Wigan Album

ON THE REVERSE OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IT SAYS No.1 SWIFTS YARD, TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF SCHOLES NEAR TO WHERE WOODCOCK HOUSE IS NOW.

There looks to be a woman sat on the window ledge of next doors upstairs room cleaning the outside of the sash window, a common sight at one time.

It makes my toes curl seeing that woman cleaning the windows. My mother used to hold onto my legs cleaning our back windows. Just to save money - perhaps a couple of shillings.
Is that the Lodging House that became a sewing factory does anybody know?

Whitehall Lodging House was located at 101 Millgate, not 13 Millgate.
13 Millgate is near the town centre.

Just found an old newspaper article from the Wigan Observer and District Advertiser 28 July 1894.

Lot 11, freehold premises, No 101, Millgate, Wigan, known as "Whitehall Lodging House," with shop at front, and two houses in yard behind, together with vacant land in the rear thereof, and containing 540 square yards or thereabouts, sold for £610.

Veronica, the lodging house that became Anderson Sewing Factory was The King Edward Lodging House ,it was under the same ownership as The Royal George, a Liverpool company .
Hope you're keeping well.

Phil Looks like I miss read the info. On the wall it says "REGISTERED COMMON LODGING HOUSE No.13" Which may be the Lodging house number.???

Thanks Tom at first glance I thought it was that one on the left hand side going up Scholes. You are correct it was the King Edward. I can’t place the other one unless it was the one opposite the Horseshoe pub.
I am not too bad at the moment thank you. after having a confrontation with a kitchen cupboard falling off its hinges! Hope all is well with you and the family.

Veronica, you are correct this is the one opposite the Horse Shoe Inn.

I thought it was Phil T. I recall Hannon’s rag shop next door! it was a very dilapidated building that you walked down some steps to go inside. Very dark and damp as well.

They do look to be very dark and as you say Veronica damp as well, and with being close to the river I'd expect them to have a few rats lodging there too, and I'd guess the folks who stopped there for a night or so would leave scratching at the bites from either fleas/bedbugs or from both, and unaware that they're carrying a few home in their suitcases, though I may well be wrong and the lodging house to have been as clean and hospitable as a top London hotel of the time.

Compared to the other panes of glass the woman has got a really good shine on them, they're absolutely glistening, hope she was appreciated for that and her dangerous feat of balancing.

Phil, if I had a choice between having a drink here at the Black Lion or over the road at the Horse Shoe - I think I'd definitely choose the Horse Shoe, even with the Black Lion looking ever so inviting and welcoming?

Is this were Douglas house flats are the river Douglas would be on the left side of the photo

I don't know where you find these photo's Ron there brilliant think we should make you Mayor this is what Wiganworld is all about

This isn't the King Edward, the windows are wrong. This place was directly across the road from the Horseshoe exactly where Tom says.

I am intrigued by all comments, the location of the Lodging House and indeed the Black Lion Pub.
First of all I would would someone please clarify if the numbering for properties on Millgate starts at Scholes Bridge or at the junction with Standishgate? this would possibly narrow down the location.
Secondly on Wiganworld - Pubs of the Past, Scholes pubs in 1900 there are no pubs listed as being The Black Lion. There is a Red Lion right at the top of Scholes way past Greenough Street (which I think is still there) and a Black Swan roughly at the top of Upper Morris Street.
The pub opposite the Horseshoe at the junction of Station Road and Millgate is listed as being The Waggon and Horses and a little further up on the corner of Millgate and Douglas Street, The Douglas Tavern.
Finally there was the a Common Lodging House opposite the Horseshoe Pub, last run by the very respectable Harris family who I new quite well when I was young before it was demolished around 1960.
I recall that the Lodging House was perhaps three stories high and had a covered entry leading onto a small courtyard, the family would have lived to the right and the entrance to the lodging house on the left. I don't remember the front looking quite as impressive as the picture above also the building next door down in my minds eye was set slightly back and perhaps had a guard rail at the side to stop loiterers hanging about in the recess on dark nights.
What had been the Douglas Tavern further up was lived in by the Hayes family demolished at the same time.
Further down was was a workshop that made sprung interior mattresses (a name similar to Stringfellow comes to mind) and on the floor above above a man who made waxwork heads, I think for Madam Tussauds or so he once told me. Hannon's was at the bottom on the corner a veritable Aladdin's Cave of goods, old clothes, gas masks and WW2 army surplus etc.
At the back was an area of spare land which had one wall in the centre, all that remained of a WW2 Air Raid Shelter and a garage selling second hand cars, I think Trevor Lake once had it before moving to Prescot Street.