Wigan Album
King Street & King Street West, Wigan
7 CommentsPhoto: Daniel Catterall
Item #: 35196
It would be impossible to get King Street and King Street West in one picture. It must be either one or the other.
Did King Street West actually exist in 1864?
If I remember correctly this became the Wigan Examiner building on King Street, demolished in the 1970's along with the curved Quadrant Building on the corner of Rodney Street to make way for that awful new build, I think its called Rodney House.
Having said that I was once inside during the re-build, I think the curved wall that was at the back of once was the stage in the Public Hall is still in existence. I must go in and check.
John Noakes, I don't think it did. This building was at the bottom end of King Street, at Rodney Street junction, like Colin has said. On the drawing above is showning the Public Hall and the County Court next door, which is still standing.
At Rodney Street side was built the Quadrant Building, which connected the Public Hall with the Baptist Church and Public Library on Rodney Street.
The church on Rodney Street wasn't Baptist it was a Christian Meeting House built in 1858 for the Church of Christ; being founded in Wigan by Timothy Coop in 1841. (They also had a chapel on Mitchel Street Newtown).
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/streets/street.php?az=r&street=2959
The Public Library was built 7th May 1878 and on the site of the Grammar School, so it is possible that in 1864 the Grammar School could still have been on that site of Rodney Street (and later corner of Library Street).
Aren't Wigan & Leigh Buildings, wiganworld and Wikipedia wonderful as all have a vast amount of true historical data on Wigan
Cyril, Wigan & Leigh Buildings, wiganworld and Wikipedia, especially Wikipedia, all contain a vast amount of wrong information. It says "Christian Meeting House 1858" on the front of the church on Rodney Street, but nonetheless, it's marked as a 'Particular Baptist Church' on the O.S. map I got that information from, so maybe there is some link?.
... and how did I know you would say that George, you just can't bear it if someone produces evidence to the contrary - look at the links below and read some wonderful truthful evidence, also I don't know how you have the audacity to say that the proficient historiographers at Wigan & Leigh Buildings and other organisations have got it all wrong when they have done extensive research, and by not looking on one map, but many to compare evidence.
Listed as Church of Christ Rodney Street
https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Wigan/parish.html
The only Particular Baptist church listed in Wigan is 'Jireh' Pemberton.
https://www.sbhs.org.uk/updated-chapels-list-for-strict-particular/
Then there is this superb historiography about the chapels at Mitchel Street, Rodney Street and others, written by Fred Foster on wiganworld:
https://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/fredfoster4.php
and by the way, I am no historian, I just like reading the honest truth about it.