There appear to have been two Thomas Wigans having children baptized in Wigan in the first three decades of the 18th century. This page sets out the evidence I have uncovered on them and my reasoning for sorting out the families as I have done. The arrangement is far from certain, and new evidence may well force a revision. I give transcriptions of the entries in the court leet rolls and parish registers that I have used at the bottom of the page.
Two Thomases married women named Ann in Wigan, in 1704/5 and in 1706. One was baptized in 1676 (father Thomas) and the other in 1685 (father James). Thus:
Thomas Wigan = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 = Ann
James Wigan = Margrie Anderton
Thomas b. 1685 = Ann
Two children baptized in the early 1700s had fathers recorded as Thomas Wigan junior. Thus, the next step:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 = Ann
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
James Wigan = Margrie Anderton
Thomas b. 1685 = Ann
The Ann who married in 1704 was Ann Mitton of Wigan. She was possibly born in 1678 (if she is the Hannah Mitton baptized in Wigan then. I have found no other candidates, but it is possible that Ann was not originally from Wigan -- a Margaret Mitton who was married in Wigan in 1699 also does not seem to have been baptized in Wigan. Almost all other Wigan Mittons in the period are identifiably of a single extended family.) The Ann who married in 1706 was Ann Topping of Ormskirk. She was very likely baptized in Ormskirk in 1685. It seems chronologically more likely that Ann Mitton married the son of Thomas and Ann Topping the son of James. Thus:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 = Ann Mitton b. 1678? married 1704/5
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
James Wigan = Margrie Anderton
Thomas b. 1685 = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 married 1706
One of the Thomases was a grocer who died in 1723/4. The other was a bricklayer who possibly died as late as 1772, and whose last child was baptized in 1727. The 1727 date is chronologically a stretch for Ann Mitton. Also, James Wigan, the father of the Thomas born in 1685, seems to have been either a mason who died in 1734 or a brick-setter who died in 1746. So it seems likely that Thomas the son of James was the bricklayer and Thomas the son of Thomas was the grocer. Thus:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 - d. 1723/4 [grocer, of Weint] = Ann Mitton b. 1678? married 1704/5
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
James Wigan d. 1746? [bricksetter of Hallgate] = Margrie Anderton
Thomas b. 1685 - d. 1772? [bricksetter of Wint] = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 married 1706
Thomas b. 1722 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
William b. 1724 [father bricklayer of Hallgate] - d. 1727 [father of Hallgate]
William b. 1727 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
One Ann died in 1741, a widow. The other died in 1746, when her husband was still alive. Thus:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate]= Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 - d. 1723/4 [grocer, of Weint] = Ann Mitton b. 1678? - d. 1741 [widow] married 1704/5
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
James Wigan d. 1746? [bricksetter of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1685 - d. 1772? [bricksetter of Wint] = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 - d. 1746 [wife of Thomas Wigan] married 1706
Thomas b. 1722 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
William b. 1724 [father bricklayer of Hallgate] - d. 1727 [father of Hallgate]
William b. 1727 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
