Wigan Observer Newspapers for 1871

[susan williams]

This complete year of original newspapers is in a very old green library type folder - sadly some of the newspapers have been" attacked " by someone who was obviously interested in certain issues appearing, so some pages have sections cut out.  The births marriages and deaths seem to have survived as do most of the Court Sessions and local news like the pit disasters which lists all the names of the fatalities.  Have no idea what is best for these newspapers, could they or should they be restored  - they certainly make fascinating reading - I found the newspapers at a local antique fair and thought they should be saved but don't know how or if it is possible to restore them or really what to do with them.  I have a feeling they were possibly discarded by a library because of their condition. 
Susan

[Luzzu]

Hi Susan,

I wonder if there is someone on this website that might be able to help:-

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/stuff/

Luzzu

[susan williams]

Hello Luzzu

Many thanks for getting in touch, received both of your messages and will certainly take it up with Brian.  The stories in these papers of 1871 as you would expect  are so very different from the modern day reporting, especially reports on crime,  a murder story was really quite chilling and the Court case that followed was equally as graphic. It would be great if someone could not only restore but actually make them available to the public as the reports on all of the mining accidents in Wigan and the surrounding area - and there were many - listed all of the fatalities and their families.  No scaremongering re Rabies in 1871 , just a letter to the Editor written by the local vet giving the details of a dog infected with disease and the areas that it had passed through.  One could literally spend many hours reading these old newspapers and certainly have a very different picture of life in Wigan in the year 1871.
Thanks again
Susan

[KATE1001]

Have you tried the British Library in London?  Read the inquest on one of my great-uncles who was killed in an accident in 1920.  The report was in the Wigan Courier in March of that year and is held at the British Library.  It maybe worth a try.

[susan williams]

Hi Kate

The newspapers are really in need of some  TLC - someone has gone through some of the  pages and removed certain articles.  The only thing I could think of was to buy the large clear art folders so that each of these pages could be not only protected but re filed.  Then I looked at the cost and decided it was just too big a job for me to undertake - not sure if the British Library would be interested in these Wigan newspapers because it just might be too expensive for them also - again I am not sure just how many of the Wigan newspapers from 1871 have survived.

Many thanks for the idea though, if all else fails I could always send them an e-mail and see what they say.
Susan