List of people from the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan

This is a list of people from Wigan, in North West England. The demonym of Wigan is Wiganer; however, this list may include people from the wider Metropolitan Borough of Wigan—from Ashton-in-Makerfield, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Atherton, Leigh, Tyldesley, and other areas in the borough. This list is arranged alphabetically by surname:

A

 * Andy Ainscow (born 1968), former footballer
 * James Anderton, former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police
 * Richard Ashcroft, lead singer of The Verve, born in Billinge
 * Chris Ashton, England rugby league and rugby union international, born in Wigan
 * Bill Ashurst, rugby league footballer of the 1960s and 1970s for Great Britain, Lancashire, Wigan, Penrith Panthers, Wakefield Trinity, and Runcorn Highfield, born in Wigan

B

 * Alan R. Battersby, (born 1925) is a FRS and organic chemist known for his work on the genetic blueprint, structure, and synthetic pathway of Cyanocobalamin.
 * Tom Billington, professional wrestler under the ring name 'Dynamite Kid', one half of tag-team 'The British Bulldogs' with Davey Boy Smith, born in Golborne
 * Margery Booth, opera singer and World War II spy, born in Wigan
 * Thomas Burke, international operatic tenor; born in Leigh in 1890 and attended St Joseph's School in Leigh; the Leigh Wetherspoon's pub is named after him
 * Kay Burley, presenter and newsreader on Sky News, born in Beech Hill, Wigan
 * James Burton, built several early cotton mills in Hindsford and Tyldesley, born in Clitheroe

C

 * Duncan Cleworth, born in Leigh and a member of Tyldesley Swimming Club competed in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

D

 * Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901–1957), psychologist, born in Leigh
 * Kathryn Drysdale, actress

E

 * Edith Edmonds, artist
 * Shaun Edwards, rugby league player and coach of London Wasps rugby union coach; Wales national rugby union team defence coach
 * Greg Ellis, actor and voiceover artist
 * Edward Entwistle, driver of Stephenson's Rocket

F

 * Georgie Fame, real name Clive Powell, R&B singer and keyboard player, born in Leigh
 * Joseph Farington (1747–1821), watercolour artist, diarist and Royal Academician was born in Leigh where his father was the vicar.
 * Andrew Farrell, former international rugby player of both codes, born and raised in Wigan and current head coach of the Ireland rugby union team
 * Brian Finch, Wigan-born script-writer who contributed 151 episodes of Coronation Street over a period of 12 years
 * Henry Finch (1633–1704), Presbyterian minister ejected from Church of England, born in Standish
 * Phil Fletcher, puppeteer
 * George Formby, Jr., comedian, ukulele player and actor

G

 * Joe Gormley, former president of the National Union of Mineworkers
 * Andy Gregory, former Wigan rugby league player, born in Ince in Makerfield, now lives in Ashton in Makerfield.
 * Mike Gregory, former Great Britain national rugby league team and Warrington Wolves captain, former Wigan Warriors coach, born in Wigan
 * John Elisha Grimshaw, recipient of the Victoria Cross, of "6 VCs before breakfast" fame

H

 * Eddie Halliwell (born 1979 or 1980), disc jockey
 * Roger Hampson (1925–1996), artist, printmaker and teacher, born in Tyldesley
 * Keith Harris, music industry consultant & artist manager (Stevie Wonder), former chair of UK Music's Diversity & Equality Taskforce, grew up in Wigan.
 * Thomas Highs (1718–1803), inventor of cotton spinning machinery, born in Leigh
 * James Hilton, author of Goodbye, Mr Chips, born in Leigh
 * Arthur John Hope (1875–1960), architect and partner in Bradshaw Gass & Hope, was born and lived in Atherton

I

 * James Lawrence Isherwood, prolific impressionist/expressionist painter
 * Robert Isherwood, born in Tyldesley in 1845, was the local miners' agent and treasurer of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation between 1881 and his death in1905.

