The history of Wigan Free Public Library

Wigan Free Public Library, Library Street, Wigan

By Wigan Local History and Heritage Society for the King Street Heritage Project

Formerly the Central Public library, an unusually unaltered municipal library by the well-known architect, Alfred Waterhouse, in 1877. It was listed as Grade II by Historic England in June 1988. The architecture is largely in Elizabethan Revival style, embellished by some Gothic features such as its red brick arches.

In February 1873, the residents of Wigan were informed that Thomas Taylor, a local cotton mill owner, had presented the town with £5,000 to erect a Free Library, an offer welcomed by the borough’s officials. It had been suggested that a portion of Mesnes Park could be purchased to erect the building. Later it was decided to use the site of the Old Grammar School on Rodney Street. This area was considered more central and convenient.

The land was purchased and upon completion of the build Mr. Taylor agreed to hand over the whole structure to the Mayor and Wigan Corporation.

Whilst negotiations were ongoing, Mr. Joseph Taylor Winnard a former surgeon and long-standing resident of the town, bequeathed remaining monies from his estate to purchase books. The actual sum was in the region of £11,000.

Following transfer of the land, Thomas Taylor appointed the architect, Alfred Waterhouse of Manchester, to design the plans for the “erection of a handsome building”, the builder was to be Mr. Booth of Bootle.

The Public Libraries Act was adopted by the Council at a meeting of rate payers in October 1876 which ensured expenses for the upkeep of the library could be incurred by the Corporation.

Mr. Winnard had requested that Mr. Gerrard Brown Finch should be consulted regarding the selection of books. Mr. Finch spent so much time and labour selecting the books that at the official opening on 20^th October 1879, there were no actual books on the shelves. This had resulted in delays with the transfer of money from Lancashire Court of Chancery. The money had been deposited there until the building passed across to the hands of the Town.

Mr. Gerard Brown Finch was the son of John Finch, landlord of the Cross Keys Inn, Marketplace. He was educated in the town, afterward gaining the proud and prestigious award of Senior Wrangler at Cambridge University in 1857. To his careful and judicious selection, the town owed its splendid collection of books, the Reference Library being considered by the most eminent bibliographical authorities, one of the finest in the country. Mr. Finch was given the choice of the first Librarian, and at his recommendation, the Corporation appointed Mr. Henry Tennyson Folkard, who was previously employed as sub-librarian of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The library finally opened to the public in May 1878 by which time the books had been purchased, shelved and classified

In 1988 the public library was changed to offices and a local history library, with further changes at the ground floor level from a career’s office to an art gallery.

Following listed building consent for internal and external alterations the entrance was remodelled and included a gathering area and ramped access to the museum.

Between 1990 to 2020 the building became the History Shop, and the library was located to the new Town Hall (previously the Wigan Mining and Technical College on Library Street).

Initially the History Shop shared the building with Wigan Careers Service which moved out in 1995 and Wigan Heritage Services took over the entire building. A total funding of £260,000 came from the National Lottery and Monica Wickham (the last surviving daughter of Wigan Vicar William Wickham) in honour of the donation the Art gallery by the Library Street entrance was renamed the Wickham Gallery.

The History Shop closed in 2009 for further refurbishment, to reopen as the Museum of Wigan Life on 1 July 2010 by Michael Winstanley Mayor of Wigan and received over 16,000 visits in the first six months of opening.