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Bryn (Interesting Old News)
Published by Brian on Sunday 24th July 2022
Interesting old news and snippets from the archives for Bryn. These few articles range from 1873 through to 1947...
Cook's shop, Wigan Road, Bryn. (Photo: Brian Brown)
John Bull 01 November 1873
A letter from Wigan states that very recently a collier in Bryn, near Wigan, bought a dog for £37, another gave £50 for a gold watch and chain, and that in not a few of the colliers' homes pianos may be found.
Manchester Evening News 03 August 1883
DEATH FROM HYDROPHOBIA.
John Fearnley, a coachman, of Bryn, near Wigan, died yesterday from hydrophobia. About six weeks ago Fearnley was bitten by a large mastiff dog, the property of his employer, which, up to the had not shown evidence of ferociousness. The dog was shot the following day, and Fearnley's wounds were dressed, but the affair preyed very much on his mind, and on Tuesday distinct signs of hydrophobia presented themselves, and he died in great agony.
Chard and Ilminster News 28 May 1887
COLLIERY EXPLOSION.
NINE MEN ENTOMBED.
An explosion occurred at eight o'clock last night at Lily Lane Colliery (Bryn), near Wigan. The night shift consisted of about nine men, a blast of wind knocked them down rendering them insensible. An alarm being raised, Mr. Isaac James, manager, and Mr. Grinke, mining engineer, descended with a party, and, according to best information obtainable, found one man, John Lowe, dead; two others, John Harrison and Peter Clare, are undiscovered, with little hope of rescue.
Four others were brought up suffering from gas and bruises. The explosion was felt at Edge Hill Colliery, which communicates with Lily Lane, a mile distant.
In later telegrams the Press Association correspondent says the explosion at Bryn Colliery near Wigan, has thus far resulted in the loss of one life, and two other men are still entombed with little chance of being rescued. The man killed was a married man, named Lowe. Two members of the exploring party fell exhausted during the search last night.
Manchester Times 14 January 1898
ALLEGED DRUGGING.
An inquiry was held at Bryn (Wigan), on Monday, relative to the death of John Baldwin, collier. The police stated that on the night of the 4th inst. Baldwin, who was intoxicated, was left by two women at the house of a fellow workman named Bullpit. The deceased's clothing was disarranged, and his pockets being turned inside out, and he stated he had been drugged and robbed. On the following day Bullpit removed Baldwin home. Deceased was then unconscious, and remained so until his death, which took place on Thursday. Dr. Molyneux deposed that death was due to an effusion of blood on the brain, which might have been caused by drugging. The Coroner said the police had been unable to trace the women referred to. He thought it would be a dangerous thing to say deceased had died from natural causes. The jury retuned an open verdict.
Banbury Advertiser 23 November 1911
A RAILWAY ADVENTURE.
STRANGE STORY AT THE ASSIZES.
A Liverpool young lady's account of a remarkable adventure in a train gave a strange turn to a case dealt with by Mr. Justice Lush and a special jury in the Civil Court at Manchester Assizes, when Frederick Worswick, eighteen, of Bryn, near Wigan, brought a claim against the London and North-Western Railway Company for damages for personal injuries. The youth was studying for an examination as an accountant while at the same time working in Wigan. On the evening of February 3rd he took the train from Bryn from Wigan, and his story was that just after the train steamed away he was standing up in the compartment to take a book he was studying from the pocket of a jacket under his overcoat when the train lurched in crossing points, and pitched him against the carriage door, which flew open. He caught the inside and outside handles of the door and hung on for a time, but finally fell and was thrown under the train, sustaining injuries so serious that both legs had to be amputated. Worswick said there was a young lady in the compartment who did nothing to save him except pull the communication cord, and the train did not stop.
The young lady in the compartment was a Miss Harper, of Wavertree, Liverpool. Both stated they were unknown to each other, but Miss Harper's account in evidence was that the youth, after trying to draw her into conversation, insulted her by behaving indecently, that she then pulled the communication cord, and that Worswick threatened to throw himself out if she continued, and finally opened the door of the carriage, and though she attempted to catch him by the collar, and did, in fact, clutch him by the coat tails, he got out, and after hanging on the door handles for a short time let go and fell on to the line.
