Wigan Album

Wonder if the mining students on the list who got degrees ever came into contact with my grandfather Thomas Bryson, lecturer in Mining at the college till the 1940's
PS.. a good point Fred, I'll go along with it.

My brother graduated from there in 1940 with a degree in Electrical engineering - at the age of 20. When he passed to go there, he was given his train fare. he went on to be an officer in the R.A.F., & then on to a distinguished career in Technical colleges, he became the Principal of Dumfries technical College, & then Principal of the tecnical College in Botswana. I have often thought how much easier & simpler it would be if there were similar colleges in these times, where students could live at home & gain external degrees.

Helen, my friend Neil's Dad went to the college in the thirties and Neil has a handbook from 1933 or 1934 which he is going to dig out to see if it mentions your Grandfather. Watch this space!

Many Further Education Colleges have been offering University linked degree courses for the last 30 odd years... where the 1st year of teaching was often done on the FE college premises. In the case of Wigan Mining & Technical College back then, it was a 'centre of excellence' for a small minority of students enrolled at city University's, who were there to study for a degree that would be useful in the Mining Industry and beyond.

The said University would 'buy-into' the colleges expertise. Sometimes the mining side of the students degree studies would contain several Modules: One on Mining Engineering, then another on say Electrical Engineering at Preston College or Civil Eng at Salford College etc. Quote the above is just an example of what your local college of FE can offer to Higher education

It was very interesting to see this as well as the comments. Regarding my previous reference to my ggrandfather William Wood who was once Headmaster of Wigan Institute, I have just looked again at a very old (c.1940s) newspaper obituary which I have for my great-grandfather William Wood, titled "An Appreciation by Professor William Wright D.Sc.,F.R.C.S." who was at the time Dean and Professor of Anatomy London Hospital Medical College. Prof Wright was a former pupil of Wm Wood c. 1900 in Wigan. The article is quite entertaining on various fronts with its little anecdotes. Prof Wright was one of the few people who was allowed to inspect the remaining bones of the famed ".Princes in the Tower of London" in 1933. Thanks for posting this pic and explaining how this Institute did indeed, tie in with University Studies!

Helen, have sent an email.

Looking at the list of names it would seem that two of the gentlemen had taken two degrees concurrently as their names appear twice. I am sure I will be corrected if this is not the case but it does look like evidence of very hard study.