Ashton-in-Makerfield
Encyclopedia
Ashton-in-Makerfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
, Greater Manchester
. It is situated 4.2 miles (6.8 km) south of Wigan
, 7 miles (11.3 km) north-northwest of Warrington
and 16 miles (26 km) west of the city of Manchester
. In 2001 it had a population of 28,505.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, Ashton-le-Willows (as it was once known) was anciently a township
in the parish of Winwick
and hundred of West Derby
. With neighbouring Haydock
, Ashton-in-Makerfield was a chapelry
, but the two were split in 1845. The place has long been a centre for the manufacture of locks and hinges, but also sits on the Lancashire Coalfield
, and so was a coal mining district.
in Tameside
and Ashton upon Mersey
in Trafford
. The town's name was recorded as Eston in 1212. Later, the suffix "in-Makerfield" was added, which relates the name of an old district of which Ashton was a part; Makerfield derives from the Celtic for a wall or ruin and the Old English word feld, meaning "open land".
(1585–1628) is preserved as a relic in Saint Oswald's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield. Catholics have always venerated such relics. After the Reformation
, however, particularly at times of great social upheaval such as the English Civil War
, radical Protestants would physically destroy these relics whenever possible (see Iconoclasm
). Indeed, even in this century, such relics would have been an anathema to the large number of Protestant non-conformists in the district.
The Park Lane Chapel (see Unitarianism
), Wigan Road, Bryn
, dates back to 1697, although its congregation was founded in 1662. It is the oldest non-conformist chapel and congregation in the whole district. By the 19th century Park Lane was only one of nine non-conformist chapels in the area. There was a Baptist
, Congregational church
(Hilton St), Evangelical (Heath Road), Independent, Independent Methodist (Downall Green Road), Primitive Methodist (see Primitive Methodism
), Welsh Wesleyan Methodist, and English Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
St Thomas' Church of England parish church on Warrington Road has ancient origins although the present building is barely over 100 years old. The graveyard is the final resting place of many of the 189 victims of the Wood Pit explosion (at Haydock on Friday 7 June 1878), the worst coal-mining disaster in Lancashire at the time.
Cave-Browne Church on Heath Road was founded by Protestants from St. Thomas's opposed to the High Church ideals brought in by a new Vicar in the 1880s. His introduction of Anglo-Catholic worship caused riots on Gerard Street and he was initially evicted from the town by a mob of miners. He returned backed by troops from Liverpool. Banned from worshipping in the form they had always done, many left and continued a simpler form of worship in a barn off Ashton Heath. Word of their plight reached a Miss Catherine Cave-Browne in London, who sent money for a Protestant Mission to be built. The church was built with the official title of Cave-Browne Protestant Institute (Christchurch).
In 1867 there were 13 collieries in the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield. Others followed including Brynn Hall Colliery, owned by Edward Frederick Crippin
, the Mains and Park Lane Collieries. Park Colliery and some of those open in 1867 (e.g. Garswood Hall) remained productive until the 1950s.
A number of Ashton's coal miners made a significant impact on modern British history, including: Stephen Walsh M.P.; William Keneally
, V.C. and Lance-Corporal in the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers; and Joe Gormley
, President of the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the late nineteenth century, the district was described by one observer as having "extensive collieries, cotton-mills, and potteries", and famed for the manufacture of "hinges, locks, files, and nails". Mills such as the Record Mill (Spinning), situated in York Road, and the Makerfield Mill (the 'Weaving Shed'), in Windsor Road, took over from home-working. Similarly, Thomas Crompton & Sons in Gerard Street, which would eventually employ around 1,200 workers, superseded the subcontracting system that sustained substantial numbers of locally based blacksmiths and other craftsmen.
As recently as the 1970s the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield had one of the highest proportions of derelict land, mainly in the form of spoil tips, left over from coal mining. Major land reclamation schemes have since completely transformed the area.
in the parish of Winwick
, part of the West Derby Hundred
of Lancashire. By an Act in 1845 and the division of the Parish of Winwick, Holy Trinity Church, Downall Green, was made the principal parish church and St. Thomas' made a parish church in the same Act, both being part of the Diocese of Liverpool
. By the Local Government Act 1894
Ashton-in-Makerfield was made an urban district.
