Wigan Album

What a difference to children of today. A fascinating photo of another time, Gerry. Thankyou.

Brilliant picture, was York St, in Higher Ince? I was born in Smiths St. at the top of Belle Green Lane but i can,t remember where York St. was.

Hi Marlene Directions to York St Ince... walk up Belle Green Lane, walk under railway bridge near the bush pub Belle Green School on your left then Bryham St. keep walking to the next Street on your left, this is Francis St. turn into Francis St, then turn first right into York St.. Voila ! where was Smiths St? was it near Harry Mitchells farm?

Don't they look bonny sturdy children.A lovely photograph Gerry.

Well whatever it cost to take this photo, it was well worth it and can be looked back with pride. The cloggs was a familiar sight, and just you remember you modern kids out there, No Hotwater No TVs and possibly No electric supply.
Lovely photo Gerry, thanks.

hello marlene,i cant remember where smith st was , was it somewhere nr the prince of wales pub ? i lived in york st,it was off frances st,or at the other end off prince st i remember some cains and your name rings a bell marlene also i think frances and maybe billy? i think they lived right at the top near harry michels,i remember you put a lovly comment about my mothers wedding photo(annie beckett nee mawdsley) the boy in the pic is my uncle john and the girl i cant remember her name,not that i knew her but mam told me once,i think she was a cousin or second cousin.3cson

gerry i think this photo may be the back of 20 york st, if you compare this with the one on doorstep with my mam and your dad its a different door and step,the one at the front was all nice and donkey stoned, they probabley didnt bother about the back ha ha although i always remember loving doing the step and we always did the back one as well i even did albert currans next door.

Hi Josie, Gerry,s kindly put a map on here and as you can see Smith st. was at the top of Belle Green Lane, and i do have a brother Billy along with four others and did have two sisters sadly only one sister now.

marlene do you remember us becketts, i seem to remember you i have three sisters madeline, sandra (sadly not with us anymore) and pat i have two brothers raymond always known as jimmy, and andrew the youngest.if you remember minnies shop we lived 4 doors up we went to st williams school and i knew you lived somewhere near harry michell,my grandma lived on bell green lane about 2 or 3 doors from the prince her name was maggie mawdsley hope you remember us marlene gerry is my cousin they lived in battersby st.

Hi Josie unfortunatly i dont remember the name Beckett, i never forget a face but i,m hopless at remembering names sorry.

I knew a mamdaline beckett from st williams school, she was in my class. she was a very good at drawings. there is a pictue of her in the old album schools

After all this time I have just realised that I never put a date on here...It was 1924

generations of my Cains were from Francis st. and York st. how I wish I'd taken pics before they went.dbms1

yes marleine thats my sister she is 71 now and lives in america she left wigan in the 60s and had 11 children 10 of which are still living and yes she was a fantastic drawer or should i say artist,my sister pat was the same and my younger brother andrew is exeptional.

Hi does any of you remember my family Ellen naylor (Nellie) husband jack daughter Joyce n sond jackie n William . Joyce was my mum I remember her talking a lot about York street x

sharon,i do remember your mam,oh my god naylors prob spelt it wrong lol they lived across from us woaaaaaaaa x

I believe the girl is my mother, Eveline Mellan, who lived at 17 Francis Street with her great aunt, Harriet Ford (nee McMahon). I understand Harriet's sister Ellen McDonald lived at 20 York Street and that her daughter Annie married William Mawdsley.

Sorry, I got the wrong information, I understand it was Annie's daughter who married William

hi tom, my mother ellen anne mawdsley married name beckett was born at 20 york st she told me that the girl in this pik was a cousin and the lad is my mams brother john my uncle ,my mam married james beckett in 1939 and moved to 9 york st where i was born i looked on the 1925 cencus foryork st and ellen macdonald lived at 20 york st then she was some relation to us , my grandma margaret mawdsley (maggie } lived there when she was married to william mawdsley my grandma and grandad my mams parents they had a son william who died age 21 in the trenches they had 6 children but i dont know of annie marrying a william ? all the names are there but i am lost on that tom please keep
in touch xxx

Hi Tom, these are our relations you are referring too, in our family tree our spellings are mc donnell, can you confirm? Ellen had a son Patrick he was my grandmas uncle, paddy as we knew him died in thornley house Hindley in the fifties, our grandma Margaret Mary penworth married William Mawdsley in 1916 at St williams.

Sorry again Josie. I should have gone further when I said that it was Annie's daughter who married William. Annie married Albert Penworth and their daughter's name was Margaret. Gerry, I think the spelling of McDonnel is an error as in the 1925 Ince Directory Ellen McDonald is living at 20 York Street. Also in the same grave as Ellen, C182, Patrick and Edward McDonald are buried. The other person buried in the same grave is I believe your Grandad William.

Tom Josie and I are cousins, my dad john and her mum anne were brother and sister......they were children of Margaret and William Mawdsley I am trying to work out were you fit in

Hi Gerry, my sisters and I are sure the girl in the photo is our Mum who was raised in Francis Street. If I'm correct, Ellen McDonald,nee McMahon, would have been her great aunt and your Grandma's Grandma.

tom that sounds about right and how funny before i saw these comments i was only the other day thinking about my grandad william mawdsley and paddy being in the same grave and wondering if any one else was in there well now i know !! did you live in ince tom ? and where do you live now x

Hi Josie, no I am a Leyther, now living in Middlewich.

tom who was evelyns mamand dad ? and where did they live what was her maiden name , my mam said she was her cousin ? and she wrote on the back of the photo who she was and i have seen this photo at my mams house but now cant find it but now you have said evilyn i remember it so tom we must be relaited somehow what are your sisters names ? i would love to know more xxx