Evidence was called to show she made a statement immediately after the train arrived at Bryn, and the company also called expert evidence to show that the lock of the carriage door was closed when the train left Wigan, and that if closed the make of the lock ensured that it must be fast and could not open to pressure.
The Judge said plaintiff's story was totally uncorroborated.
The jury found a verdict for the defendant company, the foreman stating they believed the young lady's story.
Dundee Evening Telegraph 13 February 1929
RECORD ATTENDANCE.
William Shaw, aged 58, colliery worker, of Rose Hill, Bryn, near Wigan, has been presented with a special prize for not having been absent or late at the Park Lane Unitarian Chapel for the last 50 years. It is claimed that this is a record for the country.
Sheffield Independent 08 August 1934
NECK BROKEN IN DIVE
ASKERN MINER'S DEATH AT BRIDLINGTON
Mr. Tom Simms (41), miner, of 6, Instone terrace, Askern, who, as reported in yesterday's "Daily Independent," broke his neck when diving into the sea at Bridlington on Monday, died in hospital there yesterday.
Mr. Simms, who was a native of Bryn, near Wigan, had lived at Askern for over ten years and was employed at the Askern Main Colliery. He leaves a widow and five children, the youngest only six years of age.
He was one of a party which travelled to Bridlington for a day by the sea on Monday. He apparently struck his head on some unseen object under the surface of the water. He was seen to be injured and a companion, Mr. Lewis Hewitt, another miner, of Manor road, Askern, immediately went to his assistance and pulled him out.
He was taken to the hospital, and his wife and eldest son were summoned to his bedside on Monday night.
Liverpool Echo 26 November 1936
'Young And Foolish When Married'
"Husband Could Marry Other Woman"
"God bless you", murmured James Willie Bent, aged 39, collier, of Deal, a native of Bryn, Wigan, when Justice Lawrence at Manchester Assizes, to-day, sentenced him to four days' imprisonment, which meant his immediate release.
Bent had pleaded guilty to a charge of bigamy, and his wife, and the "wife" of the bigamous marriage, gave evidence of his behalf and left the court with him.
Bent was married in 1928 and there was one child. He left his wife in 1929. In 1933, at Wigan, he went through the bigamous marriage at a registry office. The woman understood he was single, but in 1934, Bent admitted he was married, whereup she told the police.
The lawful wife, in evidence, said they were young and foolish when married and had no home of their own. She now wanted a separation so that her husband could marry the other woman.
The other woman said Bent had been good to her and there was a child. Bent said his wife was going to get a divorce and then he would be married again.
Sunday Post 25 June 1939
WOMEN WAIT IN RAIN TO
SEE BOXER'S BRIDE
A crowd of several hundred waited in the rain outside Golborne, Lancs, Parish Church yesterday for the wedding of Peter Kane, the ex-flyweight boxing champion of the world.
Women waiting in the churchyard had to use umbrellas to shield them from rain which dripped from the trees. Shortly before the bride, Miss Margaret Dunne, of Bryn, near Wigan, arrived for the ceremony a half-hour late, the weather repented, and the umbrellas were put away.
Kane had been waiting in the front pew for his bride, who was given away by her uncle, Mr William Almond.
After the ceremony the couple had to run the gauntlet of showers of confetti before reaching their car, to the back of which had been tied an old pair of boxing gloves.
Kane, who is 21, met his bride some years ago at a dance. She is 20.
Kane relinquished the fly-weight championship title some time ago, and now fights at bantam-weight.
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail 08 August 1947
72 Years in the Mine
MR JOSEPH BROGAN (81), of Bryn Road, Bryn, near Wigan, has retired after working 72 years below ground in the coal mines. He began work as a bot of nine at Brighouse in Yorkshire and for the past 57 years has worked at the Garswood Hall Collieries near Wigan. Always punctual, Mr Brogan invariably went down the pit with the first winding. He was awarded the B.E.M. last year for services to the coal industry.
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