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
, the district was split administratively with Seneley Green Parish, containing Garswood
, Pewfall and Downall Green, going to the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
in Merseyside
, and the rest going to the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
in Greater Manchester. After 1986 its administration comes under Wigan Unitary Authority. However, Ashton in Makerfield is a town in its own right and is regarded as a "standalone urban area" in the Government National Statistics,
The section of Ashton-in-Makerfield within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan creates the Bryn & Ashton Township, consisting of the six 'neighbourhoods' of Bryn, Ashton, Ashton Heath, Landgate, Stubshaw Cross and Town Green, and one of the ten areas into which Wigan Metropolitan Borough has been divided for consultation purposes. Each township has a forum, with some influence over the provision of municipal services.
, Bryn
, Downall Green, Garswood
and the Parish of Seneley Green.
closed in 1952. The town is now served by Bryn railway station
on the line between Wigan (North Western) and Liverpool (Lime St.).
Ashton's local semi-pro football clubs are Ashton Athletic F.C.
and Ashton Town A.F.C.
. Garswood United F.C.
is also nearby.
Cromptons, the hinge and fasteners making factory in Ashton-in-Makerfield, has closed and is now demolished. A shopping centre called The Gerard Centre now stands in its place.
The Hingemakers Arms public house
, on Heath Road, is the only one in the world known to carry that name. It was run by the Corless family for decades until Walter Corless' retirement in 2006. The Hinge, as it is known by its clientele, is now operated by a local consortium called Hingemakers 08.
The site now occupied by Byrchall and St Edmund Arrowsmiths High schools was the location of a second world war POW camp, Camp 50.
; Byrchall High School
and St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.
In November 2008, Wigan council released proposals to merge Cansfield High and Byrchall High into one school.
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It is situated 4.2 miles (6.8 km) south of Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, 7 miles (11.3 km) north-northwest of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
and 16 miles (26 km) west of the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. In 2001 it had a population of 28,505.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Ashton-le-Willows (as it was once known) was anciently a township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the parish of Winwick
Winwick, Cheshire
Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near...
and hundred of West Derby
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
. With neighbouring Haydock
Haydock
Haydock is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. It contains all of the Haydock electoral ward and a section of the Blackbrook electoral ward. The village is located roughly mid-way between Liverpool and Manchester, close to the junction of the M6 motorway...
, Ashton-in-Makerfield was a chapelry
Chapelry
A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England, and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. It had a similar status to a township but was so named as it had a chapel which acted as a subsidiary place of worship to the main parish church...
, but the two were split in 1845. The place has long been a centre for the manufacture of locks and hinges, but also sits on the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
, and so was a coal mining district.
Etymology
The name Ashton derives from Old English and means the "farmstead where the ash-trees grow"; it is a common name and is found locally in Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
in Tameside
Tameside
The Metropolitan Borough of Tameside is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after the River Tame which flows through the borough and spans the towns of Ashton-under-Lyne, Audenshaw, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. Its western...
and Ashton upon Mersey
Ashton upon Mersey
Ashton upon Mersey is an area of Sale in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Mersey, in the northwestern part of Sale, and is situated about south of Manchester city centre....
in Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
. The town's name was recorded as Eston in 1212. Later, the suffix "in-Makerfield" was added, which relates the name of an old district of which Ashton was a part; Makerfield derives from the Celtic for a wall or ruin and the Old English word feld, meaning "open land".
Religious history
The hand of St. Edmund ArrowsmithEdmund Arrowsmith
Saint Edmund Arrowsmith SJ is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. The main source of information on St Edmund is a contemporary account written by an eyewitness and published a short time after his death...
(1585–1628) is preserved as a relic in Saint Oswald's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield. Catholics have always venerated such relics. After the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
, however, particularly at times of great social upheaval such as the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, radical Protestants would physically destroy these relics whenever possible (see Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
). Indeed, even in this century, such relics would have been an anathema to the large number of Protestant non-conformists in the district.
The Park Lane Chapel (see Unitarianism
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
), Wigan Road, Bryn
Bryn
Bryn is a component ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the larger town of Ashton-in-Makerfield and is geographically indistinguishable from it. It forms a separate local council ward...
, dates back to 1697, although its congregation was founded in 1662. It is the oldest non-conformist chapel and congregation in the whole district. By the 19th century Park Lane was only one of nine non-conformist chapels in the area. There was a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Congregational church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
(Hilton St), Evangelical (Heath Road), Independent, Independent Methodist (Downall Green Road), Primitive Methodist (see Primitive Methodism
Primitive Methodism
Primitive Methodism was a major movement in English Methodism from about 1810 until the Methodist Union in 1932. The Primitive Methodist Church still exists in the United States.-Origins:...
), Welsh Wesleyan Methodist, and English Wesleyan Methodist chapel.
