Wigan Barracks

[hollie1586]

I have found a potential relation on ancestry.co.uk and on the 1841 census it says that he was at wigan barracks, he was Ninion Parker aged 20. He was born in scotland. does anyone know any of the history of the barracks?

[dothawkes31]

the barracks were on standishgate, it's all knocked down now, the lady who used to work for me on the shoes in debs grew up in the house that was on the barrack site, it was the territorial barracks and it was from there that the famous wigan regiment was raIsed for World War one.
You can contact the History Shop at Wigan Reference Library, they will have more info, but the site is now the back of Ethel Austens and primark and there is nothing left to see.

[hollie1586]

do you know what the regiment was called?

[dothawkes31]

96th Regiment of Foot.(IN 1841) Later the 2nd Battalion The Manchester Regiment

[dothawkes31]

Immediatley before they were stationed at the Wigan Barracks the regiment was stationed in Edinburgh in 1839

[hollie1586]

where do you get all this info? lol its great!

[dothawkes31]

Gossiping in the staff canteen mainly lol

[DrFilth]

you may be able to get some information about the manchester regiment from here

http://www.tameside.g...story/territorial1914

[dothawkes31]

sorry hollie, try this link and click on the '1824-1841' choice at the top or scroll down to it.
http://www.tameside.g...mom/history/96th#1824

[verakins]

The Barracks on the 1841 census states that the barracks where on Standishgate.
The regiment at the Drill Hall in 1914 was Wigan Territorials -5th Manchesters.
My husbands grandad enlisted there in 1915 and was killed in action in 1917 at Heninel near Arras.