Jane Wardley                                                                                Religious Leader                                                                               Bolton?                                                                                          Co-founder of Quaker sect 'The Shaking Quakers' in Bolton around 1747 with husband John Wardley qv, a tailor. Later moved operations to Manchester.                                                                                   Group joined by the charismatic and eventually Messianic 'Mother' Ann Lee who left for the USA in 1774 to found the Shaker movement. The Wardley's did not follow her and died in poverty.

 

John Wardley                                                                                 Religious Leader                                                                      Bolton?                                                                                            A tailor who was co-founder of Quaker sect 'The Shaking Quakers' in Bolton around 1747 with wife Jane Wardley qv. Later moved operations to Manchester.                                                                                   Group joined by the charismatic and eventually Messianic 'Mother' Ann Lee who left for the USA in 1774 to found the Shaker movement. The Wardley's did not follow her and died in poverty.

 

Alfred Waterhouse (1830–1905)

A prolific English architect

Born 19 Jul 1830 Liverpool

Died 22 Aug 1905 in his home at Yattendon, Berkshire.                          He built 27 buildings for the Prudential Assurance Company. Including the one on the corner of Bradshawgate and Nelson Square, Bolton.               Noted for his use of red brick and terracotta.      

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Michael (Mike) Watkinson (1961-)                                            Cricketer                                                                                          Born 1 August 1961 Westhoughton, Bolton.                                          Batsman and Bowler - played for Lancashire 1982-1999 (captain 1994-1997), England, MCC and Cheshire

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Leslie Webster (c.1930-2013)

Landlord of the Bowling Green Hotel, Blackburn Road

Died in hospital 13 May 2013 aged 83.

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Keith James Welch (1968-)                                                    Professional Footballer                                                                       Born 3 October 1968 Bolton                                                Goalkeeper - played for Rochdale, Bristol City, Northampton, Tranmere, Torquay and Mansfield.

 

Paul Welding                                                                                    In short spell that it was known as the Pleasuredrome in Farnworth, the club's resident DJ was Paul Welding, better known as DJ Welly.                 DJ Welly now lives in Brisbane, Australia,

 

William Welsby (1894-1968)                                                             Politician                                                                                          Born 1894                                                                                       Died 14 October 1968                                                                     Educated Francis Street Congregational School, Farnworth; All Saint's School, Farnworth; Queen Street Seminary School, Farnworth.                   Mayor of Farnworth 1949 (Labour).                                              Collier and Trade Union activist.

 

John Wesley                                                                                    The founder of Methodism                                                                  He first came to Bolton on August 28, 1748, and over the next 42 years his visits were numerous.

 

Martin West (1969-)                                                               Classical Conductor                                                                          Born 14 January 1969 Bolton                                                  Educated  St Catherine's Cambridge; Royal College of Music; St Petersburg Conservatory.                                                                        Principal conductor English National Ballet, conductor Cambridge Philharmonic Society.

 

Gay Wharton (c.1962-2020)                                                            Bolton mayoress                                                                                Gay Wharton, 58, a former Bolton mayoress, was struck by a black Audi while out walking on Chorley New Road in Bolton at about 12:05 GMT on 13 November. Ms Wharton was treated by paramedics but died at the scene after the crash.                                                                         Assad Hussain, 23, of Maplewood Gardens in Bolton pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving when he appeared at Bolton Crown Court. He will be sentenced at a later date.                                          His co-defendant Wasim Iqbal, also 23, of Maplewood Gardens in Bolton denied the same charge and will now face a trial in June.                    She carried out the ceremonial role of mayoress for Bolton between 2014 and 2015 after being invited to do so by councillor Martin Donaghy, the town's mayor at the time.                                                                Ms Wharton took part in official visits and was involved in charity work and fundraising, Bolton Council said.

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Terrence John (Terry) Wharton  (1942-)                                                   Professional Footballer                                                                    Born 1 July 1942  Bolton                                                                He played for Bolton Wanderers 1967-1971, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace and Walsall.

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James Whittaker (1807-1884)

Architect                                                                                    Born 1807 Worsley

Died 1884

Works: Astley Bridge Church and Church of St Peter Halliwell Bolton.

He was buried at St Peter Halliwell.

 

Frank Richard White (1939-)                                                            Politician                                                                                         Born 1939                                                                            Educated Folds Road School, Bolton; Bolton Technical School            Mayor of Bolton 2005 (Labour).                                                         MP for Bury and Radcliffe 1979-1983 (Labour).                            Worked in a mail order distribution firm. Became an official in the General and Municipal Workers Union.

 

James Melville White  (1907-1979)                                                     Politician                                                                                        Born 1 January 1907                                                                         Died 28 May 1979                                                                         Mayor of Farnworth 1955 (Labour).                                                      He was a joiner for Kearsley Council. Son of Thomas White, Chairman of Farnworth UDC 1925-26.

 

Robert Whitehead (1823-1905)                                                       Engineer and Inventor                                                                        Born 3 January 1823 Mount Pleasant, Off Church Bank, Bolton            Died 14 November 1905 Shrivenham, Berkshire                        Educated Bolton Grammar School; Manchester Mechanics Institute  Worked in Italy and Austria - Invented the Whitehead Fish Torpedo. Rewarded by Austrian Emperor with diamond ring, title 'Cavaliere', Order of Franz Josef. Whitehead's granddaughter Frances married Captain Von Trapp of Sound of Music fame and was the mother of his nine children.

