Wigan of Old

Not sure if this is the right place to be posting this but I have ancestors who hail from Wigan and the surrounding towns and villages. There seem to be a few metal workers, tin and brass, with linen and fustian weavers in the mix. I am keen to find out more about the places they lived and worked. My most recent ancestor to be baptised at All Saints was born in 1784. He was a tinplate worker. They then go right back in the same general Wigan areas to a marriage dated 1604/5 at All Saints. Mainly the names are Fairbrother, Orrell, Sumner, and Bithell (variant spellings for all of them), but there are others. If anyone else has these names in their tree or knows where I can best access the history of occupations related to this area, I would love to hear from you to compare notes.

Hello Susan, I can see you've been a member a while, but since it's your first post welcome to Wigan World.

None of your names are in my family tree, but there's sure to be someone who does have them.

I don't know of a history of occupations either, But someone else may.

Just thought I'd say hello

Hello Susan, Wigan was a centre of metal working long before the Industrial Revolution. So perhaps you are going to find your people associated with it for a long way back.

I recognise the names which you list as local, so hopefully you will find people associated with them.

Our next door neighbours were 'Orrells' in Bryn when I was a child, and one of my childhood neighbours had a boyfriend who was a 'Bithell'. So the names were certainly about, and I think most Wiganers would have known of the sports shop: Oliver Somers.

susanc241 Wigan has a proud history of metal and engineering workshops , Walmsleys , Walker Bros , Triangle Valve , Gullick's Park Forge amongst many others . The names you mention I knew an Arthur Bithell and Archie Sumners in Wigan in the 1960/70s. Some great heritage and very fine tradesmen from the old town .

Triangle Valve were in Pemberton, Gullicks in Ince. Neither in the 'old town of Wigan'.

tonker,
your not an hairdresser are you???
Well come on SPLITTING hairs about what Aussie 94 cited i suppose they all payed thier rates to OWD WIGAN COUNCIL and as far back as i can recollect Pem /Gullick's have always been referred to as in Wigan.

Why, for some people, does it always have to boil down to 'the council'? I've never known any people as loyal to their council and their council's area as Wiganers and plastic Wiganers.
The 'old town' of Wigan doesn't include other towns which come under the same local authority.

Gullicks at Clarrinton Brook bottom of Birkett bank im Wigan not in Higher ince , let alone lower. by abouy 100 yards

Please note that an old friend of many years Arthur Bithell has passed away. His funeral took place in Wigan on the 10th of February 2022. Arthur and his wife Elaine and family have run the well known Recycling Business in Wigan for many years and are local benefactors in many ways.