K

 * Shaun Keaveny, born in Leigh, broadcast his BBC 6 Music breakfast show live from Leigh Library on 11 February 2011
 * Thomas Kershaw (1819–1898), pioneer in creating imitation marble, born in Standish
 * Roy Kinnear (1934–1988), comedy actor, born in Wigan
 * Victoria Knowles (born 1976), author of bestselling book The PA

L

 * Eric Roberts Laithwaite (1921–1997), engineer, known for his development of the linear induction motor and Maglev rail system
 * John Lennard-Jones (1894–1954), born in Leigh and attended Leigh Grammar School. He was a physicist and Fellow of the Royal Society.
 * Limahl, real name Christopher Hamill, pop rock/dance vocalist, lead singer of Kajagoogoo
 * James Lindsay, 24th Earl of Crawford (1783–1869), Earl of Balcarres, built Haigh Hall
 * Luke Lowe (1889–?), Wigan-born football player. He briefly played in the Football League Second Division.

M

 * Paul Mason (born 1960), journalist and broadcaster, born in Leigh.
 * Jennifer Moss (1942-2006), actress best known for playing Lucille Hewitt in Coronation Street.
 * Ian Murphy (born 1963), artist and art educator

N

 * Walter Napier (1875–?), English professional footballer
 * Fred Norris (1921–2006) who worked underground at Cleworth Hall Colliery in Tyldesley competed in the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

O

 * Sean O’Loughlin, former rugby league player and captain for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain
 * Edward Ormerod, mining engineer at Gibfield Colliery; invented the Ormerod detaching hook, an important mining safety device

P

 * Mary Pownall (1862–1937), sculptor, was the daughter of James Pownall the silk manufacturer. She was born and raised in Leigh.
 * James Caldwell Prestwich (1852–1940), architect, born in Atherton, who designed many of Leigh's buildings including the town hall.

R

 * Kris Radlinski, former rugby league player for Wigan Warriors and Great Britain, and current CEO of the club.
 * Frank Randle, comedian, born in Aspull
 * Ted Ray, comedian
 * John Roby, folklorist

S

 * Pete Shelley (1955–2018), born Peter Campbell McNeish in Leigh, singer, songwriter and guitarist with the Buzzcocks.
 * Nigel Short, chess grandmaster, grew up in Atherton and attended St Philip's School
 * Davey Boy Smith, professional wrestler for the WWF and WCW as The British Bulldog
 * Danny Sonner, Wigan-born association football player who has represented Northern Ireland national football team
 * John Stopford, Baron Stopford of Fallowfield, physician and anatomist, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester

T

 * George Taylor, born in Wigan, footballer
 * Georgia Taylor, actress best known for playing Toyah Battersby in Coronation Street
 * Ella Toone, born in Wigan, footballer for England
 * Addin Tyldesley who was born in Tyldesley and a member of the town's swimming and water polo club, competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
 * Elizabeth Tyldesley, (1585–1654) the daughter of Thomas Tyldesley of Morleys Hall, Astley, was a 17th-century abbess at the Poor Clare Convent at Gravelines.
 * Thomas Tyldesley, died in the Battle of Wigan Lane

W

 * Charles Walmesley (1722–1797), Roman Catholic Titular Bishop of Rama; born in Langtree
 * Dave Whelan, businessman nicknamed "Mr Wigan", founder of JJB Sports, former owner of Wigan Athletic, and former owner of Wigan Warriors
 * Katie White, member of The Ting Tings, born and brought up in Lowton
 * Danny Wilson, Wigan-born association football player and manager
 * Gerrard Winstanley, founder of the 17th-century Diggers, born in Wigan.
 * James Wood (1672–1759), Presbyterian minister of the first Atherton and Chowbent Chapels, led a force that successfully defended the bridge over the River Ribble at Walton le Dale in the Battle of Preston in 1715.
 * Thomas Woodcock, recipient of the Victoria Cross, born in Wigan
 * Caleb Wright (1810–1898), Member of Parliament and mill owner who built Barnfield Mills in Tyldesley