St Thomas' Church of England parish church on Warrington Road has ancient origins although the present building is barely over 100 years old. The graveyard is the final resting place of many of the 189 victims of the Wood Pit explosion (at Haydock on Friday 7 June 1878), the worst coal-mining disaster in Lancashire at the time.
Cave-Browne Church on Heath Road was founded by Protestants from St. Thomas's opposed to the High Church ideals brought in by a new Vicar in the 1880s. His introduction of Anglo-Catholic worship caused riots on Gerard Street and he was initially evicted from the town by a mob of miners. He returned backed by troops from Liverpool. Banned from worshipping in the form they had always done, many left and continued a simpler form of worship in a barn off Ashton Heath. Word of their plight reached a Miss Catherine Cave-Browne in London, who sent money for a Protestant Mission to be built. The church was built with the official title of Cave-Browne Protestant Institute (Christchurch).
Coal mining and heavy industry
Ashton-in-Makerfield was part of the St. Helens Area of the South Lancashire Coalfield. The St Helens Area lay to the South West of the Wigan area and occupied around 60 square miles (155.4 km²), skirting Wigan, Warrington, St. Helens, Widnes and to within eight miles (13 km) of Liverpool.In 1867 there were 13 collieries in the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield. Others followed including Brynn Hall Colliery, owned by Edward Frederick Crippin
Edward Frederick Crippin
Edward Frederick Crippin was an English businessman.Crippin was born at 13 Tonman Street, Manchester, Lancashire. His father William Crippin was a coal agent and his mother Sarah Crippin was a housewife. Edward eventually took over his father's business, Bryn Hall Colliery, Bryn,...
, the Mains and Park Lane Collieries. Park Colliery and some of those open in 1867 (e.g. Garswood Hall) remained productive until the 1950s.
A number of Ashton's coal miners made a significant impact on modern British history, including: Stephen Walsh M.P.; William Keneally
William Keneally
William Stephen Kenealy VC , was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces.-Biography:...
, V.C. and Lance-Corporal in the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers; and Joe Gormley
Joe Gormley
Joseph Gormley, Baron Gormley, OBE was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1971 to 1982, and a Labour peer....
, President of the National Union of Mineworkers in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the late nineteenth century, the district was described by one observer as having "extensive collieries, cotton-mills, and potteries", and famed for the manufacture of "hinges, locks, files, and nails". Mills such as the Record Mill (Spinning), situated in York Road, and the Makerfield Mill (the 'Weaving Shed'), in Windsor Road, took over from home-working. Similarly, Thomas Crompton & Sons in Gerard Street, which would eventually employ around 1,200 workers, superseded the subcontracting system that sustained substantial numbers of locally based blacksmiths and other craftsmen.
As recently as the 1970s the district of Ashton-in-Makerfield had one of the highest proportions of derelict land, mainly in the form of spoil tips, left over from coal mining. Major land reclamation schemes have since completely transformed the area.
Governance
Before 1894 Ashton-in-Makerfield was a townshipTownship (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the parish of Winwick
Winwick, Cheshire
Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near...
, part of the West Derby Hundred
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
of Lancashire. By an Act in 1845 and the division of the Parish of Winwick, Holy Trinity Church, Downall Green, was made the principal parish church and St. Thomas' made a parish church in the same Act, both being part of the Diocese of Liverpool
Anglican Diocese of Liverpool
The Diocese of Liverpool is a Church of England diocese based in Liverpool, covering Merseyside north of the River Mersey along with West Lancashire, Wigan in Greater Manchester, Warrington and Widnes in Cheshire...
. By the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
Ashton-in-Makerfield was made an urban district.
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, the district was split administratively with Seneley Green Parish, containing Garswood
Garswood
Garswood is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England, within a civil parish called Seneley Green.-History:Historically within Lancashire, Garswood is from Old English wudu "wood" with an uncertain first element...
, Pewfall and Downall Green, going to the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
Metropolitan Borough of St Helens
The Metropolitan Borough of St Helens is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It is named after its largest town St Helens, and covers an area which includes the settlements of Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Haydock, Rainhill, Eccleston, Clock Face, Billinge and...
in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, and the rest going to the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
in Greater Manchester. After 1986 its administration comes under Wigan Unitary Authority. However, Ashton in Makerfield is a town in its own right and is regarded as a "standalone urban area" in the Government National Statistics,
The section of Ashton-in-Makerfield within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan creates the Bryn & Ashton Township, consisting of the six 'neighbourhoods' of Bryn, Ashton, Ashton Heath, Landgate, Stubshaw Cross and Town Green, and one of the ten areas into which Wigan Metropolitan Borough has been divided for consultation purposes. Each township has a forum, with some influence over the provision of municipal services.
