List of people from the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
This is a list of people from the English village of Wigan and people live in and born in Wigan.
The demonym of Wigan is Wiganers; 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. The demonym is also Wiganians. 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 |
A
- Andy Ainscow (born 1968), former footballer[1]
- James Anderton (1932–2022), former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police[2]
- Richard Ashcroft (born 1971), lead singer of The Verve, born in Billinge[3]
- Chris Ashton (born 1987), England rugby league and rugby union international, born in Wigan[4]
- Bill Ashurst (1948–2022), rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s for Great Britain, Lancashire, Wigan, Penrith Panthers, Wakefield Trinity, and Runcorn Highfield, born in Wigan[5]
B
- David Banks, (born 1967) indoor/outdoor footballer and manager[6]
- Alan R. Battersby, (1925–2018), organic chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society, and known for his work on the genetic blueprint, structure, and synthetic pathway of Cyanocobalamin.[7]
- Tom Billington (1958–2018), professional wrestler used the ring name Dynamite Kid, one half of tag-team The British Bulldogs with Davey Boy Smith, born in Golborne[8]
- Margery Booth (1906–1952), opera singer and World War II spy, born in Wigan[9]
- Thomas Burke (1890–1969), 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[10]
- Kay Burley (born 1960), presenter and newsreader on Sky News, born in Beech Hill, Wigan
- James Burton (1784–1868), cotton merchant, built several early cotton mills in Hindsford and Tyldesley, born in Clitheroe[11]
C
- Duncan Cleworth, (born 1957), swimmer, competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, member of Tyldesley Swimming Club.[12]
D
- Kathleen Drew-Baker (1901–1957), psychologist, born in Leigh[13]
- Kathryn Drysdale (born 1981), actress, played Louise Brooks in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps
E
- Edith Edmonds (1874-1951), artist, used oils and watercolours for still-life and landscape paintings[14]
- Shaun Edwards (born 1966), rugby league player and coach of London Wasps rugby union coach; Wales national rugby union team defence coach[15]
- Greg Ellis (born 1968), actor and voiceover artist
- Edward Entwistle (1815-1909), driver of Stephenson's Rocket[16]
F
- Georgie Fame (born 1943), 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]
- Andy Farrell (born 1975), former international rugby player of both codes, born and raised in Wigan[19] and current head coach of the Ireland rugby union team
- Brian Finch (1936–2007), 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]
- Phil Fletcher (born 1976), puppeteer [22]
- George Formby (1904–1961), comedian, ukulele player and actor[23]
G
- Joe Gormley, Baron Gormley (1917–1993), former president of the National Union of Mineworkers[24]
- Andy Gregory (born 1961), former Wigan rugby league player, born in Ince in Makerfield, now lives in Ashton in Makerfield.[25]
- Mike Gregory (1964–2007), former Great Britain national rugby league team and Warrington Wolves captain, former Wigan Warriors coach, born in Wigan[26]
- John Grimshaw (1893–1980), recipient of the Victoria Cross, Lieutenant-Colonel in The Lancashire Fusiliers[27]
- David Grindley (born 1972), former 400m runner, team bronze medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics
H
- Eddie Halliwell (born 1979 or 1980), disc jockey[28]
- Roger Hampson (1925–1996), artist, printmaker and teacher, born in Tyldesley[29]
- Keith Harris (born October 1951), music industry consultant & artist manager, former chair of UK Music's Diversity & Equality Taskforce, grew up in Wigan.[30]
- Stuart Hayton (born 1972), a notable football administrator who worked for the likes of Wigan Athletic, Liverpool, Leeds United and Cardiff City, before joining Ipswich Town in 2017.[31]
- Thomas Highs (1718–1803), inventor of cotton spinning machinery, born in Leigh[32]
- James Hilton (1900–1954), author, wrote of Goodbye, Mr Chips, born in Leigh[33]
- Arthur John Hope (1875–1960), architect and partner in Bradshaw Gass & Hope, was born and lived in Atherton[34]
I
- James Lawrence Isherwood (1917–1989), prolific impressionist/expressionist painter[35]
- Robert Isherwood (1845-1905), born in Tyldesley, was the local miners' agent and treasurer of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation.[36]
K
- Shaun Keaveny (born 1972), radio broadcaster, born in Leigh, once broadcast his BBC 6 Music breakfast show live from Leigh Library[37]
- Thomas Kershaw (1819–1898), pioneer in creating imitation marble, born in Standish[38]
- Roy Kinnear (1934–1988), comedy actor, born in Wigan[39]
- Victoria Knowles (born 1976), author of bestselling ebook The PA[40]
L
- Eric Roberts Laithwaite (1921–1997), engineer, known for his development of the linear induction motor and Maglev rail system[41]
- John Lennard-Jones (1894–1954), mathematician and physicist, born in Leigh and attended Leigh Grammar School, Fellow of the Royal Society.[42]
- Limahl (born 1958), real name Christopher Hamill, pop rock/dance vocalist, lead singer of Kajagoogoo
- James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford (1783–1869), Earl of Balcarres, Army officer and politician, built Haigh Hall[43]
- Luke Lowe (1889–?), Wigan-born football player. He briefly played in the Football League Second Division.[44]
M
- Barry Mason
- Paul Mason (born 1960), journalist and broadcaster, born in Leigh.[45]
- Ian McKellen (born 1939), screen and stage actor, who lived in Wigan for most of his first 12 years.
