History of Wigan   (Help with ancient and recent history.)

This is in response to ( DETRITUS21 & GRAHAM K & TONKER) YOU ALL REFER TO NO COAL FROM WIGAN PITS BEING IN A PROFITABLE SITU UNLESS YOUR GOING TO BE "PICKY" WHAT ABOUT BLUNDELL'S AT TOP OF FOUNDRY LANE PEMBERTON,WIGAN .HE WAS THE FAMOUS OWNER WHO BUILT SCHOOL'S AT HIGHFIELD,AND ALSO GAVE MONEY FOR ST.MATHEW'S CHURCH . I CAN STATE CATEGORICALLY THAT THE PIT IN QUESTION HAD SEVERAL SHAFT'S AND MY DAD OFTEN TOLD ME ABOUT ONE OF THE ROUTE'S WAS HEADING DOWN BILLINGE ROAD AT ST.MARK CHURCH NEWTOWN THEY HAD TO "GO AROUND " AND CARRY ON IN THE DIRECTION TOWARD WIGAN,( THE REASON OBVIOUS CHURCHES BECAUSE OF THIER HEIGHT AND WEIGHT HAD TO HAVE A SUBSTANCIAL BASE SO HAS TO STOP FROM COLLAPSE. HE THEN WENT ON FURTHER TO TELL ME THE NEXT BIG OBSTACLE WAS THE PARISH CHURCH SLAP BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF WIGAN ,SAME AGAIN A HUGE BY PASS ROUND IT TO SAFE GUARD IT FROM SAME DISASTER. THE LAST POINT I WOULD WISH TO MAKE IS THE SO-CALLED LACK OF PROFITABILITY! THIS IS JUST TOMMY ROT ,WHY I HEAR YOU ASK ANYONE CAN GO DOWN INTO WIGAN LIFE CENTRE ( I think that's the place ) AND ASK FOR DATA,AND INFORMATION CONCERNING THE WEALTH THAT COLONEL BLUNDELL MADE OUT OF COAL MINING IN WIGAN AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT THE WEALTH THAT FAMILY MADE,ALL DUES TO THEM THEY PUT SOME THING BACK FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF WIGAN. I WAS TOL OF ALL THIS NEWS INFO FROM A TRUE HERO MY DAD WHO BY THE WAY DIED FROM WORKING DOWN THE MINES OF WIGAN,DID NOT RECIEVE ANY MONIES FROM HIS 100% SILICOSIS WHICH CAUSED HIS DEMISE BECAUSE OF A PETTY RULING WHICH WAS THE FACT HE DID NOT WORK IN AN N.C.B.OWNED MINE BETWEEN 1950 TO 1954 HE DID NOT QUALIFY ,THOSE PART YEARS HE WORKED AT PRIVATE OWNED MINES JUST UP THE ROAD TOP OF ARBOUR " A DRIFT MINE QUAKER HOUSE COLLIERY, HE WENT DOWN THE MINES AT THE TENDER AGE OF 12 YEARS ( AT BLUNDELLS) IN1922,THAT DISEASE MEANT HE WAS FORCED TO STOP AT 58 YEARS OF AGE AND DIED 6 YEARS LATER AT 64 YEARS NEVER DREW ANY PENSION ,END OFF GOD BLESS DAD........