Wigan Album
Map of Moot Hall 1860's
14 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 26107
When it was rebuilt in 1829 the “Wigan Herald” commented “The new Moot or Market Hall is fast completing, and presents a plain stone front with colonnade underneath: it’s a great pity that its projection on the entrance to the Market Place could not have been obviated”
It was demolished in 1869, calls for its demolition having been made some 17 years earlier, stones from the building formed an arbour in the gardens of Ince Old Hall and the original key of the Moot Hall is preserved in the Wigan Library.
A bit more history on this topic…….
Moot Hall was first mentioned in documents of 1422, its arched ground floor was occupied by butcher’s shops around 1600. The Hall was the seat of local government. It housed the Borough Treasury; the courts for trade matters, Court Leet for minor offences and Courts of Kings Pleas for financial cases; the market bell on the roof and a balcony for proclamations.
and finally……..
Wigan was the Earl of Derby’s headquarters, it was considered safe but during the Civil Wars Wigan was ransacked 7 times.In 1643 the Moot Hall Treasury was looted to the extent of £20,000 (over a million in today’s money) the Parish church was ransacked, furniture destroyed and the Cloth Hall also looted leaving a trail in the Market Place of linen, wool and cloth. The whole of the Mayoral Regalia was stolen. Some of the Earl’s valuables, had been stored in the Moot Hall.
Historical aspects, especially Wigan’s architecture is well covered at….
‎www.wingedwheels.info/WiganTownTrail.pdf
Photo #2119, the 1st in Album, Places, Wigan Town Hall is the one shown in Market Place on this map.
See:-
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp68-78
for the history of Wigan.
Quite right Ernest, built 1720 well after the looting at the Moot Hall but at the time 1719, the old Moot Hall was on the verge of falling down. It was rebuilt 1829 and I believe the Rector paid for it, whereas the new Corporation Town Hall, as it was sometimes called was paid for by Wigan's two MP's.
My grandfather born 1882 address Cross Keys Yard I knew were it was now I can see what it looked like.
Not sure what happened there but this is what should have appeared.
Historical aspects, especially Wigan’s architecture is well covered at….
www.wingedwheels.info/WiganTownTrail.pdf
This is an educated guess based on this map and comparing it with present day google maps - but I think the 1893/4 newly created Library Street which involved demolishing the Queens Head pub means that the building further up to the one directly opposite the Moot Hall would have been the Queens Head and the Queens Head Yard became part of Library Street - just a guess.
Ron, are there any photos of Wallgate before Library Street was cut through.
MarieM; Have a browse in Album, Places, Market Place, Wigan.
Thank you Ernest. I will have a look.
Somewhere I have read that some stonework from the Moot Hall was placed around the pond in Mesnes Park. Anyone goy information to support this?
Neil Cain; See:- The Old Moot Hall in Stuff, Ancient and Loyal, page 6.
Extract:-
"THE original building was enlarged in the early 17th century, reconstructed in 1829, and finally demolished in 1869. As a point of interest, stones from the building have been erected as an arbour in the gardens of Ince Old Hall and the original key of the Moot Hall is preserved in the Wigan Library."
Possibly the stones were used in other places too.
A query really. Could you tell me where the early 19th century copies of the Wigan Herald are kept? Where you got the the 1829 quote about the building of the Moot Hall please?