Toponymy The name of the town has been recorded variously as in 1199, in 1240, and
Wygan in numerous historical documents. The name
Wigan is probably a
Celtic place-name: it might be a diminutive form of Brittonic 'homestead, settlement" (later
Welsh ), plus the nominal suffix
-an (compare with numerous places in France named
Le Vigan); the place name may refer to a Latin . It has also been suggested directly a Celtic personal name
Wigan, a name corresponding to
Gaulish ,
Old Welsh or
Old Breton . Similar place-names to the English
Wigan exist in France, such as
Le Vigan, Gard (, Roman inscription; 1050) of unknown origin and
Le Vigan, Lot, from Latin , derived form of 'town' + suffix , and the hamlets in
Normandy such as (Le) Vigan (
L'Oudon, Calvados) and Manoir du Vigan that derive from a Celtic given-name
*Wigan, found as in the 12th century or at
Thaon (Calvados) and survives in the Norman surname
Vigan (still in use in Calvados).
Romans There is very little evidence of prehistoric activity in the area, especially pre-Iron Age. In the 1st century, the area was
conquered by the Romans during which time, it was in the territory of a Celtic people known as the
Brigantes. Possible derivations of Coccium include from the Latin
coccum, meaning "scarlet in colour, scarlet cloth", or from
cocus, meaning "cook". Over the years chance finds (coins and pottery) provided clear indications that a Roman settlement existed at Wigan, although its size and status remained unknown. In 2005 investigations ahead of the
Grand Arcade development, and in 2008 at the Joint Service Centre development, have proven that Wigan was a significant Roman site in the late first and second centuries AD. The excavated remains of ditches at Ship Yard off Millgate were consistent with use by the Roman military and possibly formed part of the defences for a fort or a temporary camp. More remains were excavated to the south, in the area of McEwen's Yard (opposite the baths), where foundations of a large and important building were discovered, together with many other Roman features. The building is in size with stone walls and a tiled roof. It contained around nine or ten rooms including three with
hypocausts. It had a colonnaded
portico on the northern side, which presumably formed the main entrance. The structure's ground-plan and the presence of the hypocausts show it may have been a
bath-house. A timber building excavated at the Joint Service Centre (top of the Wiend) has been interpreted as a barrack block. This suggests a
Roman fort occupied the crest of the hill, taking advantage of the strategic position overlooking the River Douglas. The evidence gained from these excavations shows that Wigan was an important Roman settlement, and was almost certainly the place referred to as Coccium in the Antonine Itinerary.
Anglo-Saxons In the
Anglo-Saxon period, the area was probably under the control of the
Northumbrians and later the
Mercians. Celtic names in the area around Wigan—such as
Ashton in Makerfield and
Ince—indicate a continued Celtic presence in the area in the face of Anglo-Saxon incursions. In the early 10th century there was an influx of Scandinavians expelled from Ireland. This can be seen in place names such as
Scholes— a part of Wigan—which derives from the Scandinavian
skali meaning "hut". Further evidence comes from some street names in Wigan which have Scandinavian origins.
Domesday Book Wigan is not mentioned in the
Domesday Book, possibly because it was included in the Neweton barony (now
Newton-le-Willows). It is possible, but unlikely, that the mention of the unnamed church in the
manor of Neweton is
Wigan Parish Church and not the church of St.Oswald (Winwick) which is specifically named in the
Domesday Book.
Edward II visited Wigan in 1323 in an effort to stabilise the region which had been the source of the
Banastre Rebellion in 1315. Edward stayed in nearby
Up Holland Priory and held court in the town over a period of several days. During the medieval period Wigan expanded and prospered and in 1536,
antiquarian John Leland described the town, saying "Wigan paved; as big as
Warrington and better builded. There is one parish church amid the town. Some merchants, some artificers, some farmers". David Craine states, "those who did not fall in the fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside". A monument on Wigan Lane marks the place where
Sir Thomas Tyldesley a Major General commanding the Royalist troops fell, it was erected 28 years after the battle in 1679 by Alexander Rigby, Tyldesley's standard bearer. In 1720 the
moot hall was rebuilt, funded by the members of the borough. It was used as the town hall, and the earliest reference to it dates from the 15th century. Prior to its final destruction in 1869, the hall was rebuilt in 1829. In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power-
looms to the Wigan cotton mills. These mills swiftly became infamous for their dangerous and unbearable conditions, low pay and use of
child labour. As well as being a mill town, Wigan was also an important centre for coal production. It was recorded that in 1854 there were 54 collieries in and around the town, about a sixth of all collieries in Lancashire. In the 1830s Wigan became one of the first towns in Britain to be served by
a railway; the line had connections to
Preston and the
Manchester and Liverpool Railway. Wigan began to dominate as a cotton town in the late 19th century, and this lasted until the mid-20th century. Being almost equal distance from Liverpool and Manchester, it received high immigration rates of Irish people in the 1800s following the
Great Famine (Ireland). According to ‘Wigan World’ website, Wigan's population (including Ince and Pemberton townships) doubled from 39,000 in 1851 to 77,000 in 1881, with the immigration of Irish to the town the biggest factor. The Irish mainly settled in the central areas of the town, such as Scholes and Ince, with the area around Belle Green Lane referred to as Irishtown. St Patrick's church in Scholes was built in 1847 on the back of huge swathes of Irish immigration. The local amateur rugby league club
Wigan St Patricks has the Irish shamrock on the club badge with green and black being the club colours. The Wigan accent has even been affected by the great number of Irish coming to the town. The local word "moidered", known elsewhere as "
mithered", is said to have derived from pronouncing the word
mithered in an Irish accent. The Brian Boru Club in Ashton-in-Makerfield was established in 1889 and is the oldest Irish club in the UK.
20th century In 1911 the town was described as an "industrial town ... occupying the greater part of the township, whilst its collieries, factories ... fill the atmosphere with smoke". Others regard this connection as disappointing, considering it an insinuation that Wigan is no better now than it was at the time of Orwell's writing. == Governance ==