Wigan Album
Bridge Street, Leigh 1890’s.
9 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 33924
The chimney was part of an old silk weaving mill originally built in 1827, by William Walker and Co.
The pub on the right is the Pied Bull and opposite, on the other side of the street, but out of camera shot is, the Brown Cow. Rooms of the Pied Bull were once used Leigh’s court house before it was demolished around 1890.
A photo that is in the Wigan and Leigh Archives.
It always amazes me that there was so much poverty & hardship in those days but the folk in the photo look well dressed & the streets clean & tidy....except for what the horses left behind! A really nice image Keith.
I have never seen that photo before and agree with Helen on how well-dressed the people look. Perhaps it was a Sunday? People did keep what few "good" clothes they had for Sundays at one time, sometimes getting them out of "pawn" for the weekend before they were handed back in on Monday morning to bring in a couple of shillings for food for the coming week. The ladies look so elegant in their long skirts. A moment caught forever on a quiet day in Leigh.
I agree with Helen....the people do appear very well-dressed. It makes me wonder if it was a Sunday, as people were poor but proud and kept clothes for "Sunday Best" back then, even getting them out of the pawn shop for the weekend before they were sadly returned there on Monday mornings to bring in a couple of shillings for food. The ladies look so elegant in their long skirts. This is my second attempt at a comment on this photo....please excuse me if my original one eventually appears as well but I seem to be having problems uploading comments at the moment....sometimes they appear, some times they don't. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.
I agree Irene as the majority of people were more dignified and had respect. They made the most of what they had.
Just looking at the two young boys looking at the boy leaning on the window who looks ‘coloured’ , a bit unusual for the time.
I'm trying to get my bearings of where the photo was taken, is it the part of The Avenue near to where Abbey Street would be now on the right and with Leigh Road far into the foreground, or was Bridge Street a part of Leigh Road at one time with the photographer stood on the corner at the end of The Avenue.
Veronica I too thought the boy leaning on the shop front looked to be a black boy, the three other boys seem to have a mixture of hats too from a mob cap a flat cap and a boater and as said all the boys looking very smartly dressed. Leigh has always had a diversity of population when I'd go doing jobs there when working at the council there were plenty of Polish, Ukrainian and Chinese folks.
Yes Cyril, guided by the present day maps, Bridge Street is now known as Leigh Road. The “The Pied Bull” is known as “The First and Last” or was in 2021, with Asda and Acorn Printing Services on the other side of the road.
Cheers Keith, got it now, though The Pied Bull seems a much better name for a pub.
Could not agree more, Cyril.
The Pied Bull was called The Avenue at one time.