Centenary of Wigan's "Ancient and Loyal" coat of arms is celebrated

To celebrate this milestone, on April 8, The Wigan Local History and Heritage Society will see chairperson Derek Winstanley award one of the original plaques, of which there only around half a dozen made, to Pemberton Old Wigan Brass Band.

This is symbolic because Pemberton brass band were one of the few original organisations allowed to use the Coat of Arms.

Mr Winstanley was raised in Highfield, but has lived in Illinois, USA for the past 40 years. He comes back to visit Wigan almost every year and has written extensively on its history. He attended Wigan Grammar School, Hertford College and Oxford University, where he was awarded BA and MA in geography and DPhil in climatology.

Member of The Wigan Local History and Heritage Society, Jim Meehan said: “It is an honour for the town and a symbol of their long history.”

The motto is of the famous Coat of Arms is “Ancient and Loyal” and the design incorporates several elements from a number of ancient seals dating from the 12th century.

The motto stems from an epithet originating in the 1663 charter of Charles II, which described Wigan as an “ancient borough” and noted its “loyalty to us”.

Mr Winstanley said: “My uncle, Norman Massey, gave me the coat of arms in 1979.

"In 1922 authority to officially use the coat of arms was granted to Wigan Corporation, Wigan RLFC and Pemberton Old Brass Band.

“My great uncles Isaac, William and Tom Massey were instrumental in working with the mayor and aldermen to create the coat of arms in 1922. Isaac was married in Mount Zion at the top of Enfield Street, in the same room that is now the band room for Pemberton Band.

"My grandad, John Winstanley of Tunstall Lane, was a miner at Blundell’s Collieries and played cornet for Pemberton Old Band when they won the prestigious title of British Open Champions in 1903, playing a selection from Elgar’s Caractacus suite.

“Given that April 8 will be the centenary of the granting of the coat of arms, I thought it was time to return it to Wigan."

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