What does the place-name Coccium mean?
It seems that the name "Coccium" is connected with the colour red. But why should this colour be associated with first century Wigan?
The website roman-britain suggests that the Latin word "coccum", meaning "scarlet", is the most likely derivation. It says that the "scarlet" reference could mean, "fields of poppies, a battlefield spattered with blood, or even a particularly notable brothel." - Interesting!!
John Hannavy (2003) says that the presence of red sand and clay in the area is the reason for the name; but believes that the derivation is a Latinised version of the Celtic word "coccion" or "cochion" meaning "red".
There are several interesting offshoots arising from these points. First of all, I've never been aware of the presence of red sand or clay in the Wigan area as Hanavey states - at least not until my attention was drawn to an article by E. Waddelove (2001). As evidence that Coccium was located at Standish (about 3 miles north of Wigan), Waddelove cites the presence of red sandstone in this area. A nearby Hamlet named Red Rock is a further indication of a local, reddish landscape.
The roman-britain site, mentioned above, has an interesting addition to the debate. It gives "cocus" or "coquus" meaning "cook", as a possible but less likely root and states that this could mean there may have been a "mansio" on this site - a supposition later proved by the Millgate dig in 2005. (A "mansio" was a roadside guest house for travelling officials.)
Is it possible that the presence of ironstone in the area has given rise to the name? It is to be noticed that the name "Orrell" is said to mean "hill where iron-ore is found". (Orrell is situated a few miles west of Wigan.)
Earlier in his article, Waddelove quotes other writers who give Edgeworth as the site of Coccium, stating as evidence that the streams in the area sometimes "run red with iron". Streams in Wigan also "run red with iron". Yellow Brook , in the Haigh Hall Country Park, is often more red than yellow and is so named because of the colour of the iron compounds it contains. It has to be said that the presence of iron compounds in the stream is due to the draining of old mine workings through the "Great Sough of Haigh" rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon. There are, however, puddles of "ochre" occurring at various points on the edges of streams such as Millbrook in Shevington and Deane Brook in Orrell. It is possible that before the area was developed there were many more of these "ochre" pools. If, as seems likely, Coccium was in Wigan, then this could well be the reason for its name.
Perhaps a perceptive Romano-British observer anticipated the extensive use of red brick in
Wigan's buildings almost 2000 years later.