Thomas Wigan the grocer had a daughter Sarah buried in 1715 [father Thomas Wigan of Weint, grocer]. Presumably he was also the father of the Daniel Wigan who was born in 1713 and died in 1714 and whose father was of Weint. Sarah was born in 1710. In her baptism record, her father is recorded as senior instead of the expected junior. This is probably because in 1706/7, her brother Thomas was born (He died shortly after Sarah’s baptism.) This solution is a little messy, because the James baptized in 1707/8 has his father recorded as Thomas senior although he too was born after his (supposed) brother Thomas. Also, Margaret’s father is recorded as being of Hallgate after “her” family appears to have moved to Weint. However, given the evidence that I have, I cannot think of a better solution. Thus:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 - d. 1723/4 [grocer, of Weint] = Ann Mitton b. 1678? - d. 1741 [widow] married 1704/5
Thomas b. 1706/7 [father of Hallgate] - d. 1710 [father of Hallgate]
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
Sarah b. 1710 [father Thomas senior of Hallgate] - d. 1715 [father grocer of Weint]
Daniel b. 1713 [father of Weint] - d. 1714 [father of Weint]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior, of Hallgate]
James Wigan d. 1746? [bricksetter of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1685 - d. 1772? [bricksetter of Wint] = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 - d. 1746 [wife of Thomas Wigan] married 1706
Thomas b. 1722 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
William b. 1724 [father bricklayer of Hallgate] - d. 1727 [father of Hallgate]
William b. 1727 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
The Margaret baptized 15 October 1710 must have been of a different family from the Sarah baptized 28 May 1710. Also, the Elizabeth baptized in 1705 must have been a daughter of the couple married in 1704/5. Thus:
Thomas Wigan d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley
Thomas b. 1676 - d. 1723/4 [grocer, of Weint] = Ann Mitton b. 1678? - d. 1741 [widow] married 1704/5
Elizabeth b. 1705 [father of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1706/7 [father of Hallgate] - d. 1710 [father of Hallgate]
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
Sarah b. 1710 [father Thomas senior of Hallgate] - d. 1715 [father grocer of Weint]
Daniel b. 1713 [father of Weint] - d. 1714 [father of Weint]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
James Wigan d. 1746? [bricksetter of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1685 - d. 1772? [bricksetter of Wint] = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 - d. 1746 [wife of Thomas Wigan] married 1706
Margaret b. 1710 [father of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1722 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
William b. 1724 [father bricklayer of Hallgate] - d. 1727 [father of Hallgate]
William b. 1727 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
Likely the Thomas Wigan and Ann Topping had children baptized elsewhere which I have not yet tracked down. If Ann Mitton’s parents were James Mitton and Sarah Farclough, then Thomas and Ann’s first four children were named after the couple’s four grandparents.
Finally, James (died 1746?) was the elder brother of Thomas (1676-1723/4). So my suggested construction of the family is thus:
Thomas Wigan b. 1642 - d. 1723/4 [Thomas Wigan senior of Hallgate] = Elizabeth Critchley d. 1729? married 1664 in Upholland
James b. 1665 - d. 1746? [bricksetter of Hallgate] = Margery Anderton married 1685
Thomas b. 1685 - d. 1772? [bricksetter of Wint] = Ann Topping of Ormskirk b. 1685 - d. 1746 [wife of Thomas Wigan] married 1706
Margaret b. 1710 [father of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1722 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
William b. 1724 [father bricklayer of Hallgate] - d. 1727 [father of Hallgate]
William b. 1727 [father bricklayer of Hallgate]
Jane b. 1668 - d. 1670
Margery b. 1670
Jane d. 1672
Ann b. 1673
Thomas b. 1676 - d. 1723/4 [grocer, of Weint] = Ann Mitton b. 1678? - d. 1741 [widow] married 1704/5
Elizabeth b. 1705 [father of Hallgate]
Thomas b. 1706/7 [father of Hallgate] - d. 1710 [father of Hallgate]
James b. 1707/8 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
Sarah b. 1710 [father Thomas senior of Hallgate] - d. 1715 [father grocer of Weint]
Daniel b. 1713 [father of Weint] - d. 1714 [father of Weint]
Margaret b. 1718 [father Thomas junior of Hallgate]
John b. 1680
Elizabeth b. 1684
But as I said, it is very possible that the discovery of new evidence may force a revision of this construction.
