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”
One of the first stories we told from under the school extension was that of the Dodd family – that was because on the two out of their three sidestones, which are unaccountably resting on the outside of the school extension, one included a hitherto unrecorded family member. Since then we’ve found unmentioned people, stones …
Read more “S2.9 – Herbert, John Robert, Betsy and Arnold Cunliffe, and Jack Uttley”
Samuel Grindrod was last seen being mentioned in the story of Clara and Leslie Forbes – the wife and son of Thomas Forbes junior. What’s his connection to the Forbes family? And who were they? Thomas Forbes (senior) was born in Salford, Manchester in 1842. His parents John and Elizabeth (Allen) Forbes had lived in …
Read more “17.13 – Thomas and Mary Forbes, and Samuel and Amy Grindrod”
William Taylor was born in 1861 in Heptonstall, the son of Paul Taylor, a mason, and his wife Sarah Ann (Paul and Sarah later became licensees of the Fox and Goose in Hebden Bridge). In 1871, Willie aged 9 was working as a mule piecer, in 1881 he was a cutter out, but by 1891 …
Read more “16.2 – Sarah Jane, William, Ernest and Annie Taylor”
This is a grave where the relationships between all three people took a short spell to unpick. Not one of these three is biologically related to the other, but all three men meant something to a Suthers. Not that poor Felix got the chance to become a man. In chronological order, we will begin. Patrick …
Read more “12.37 – Felix Sebastian Muldoon, Patrick McDonald and Thomas Sutcliffe”
The unmarked vault plots are fairly easy to both clearly identify and radically beautify. This one was a group effort and we hope its inhabitant likes what we’ve done. Thomas Frederick Lloyd was born in March 1888 in Manordeifi, Pembrokeshire – a long way from Todmorden! His father Thomas was a gardener at Pentre Mansion …
This is another grave hidden under the school extension, and another explanation about why these graves matter. It starts with those we know are buried here and ends with those who we can only guess at, for now. Harold Allister was born in 1895 to James and Louisa Allister. In 1908 he can be found …
This vault space is one that had to be entirely rebuilt – from remortaring the bricks to rearranging the squares and adding gravel. It isn’t perfection, but it’s affection. FOCCers care about the graveyard and the people here, and we do our best. It’s better than what this family have had for a very, very …
Read more “V5.10 – Ingham and Ivy Stansfield, and Sarah and Emily May Cunliffe”
Death of a Volunteer. This magnificent gravestone is Frank Ashworth’s. He was one of the founder members of the Todmorden Company, 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers which was formed in 1877. The newspaper clipping details his grand send off – imagine a funeral like that in the town today. It just wouldn’t happen. From the …