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Walt Whitman (1819-1892)                                                               American poet, essayist, and journalist.                                                 Born: 31 May 1819, West Hills, New York, United States                        Died: 26 March 1892, Camden, New Jersey, United States                     The Eagle Street College, an informal group established in 1885 at the home of James William Wallace in Eagle Street, Bolton, to read and discuss the poetry of Whitman.

 

Edward (Teddy) Whittle (1855-1927)                                                   Born 18 October 1855 Bolton                                                            Died 29 April 1927.                                                                  Bolton music hall comedian and entertainer. Performed as Teddy Whittle.  Wrote song 'Aw'm fain to see thi, " sit thi deawn !"'

 

Harry Whittle (1922-1990)                                                                 Athlete                                                                                        Born 2 May 1922 Bolton                                                              Died 11 May 1990 Bolton                                                          Educated Bolton School                                                                 Competed in the 1948 Olympic Games in London and was Captain of the Great Britain Athletics Team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.        Held 440 yards hurdles world record. Was an AAA champion in the 440 yards hurdles and the long jump.                                                      The Harry Whittle Sports Park at Harper Green, Farnworth was named in his honour.

 

Moses Whittle                                                                                  Moses Whittle of Kay Street and Sarah Garlick, of Durham Street, both Bolton married at the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Higher Bridge Street on 17 Aug 1905. Both were 22 years of age.                                       The couple later had a son Sir Frank Whittle, the world-famous aviation pioneer who was the father of the jet age.                                         The couple are believed to have met at a local mill where Sarah worked as a card room hand and Moses was a mill mechanic. They stayed in Bolton just a short time before moving to Coventry where Frank was born

 

Andrew (Andy) Whyment (1981-)                                                       Actor                                                                                              Born 1981 Salford, Lancashire.                                                    Played Darren in 'The Royle Family' and Kirk Sutherland in 'Coronation Street'.                                                                                   Brought up in Bolton.

 

Helene Wiggin.                                                                                Romantic Novelist                                                                           Bolton.                                                                                           Educated Bolton County Grammar School; Leeds University                       Works include: 'Dancing At The Victory Café' and 'Days of Bread and Roses'.

 

Frank Wignall (1939-)                                                                       Professional Footballer                                                                    Born 21 August 1939 Blackrod, Bolton                                                 He played for Everton, Nottingham Forest, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Derby County, Mansfield Town and England.

 

Rev John Wilcockson (1872-1969)                                                       Politician and Clergyman                                                                   Born 8 April 1872 Manchester                                                           Died 10 April 1969 Worthing, Sussex.                                                 Mayor of Farnworth 1939 (Labour), Chairman of Farnworth Urban District Council: 1930-32 (Labour) He came to Farnworth in 1915 as Vicar of St Thomas', Dixon Green. First Mayor of Farnworth.

 

Jason Wilcox (1971-)                                                                         Professional Footballer                                                                       Born 15 July 1971 Farnworth, Bolton.                                                  Left Winger - played for England, Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United.

 

Commodore Geoffrey Alan Wild (1904-1985)                                   Mariner                                                                                          Born 21 February 1904 Bolton                                                      Died April 1985 Eastbourne, Sussex                                            Educated St Bee's School, Cumberland; Nautical College, Pangbourne, Berkshire.                                                                        Commodore of the P & O line - appointed on becoming first Captain of the P & O flagship, Canberra on 1 June 1961, the eve of her maiden voyage.

 

Joseph Wild (1916-)                                                                          Politician                                                                                         Born 22 March 1916 Farnworth, Bolton.                                               Mayor of Bolton 1981 (Labour), Mayor of Farnworth 1969 (Labour).         Barber. He also worked as an industrial hygienist for Electrical Dow Storage and Chloride Lorival. Known as Joe, he served in the RAF in North Africa and Italy during the Second World War.

 

Paul Wild (c.1944-2020)                                                                   Bolton councillor Paul Wild, who lost his 15 month battle against bowel cancer at Bolton Hospice 27 December 2020.

 

Alan Wilkinson (1948-)                                                                      Politician                                                                                    Born 6 November 1948 Sharoe Green Hospital, Preston, Lancashire.        Educated Red Lane CP School; Crompton Fold CP School; Canon Slade Grammar School, Bolton.                                                           Mayor of Bolton 2000. (Conservative).                                                Moved to Bolton as an infant. Bolton Councillor from 1981. Magistrate from 2000.                                                                                  He was a trader at Bolton's Ashburner Street market for 21 years. A mid-life career change to become a nurse was cut short by a serious car crash in 1991.

 

Thomas Wilkinson (1826-1916)                                                          Cotton Spinner and Philanthropist                                                    Born 1826 Halliwell, Bolton                                                                Died 26 December 1916 Bolton                                              Educated Bolton Grammar School                                                       Liberal Councillor for Bradford ward.                                              Gave his home - Whitehill House, Belmont Road, Bolton - as Wilkinson Sanatorium 1908 along with a £50,000 endowment. Used for 'consumptives' (tuberculosis patients) until 1948 and then as a geriatric unit until its closure in 1980.                                                                      Honorary Freeman of Bolton 1910.

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