The Parish of Westhoughton in the County of -- Lancashire --

Tillotsons Directory for Westhoughton
1896 - 1898

Westhoughton (including Wingates, Daisy Hill and Chequerbent) is a populous township about five miles from Bolton, being in the union, petty sessional division, and a postal district of that town. It is governed by an Urban District Council, and there is a School Board.

The church of St Bartholomew, which occupies the site of a more ancient structure, is now held by the Rev. Christopher Cronshaw; the living being in the gift of the Vicar of Deane. Chapels for Congregationalists, Wesleyan, Primitive and Independent Methodists, besides a Friends’ Meeting-House, as well as National, Congregationalist, Roman Catholic, and Independent Methodist Day Schools, are located here.

There is a church at Wingates, dedicated to St John the Evangelist and another at Daisy Hill to St James, the former also being in the presentation of the Vicar of Deane, whilst the living of the latter is in the gift of Mrs Makant and Miss Haddock. The Roman Catholics have a Chapel and School at Wingates.

The principal manufacturers of the district are silk and cotton goods, and there are numerous collieries in the neighbourhood. Chequerbent is the name of a small district and station on the L. and N.W. line. The L. and Y. Railway Co. have also two stations here, Church Street and Daisy Hill, Leigh Road.

The population in 1891 was 11,077. Acreage 4,341; rateable value £41,533

Businesses and establishments listed in Tillotsons 1896 - 1898 Directory for Westhoughton.

BANKS:-
Bank of Bolton, Limited (branch) 52 Market Street, Herbert Broadbent, Manager
Parr’s Banking Co Ltd Market Street Walter H Irving, Manager
Chequerbent Savings Bank 268 Manchester Road

COUNTY POLICE STATION: Wigan Road Thos.Blackburn, Sergeant

DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICES: 117 Market Street Thos Partington, Clerk and Surveyor

DISTRICT COUNCIL STORE: Park Road, William Hibbert, Caretaker

FIRE HOSE STATIONS:–
No.1. Store Room, Park Rd In Charge of W. Hibbert
No. 2. Green Vale Printworks F Green & J Dickenson
No. 3. Hewlett Pit, Wigan Road Thos Smith & Wm Marsh
No. 4. 1, Albion Street Thos V Jones & Andrew Hilton
No. 5. Wood’s Fourgates Pits, Chorley Rd. Peter Thompson & William Prescott
No. 6. Perseverance Mill, Bolton Rd Jas. Graham & Chas Summerson

GAS WORKS: 60 Bolton Road John Pickup, Manager

PLACES OF WORSHIP AND SCHOOLS:–
Churches
St Bartholomew’s, Church Street; Mission room, Park Road and Manchester Road, Chequerbent
Rev. Christopher Cronshaw, Vicar; Revs. Jas Minion and Thos. Brown, curates.
St James’s, Daisy Hill;
Rev. H.H. Oliver B.A. Vicar
St John’s Chorley Road, Wingates;
Rev. Samuel Sheppard, Vicar
Chapels Congregational, Park Road;
Rev. R H. Lord, Minister
Friends Meeting-house, 223 Wigan Road, John Edgar, Caretaker
Independent Methodists, Chorley Road, Wingates and Dicconson Lane.
Primitive Methodist, Wigan Road (ministers various) and Hindley Road. Rev.T Wilshaw, Minister
Wesleyan, Church Street; Rev. T H Horrell, superintendent Minister, John Askew, Caretaker
Tithebarn Street Mission Hall, Tithebarn Street; Robt. Clough, Leader
Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, Albion Street. Manchester Road; Rev. Wm. Palmer, Priest.

Schools
St Bartholomew’s, School Street; Thos Hope, Master
St. James’s, Daisy Hill; John Rostron, Master
St John’s Wingates; Philip Booth, Master
St John’s Fourgates; John C Clark, Master
Hargreaves Church of England Memorial School, Wigan Road; Thos Billington, Master
Chequerbent Mission School, Westhoughton; Thomas Sinkinson, Master
Congregational, Wade Lane; Will Smith, Master
Independent Methodist, Wingates; Alfred G Williams, Master, Miss Annie Walton, Infant Mistress
Roman Catholic (Sacred Heart) Wingates; Elizabeth Heyes, Mistress.

POLITICAL CLUBS:-
Conservative, Tithebarn Street; Alf Heaton, Secretary
Reform, Park Road, Edward Unsworth, Secretary
Liberal Association, 21 Market Street, Walter Tonge, Secretary.

POST, MONEY ORDER, SAVING’S BANK AND TELEGRAPH OFFICE:-
84-85 Market Street, John Walch, Postmaster
268 Manchester Road, Chequerbent, E.T. Smith, Postmaster
481 Leigh Road, Daisy Hill, Wm. Berry, Postmaster
339 & 341 Church Street, Wingates, G.Hunt, Postmaster
2 Chorley Road, J. Holden, Postmaster.

RAILWAY STATIONS:-
Westhoughton (L & Y) Church Street, Thomas Whittaker, Station Master
Daisy Hill, Leigh Road, William Tudge, Station Master
Dicconson Lane, John Boothman, Station Master
Hilton House, Peter Dickinson, Station Master
Chequerbent (L & N W) Ellis Hope, Station Master.

REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AND RELIEVING OFFICER FOR HORWICH AND SUB-DISTRICTS:-
Ralph Bates, 108 Market Street, res.16 Church Street

SCHOOL BOARD OFFICES:-
117 Market Street, clerk, Jas Hartley, res.13 Church Lane

WATERWORKS:-
Leigh and Hindley Service Reservoir, off Mill Street, John Battersby, Clerk and Superintendent

BUSINESSES:-
Brinsop Hall Colliery Co Ltd., Brinsop
Dunkerley Joseph & Sons, Silk Weavers, Westhoughton Silk Mill, Church Street, Caleb Kay, Manager
Gorton & Haworth, Manufacturers of gelatine size, soap, tallow, resin, size etc. Railway Works.
Hampson Henry & Bros. reelers and rope manufacturers, Grove Lane Mill, Wigan Road
Higson & Biggs, Cotton Spinners, Victoria Mill, Church Street
Howarth, R & Co Ltd., Cotton Spinners Albion Mills, Manchester Road
River Plate Fresh Meat Co Ltd., 223 Church Street; John Leigh, Manager
Snydale Hall Colliery; Col.Starkie, Proprietor
United Industrial Co-operative Society. No 1 Branch, 477-479 Leigh Road, Adam Hodkinson, Manager
Unsworth and Cowburn, Colliery Proprietors, Bugle Horn and Brookside Collieries, near Hindley Green
Walsh, William, Cotton Manufacturer, Bolton Road Mill; res. 18 Church Street
Welch, Thomas, Calico Printer and Dyer, Green Vale; Res.103-105 Leigh Road
Westhoughton Coal & Cannel Co., Church Street; Manager, John S Caldwell
Westhoughton Clothing Co., 23-25 Market Street
Westhoughton Cricket Club, James Street, Walter Tonge, Secretary
Westhoughton Friendly Co-operative Society Ltd., 2 Wigan Road, 3 Chorley Road, 266 Bolton Road and 490 Leigh Road, Walter Smith, Secretary.
Westhoughton Olympic Association Football Club, Wigan Road; R H Jones, Secretary
Wigan Coal & Iron Co Ltd., Sale Depot, Hart Common; Wm Marsh, Agent
Wood, William and Son, Colliery Proprietors, Fourgates Colliery