List of people from 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 See also • References

A

• James Anderton, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police[1]
• Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve, born in Billinge[2]
• Chris Ashton, England rugby league and rugby union international, born in Wigan[3]
• 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[4]

B

• 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.[5]
• 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[6]
• Margery Booth, opera singer and World War II spy, born in Wigan[7]
• 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[8]
• Kay Burley, presenter and newsreader on Sky News, born in Wigan[9]
• James Burton, built several early cotton mills in Hindsford and Tyldesley, born in Clitheroe[10]

C

• Duncan Cleworth, born in Leigh and a member of Tyldesley Swimming Club competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.[11]

D

• Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901–1957), psychologist, born in Leigh[12]

E

• 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[15]
• Edward Entwistle, driver of Stephenson's Rocket[16]

F

• Georgie Fame, real name Clive Powell, R&B singer and keyboard player, born in Leigh[17]
• Joseph Farington (1747–1821), watercolour artist, diarist and Royal Academician was born in Leigh where his father was the vicar.[18]
• Andrew Farrell, former international rugby player of both codes, born and raised in Wigan[19]
• Brian Finch, Wigan-born script-writer who contributed 151 episodes of Coronation Street over a period of 12 years[20]
• Henry Finch (1633–1704), Presbyterian minister ejected from Church of England, born in Standish[21]
• George Formby, Jr., comedian, ukulele player and actor[22]

G

• Joe Gormley, former president of the National Union of Mineworkers[23]
• Andy Gregory, former Wigan rugby league player, born and lives in Wigan[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

• Eddie Halliwell, DJ[27]
• Roger Hampson (1925–1996), artist, printmaker and teacher, born in Tyldesley[28]
• Thomas Highs (1718–1803), inventor of cotton spinning machinery, born in Leigh[29]
• James Hilton, author of Goodbye, Mr Chips, born in Leigh[30]
• Arthur John Hope (1875–1960), architect and partner in Bradshaw Gass & Hope, was born and lived in Atherton[31]
• Phil Haselden, Access Platform entrepreneur. 3rd generation of the Haselden Plant dynasty. Phil is attributed with introducing a lightweight narrow aisle 14m scissor lift to the UK. Being the only narrow aisle design that can be towed by a pick up truck with 3,5t towing capacity.

I

• James Lawrence Isherwood, prolific impressionist/expressionist painter[32]
• 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.[33]

K

• Shaun Keaveny (born 11 February 2011), born in Leigh, broadcast his BBC 6 Music breakfast show live from Leigh Library[34]
• Thomas Kershaw (1819–1898), pioneer in creating imitation marble, born in Standish[35]
• Roy Kinnear (1934–1988), comedy actor, born in Wigan[36]
• Victoria Knowles (born 1976), author of bestselling book The PA[37]

L

• Eric Roberts Laithwaite (1921–1997), engineer, known for his development of the linear induction motor and Maglev rail system[38]
• John Lennard-Jones (1894–1954), born in Leigh and attended Leigh Grammar School. He was a physicist and Fellow of the Royal Society.[39]
• Limahl, real name Christopher Hamill, pop rock/dance vocalist, lead singer of Kajagoogoo[40]
• James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford (1783–1869), Earl of Balcarres, built Haigh Hall[41]

M

• Paul Mason (born 1960), journalist and broadcaster, born in Leigh.[42]

N

• Fred Norris (1921– 2006) who worked underground at Cleworth Hall Colliery in Tyldesley competed in the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics.[43]

O

• Edward Ormerod, mining engineer at Gibfield Colliery; invented the Ormerod detaching hook, an important mining safety device[44]
• James O'Neill (born 1972), comedian, podcaster and online personality, known professionally as 'The Wigan Joker' and host of the eponymous 'Jimmy O Show' podcast[45]

P

• 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

• Frank Randle, comedian,[48] born in Aspull
• Ted Ray, comedian[49]
• John Roby, folklorist[50]

S

• 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, FRS, physician and anatomist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester; born in Hindley Green[55]

T

• George Taylor, born in Wigan,; footballer[56]
• Simon Tong, born in Wigan; bassist/guitarist with bands The Verve; The Good, the Bad & the Queen; and Gorillaz[57]
• 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.[58]
• 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.[59]
• Thomas Tyldesley, died in the Battle of Wigan Lane[60]

W

• Charles Walmesley (1722–1797), Roman Catholic Titular Bishop of Rama; born in Langtree[21]
• Dave Whelan, businessman with the nickname "Mr Wigan" as a result of his involvement in the town's sport; founder of JJB Sports, owner of Wigan Athletic, and former owner of Wigan Warriors[61][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) was a Presbyterian minister of the first Atherton and Chowbent Chapels. During the Jacobite rising, he was given the title "the General" for leading a force of men 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

• List of people from Greater Manchester

References

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