Browns of Wigan

Browns, of Wigan – A number of Browns figure in the early Baptist history of Wigan. One particular Mr. Brown was involved with a group of believers who had been meeting with an Independent congregation in Wigan but had recently, possibly due to the influence of McLean, developed Baptist convictions. In 1796 this group would begin meeting in a room in Brick Kiln Lane and, with the encouragement of John Hirst of Bacup and James Hargreaves of Bolton, organized into a Baptist church later that year. They would not have a pastor until 1803 (William Wrathall of Skipton), at which time a chapel was built in Lord Street. Later the church moved to Scarisbrick Street, where it remains to this day. A John Brown was also was listed as a bookseller in Mill Gate, Wigan, in Holden’s 1811 Directory. See Holden’s Triennial Directory (2 vols. London: W. Holden, 1811); Ian Sellers, “Other Times, Other Ministries: John Fawcett and Alexander McLaren,” Baptist Quarterly 32 (1987-1988), 9.