The Winstanley Family. Originally, the areas of Winstanley and Billinge were combined as one manor in the Barony of Makerfield. ![](\"images/History/Winstanley%20Hall%201849_small.jpg\") They were later split into two separate Manors. The Winstanley Family held the Manor of Winstanley from at least the year 1252. In 1560, Edward Winstanley abandoned the old Manor House, the site of which is still marked by its moat (see WAS Newsletter No.53), to have a new hall constructed in the style of Birchley and Bispham Halls. This became the core of the present Winstanley Hall. Moated manor houses became very common in the 1400's. At this time there was much lawlessness; bands of outlaws roamed the land attacking and robbing wealthy landowners. There were also many feuds between neighbouring families, leading to attacks and the looting of properties. A property with a moat and only one crossing point was a lot easier to defend by household staff or a small group of soldiers. Winstanley Estate is situated on the edge of a hill with a commanding distant view of Wigan, Haigh Hall and Rivington Pike. Also in the distance can be seen a range of the Yorkshire Hills. The earliest recorded coal mine in the Winstanley area dates back to about 1507, two years before the death of King Henry VII. When Sir Thomas Winstanley died in 1562, he had made provision in his will for the profits from the Winstanley Colliery, the sum of twenty pounds, to be paid to his wife and used for the benefit of his children. When the estate was sold in 1595, the list of tenants included 'William Barton of the Coal Pits'. The Bankes Family.In 1595, a goldsmith and banker, James Bankes, bought the Hall, which remained in the family until quite recently. The chief economical activities of the estate as listed in 1595 were agriculture, coalmining, nail making and domestic weaving. In 1615 the Winstanley Manor Courts were held at the 'Bare Ring Ale House' at the Windy Arbour crossroads, opposite the stocks and whipping post. At that time, the Inn acted as the administrative center of the Manor. The 'Court of James Bankes' heard mainly minor cases; the majority of the cases were of 'Unlawful Gaming'. James Bankes died in 1617. He was buried in Wigan Parish Church on the 5th August of that year. William Bankes (1709-75) inherited the estate in 1748 from his brother Robert Bankes. His son William succeeded him on his death in 1775. In that year, the Winstanley Colliery was valued at over two hundred pounds. In the Winstanley Colliery accounts for October 1766, it showed there were five colliers employed at the Moorley Pit, four colliers employed at the Lime Piece Pit, one collier employed at the Salterley Pit and three sinkers employed sinking a new Pit. The day wages at the 'Winstanley Collieries' in this year varied from 8d for a boy, 10d - 1s 1d for a youth and 1s 2d - 1s 4d for men. Those getting the higher rate of pay were probably the better workers. The accounts for this year show that the Moorhey pit produced 33-73 tons of coal per week, with a face output of 44-60 cwt per man per shift and the Lime Piece pit produced 24-90 tons per week, with a face output of 40-60 cwt per man per shift. These two pits produced weekly profits of four pounds to over fifteen pounds during 1766. Development costs of over three pounds, for two other pits, sinking a pit and driving a slough etc, had to be deducted from these profits. The Winstanley colliers were allowed to work the pits once a year, for a whole week, without any payment of wages, for the production of their own 'Fire Coal', or 'concessionary coal'. This happened at Michaelmas, when they were hired or rehired. At Moorhey pit, the miners got 7 tons 10 cwt. each and 'like amount' was shown as being 'spent at hiring'. The miners at Lime Piece pit got the same amount each but only 6 tons 'was spent at hiring'. The miners at Salterley pit were engaged in 'opening out' and 'development work' but they also received over 7 tons of coal each, with 6 tons being 'spent on hiring'. The 'Fire Coal' was worth about three weeks wages to the miners. Apart from the coal, 2s 6d was paid to each miner when he was hired and for Good Friday, which was a holiday, the men and lads received 3d each. In 1766, the annual output of the Winstanley pits was between 3,500 and 5,000 tons of coal. By 1799 the output had risen to 8,030 tons. This pattern of work continued at the 'Old Winstanley Pits' until, in the 1840's, they were eventually exhausted. By then, Meyrick Bankes had already sunk four new pits in the area east of the 'Croppers House Fault'. In 1788, the Bankes family erected a stone building with a pyramid style roof, on top of Billinge Hill, to be used as a summerhouse for Winstanley Hall. That building, without