- Jennifer Moss (1945-2006), actress best known for playing Lucille Hewitt in Coronation Street.
- Ian Murphy (born 1963), artist and art educator
- Joe Mills (born 1972), actor and sports broadcaster
N
- Walter Napier (1875–?), English professional footballer[44]
- Fred Norris (1921–2006) who worked underground at Cleworth Hall Colliery in Tyldesley competed as long-distance runner at the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics.[46]
O
- Sean O’Loughlin (born 1982), former rugby league player and captain for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain
- Edward Ormerod (1834–1894), mining engineer at Gibfield Colliery; invented the Ormerod detaching hook, an important mining safety device[47]
P
- Mary Pownall (1862–1937), sculptor, was the daughter of James Pownall the silk manufacturer. She was born and raised in Leigh.[48]
- James Caldwell Prestwich (1852–1940), architect, born in Atherton, who designed many of Leigh's buildings including the town hall.[49]
R
- Kris Radlinski (born 1976), former rugby league player for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain, and current CEO of the club.
- Frank Randle (1901–1957), comedian,[50] born in Aspull
- Ted Ray (1905–1977), comedian, had a BBC radio show Ray's a Laugh which ran for 12 years, born in Wigan.[51]
- John Roby (1793–1850), folklorist, banker, poet, and writer.[52]
S
- Pete Shelley (1955–2018), born Peter Campbell McNeish in Leigh, singer, songwriter and guitarist with the Buzzcocks.[53]
- Nigel Short (born 1965), chess grandmaster, grew up in Atherton and attended St Philip's School[54]
- Davey Boy Smith (1962–2002), professional wrestler for the WWF and WCW as The British Bulldog[55]
- Danny Sonner (born 1972), Wigan-born association football player who has represented Northern Ireland national football team[56]
- John Stopford, Baron Stopford of Fallowfield (1888–1961), physician and anatomist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester[57]
T
- George Taylor (1920–1983), born in Wigan, footballer[58]
- Georgia Taylor (born 1980), actress best known for playing Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street
- Ella Toone (born 1999), born in Wigan, footballer for England
- Addin Tyldesley (1878–1962), born in Tyldesley, member of the town's swimming and water polo club, competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.[59]
- 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.[60]
- Thomas Tyldesley (1612–1651), soldier, died in the Battle of Wigan Lane[61]
W
- Charles Walmesley (1722–1797), Roman Catholic Titular Bishop of Rama; born in Langtree[21]
- Dave Whelan (born 1936), businessman nicknamed Mr Wigan, founder of JJB Sports, former owner of both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors[62][63]
- Katie White (born 1983), member of The Ting Tings, born and brought up in Lowton[64]
- Danny Wilson (born 1960), Wigan-born association football player and manager[65]
- Gerrard Winstanley (1609–1676), Protestant religious reformer, political philosopher and founder of the 17th-century Diggers, born in Wigan.[66]
- 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.[67]
- Thomas Woodcock (1888–1918), recipient of the Victoria Cross, Lance Corporal in the Irish Guards, born in Wigan[68]
- Caleb Wright (1810–1898), MP for Leigh, 1885-1895, and mill owner who built Barnfield Mills in Tyldesley[69]
- Witness, an English rock band from Wigan
See also
- Hacker T. Dog (from 2009), fictional dog from Wigan
- Wallace and Gromit (from 1989), fictional residents of Wigan
- List of people from Greater Manchester
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