Wigan Album

Rev did you see the photo of the tinned Apricots a few days ago that I saw in the War museum in Wellington NZ and have you seen Deakins website http://www.deakin.broadwaymanor.co.uk/deakin/deakin-jam-history.html

what a fabulous photograph right down to the Wigan number plate. Not sure whether they are in a battlefield situation, no-ones carrying any weapons and theres foliage on the trees in the background, something that would surely be missing if near the front. Are or I should say were deakins a Wigan company. Thanks Rev david a brilliant photograph

Could the letters on the radiator be part of Pagefield. If so it was made by Walker Brothers in Wigan.

Hi Rev. David I remember when I was a child Deakin's had a factory in Bradford Place (off Chapel Lane) When it was the Queen's Coronation we had a street party there lovely memories

mike. I would say it was built by Walker Bros. See:-
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Pagefield
Extract:-
1913. Produced the N model, a subsidy 4ton lorry using a 42 hp Dorman engine and supplied 519 to the Forces. It remained in production until 1931.

mike - I was wondering about the make of the lorry - you could be right. Is there a list anywhere of the Pagefield output? This could be a more historically important pic if this is indeed a Pagefield lorry.

Thanks for that Ernest.

Whilst researching the casualties on the Ince WW1 Memorial, I found a cutting in the Wigan Archives (uncatalogued) referring to the death of the Deakins' son, Robert of the RFC in 1917. For some reason nothing about him appears on the Commonwealth War Graves site, but there is this in the family history (Note his middle name - another local jam maker):
http://www.deakin.broadwaymanor.co.uk/first-world-war/robert-deakin-45-squadron-RFC.html

William R. Deakin, one of the founders, with John Hartley Hodson, of yeast merchants and jam manufacturers Deakin & Hodson of Wigan. Deakin then went on to set up Deakin's Jam at the Eclipse Works in Wigan. I am gradually writing up a history of Deakin's Jam (www.deakinsjam.co.uk or deakin.broadwaymanor.co.uk).

DJTW drop me an email I have some info. on the company. I was intending writing a history myself<g>
ron@wiganworld.co.uk