Research Service
Free thirty-minute search for simple enquiries is available. There is currently no fee-based research service.

► Enquiry Standard

Civil Index to births, marriages and deaths
These are available on microfiche at The History Shop for the years 1837-1950.

Census Records
1841-1901 in stock for the following areas:
Abram, Ashton, Aspull, Astley, Atherton, Billinge (Chapel End and Higher End), Blackrod, Culcheth, Dalton, Golborne, Haigh, Haydock, Hindley, Ince, Kenyon, Leigh (Bedford, Pennington, Westleigh), Lowton, Newton, Orrell, Parbold, Pemberton, Shevington, Southworth-with-Croft, Standish-with-Langtree, Tyldesley, Upholland, Westhoughton, Wigan, Winstanley, Winwick-with-Hulme, Worthington, Wrightington.

Censuses 1841-1881 are on microfilm. 1891-1901 on microfiche. 1881 Census for Lancashire - microfiche

Indexes 1841-1901 now available in all areas.

Free online access to www.ancestry.com in The History Shop and all borough libraries.

Parish Registers
The History Shop holds microfilmed copies of Church of England church registers for most of the former Wigan Parish and the current Metropolitan Borough. Catholic church registers for the period prior to 1901 and certain non-conformist registers are also available on microfilm.

Directories
Directories covering the Wigan area and some also for Lancashire, Liverpool and Manchester are available for various dates. Some early telephone directories. Electoral Registers/ Burgess Lists. Wigan Borough burgess lists: 1725-1804

Voters lists for Wigan Borough:
1874-1900, 1902-1906, 1908-1914, 1918-1939, 1945-1991, 1992-present.

Other areas have patchy coverage. As a rule, where most areas were incorporated into Wigan Metropolitan Borough in 1974, coverage complete from then to the present day.

Please note those registers for Hindley from 1926-1929, 1934-1938, 1946-1949 are kept at Hindley Library. Please telephone 01942 255287 before visiting.

Voters lists for Leigh prior to 1974 are at Leigh Local History with the following exceptions: 1949, 1953, 1954, 1959-1965, 1967-1972, 1974-. These are now also available at the History Shop.

Poll Books
For Wigan Borough only: 1820, 1841, 1845, 1852, 1854, 1857, 1866, 1868.

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Rate Books
There are microfilmed books for Abram, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Aspull, Astley, Bedford, Pennington, Westleigh, Wigan. Various years covered.

International Genealogical Index (IGI)
1992 microfiche edition for Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Yorkshire, Kent, Ireland and Wales.

Boyd’s Marriage Index
Fiche edition for Lancashire 1538-1837.

Newspapers
Wigan Observer (microfilm) 1853 - present date.

Wigan Examiner (microfilm) November 1853 - June 1961.

These two newspapers are partly indexed for names roughly covering 1853-1950. There are local and biographical cuttings books with indexes. Newspapers for Leigh are also microfilmed are kept at Leigh, e.g. Leigh Chronicle January 1852 - December 1963
Guardian (microfilm) May 1821 - December 1976.

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Printed registers/transcripts
Wigan History Shop holds a complete set of Lancashire Parish Record Society volumes; also some registers of other areas contained in the volumes published by the Catholic Record Society and the Harleian Society. We also have many privately researched transcripts of registers and memorial inscriptions.

Cemetery records
Wigan Heritage Service holds the following Cemetery registers on microfilm.

Atherton, Urban District C. 1857-1966, Hindley U.D.C. 1880-1973; Ince U.D.C. 1857-1958; Leigh Municipal Borough 1856-1980; Tyldesley U.D.C. 1878-1953; Wigan C.B.

Lower Ince Cemetery 1856-1976; Wigan Gidlow Cemetery 1948-1972.

All queries concerning plot numbers and actual graves should be addressed to:
Cemeteries and Crematorium Office
1-3 Worsley Terrace
Standishgate
Wigan
Tel.01942 828993/4

► External Link: http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/cemetery.php?opt=cemetery

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Maps/photographs
Ordnance survey maps from 1847 - incomplete coverage.

Photographic collection (originals at Archives)

Photocopies of originals may be viewed and photographs ordered.

Printed Books, pamphlets
Publications of Chetham Society, Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire; Transactions of Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society;

Donated copies of private research e.g. Ian Winstanley’s Mining Deaths in G.B. 1850-1914.

Many books/aids relating to family history research.

Guide to Genealogical Sources
This guide, currently in its second edition (1999), is available from the History Shop price £2.50 (plus 50p postage).

The guide lists all parish registers available in Wigan Heritage Services at all its centres, whether in microfilm, printed or microfiche format.

Also listed are census, the complete newspapers holdings, electoral records by area and many other items of interest to family history researchers.