the pyramid roof, still crowns the hilltop. Fire damage from the 1935 Silver Jubilee bonfire damaged the original roof. Anne Bankes of Winstanley, who married Hugh Holme of Holland House in 1731, was the sole heiress of her father, brothers and nephew. Her oldest son, Thomas Holme, was William Bankes cousin and he inherited the Winstanley estate on the latter's death in 1800. There was an attempt by the Isle of Man side of the Bankes family to lay claim to the Estate upon William Bankes death, but this claim came to nothing. Thomas Holme died in 1803 and was succeeded by his son Meyrick, who, under the terms of William Bankes's will, changed his name to Bankes and took up the Bankes Court of Arms. The Orrell and UpHolland Collieries of the Holme Family, and those at Winstanley belonging to the Bankes family, all came under the ownership of the one family. This made the Bankes family one of the largest landowners in the area. In 1792, William Bankes had leased coal seams under the Winstanley estate to John Clarke of Orrell. The lease was extended in 1812. A statement of coal worked up to April 1846 shows that 102 acres, 3 roods, 40 square yards had been worked under the 1812 lease. This had yielded 31,832 pounds in royalties for the Bankes Family. The statement also shows that 1,000 pounds was paid to the Bankes as 'compensation for Wagon Roads, Coal Pits Brows, Roads and other trespass, the land not being made arable as required by the lease'. Ian Gregson comments on the Winstanley area in his 'Portfolio of Fragments', published in 1817. He says: 'Winstanley Hall is pleasantly situated on a hill with commanding distant views. Not far hence are two chapels under Wigan, Billinge and Holland. Billinge is about one mile and a half south and Holland church or priory the same distance northwest. Vast quantities of coal are raised in the district, which is very populous. Most excellent nails, screws and hinges are made in this neighbourhood where there are also many weavers.' Meyrick Bankes, senior, died in 1827 at Cromwell House, Old Brompton Road, London and was succeeded in turn by his son, also called Meyrick (1811-1881). In 1834-35 Meyrick Bankes made a survey of the properties that belonged to him in Winstanley, Orrell, Pemberton, Billinge, and UpHolland. At this time he owned about a quarter of the land in all five townships. He later extended his holdings by buying the following estates; Bispham Hall Estate, Norley Hall Estate and Hawkley Hall Estate. The Bankes family also owned estates in Yorkshire and in Scotland. In the 1834-35 survey, the soil of the Winstanley area is described as 'sandy mixed with clay in places with sandstone rock not far from the surface'. The estate farm's main crops at the time were oats, potatoes, hay and wheat. Also being grown on the estate were clover, beans, peas and turnips. A considerable amount of land was also given over to pasture and meadow with many small woods. Included in the buildings mentioned in the 1834-35 survey were various workers cottages. It stated: 'There are six dirty, nasty cottages, that should comedown, twelve dirty cottages, eighteen small cottages with one small bed-room, twenty-six with two or more bed-rooms and thirteen good comfortable cottages. Some of those with one bedroom had a parlour as well as a buttery'. The Ordinance Survey Map for 1845 clearly shows an area called 'New Houses'. These cottages date back to about 1800 and may be some of the cottages mentioned in the Bankes survey. The cottages were in rows of about ten. Also on the 1845 map the 'Bankes Mineral Railway' can clearly be seen, starting at the Winstanley Collieries and ending at 'Bankes Pier' on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.![](\"images/History/New%20Houses_small.jpg\") The original tramway serving Bankes Pier was built in the early 1820's for Thomas Claughton, linking Stone House Colliery in Goose Green with the 'Coal Tippler' on the canal, near the Wallgate basin. By the 1840's the railway line, the pier and with Stone House Colliery had been acquired by Meyrick Bankes. The following extract comes from the Wigan Observer of March 3rd 1965 and gives a fascinating insight into the history of the pier.The exact location of the 'Famous Wigan Pier' is still a matter of considerable controversy; the best information pinpointing the location comes from the history book 'A Nineteenth Century Colliery Railway'. The book was written by Mrs. Joyce Bankes of Winstanley Hall, granddaughter of Meyrick Bankes, who built the railway to transport coal from his mines at Winstanley to Wigan. The fact that Meyrick Bankes's railway ended at Wallgate Basin, on the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Wigan, is not conclusive proof that the