Wigan Album

I also have a copy of this photo. My mother (Ann Sutton)was also a Pit Brow Lass. She is not on this photo but two of my Aunties are. Back row, left side is Auntie Bessie Metcalfe and next to her Auntie Agnes Calter. This photo appeared in the Wigan Evening Post on May 15th 1996 when Martin Cruz Smith, best selling author of Gorky Park, visited Wigan to research his book 'Rose' based on Victorian Wigan. My mother Ann and her sister Agnes met Martin Cruz Smith at Wigan Pier where he presented them both with a signed copy of his book.

What an ace shot, such happy faces, such a hard job. This is the epitome of Wigan women of the time. These girls went on to be mothers, grandma's. It's very interesting to see cheers!

My mother is in this picture, centre of the front row. Her name was Evelyne Wilcock, she said those were the happiest days of her life. Hard work but she loved it. She lived to be 85, sadly she passed away 4 years ago. r.i.p.

Bessie Metcalfe was my wonderful mother in law she is on the left on the back row .she went on to have children grandchildren and great grandchildren who all loved her dearly rip granny blue xx

If any of you here have stories about the your relations who worked as Pit Brow Lasses, I would love to have them. Anything at all would be helpful.
I am involved in a play about the Pit Brow Lasses.

The lady bottom front is my Grandma Annie Prior new Potter, she had a broken jaw in the photograph. From playing ball games with her friends.
She was beautiful and went on to be a mental
Health nurse at Winwick