From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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:
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]
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]
Duncan Cleworth, born in Leigh and a member of Tyldesley Swimming Club competed in the
1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
[11]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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^
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