List of people from the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
This is a list of people from Wigan, in North West England. The demonym of Wigan is Wiganer; however, this list may include people from the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wigan—from Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Atherton, Leigh, Tyldesley, and other areas in the borough. This list is arranged alphabetically by surname:
| Table of contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
A
[edit]- Andy Ainscow (born 1968), former footballer[1]
- James Anderton, former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police[2]
- Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve, born in Billinge[3]
- Chris Ashton, England rugby league and rugby union international, born in Wigan[4]
- Bill Ashurst, rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s for Great Britain, Lancashire, Wigan, Penrith Panthers, Wakefield Trinity, and Runcorn Highfield, born in Wigan[5]
B
[edit]- Alan R. Battersby, (born 1925) is a FRS and organic chemist known for his work on the genetic blueprint, structure, and synthetic pathway of Cyanocobalamin.[6]
- Tom Billington, professional wrestler under the ring name 'Dynamite Kid', one half of tag-team 'The British Bulldogs' with Davey Boy Smith, born in Golborne[7]
- Margery Booth, opera singer and World War II spy, born in Wigan[8]
- Thomas Burke, international operatic tenor; born in Leigh in 1890 and attended St Joseph's School in Leigh; the Leigh Wetherspoon's pub is named after him[9]
- Kay Burley, presenter and newsreader on Sky News, born in Beech Hill, Wigan[citation needed]
- James Burton, built several early cotton mills in Hindsford and Tyldesley, born in Clitheroe[10]
C
[edit]- Duncan Cleworth, born in Leigh and a member of Tyldesley Swimming Club competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.[11]
D
[edit]- Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901–1957), psychologist, born in Leigh[12]
- Kathryn Drysdale, actress
E
[edit]- Edith Edmonds, artist[13]
- Shaun Edwards, rugby league player and coach of London Wasps rugby union coach; Wales national rugby union team defence coach[14]
- Greg Ellis, actor and voiceover artist[citation needed]
- Edward Entwistle, driver of Stephenson's Rocket[15]
F
[edit]- Georgie Fame, real name Clive Powell, R&B singer and keyboard player, born in Leigh[16]
- Joseph Farington (1747–1821), watercolour artist, diarist and Royal Academician was born in Leigh where his father was the vicar.[17]
- Andrew Farrell, former international rugby player of both codes, born and raised in Wigan[18] and current head coach of the Ireland rugby union team
- Brian Finch, Wigan-born script-writer who contributed 151 episodes of Coronation Street over a period of 12 years[19]
- Henry Finch (1633–1704), Presbyterian minister ejected from Church of England, born in Standish[20]
- Phil Fletcher, puppeteer [21]
- George Formby, Jr., comedian, ukulele player and actor[22]
G
[edit]- Joe Gormley, former president of the National Union of Mineworkers[23]
- Andy Gregory, former Wigan rugby league player, born in Ince in Makerfield, now lives in Ashton in Makerfield.[24]
- Mike Gregory, former Great Britain national rugby league team and Warrington Wolves captain, former Wigan Warriors coach, born in Wigan[25]
- John Elisha Grimshaw, recipient of the Victoria Cross, of "6 VCs before breakfast" fame[26]
H
[edit]- Eddie Halliwell (born 1979 or 1980), disc jockey[27]
- Roger Hampson (1925–1996), artist, printmaker and teacher, born in Tyldesley[28]
- Keith Harris, music industry consultant & artist manager (Stevie Wonder), former chair of UK Music's Diversity & Equality Taskforce, grew up in Wigan.[29]
- Thomas Highs (1718–1803), inventor of cotton spinning machinery, born in Leigh[30]
- James Hilton, author of Goodbye, Mr Chips, born in Leigh[31]
- Arthur John Hope (1875–1960), architect and partner in Bradshaw Gass & Hope, was born and lived in Atherton[32]
I
[edit]- James Lawrence Isherwood, prolific impressionist/expressionist painter[33]
- Robert Isherwood, born in Tyldesley in 1845, was the local miners' agent and treasurer of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation between 1881 and his death in1905.[34]
K
[edit]- Shaun Keaveny, born in Leigh, broadcast his BBC 6 Music breakfast show live from Leigh Library on 11 February 2011[35]
- Thomas Kershaw (1819–1898), pioneer in creating imitation marble, born in Standish[36]
- Roy Kinnear (1934–1988), comedy actor, born in Wigan[37]
- Victoria Knowles (born 1976), author of bestselling book The PA[38]
L
[edit]- Eric Roberts Laithwaite (1921–1997), engineer, known for his development of the linear induction motor and Maglev rail system[39]
- John Lennard-Jones (1894–1954), born in Leigh and attended Leigh Grammar School. He was a physicist and Fellow of the Royal Society.[40]
- Limahl, real name Christopher Hamill, pop rock/dance vocalist, lead singer of Kajagoogoo
- James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford (1783–1869), Earl of Balcarres, built Haigh Hall[41]
- Luke Lowe (1889–?), Wigan-born football player. He briefly played in the Football League Second Division.[42]
M
[edit]- Paul Mason (born 1960), journalist and broadcaster, born in Leigh.[43]
- Jennifer Moss (1942-2006), actress best known for playing Lucille Hewitt in Coronation Street.