Evidence:
Mentions in the Wigan Borough Court Leet Rolls (from 1670 to 1691):
1672
Thomas Wigan labourer
1678
Thomas Wigan stealing plums
1688/9
James Wigan, gatewaiter, Hallgate
Baptisms:
March 1668
31 Jane the daughter of Thomas Wigan of Hallgate
May 1670
15 Margerie daughter of Thomas Wigan of Hallgate
October 1673
26 Ann daughter of Thomas Wigan of Hallgate
October 1676
22 Thomas Son of Thomas Wigan of halgate
June 1680
13 John Son of Thomas Wigan of halgate
May 1684
18 Eliz D. of Tho Wigan of Haulgate
June 1685
7 Tho S of James Wigan of haulgate
July 1692
17 Ellizab da.r. of James Wigan hallgte
October 1697
3 James son of James Wigan de hallgate
May 1699
14 Rich: son of James Wigan halgate.
April 1705
17 Eliz:th Da:r Tho:s Wigan De Hallgate
October 1705
8 Eliz:th Da:r James Wigan of Hallgate
March 1706/7
23 Thomas Son. Thomas Wigan of Hallg:te
January 1707/8
10 Ann Da:r James Wigan of Hallgate ju:r
March 1707/8
20 James son Thomas Wiggan of Hallg:te. Jun:r
May 1710
28 Serah Da:r Thomas Wigan of Hallgate sen:r
October 1710
15 Marg:t Da:r Thomas Wiggin of Hallg:te
August 1713
2 Dan.l Son Thomas Wiggin of Weint
November 1718
16 Marg:t D:r Thomas Wiggin of Hallgate jun:r
May 1722
12 Tho:s S: Thomas Wigan Brick:lay:r & Ann his wife of Hallgate
November 1724
15 William S Tho.s Wigan of Hallg.t Bricklayer & Ann his W
May 1727
28 Will:m son Thom: Wigan Bricklayer de Hallgate & Ann wife
February 1733/4
26 Alice D:r Tho:s Wigan of Standishgate & Ann his wife
December 1736
18 Ann D:r Thomas Wigan of Standishgate & Ann wife
July 1739
12 John Son Tho: Wigan of Standishgate & Ann
May 1741
23 Isabell D:r Tho: Wigan of Standishgate & Ann
October 1744
13 Tho:s Son Thomas Wigan of Standishgate & Ann wife
September 1746
30 Ellen D:r Thomas Wigan of Standishgate Ann
July 1749
30 Elizab:th D:r Tho:s Wigan of Standishgate
Marriages
April 1685
21 James Wigan Margrie Anderton [...]
February 1704/5
19 Thomas Wiggan & Ann Mitton of Wigan
August 1706
25 Thomas Wigan of Wig: & Ann Topping of Ormsk:
August 1733
Banns Thomas Wigan of this Town & Ann Turner of Haigh Married p[er] M:r Lowe Vic 7:th day
Burials
July 1670
Jane daughter of Thomas Wigan of Halgate
December 1672
22 Jane daughter of Thomas Wigan of Hallgate
March 1694
29 Infant of James Wigan
November 1709
5 [Elizabeth d of James Wigan of Hallgate]
July 1710
20 Thomas son Thomas Wiggin of Hallg:te
August 1714
22 Dan.ll Son Thomas Wiggin of Weint
July 1715
8 Sarah Da:r Thomas Wigan of Weint Grocer
February 1723/4
9 Thomas Wigan Sen.r Hallgate
March 1723/4
5 Tho:s Wigan of Weint Groc:r
September 1726
10 W:m son of Tho: Wigan de Hallgate
October 1734
30 James Wigan of Hallgate Mason
June 1740
22 John Son Tho: Wigan of Standishgate
November 1741
10 Ann Wigan of Hallgate Widow
July 1745
19 Tho:s Son Thomas Wigan of Standishgate
May 1746
14 James Wigan of Hallgate Brick-Setter
February 1746/7
15 Ann wife of Tho:s Wigan of Hallgate
July 1770
4 Tho:s Wigan of Standishgate Plummer
January 1772
11 Tho:s Wigan of Wint Brick-Setter
May 1774
2 Tho:s Wigan of Standishgate Brick-Setter