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Wigan Album

Wigan Mining & Technical College

9 Comments

Location of the' Old Tin Tabernacle' Mining College
Location of the' Old Tin Tabernacle' Mining College
Photo: Stephen Craig-Smith
Views: 2,256
Item #: 29921
Plan showing the location of the Original Mining College.

Comment by: Dave C on 23rd November 2017 at 12:44

It was later the site of the Pavillion, formerly a Theatre, latterly a Cinema. The large building in the terrace to the right of the site was a one time Boarding house for "Theatricals" who presumably were on stage there and at the Hippodrome, which was only a few yards away, opposite the junction of Rodney St. and King St.,just off plan at the bottom of the frame

Comment by: Keith Beckett on 23rd November 2017 at 13:45

Stephen are you a relative of a previous principal of the college?
When I was awarded the college associateship in mechanical engineering in the sixties it was signed by E Craig-Smith.

Comment by: RON HUNT on 23rd November 2017 at 18:28

Keith I will answer for Steve as I put the image on the site on his behalf. Yes it was his father.

Comment by: Josh on 24th November 2017 at 11:49

A very "appropriate" siting for the College since I remember when the old Pavillion was demolished, for the construction of the then new baths, that work was held up for a while as they dealt with an old pit they found on the site.

Comment by: Dave C on 24th November 2017 at 14:39

I remember that quite well Josh, my Grandfather was the Baths Manager up until the time the new pool opened. They went into one of the tunnels which were exposed when they dug down for the new pool. Apparently they(it) ran parallel to King Street and up towards the centre of town, under the College. It was as though the Miners had just gone home for the night, leaving shovels and barrows etc., ready for the next shift. I remember seeing a piece of mudstone with the imprint of a fossilized fern. They left it in the old Baths Laundry over night and it dried, crumbling to dust. Somewhere on this site there are some related photos of the event.

Comment by: RON HUNT on 24th November 2017 at 19:53

Dave C do you know what happened to the Water Polo trophies that were on display in the baths? I now have about 20 pictures of the Polo players and Swimming club members from the early 1900's I'm always intersted in any other pieces of memorabilia I was thinking at one time Of writing a book about the Wigan Swimming Club but getting any information is very difficult I do know that the Wigan team provided a lot of the International players for the Olympic Polo teams

Comment by: Rev David Long on 25th November 2017 at 15:07

The new Mining College was built in the plot in the centre of the map. Alfred Hewlett, Managing Director of the Wigan Coal & Iron Co. was instrumental in getting it built - in recognition of which the straightened-out Elbow Lane was renamed Hewlett Street.
He was a son of the Vicar of Astley. His daughter, Rosa, called her son Hewlett Johnson - he became famous as the 'Red Dean of Canterbury'.
Alfred's brother, William Henry, succeeded him at the WC&I Co. in 1912. He lived at Strickland House, Standish from about 1872 - having been married by his father at Southport in 1871. He and his wife Janet had 12 children - most of whom served in the Great War - the men in the Army, the women in the Red Cross, at The Beeches and one, Mabel, as an ambulance driver in France. She is he only woman among those who went to war from Standish listed in the Roll drawn up by Standish with Langtree UDC - but then her father was its first Chairman, from 1893 - 1911.

Comment by: Dave C on 30th November 2017 at 13:51

Ron, despite the fact that my Grandfather, Jack Cockrell was the Baths Manager for many years, until the new one was opened around 1966 (when he retired) and my Dad (also Jack) played for the Wigan, Lancashire and Northern England Team, no one ever knew what happened to the trophies. They were displayed in the Hallway at the Baths in a Glass Cabinet. My Grandfather was given the match-ball, with gold leaf inscriptions to commemorate the event of the Polo Team winning the National Finals. For years it was on display at his house. When they "downsized" around 1968, he returned it to the Towns swimming association. Sadly, like everything else, its disappeared. Somewhere on this site is a photo of my Dad with all his trophies.

Comment by: RON HUNT on 30th November 2017 at 14:01

Dave like all the items that were on display, at one time, in Haigh Hall probably ended up in some Councillors house...

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