Friday 23rd November, 2007

Wigan in 1698

In 1698, during a tour of Cheshire and Lancashire, Celia Fiennes visited Wigan. She made this comment about the town:

"Wiggons is another pretty market town built of stone and brick..."

This is quite a complimentary comment which is at odds with many modern perceptions of what Wigan was like in the past.

Celia Fiennes

Celia Fiennes was a remarkable lady. She was born in 1662 and died in 1741. Between 1685 and about 1712 she toured the country on horseback, making notes about anything interesting or curious which she encountered. During her travels she visited every county in England.

Eventually, she expanded her notes into an extensive account which was meant only for her family but which later gained a deservedly wider audience. Her writing style is straightforward, honest and perhaps a little naive. She shows an almost childlike enthusiasm when describing the things she discovered.

Roads Around Wigan

Celia was not impressed with the standard of the roads around Wigan. She describes the way from Prescott, near Liverpool, to Wigan as being "tedious", saying that it took her 5 hours to go 14 miles, whereas around London she could have travelled 30 miles in the same time. The road was "...mostly in lanes and some hollow ways, and some pretty deep stony ways so forced us upon the high Causey (embankment) many (times)."

The countryside was wooded with several lakes. In particular, she mentions Martin Mere, which she takes great care to avoid because of the dangers associated with it. She notes that there had been attempts to drain the mere "...so as to be able to use the ground for tillage...".

The Preston-Wigan road met with even less approval. Celia states:

"Preston is reckon'd but 12 mile from Wiggon but they Exceed in Length by farre those that I thought long the day before from Leverpoole;"

Wigan's Curiosities

There were several things of interest which caught Celia's attention in Wigan. One was the use of cannel coal. She describes its remarkable burning properties and purchased some cannel ornaments "for Curiosity sake."

While in the Wigan area, Celia took a two mile journey along the Warrington road to visit "...the Burning Well which burns like Brandy;"

On her way to Preston she passed by "Sir John Bradshawes house" (Haigh Hall). She describes the setting of this fine building in glowing terms, but what seems to have caught her interest most is a carved pillar, which appears to have been a monument to "an officer" who was killed in a fight when he fell on the point of his sword after being thrown by his horse.

She describes it in this way:

"just in the Road on the banck where on the hedge stood was Errected a high stone pillar Carv,d and a ball on ye top with an inscription Cutt on it shewing the Cause of it, being the monument of an officer..."

This may be a reference to the Tyldesley monument which stands in Wigan Lane and marks the spot where Sir Thomas Tyldesley was killed during the battle of Wigan Lane in 1651. The "ball on the top" certainly is an aspect of this monument, but the pillar is neither carved nor inscribed - the inscription is on an attached plaque. Also the monument is not close to Haigh Hall although she would have passed it on her way there.

Perhaps she misremembered her observations when she expanded her notes, or, perhaps, this is a reference to a different pillar; one which no longer exists.

Celia's Legacy

Celia appears to have enjoyed her stay in the Wigan area. Her descriptions of the town and district are positive and paint a picture of a rural, prosperous market town.

Read a full description of Celia's visit to Cheshire and Lancashire here.

More about Celia from wikipedia here.