Wigan Album
CRISPIN ARMS
12 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 31290
This mainly concerned beer houses, The Miners’ Tent beer house, the Spotted Cow, the Crispin Arms and the Bowling Green (Swinley Ward). A demand that the landlord of the first pub Mr Thomas Turner produce his “strap” or credit book. Turner denied that he was ever told that a man named Ashcroft (a collier) was due £10 to him or that he said he would doubt he would get the money while the petition was on, the credit book was of little use.
He denied he’d treated anyone on the day of the election, nor that he had made out a bill for election beer. Other witnesses were questioned and amongst many stories, claims that people came to houses asking them to vote on behalf of Mr Powell and on the day of the election, and inviting them into the Crispin Arms to get breakfast. While there, they were invited to vote for the Conservative candidate.
Having voted they returned to the Crispin Arms at the request of the same people, where they had some peppermint and a bottle of cider, followed by bread and cheese and two gallons of beer. This was taken upstairs and “plenty” of men followed.
Another witness denied that he had brought 40 men from the Ince District (just over the boundary from the Crispin), nor did he see the men at the Crispin Arms with staves (wooden sticks/clubs), he continued “They seemed like ordinary, peaceable individuals, and not like fighting men imported into the district” (laughter).
It’s a long article but was of particular interest since almost 70 years later in 1950, my parents took over the tenancy of the Crispin Arms mentioned in the newspaper. The upstairs room where they consumed the “free” beer, is where the Riley’s in the 1930’s practised their wrestling and where we held birthday parties and watched the coronation in 1953 and Rugby League Cup Final of 1952. The photo dates from around that time in the 1950's.
A great 'frozen in time' scene it warms the cockles of my heart! Not far from where I lived. Mam busy scrubbing the step, little lads 'hanging about' and another mum going shopping. Fascinating glimpse of history with the accompanying story. Tales of bribery and corruption it was ever thus - if true!
Veronica, the little lad "hanging about" is me and that is mam, donkeying the step.
I wonder if you can still buy donkey stone today Veronica? What would today's youngsters think seeing the rag and bone man.
I remember the picture from before Keith - it's brilliant.
Linma I'm not sure about being able to buy the donkey stones but we used to run after the rag and bone man. We once had a ride on a horse and cart all along Vauxhall Rd- it was thrilling! I don't think Children today would even notice!
The last two windows on the left belonged to number 45 Birkett Bank, (the one with a bottle of milk outside the front door), the pub was number 47. The Myers family lived here, Their family had the pub before we took over and the name of the large upstairs room that eluded me, was known as the club room.
Hi Veronica, it's me again, just had to share this with you from 2013 in a Manchester newspaper......
"The old donkey stone - used to scrub and colour doorsteps 100 years ago - is alive and kicking in the 21st century.
They're selling like hot cakes on Ashton under Lyne indoor market.
The scouring stones, named after their trademark donkey imprint, were made from powdered stone quarried in Wigan and Northampton. One of the biggest manufacturers was in Ashton.
Eli Whalley, founded in the 1890s, produced 2.5m donkey stones a year during its heyday in the 1930s but closed in 1979.
The machinery used to make the stones was saved by the Friends of Tameside Museum Service and today is housed at Portland Basin Industrial Museum in Ashton. "
Well you have done your homework Keith! Fancy that ... I bet they don't accept a few rags for the stones though. I wonder how much they cost today. Real powdered stone - just to make a line at the edge of a step, if my memory serves me well. I remember the ladies in our street mopped their steps one after another. If one did their step, then another turban clad neighbour did theirs - it was like a competition who had the best mopped step in the street. Makes you wonder when and why the tradition started.
A gradely post Keith. Thanks.
I hadn't previously known that the stone had been hewn in Wigan - Hewn, in fact, from Appley Bridge quarry.
Veronica.I bet there was a big sigh of relief when Cardinal Red paint became fashionable for steps and window sills.
I suppose stone was used less and less for steps Jack. The trend for tiles became more popular and they were covered in the red cardinal paint. My step has earthenware tiles over concrete. I just give it a wipe once a week! I remember some of the old stone steps used to be worn down in the middle because of wear. It mustn't have been a very durable material for that purpose really and it's expensive anyway these days. The same with the old stone flags which I love.
Keith,,I was at the coronation party in 1953,,,I used to live at Clarington Brook,,last house in Darlington St East,,lived there till 1955 ,remember you and your sister Ann
Hi Jim, thanks for responding. The upstairs "clubroom" was used on a number of occasions for different "events" - the coronation being one. However, for me, as a 11 year old in 1953, the most memorable was watching the Charlie Chaplin films. They were a feature of my sister's birthday parties, I often wonder who the guy was who my father hired, to bring the projector and show the films.