This couple died many years and many, many miles apart! What’s their story? Sutcliffe Thomas was born in September 1825. His parents Richard and Hannah, of Wadsworth, baptised him and his brother John at Longfield Wesleyan Chapel some time later. Sutcliffe apprenticed as a plasterer and in 1841 was found living with his (maternal) aunt …
In Loving Memory of…who? Not all of this grave’s sidestones might still be here. The three who are here are only related to each other by marriage. Mary Wadsworth was born around 1838 – we’ve struggled to find a concrete, definite birth record for her. Not for lack of trying! 1838 is based off of …
Read more “14.14 – Mary Stopford, Annie and Abraham Lincoln Heap”
There are a lot of people on this stone, from 1895 through 1921. This post so far only deals with the last three on the stone, Cissie, Jack, and William Howorth. Cissie and Jack were two of the children of William and Agnes Ann (Hill) Howorth. Two of eleven, in fact! You might have noticed …
“Gone to be with Christ, which is far better” This stone remember three children of Young and Lydia (Jeffs) Sutcliffe – Albert, Bertha, and an unnamed infant daughter. But who were Young and Lydia? Young was born in December 1834 to John and Betty (Greenwood) Sutcliffe up in Heptonstall. He was one of 11 children …
Read more “37A.28 – Albert, Bertha, Young and Lydia Sutcliffe”
In this grave are three generations of one family, although not concurrent ones – John and Sarah Cockcroft (nee Helliwell), their daughter, Jane, and their great granddaughter, Edith. John was the eldest of the 13 children of George and Ann Cockcroft (George was a butcher, referred to by Travis as ‘old George the butcher’) and …
Read more “39.21 – John, Sarah and Edith Cockcroft, and Jane Goodall”
Albert Jackson was born in Burnley on the 24th February 1886, the son of Fergus and Mary Jackson (nee Heys). He was Mary’s birthday present to herself; they shared a birthday 34 years apart. Later records give his year of birth as 1887 but we can be certain that those are in error. Fergus was …
This grave originally had a notation on it saying that the existing stone – a sidestone lying flush with the ground – was for James William, and the missing one was for Mary Ann Jackson; but when we got there and had a prod, we found not Mary Ann, but John. Who were this family? …
Read more “35.12 – John, James William and Mary Ann Jackson”
This grave is two graves – the real one, and the accidental one. The accidental one is a CWGC marker at the front of the graveyard, and the real one lies further back near the school path. The second one contains two heroes, father and son, and a woman who loved them both dearly. Arthur …
Read more “2.11 and 37.31 – Will and Arthur Marshall and Alice Ada Swindells”
Researcher Holly writes: Samuel Fielden, killed in Mesopotamia on 30th April 1917. The family were originally from Todmorden but by the time of the 1911 census had moved to Burnley. Samuel’s parents were John William Fielden (an insurance agent) and Frances (maidenly Wilson). By 1911 they had had ten children and three that had died …
Read more “24.29 – John William, Frances and Samuel Fielden”
This grave caught the eye of one of our researchers because of Richard and Elizabeth sharing the same date of death. The story was a surprise, and another example of how there is no dignity in death when it comes to popular media. Richard and Elizabeth lived in poverty and may have also had some …
Read more “24.30 – Richard, Elizabeth, John and Mary Ellen Greenwood”