The name Pemberton appears in documents as early as the 12th century. The name Norley or Northlegh first appears in 1292. It is thought that Norley and Pemberton were part of the same manor originally but became split into separate manors and later joined together through inheritance through the heirs of Thurstan de Norley. The manor rights to Pemberton eventually passed to the Legh family of Lyme. A Legh terrier of 1466 mentions the existence of Norley Hall, Kit Green or Kytte Green, Lonemerehed or Lonemerehedgrene (Lamberhead Green), and Hawkley Hall.
Hawkley Hall belonged to the Molyneux family who were related to the Sefton Molyneux. The Hall was demolished in 1971. Hindley Hall was owned by the Bankes family of Winstanley Hall. Worsley Mesnes was owned by the Worsley family who also owned Worsley Hall. The family's lands were later owned by the Downes family (Roger Downes represented Wigan in Parliament in 1601 and 1620. A monument to his grandson Roger is in All Saints Church, Wigan.) The lands were later held by the Duke of Bridgewater.
Local Boards were set up in 1872 and then changed by the 1894 Local Government Act to an urban district council which was dissolved in 1903, to become part of Wigan County Borough. A hospital was erected in 1886 by the local board. The land which was to form Alexandra Park was given by Colonel BH Blundell, a local coal mine owner, in 1903.
St John's Church was consecrated in 1832. St Matthew's Church was built in 1894 and replaced the old iron church and school owned by the Blundell's who also paid for the building of the new church. St Mark's was built in 1891. St Cuthbert's RC church dates from 1872 and was enlarged in 1887. A new church replaced this in 1966. St Edward RC at Newtown opened in 1927. St Aidan RC dates from 1972. St Paul CE opened in 1915.
The principal industries were coal mining, cotton spinning, quarrying stone, brickmaking and ironfounding.