railway terminus was Wigan Pier, but it is reasonable to suppose that it is. The landing stage at Wallgate Basin may have been called 'Wigan Pier' before the Bankes's mineral railway was completed in 1845. The Wigan canal link had been built 71 years before. Records show that sailing trips were being held on the canal before 1845, with the Wallgate Basin being their starting point. Mrs. Bankes wrote in her book: The opening of the Liverpool to Manchester Railway Line in 1830, 56 years after the construction of the canal and the connecting Newton-Wigan extension a year later, opened up the Wigan coalfields and stimulated the variety of trades which had been encouraged by the canal'. Amongst the trades referred to were pottery, earthenware, iron mills and corn mills. The focal point for activity was a small area of land between Wallgate and the River Douglas. Here wound the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with its convenient Wallgate Basin. A pier head, well placed for canal transport, had already attracted colliery proprietors and the possession of a coal wharf was deemed to be extremely desirable. On the death of his father in 1827, Meyrick Bankes set his hand to the expansion of his collieries. After protracted negotiations for various rights of way - and a rebuff from Mr. Blundell Hollongdhead concerning the use of his tram road from Pemberton Collieries - he found it more and more urgent to find a convenient outlet for his Winstanley coal. Along with his agent, Thomas Tebay, Meyrick Bankes took the first step towards building his own railway in 1836. In that year, Mr. E. Stanley, a Liverpool surveyor, produced a plan and section for a railway from Winstanley to Wigan on his behalf. A large part of the railway's route crossed land belonging to Mr. Bankes, but he had to negotiate with seven other landowners in adding to the trustees of the Warrington-Wigan Turnpike Road. Many difficulties were overcome. The length of Stanley's No.4 feet gauge line, starting from Mr. Bankes's No 2 pit and ending on the canal wharf at Wigan, was stated in his own plan to be 3,791 yards. The system of transportation at Winstanley was a combination of inclined planes and horsepower. Transportation of coal on private railways was obviously a matter of general interest in the early part of the 19th century. In 1828, the Liverpool Mercury published a description of a horse wagon or 'dandy cart' for use on mineral railways: It was a two-wheeled truck boarded up on two sides and hitched to the back of the train of wagons. Two or more horses rode on the truck and were destined to pull the empty wagons back up the incline to the collieries. The train carrying coal to Wigan, made up of six to eight wagons, was operated by two brakemen. Each wagon had a door at the front ready to run on to the tippler and the long-handled brake fitted with a wooden shoe. In addition there were two horse wagons with their accompanying horsemen in readiness for pulling the empties back up the line. Mrs. Bankes adds in her historical notes: Through the lower or Wigan end of the railway as obvious in 1842, it is indicated by account book entries that the total length of approximately three and a half miles from No 4 pit to Wigan pier head was completed in 1845. Meyrick Bankes and Thomas Tebay, his agent, were justly proud of the success of the railway scheme, brought to fruition in face of many difficulties and much opposition from rival coal owners. The railway's final route was from the Winstanley Colliery to Winstanley No.3 Colliery then on to Clapgate Pit and down to Stonehouse Colliery and then finally the canal (marked in blue on the map). In 1929 the pier was no longer needed. It was demolished by Calderbanks and the metal work sent for scrap. Near the Winstanley Hall Estate, on Billinge Road, there was a public house called 'The Pony Dick Inn'. It was named after the favourite white pony of Meyrick Bankes. The pony died in 1841, aged 36, and was buried near to the hall. The gravestone can still be seen there today. The public house was originally called the Horse and Jockey, before William Starky changed the name when he became the landlord. In 1856, Meyrick Bankes sank the Winstanley No 5 pit shaft at Windy Arbour. It was a basket winding pit and went down to two of the best coal seams in the area, the Orrell 4 ft and the Orrell 5 ft. Winstanley Population Chart1801-----------------------------------631
1821-----------------------------------800
1851-----------------------------------675
1861-----------------------------------633
1871-----------------------------------602
1881-----------------------------------545
