Wigan is a town near Manchester in England. It stands on the banks of the River Douglas, and is 15 miles south of Preston, 16.5 miles west of Manchester, and 17.4 miles east of Liverpool. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total population of roughly 81,200 in 2001, whilst the wider borough has a population of 306,000. Wigan has historically been a part of lancashire, and was in the territory of the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe. The Romans conquered the area in the 1st century and established a settlement, possibly that of Coccium. Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing Royal charters, the others being Lancaster, Liverpool, and Preston.