a graveyard.

I thought the bakery was Bamfords.

jacksons bakery was further up chapel st at the time of photo ( later bamfords )

The building that is Carland now, on the corner of New St, was Bamfords bakery, then a skating club, then later it was The Matador club.

Let me get this right, this WAS a graveyard? Where are the graves now dare I
ask, since they don't appear to be there according to google maps.

Josh, if you look at the wicket, it's an headstone.

Shall we get some locations correct. The corner of New St was Grimshaws Bakery, further along Chapel St was Jacksons Bakery.Bamfords then took over Jacksons, and then brought a
wooden building from Goose Green in sections, and placed it on the land behind the bakery. This became Bamfords Dance Hall.This happened in the mid or late 50s. When Grimshaws Bakery was demolished, this space became Carland. How do I
know?.I was born and brought up in New St, and the batsman in the Photo is my Brother.

The little park across from Jem Lowes was in fact a small graveyard, with several headstones like the one in the picture, which was used as wickets.I would like to know what happened to all the gravestones, when the park was altered in recent years.

I'm confused now B.B. I used to go roller skating at Bamfords, and it was a wooden building on the corner of New street, where Carland is now.

There would be a massive public outcry if the photo was of todays youth using a headstone for cricket wickets! Give them all ASBO's

B.B.
(or anyone with more info)
Do you know when Jacksons ceased trading please or does anyone have more info or pictures of the bakery? I agree with you as to location.

easy to find.........its the dead centre of Pemberton

Jimmy, it was a wooden building, but it was behind Grimshaws Bakery.

Is the batsman the same Jimmy Bradshaw that worked at the CWS Glass Works in the 1960s?

Yes BB that's the question I also asked - where are the gravestones now? If the "occupants" have been re-interred then that's probably ok if relatives agree BUT have they and if they have just where are they now?

Josh

It is still a graveyard, because the bodies are still buried in there.

B.B

Before the graveyard was given the makeover a couple of years ago, there were no headstones in there then, it was just grassed over and it looked a mess and the iron railings were damaged and rusty.

The "little park" was indeed a graveyard. In the 50s/60's we used to use the headstones for leapfrog games. Next to the "little park" (on the left of the photo) was a wood working company that made coffins, we used to take thin triangular waste pieces of work from the scrap pile and use them for bats. I believe that when the park was cleaned up (the park was not maintained) some of the gravestones were moved to the edges of the park and the large privet hedges which surrounded the inside of the park were at some time removed. I do not not know what, if anything, happened to the actually graves.

Yes Steve, it the same Jimmy Bradshaw.

This is very interesting. My great Grandad Ted Evans owned the land at the side (where the coffin place was) and then my dad owned the land after him. It was recently sold and a bungalow was built there. Ted also owned a row of houses nearby and lived on the corner. My uncle got his head stuck in the parks railings and I had a bad accident on the land adjacent (the coffin place.)always thought it was bad luck, maybe it is because of the graves? Does anybody know if there was a little chapel on the park at some point as I seem to rememember my Nan saying something along those lines? Not sure who owned the park or was it council land?

Just as a side note my g grandad, Ted Evans also had a hardware shop at some point near the cobblers on Ormskirk road. My nans dad worked at the small chapel , that is now a Gym near St Marks school. Would love it if anyone has any info on this church. His name was Albert Atherton.

Paul, if you go on to "stuff" and find my "childhood memories" there are notes there that are about the chapel in Albert Street

Thanks Fred, that's really interesting. Have struggled over the years to find anything out about my g grandads chapel in Albert Street. So it sounds like it was non conformist and connected to the other church that you mentioned. Were the services the same? I wonder where I could find out more information about it. My g grandad died in his early twenties and was a conscientious objector. My family would never talk about him much sadly.

I lived next door to Mr & Mrs Evans, in Chapel Street.
Moved in 1961 when the houses were demolished, but the two houses, one of which Mr & Mrs Evans lived in is still standing.

That's amazing to bump into you in here then. I only knew Ted when he was really old, I was only a kid at the time. I don't remember Esther very much at all. Would be interested to hear any memories you have of them both. Ted was brilliant and brought up my nan and the kids when my nan's birth dad died. My email is jubilee513@yahoo.co.uk

I was only ten years old when we moved from Pemberton, but i remember Mr & Mrs Evans, they were both lovely people.
I remember your nan as well. Is your mum Sheila or Lilian.
And the two brothers Arthur & David

Hi, sorry for my late reply. My mum is Sheila. Ted Evans and Esther Evans bought my nan up when her birth father died. I don't remember them much either but just Ted when he was really old.I used to call him my little grandad.
My grandad ( Sheila's dad) still lives in Pemberton.Lillian emigrated to New Zealand a few years ago now.

i lived in chapel st,the bodies in the grave yard were exhumed in the late 50's.
the grave yard was screened off and at night the work was completed.i do not know were they were reinterred.

it was indeed a grave yard , i used to collecy the insurrance off the gentleman who was the coffin maker ,he had a shed , and many a time when i caled for his money he would be making a childs cofin , so sad

Yep I remember the coffin place was on the land next door that my g grandad owned and then my dad. Always thought the place was haunted because my uncle hurt himself on the iron fence and I had a nasty accident when we were trying to take down the coffin place a few years ago now. Nearly got myself killed! Maybe it is the spirits!

I was born at 40 New Street and seem to recall that there was a building that caught fire near this park, I think it was owned by a chap called Harry Rigby who had a horse and cart, he might have the local rag and bone man or did he deliver coal?

Wonderful photo. I was wondering if anyone remembers my Dad Bernard Butcher ? He was born in 1940 and lived on New street with his two older sisters Barbara and Brenda and his Mum Alice

David Hitchen, Harry Rigby (no relation) did deliver coal using a Horse and Cart. His premises were in Chapel St. opposite the side of "The Little Park" (more or less.)