1901-----------------------------------564 The figures are from Borough Census Reports of the 1800's. The population of Winstanley, scattered over 1,852 acres, was 631 in 1801. It rose to a maximum of 800 in 1821 but fell to 675 in 1851. It appears to have been very static community for in 1901 the census returns show only 564 inhabitants in Winstanley. The rise in population from 1801 to 1821 may be due to increased coal production during the war with France and the increased industrialisation of the Wigan area. A few strange things happened at Winstanley Hall. Mrs Shortrede, wife of the estate agent Thomas Shortrede, was found drowned in a well in Winstanley Park on the 10th August 1880. Shortly after this, the estates mason's wife hanged herself at the straw yard. Quite soon after this, Thomas Shortrede shot himself. What went on? No one seemed to know, or more likely no one was saying. Meyrick Bankes spent a lot of the money he earned from his collieries on remodelling and extending Winstanley Hall. Winstanley Hall at Risk![](\"images/History/Winstanley%20Hall_small.jpg\") Recently the Hall appeared on the 'English Heritage' critical list of buildings at risk. The Hall is described as being 'in immediate danger of further rapid deterioration'. The Hall was kept in a reasonable condition after the last resident, Captain James Bankes, died in 1984. More recently, in the 1900's, a badly leaking roof and rampant rot have taken their toll on the old Hall and the outbuildings have not fared any better. The Hall, outbuildings included, boasts upwards of seventy rooms, many of them being quite large. The size has been something of a hindrance to Tim Bankes, the present owner of the Hall, in his plans to convert the buildings into flat. Limitations have also been placed on redevelopment by the buildings 'Grade Two' listed status. Mr. Bankes had a feasibility study carried out on the property, which stated that up to five million pounds needed to be spent to renovate and convert the Hall and it's out-buildings into apartments. In 2000, Dorbcrest acquired the property. They hope to retain the wood panelled walls and Victorian bull nose windows when they carry out the conversion work on the Hall, making it into thirty-five high quality apartments.![](\"images/History/Winstanley%20Hall%20side_small.jpg\") These plans are in a state of limbo at the moment because planning permission has been refused on the grounds that the size of ground floor rooms could not be altered and the redevelopment would change the appearance of the Hall too much, which would not be in keeping with it's 'Grade Two' listed status. If the buildings become too hazardously dilapidated, Wigan Borough Council could order the owners to carry out basic repairs or issue a compulsory purchase order and buy Winstanley Hall from him. Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council's conservation officer commented: Because of the nature of the Hall - which has a large number of rooms - it is quite difficult to convert without altering the look. It is one of Borough's most significant houses and it is in the green belt, which makes it problematical for curtain uses. But we will certainly look at proposals to save it. What the future holds for Winstanley Hall and its 470-acre Estate is not too clear. Hopefully it will remain intact and not be developed too much. Maybe one day the Hall and grounds will be open to the public, so everyone will be able to enjoy the History of the Hall and Estate - who knows. Bibliography of Works ConsultedThe Internet Various Sites
Ordinance Survey Maps From Various Years
D Anderson The Orrell Coalfield Lancashire 1740-1850
R Blakeman Wigan. A Historical Souvenir
G Shryhane Wigan Hotpot
J Bankes- The Early Years of the Bankes Family at Winstanley
J Bankes Historical Notes on the Bankes Family I have made use of the Archive Department of the 'Wigan History Shop' A G Mitchell
March 2001 | ![\"Wild](\"images/Orchid_John_Pit.JPG\")
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Very little is known about Wigan in the Prehistoric period. There are only 17 entries in the Sites and Monuments record and 10 of those are chance finds i.e. they could have be brought into the area from elsewhere at a later time. You can find more details of these finds in our ![\"Toot_Hill.gif](\"images/Toot_Hill_small.gif\")
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After the Conquest, Wigan lay in the area known as Makerfield in the ancient Hundred of West Derby and was held for the King by two barons, Banastre and Grelley who had their chief manors at Warrington and Newton. Under them were tenants of the individual manors such as Hugh, son of Henry de Tyldesley, Alfred de Ince and Richard de Orell (MBWOH p26). ![\"Tyldesley](\"images/Tyldesley_Monument.JPG\")
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