For what was supposedly some sort of business dynasty, the Roberts family left little trace in public records; but this lovely, now flat, and unique gravestone reminds us that they were financially a cut above many others in this part of the graveyard. John Roberts Sr. was born outside of Yorkshire but had made his …
This story was told on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour. This is another tale that is about a family, not just a soldier. As often happens, it is filled with tragedy, and not a little graphic detail. Reader discretion is advised. John Albert Barker was born in 1882 to John and Susannah (Marshall) Barker. Susanna …
This story was told on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour. This is a story of not just a soldier, but an entire family that were drastically affected by the events of WW1. But let’s start with the birth of a little boy that would one day die for his country. George William Rohrer was born …
Read more “15.4 – Margaretta, George, Leopold and Sarah Mary Rohrer”
(the following is the text from our coverage of this grave on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour, so does not cover all the abovenamed in full detail) I’d like to share the life of Fred Ashworth with you, another of our brave Tod lads who died for his country, fighting to keep us all free. …
Read more “V7.7 – Annie, Fred, Mary, Edith, Richard and Will Ashworth”
When a stone has been nearly destroyed, it’s easy to make mistakes. And we made one! Thankfully, time spent at St Mary’s graveyard allowed us to be able to correct it. We thoughts this was Sally and Sarah Crossley, although that made no sense because of the supposed dates; after hours of research we’ve determined …
This story introduces us to some new faces…and an old villain. John Land was born in Wirksworth, Derbyshire in 1816. His wife Mary MacDonald had been born there too, a year earlier. The Lands and MacDonalds were lead miners as were many in that area at the time, and it will have been an extremely …
Read more “53.53 – John, George, Mary, Millicent and John Land, and Hannah Elizabeth Crossley”
John rests here, an offcumden who made the town his home. John was born in 1824 in Halifax to William and Hannah Helliwell of Warley. The Helliwells were regular attendees of Square Chapel Congregational. He became a wool comber and in June 1845 he married Sarah Ann Cockcroft of Ovenden, who along with her parents …
This is the story of the family of Young Helliwell, the founder of “Young Helliwell and Sons”, the picker manufacturer company based at Gauxholme. The “and Sons” part of the company name nearly didn’t happen; four of his six sons are buried here, along with his first wife and one of his two daughters. Hannah …
Read more “53.59 – Hannah, Charles, Ernest, Elizabeth, William and Frank Helliwell”
This grave story will straddle two graves, but the background for John is already told partly at S6.6 and 13.12, and the Ackroyd family extends well beyond just those two graves as well…for now, though, it’s easier to combine these two stones into one story. John Ackroyd’s background is well known so first let’s start …
Read more “54.45 and 13.11 – John, Sarah, Thomas and Barker Ackroyd”
The relationships in this grave are complex, and figuring them out was complicated by the blended family unit that these people formed over decades. We’ve done our best here but there are still some questions. The Eastwoods here are Grace and Susan, but there’s a third Eastwood sister not named on this stone; Ellen, the …
Read more “56.43 – Grace Eastwood, Betty, Susan and James Dawson, and William Albert Clewer”