Egg, Finger and Brown Sauce Please… the 16 Gerard Street Story
Image from Archbishopofbanterbury Instagram post
Last month a photo of Andy’s All-Day Breakfast, at 16 Gerard Street, went viral on social media; a sign on the front door apologised for closing because Andy had cut his finger off! This might not have been the first time a finger was cut off in the building. Historic directories show that 16 Gerard Street used to be a local surgery!
This connection inspired our second Ashton Building History blog post. Dr Nathan Hannah was listed as a surgeon at 16 Gerard Street in an 1881 directory. At the time surgeons were starting to be required to have a qualification, but the directory indicates that Ashton still had a different surgeon operating without any licenses!
Dr. Nathan was a pillar of the local community, through his role in private and public medical work and involvement in various local societies and community groups. For 42 years he served as the Ashton District Health Officer, this role included publishing monthly and yearly health reports that provided an overview of Ashton’s population and its health. He also got involved in legal cases and issued orders for improvements to private and public spaces on health grounds. On top of these duties, he served as a Governor on the board of Ashton Grammar School and sat as a Treasurer for a local flower show.
Interestingly surgeons are usually referred to as Mr., Ms. Or Mrs but Nathan Hannah is regularly referred to as Dr, perhaps he had another qualification, or his other roles meant that he was referred to as Dr.
Nathan Hannah was also politically active and a member of local chapters of two political groups. In 1902 he became a ‘Brother’ of the Orange Institution, which had two lodges in Ashton at the time! The Orange Institution was a fraternal organisation that originated in Ireland supporting the union with Great Britain and a Protestant monarchy. The ceremony where he was inducted to the society was recorded in a Belfast Weekly paper, alongside Orange Institution events across Great Britain and Ireland.
He was a member of the local Conservative Club, which was called the ‘Conservative and Unionist Club’. Around the turn of the century, Irish Home Rule was a defining issue for politics in Ireland and Britain.
Before he died, the Great War had started, and Dr Nathan donated to local and national relief funds. These relief funds existed to support the home front against all the hardships created by disruption to the economy caused by the war. Dr Nathan passed away in 1915; the news article marking his death notes doctors and respected community members from Ashton and surrounding towns and villages at the ceremony.
After the Surgery
I couldn’t find an exact date for when Dr Hannah’s practice moved away from 16 Gerard Street, but by 1909, records show that a Gentleman’s Club operated by James Valiant was there. It appears that James Valiant was the son of William Valiant who owned a local hinge and lock works. Whitley & Valiant was a local hinge and lock works that operated out of a factory where the Gerard Centre now stands. Both William Valiant and Nathan Hannah were school Governors and members of the Conservative Club; the Dr also nominated William Valiant to be a local guardian. This was a role where people would sit on the boards that oversaw poor relief and workhouses, an early and harsh version of social security.
James Valiant stayed in the area throughout his life, and he held 5.2 acres of land near Nicol Road in Bryn. This was donated to the local council to be sold at the time of his death in July 1981.
Karswood Spice and inter-war ‘poultry keepers’
From The National Library of Wales, Karswood Poultry Spice.
A 1917 ad in the Wigan Observer and District Advertiser encouraged readers to buy Karswood Spice from a shop at 16 Gerard Street. The market for this was the once common practice of people having a few hens in the yard to top up on their food shop or even to sell to others!
Karswood Spice, a brand of poultry spice, is a mixture of spices and minerals that is added to chicken feed. It’s not scientifically proven, but the spices make feed tastier and the minerals are for the health of the chickens and their eggs.
One ad from this period is a letter from a discharged former soldier, explaining how he earns his keep from selling eggs and how important poultry spice is. A BBC blog of second world war memories shares the story of poultry keepers receiving table scraps from ‘customers’ to feed their hens, and in return provided them with eggs. It’s not clear if this exact arrangement existed during the Great War, but these eggs were likely important in overcoming pressures on food supply.
Chemists
The records show that the building went through a long period as the home to various chemists, with three different chemists occupying the space from at least 1938. Annie Joaillet’s chemists was recorded in a 1938 directory, and in October of that year the property was transferred to Charles Davies. Later the property became Timothy White’s chemist which is recorded in a 1959 advertisement for toothpaste sold at the shop.
16 Gerard Street
The building at 16 Gerard Street has a rich history. From the locally respected Dr Nathan Hannah and glimpses into the local high society, to stores providing people with chicken feed and medication. It’s fascinating to dive into the history of Ashton through its buildings, and we look forward to exploring more buildings in this blog series. We hope that Andy recovered ok and is back to serving breakfast!
Andy’s All-Day Breakfast is one of the sites that is receiving funding from the Our Future Ashton fund as part of the regeneration of Ashton.
Thanks for reading, and if you have any stories about historic buildings on the high street don’t hesitate to get in touch via the contact form. This story was researched and written by Allistair McGuire, who works for Wigan Council in Regeneration Services.
Posted on Thursday 3rd July 2025