- Ian Murphy (born 1963), artist and art educator
N
[edit]- Walter Napier (1875–?), English professional footballer[42]
- Fred Norris (1921–2006) who worked underground at Cleworth Hall Colliery in Tyldesley competed in the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics.[44]
O
[edit]- Sean O’Loughlin, former rugby league player and captain for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain
- Edward Ormerod, mining engineer at Gibfield Colliery; invented the Ormerod detaching hook, an important mining safety device[45]
P
[edit]- Mary Pownall (1862–1937), sculptor, was the daughter of James Pownall the silk manufacturer. She was born and raised in Leigh.[46]
- James Caldwell Prestwich (1852–1940), architect, born in Atherton, who designed many of Leigh's buildings including the town hall.[47]
R
[edit]- Kris Radlinski, former rugby league player for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain, and current CEO of the club.
- Frank Randle, comedian,[48] born in Aspull
- Ted Ray, comedian[49]
- John Roby, folklorist[50]
S
[edit]- Pete Shelley (1955–2018), born Peter Campbell McNeish in Leigh, singer, songwriter and guitarist with the Buzzcocks.[51]
- Nigel Short, chess grandmaster, grew up in Atherton and attended St Philip's School[52]
- Davey Boy Smith, professional wrestler for the WWF and WCW as The British Bulldog[53]
- Danny Sonner, Wigan-born association football player who has represented Northern Ireland national football team[54]
- John Stopford, Baron Stopford of Fallowfield, physician and anatomist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester[55]
T
[edit]- George Taylor, born in Wigan, footballer[56]
- Georgia Taylor, actress best known for playing Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street
- Ella Toone, born in Wigan, footballer for England
- Addin Tyldesley who was born in Tyldesley and a member of the town's swimming and water polo club, competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.[57]
- Elizabeth Tyldesley, (1585–1654) the daughter of Thomas Tyldesley of Morleys Hall, Astley, was a 17th-century abbess at the Poor Clare Convent at Gravelines.[58]
- Thomas Tyldesley, died in the Battle of Wigan Lane[59]
W
[edit]- Charles Walmesley (1722–1797), Roman Catholic Titular Bishop of Rama; born in Langtree[20]
- Dave Whelan, businessman nicknamed "Mr Wigan", founder of JJB Sports, former owner of Wigan Athletic, and former owner of Wigan Warriors[60][61]
- Katie White, member of The Ting Tings, born and brought up in Lowton[62]
- Danny Wilson, Wigan-born association football player and manager[63]
- Gerrard Winstanley, founder of the 17th-century Diggers, born in Wigan.[64]
- James Wood (1672–1759), Presbyterian minister of the first Atherton and Chowbent Chapels, led a force that successfully defended the bridge over the River Ribble at Walton le Dale in the Battle of Preston in 1715.[65]
- Thomas Woodcock, recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in Wigan[66]
- Caleb Wright (1810–1898), Member of Parliament and mill owner who built Barnfield Mills in Tyldesley[67]
See also
[edit]- Hacker T. Dog, fictional dog from Wigan
- Wallace and Gromit, fictional residents of Wigan
- List of people from Greater Manchester
References
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- ^ God's Cop : Biography of James Anderton (Michael Prince, 1989). New English Library Ltd. ISBN 0-450-49362-8
- ^ "Richard Ashcroft, famous people from Billinge".
- ^ "Chris Ashton England". ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Bill Ashurst". England Football Online. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Unveiling of the portrait of Professor Sir Alan Battersby", St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, 15 August 2015, retrieved 30 January 2018
- ^ McCoy, Heath. Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling, Revised Edition.
- ^ "WWII knicker spy Margery Booth photos to be auctioned". BBC News. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ^ Thomas Burke, histclo.com, retrieved 2 November 2009
- ^ Tyldesley. 2 miles E.N.E. from Leigh (p113), Grace's Guide, retrieved 27 June 2012
- ^ Duncan Cleworth Olympic Results, Sports Reference, archived from the original on 18 April 2020, retrieved 1 June 2017
- ^ "Dr Kathleen Drew-Baker (1901-1957)" (PDF). Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ "Edmonds, Edith". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
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- ^ "England's first engine-driver". Otago Witness. No. 2786. New Zealand. 7 August 1907. p. 78. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
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- ^ "Farington, Joseph (1747–1821)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/9161. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ^ "Wigan Warriors - the Official Website". Archived from the original on 27 November 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ Anthony Hayward (30 June 2007), "Brian Finch", The Independent, London, archived from the original on 24 December 2008 Retrieved on 8 December 2008.
- ^ a b "A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 – Standish with Langtree". British History Online. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
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