Wigan Album

my great great grandad ran this pub, probably who your parents took over from. Jack Myers. I think. Will check but it was definately the Myers side :)

Hi Lisa, sorry to have taken over 3 years to reply but I've only just seen your comment. My parents took over from a Mr Gower ("owd Gowie") but next door were the Myers family, perhaps they were related to him.

Hi folks. Going back even further, my great great grandfather (Alderman Alfred Higham) owned this pub. He wasn't a manager or even a tenant, he owned it, lock stock and barrel - very rare indeed these days - and he also had a large share in Haigh Brewery to keep it stocked with ale.
I think he inherited it from his wife (Catherine's) parents, she was born there and she owned the Princess of Wales in Greenhough Street.
Alfred seems to have been a rum beggar. I was told by my Dad (Derek) that his grandad, Alfred lost his share in the brewery in a card game and (knowing that Catherine would quickly know) daren't go home for about a week. Being a resourceful devil, he spoke to his wife's staff at the Princess of Wales - which was actually also a hotel and a massive place with 4/5 storeys. Seeing his predicament, they took pity and hid him away in one of the little used rooms at the top of the hotel then brought all his food and drink up to him secretly until Catherine had cooled off a bit and it was safe for him to emerge !

My grandfather Billy Riley ran this pub in the late 1920's - early 1930's. Older Wiganers' might recall him ' he was a world famous wrestler. Billy and his wife Sarah (Sally) often spoke fondly about their time as tenant landlords in The Crispin Arms. It was ahhappy pub they always said.

I assume it’s never top late for a correction. Lisa I believe you are correct my parents took over the Crispin Arms from your Myers side of the family. They had two children, Helen who was my sisters age, and John who was probably two years older than myself but we both attended the Wigan Grammar School at the same time. They lived next door to the Crispin after they left the pub in 1950. can only assume that “owd Gowie” was a previous landlord but it was a name I heard at the time.