Wigan Album

Ron; The Halifax is in Market Place.
I think it is where The National Westminster Bank is in Standishgate today.

On page 17 of the 1889 Wigan Year Book it states:-

PARR'S BANKING COMPANY, LIMITED, STANDISHGATE.
London Agents..Glyn, Mills, Currie, and Co., 67, Lombard Street.
Manager.............R. A. ffarington.
Assistant Manager...T. Dickson.
First Cashier.......J. Browne.
Second Cashier......G. Bowe.
Third Cashier.......W. H. Watmough.
The bank opens every morning (except Saturday) at 10 o'clock and closes at 3 p.m.
On Fridays it remains open until 4 o'clock, and on
Saturdays it opens at 9 and closes at 1 o'clock.
Sub-branch at Westhoughton.

Thanks for this interesting photo Ron, Parr's Bank also had a branch in Up Holland on School Lane.

Yet another superb photo of Wigan's past. Great stuff Ron.

Even though the buildings have been significantly altered or rebuilt, the arched entry in the photo is still there, running between the Halifax, and the National Westminster bank, the 'NatWest' being to the right of the entry.

We also had one here in A-in-M this link shows one of their cheques from the Ashton branch, copy&past http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/5/72v0wx6m.jpg

Thanks Ron, another cracking photo.

Does anyone remember in the 50s/60s when this was the site of what was still only the Westminster bank, you could access the bank from a rear yard entrance in Woodcock St. which was opposite the entrance to the old Market Hall and next to a plumbers/bathroom fittings merchants (was it Crank Burton?)

Which building was the bank then, I don't see the name of Parr anywhere?

Derek B - you could still access the National Westminster bank from Woodcock St end in the late 1970s, and possibly into the early 1980s.
Yes it was Crank & Burton plumbers merchants

Can anyone "read" the name on the plate, at the centre of the arch? To me looks as if it's a short first word, possibly Parr, no idea about the second.

I've tried a spot of jiggery pokery with the image Ted, and the larger word on the plaque could be 'Parr' but it could equally be 'Bank'.
It does appear to have a letter 'A' as the second letter.

Found on the internet - This private bank was established as Thicknesse & Woodcock in 1792, it was also known as Wigan Old Bank.
The 1869 Wigan Directory states “Woodcock Henry, Esq., banker, (Thomas Woodcock, Sons and Eckersley) Bank House”
The bank was acquired by Parr’s Banking Co in 1874.

Just checked on the original and the first word is BANK but I can't make out the second word as only the top half of the word is showing. All I can make out is that it has 5 letters.

Wonder if the second word is House? In 1869 Henry Woodcock one of the owners lived at Bank House.

Is the "son" on the left of the photo George Makinson,s who also had premises in Station road and at Central station?

the branch of parrs bank on market street westhoughton still says parrs bank on the building