Wigan Album

Great photo. I wonder what's in the bag held by the bloke at the front?

Was it Malc Hollands butties

A Ferret??????

pigeon racing timing bag ????

does anyone know if there are any hodsons or arbuthnot or ashurst on this photo as they were my late husbands relatives. his relatives hodsons used to have the free trade pub also in new springs.

I wonder does anyone have any names to the gents faces as my grandad lived in New Springs at that time, i never met him or saw a photograph of him but i,d be pleased to know just incase.

I have been told that the man with the bag is my Grandfather's brother, Jack Brown, my Grandfather, James Brown is also in this picture. Both of them were very keen Pigeon Fanciers so the contents of the bag may well have something to do with pigeons.

A Ferret ?

If the landlord is the one wearing the bowler hat then it looks as if he's Thomas Gormally, the landlord. At a guess he's around 40 years of age in this photo which means the Thomas Gormally who died in Wigan in 1958 aged 78 might be the same one.

The landlord, Thomas Gormally, is the bare-headed man standing in the doorway. He was my grandfather.

The photo dates from before 1920. Thomas and his wife, Kate,took over the tenancy of the Commercial Inn at Top Lock from Thomas's mother, Catherine, around 1916 and ran it until 1928.

Great photograph. My relatives from Top Lock ran the Commercial Inn.
Lived in Cale Lane. My Grandad was Michael Gormally married to Annie Ainscough. He was awarded the Military Medal in WW1.

In fact Thomas must be my Grandad's brother. I heard a story that a relative threw a Policeman into the canal at the Commercial Inn at Top Lock. He was sent overseas, to Australia I think. I have two uncles in their 90s - Peter in Blackpool, and Jim in New Springs.