Wigan Album

Magic Maurice. Looks like a gasometer behind the town hall and possibly Worthington Mill?

Yes the gas works was behind the council offices and also the fire station was in cross street.

The ambulance station was also in Cross street,where the mill used to be was a lodge which we fished in,William Leyland ( don't call him Bill)used to collect day tickets.

I remember the gas works well, going for bags of coke up Darby lane.The factory up Cross street was only rubble and had been demolishised but I do recall there being what we always thought was an air raid shelter opposite the market.My mother told me that a man,I think she said his name was Cunliffe,who lived in Cross street near the Robert Peel was a hangman who helped Albert Pierrepoint.I don't know if this is true.I just wish I had taken more notice of what older people had to say.

Yes mr cunliffe lived in the row of terraced houses next to what was the old fire station later bradshaws sewing factory

Identical photo was posted to Wiganworld a couple of years ago. Here's the link. http://wiganworld.co.uk/album/photo.php?opt=5&id=14422&gallery=Hindley&offset=140

I know a Mr Cunliffe (now in morecambe), a magician who comes from Hindley and was born behind the fire station. He has a diary from his father, who he claimed was hangman. I thought it seemed a tall tale, But it seems he was telling the truth. There is an official record of hangman called cunliffe.

Hi yes the comments about mr Cunliffe is true. It was my grandad and my grandma was florence cunliffe and the magician mentioned is my dad, Ian Cunliffe

As a child I remember a young girl letting us in her house to see the magicians monkey. Her said her dad was a magician and her Grandad was a hangman.

Hi:)

From a purely historical point of view would anyone know the date when Thomas Cunliffe - assistant executioner (1957-1959) actually passed away ....

Matthew Spicer