John and Betty rest here, and hopefully they are resting. The end of John’s life in particular held a particular sort of embarrassing heartache. John Forrester was born around 1805 on the Lancashire side of Todmorden, as was his future wife Betty Ratcliffe. We know nothing of their lives prior to their marriage apart from …
This stone posed a few questions, not least about the date of Mary’s death. But Betty turned out to be a mystery all her own as well… Mary was born around 1801. That’s all we can say with any certainty up until 1841. The following is pure supposition. Mary’s surname at birth was Lord. This …
The only Jabez at Christ Church rests here with his two wives. But the stone here doesn’t tell us about a man with two wives – it tells us about three people who were connected in life and death by their children biological and assumed. Jabez Taylor was born in 1814 in Newchurch, specifically at …
This previously unmarked ledger announces the beginning and end of a very short little life – that of Grace Whitaker, who from her stone we know was buried here in late 1852 aged 18 months. Like little Sarah Taylor, her parents went to great expense to mark her grave, but then never ended up here …
This is one of the stones we liberated from a few inches of soil behind the Garden of Rest. It doesn’t tell much of a story, but do you always need there to be a story? James Nuttall was born in 1770 or thereabouts and grew up in the Stansfield ward area of the larger …
Read more “57.50 – James, Mally, Isaac and Elizabeth Nuttall (previously unmarked)”
Ten plots from her lover/almost-husband and her son lies Margaret Howorth, and another woman whose relationship to Margaret is entirely unknown. As discussed in the story of Richard Newsome, he nearly (but never quite) married Margaret Howorth or Howarth of Todmorden in 1834. Margaret was, when we were researching that story, something of a mystery…and …
There’s not a great deal we can say about those buried here, but the people around them lived colourful lives! Mary Nuttall, the third person mentioned on the stone, will be the first person we start with. Mary was born Mary Ann Sutcliffe in 1830. Her father Edmund was described on her marriage certificate as …
This grave tells a story of how substance abuse can often be a family affair, and is a sad story of age not necessarily conferring strength against such things. James Hardman was born in 1842. According to the census he was born on the Lancashire side of the border, just as his future wife Emma …
Read more “12.14 – Tom, Emma, James and Clara Hardman, and Betsy Lingard”
This story was initially written up for our 2023 Remembrance Sunday tour, so it will start focusing exclusively on Edwin Hewitt, and then loop back at the end to discuss William, Elizabeth, and John’s lives. Edwin Hewitt was born at 17 East Street on the 18th April 1874, the son of William Hewitt, a labourer, …
Read more “24.31 – Elizabeth, Edwin, William and John Hewitt”
There are two families buried in this vault towards the back of the graveyard, in the corner behind the school fence – this post will focus on the Pickups of Patmos, who make up most of the interments. The Pickups of Patmos didn’t start out as from Patmos, or even Todmorden. Robert was born in …
Read more “42.60 – Robert, Mary, Mary Hannah, Alice and Edith Pickup”