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

Tonker how do you know the pits weren't productive? Surely they were productive at the time of operation just in a more primitive way to the techniques used in modern day mining.

Within the township of Wigan there were at least 30 shafts that are recorded as such.

Pits in Wigan itself included
Peter Platts Pit
Waterhey Colliery
Holme House Colliery
Woods Pit
Rylands Pit
Gidlow Lane Pits
Swinley Colliery
Rimmers Pit
Douglas Bank Colliery
Meadow House Colliery
Barley Brook Colliery
Chapel Colliery
Hardy Butts Pit
Crompton Street Pits
Mesnes Colliery (Wigan)
Bottling Wood Drift

There are a few more for good measure. Surely one of these must have been productive and taken coal from under Wigan.