After
the Conquest, Wigan lay in the area known as Makerfield in the ancient
Hundred of West Derby and was held for the King by two barons,
Banastre and Grelley who had their chief manors at Warrington and Newton.
Under them were tenants of the individual manors such as Hugh, son of
Henry de Tyldesley, Alfred de Ince and Richard de Orell (MBWOH p26).
Churches at that time were founded by these feudal lords who appointed the rectors. The first known rector of Wigan (and also lord of the Manor) was Ranulf, treasurer of Salisbury, in 1199. Standish's first know rector was Alexander de Standish in 1206 (Blakeman p18).
Wigan's All Saints' had become the established parish church by the beginning of the 13th century and was one of only three ancient churches in the area (the others being at Leigh and Standish). This remained the case until the 17th century when chapelries were established in the surrounding villages of Hindley, Ashton, Atherton and Astley (GMAU p21).
The present church we see today was re-built in 1849 on the original ground plan of the Medieval structure and is said to be a direct copy of it. The only parts that remain of the Medieval period are the church tower, which itself has seen a number of alterations over the years, and two grave-slabs which are probably 14th century in date (ibid.).
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References:
MBWOH - The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan Official Handbook - ED J Burrow & Co. Ltd 1977
Blakeman - Wigan A Historical Souvenir - Bob Blakeman - Sutton Publishing Ltd 1996
GMAU - The Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit Annual Journal 1985 -