Geography
The wider district of Ashton-in-Makerfield consists of Town Green, Stubshaw CrossStubshaw Cross
Stubshaw Cross is an area of Ashton-in-Makerfield, in Greater Manchester, England....
, Bryn
Bryn
Bryn is a component ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is part of the larger town of Ashton-in-Makerfield and is geographically indistinguishable from it. It forms a separate local council ward...
, Downall Green, Garswood
Garswood
Garswood is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, Merseyside, England, within a civil parish called Seneley Green.-History:Historically within Lancashire, Garswood is from Old English wudu "wood" with an uncertain first element...
and the Parish of Seneley Green.
Railway Transport
Ashton-in-Makerfield railway stationAshton-in-Makerfield railway station
Ashton-in-Makerfield railway station was a railway station serving that town. However, it was located in Haydock, formerly in the English county of Lancashire...
closed in 1952. The town is now served by Bryn railway station
Bryn railway station
Bryn railway station is in Bryn, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It is the nearest station to Ashton-In-Makerfield. The station is situated on Liverpool to Wigan Line...
on the line between Wigan (North Western) and Liverpool (Lime St.).
Population change
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Ashton-in-Makerfield since 1901 |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1939 | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 |
| Population | 18,687 | 21,543 | 22,475 | 20,546 | 18,736 | 19,057 | 19,262 | 28,505 |
| Source: A Vision of Britain through Time | ||||||||
Present day
A market is held on the market square off Garswood Street on Tuesdays and Saturdays.Ashton's local semi-pro football clubs are Ashton Athletic F.C.
Ashton Athletic F.C.
Ashton Athletic F.C. are an English football club based in Ashton in Makerfield in Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Premier Division of the North West Counties League and are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association...
and Ashton Town A.F.C.
Ashton Town A.F.C.
Ashton Town Association Football Club is an English football club based in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester. The club are currently members of Division One of the North West Counties League and play at Edge Green Street-History:...
. Garswood United F.C.
Garswood United F.C.
Garswood United Association Football Club is an English football club based in Garswood, Merseyside. The club are currently members of Division One of the Cheshire League and play at Simms Lane End.-History:...
is also nearby.
Cromptons, the hinge and fasteners making factory in Ashton-in-Makerfield, has closed and is now demolished. A shopping centre called The Gerard Centre now stands in its place.
The Hingemakers Arms public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, on Heath Road, is the only one in the world known to carry that name. It was run by the Corless family for decades until Walter Corless' retirement in 2006. The Hinge, as it is known by its clientele, is now operated by a local consortium called Hingemakers 08.
The site now occupied by Byrchall and St Edmund Arrowsmiths High schools was the location of a second world war POW camp, Camp 50.
Education
Ashton-in-Makerfield has three secondary schools: Cansfield High SchoolCansfield High School
Cansfield High Specialist Language College, previously known as Ashton-in-Makerfield Secondary Modern, is a Specialist Language College in the United Kingdom. It is a coed school with students between the ages of 11 and 16. The school is located in the Ashton in Makerfield area of the Metropolitan...
; Byrchall High School
Byrchall High School
The Byrchall High School is a modern comprehensive school and specialist Mathematics and Computing College, in the Ashton-in-Makerfield area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester-Admissions:...
and St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.
In November 2008, Wigan council released proposals to merge Cansfield High and Byrchall High into one school.
Notable people
People either born or brought up in Ashton-in-Makerfield, or have had some significant connection with the town during their life, include:- June CroftJune CroftJune Alexandra Croft is a retired freestyle swimmer from the United Kingdom, who represented her native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1980...
, Ashton-born swimmer, won silver and bronze medals in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics respectively - Joe GormleyJoe GormleyJoseph Gormley, Baron Gormley, OBE was President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1971 to 1982, and a Labour peer....
, president of the National Union of Mineworkers, 1971–1982 - Ian GregsonIan GregsonIan Gregson is a disabled activist and author in British Columbia, Canada.He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, England on September 2, 1962. As a young boy his promising athletic career in track and field seemed to end on May 18, 1978 during his lunch hour at Ashton-in-Makerfield Grammar School ,...
, Paralympic athlete, author - John Hodgkinson, established a large file cutting factory in the town
- Harold WoodHarold WoodHarold Wood is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England.It is a suburban development situated east-northeeast of Charing Cross...
, runner at the Olympic Games in 1928, 1932 and 1936