Wigan Album

I attended St Michaels from 1950 to 1953,(4 years),a short stay but well enjoyed, passed my scholarship and went to Thomas Linacre. Some names I remember, Arthur Harris (headmaster) Joe Boggis (teacher, enough said). Pupils, George Chamberlain, Brian Clough, David Ostick, Brian Macintyre, Bill Vincent, James McCann, Wendy Morris, Elizabeth George, Christine Kay (my first girlfriend) Ruth Appleton, Joan Gaskell and many more, were are they now ?

Andy, thanks so much for this photo.It's the first time I've seen this view of the school. I enjoyed my four years so much there and still remember well the feeling of sadness as I walked out through the front gates for the last time!

My first school aged 5 (1950). Although we lived in Standish, my older sisters had been to Woodfield during their early years. When it was my turn St.Michael's had to be the choice. I left in 1956 and moved onto Gidlow Boys Sec. One memory of St.Michael's was losing a tooth in a playground accident during the winter months. Sliding down the icy slope and falling face down.Had to have a false one made (in fact 3 over that time at school,then gave up). I still have one of the end of term reports from the school. Some years ago I drove past the site and was surprised to see the school had been demolished.

WHERE !!! are they now ?

Does anyone know of the family of Stephen Walsh MP. for Wigan and members of St Michaels Swinley

For Anne Ross Stephen Walsh was MP for Ince but lived in Wigan at 8 Swinley Road.His daughter Ada Bottomley lived in Pepper Lane Standish & was for many years on the old Standish UDC

Stephen Walsh and his wife Anne (Adamson) had a large family - 12 children. They were all Baptised at Holy Trinity Ashton - their details are on the Lancashire Online Parish Clerk site. Some of the children's marriages took place at St Michael's, Swinley.
Ada Bottomley appears to have had one child, whom she named Vera, after one of her sisters, who died aged 20 in 1919. Sadly history repeated itself, and the daughter died aged 17 in 1941.

Sorry a miscount on the number of children: 6 girls, 4 boys = 10.
The eldest son, Arthur, was killed near Loos on April 11th 1918, aged 26. He held the Military Cross.

Thank you for the info. I have quite an amount of info as I have been researching my family tree and my grandparents were Adamsons but Anne Adamson was not part of their family. I just hoped to pass the info on to any remaining Walsh family.

I moving from Woodfield to St Michaels but left there in 1949. Well remember playing marbles on the cobbles just outside the main gate in the pictures. Students names I remember are John Kelly,David Beatie,Phill Nicholson,John Swift. Also remember getting the cane from Mr Harris for not eating my semolina pudding.