Wigan Album

otherwise known as ST. MARY'S Lower Ince

Neil, you're right - the Hall of Ince Schools, built when Lower Ince was still part of the Parish of Christ Church in 1866 and 1875, gradually became known as St Mary's Schools under the Revd. Sam Bryson in the 1920s/ 30s.
However, I don't recognise the hopper windows, one of which is open to the right of the group, as belonging to St Mary's buildings - so the main title may be correct, and the subtitle not.

Sorry - I hadn't looked closely enough at the slate being held up by the girl in the centre... which clearly says "Hall of Ince 1911". I was brought to look at it again after finding I already have this pic on file in the St Mary's Archive - it was supplied by Graham Worthington, who, sadly has just died (his Funeral, for those who knew him, is on Friday, September 7th, at St Mary's, at 11 am). His mother, Ann Peglar, is somewhere on the photograph - though he couldn't pinpoint her himself. Her father rejoiced in the name of Silas Peglar, who originally hailed from 1 Polding Street, overlooking Springs Branch off Cemetery Road.

Mr. Polding was landlord of the Old Hall Hotel, hence the street name

There is a Silas Peglar living in Ince Green Lane on the 1925 Ince Directory; the name always conjures up a Dickensian gentleman in my mind.

Does anyone have any recollection of, one,or two, substantial houses, being in the proximity of this school. The house, or houses, were referred to as the Belgium houses. Apparently Belgium refugees were housed there during the first World War.

The Peglars were living at 207 Ince Green Lane when Ann married Thomas Worthington in 1926. When they had Graham in 1934 they were living across the road at 268.
The only 'large' houses in the area were the Hall of Ince and Fir Tree House in Spring View. Most of the rest were terraces at the time of WW1, apart from a few semis on Westwood Lane. I heard no references to Belgium refugees in the parish, or of houses known by the name.

Sorry. I was getting my schools mixed up. There was a school in Ince Green Lane, on the opposite side of the road from St William's Church. My father went to this school, about 1912. During the 1939-45 war, I recollect him pointing the Houses out to me, and the impression, as I remember it, they were quite large dwellings. Sorry to confuse everybody. The school may have been named " Ince Central" I went to St Mary's School in 1938.

Albert, I attended the old Ince Central School in the late 1950s, just before it was demolished; I can remember some quite big houses, different to the usual terraces, but I never heard them referred to as The Belgian Houses.However, I WAS only very young and maybe the adults called them that.

Thanks to Albert & David for alerting me to all this.Silas peglar is my greatgrandfather.He lodged in Polding Street but came from Hereford and met granny in Wigan. The rest is history. I can't tell which is aunty Annie (Ann Peglar) either in the photo.

How lovely that you have seen this, Gail. Wigan World does it again!

how wonderful and interesting are all the comments on here the photo as well , keep it comeing all you wigan folk and all those not from wigan.