George’s brother in law John Mitchell lies just a few plots away, and we saw the connection while researching John’s story. John was married to George’s sister Grace and died a year before George, in 1915. Who was George? George’s story starts with his parents (as do most people’s stories). Joseph and Charlotte (Rawson) Hollinrake …
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”
A pair of proud parents and a proud uncle are buried here – at least, the father and uncle would have been proud if they’d still been around to see their son/nephew’s success. A tale of offcumden who embedded themselves in Todmorden life. William and Charles Goucke were brothers who had moved to Todmorden from …
This musical family rests under a walkway, and there’s a mystery contained therein too – we think we know who Sarah is, but because there’s no formal transcript, there’s currently no way to be 100% sure, Lord Halstead – what a name! – was born in 1836 in Heptonstall to John and Mary (Lord) Halstead. …
Read more “SA.1 – Sarah, Susy, Tom, Lord and Jamie Halstead”
Buried here are a pair of Unitarian royalty – yes, here, not at the Unitarian – we believe underneath the external walkway around the back of the school extension. Joseph and Ann’s birth families are here at Christ Church and so they chose to rest here instead. Joseph Sutcliffe was born in 1840 to James …
Read more “SA.7 – Ruth, Mary Emmyline, Joseph and Ann Sutcliffe”
Their son, John William, lies under the school; they lie here. Think of John next time you get a free book in the train station office or visit WH Smiths, and think of Helen next time you nip into Boots. John Richards was born in Manchester in 1852. His parents Evan and Elizabeth were both …
We stand here next to the grave of Willie Crowther – not the one with the beautiful light grey granite cross, but the unmarked space to the left of it. Yes, he is related to John Crowther, whose story you heard earlier… it is in fact his son. You will recall the statistic we gave …
“He shall gather the lambs” – this tiny grave was lost in the undergrowth but now is found. The Molesworth family’s presence here owes everything to a Tod-famous murder and its aftermath. Reverend Reynell Francis Molesworth was drafted in to take over when the Reverend Anthony Plow was murdered by his former maid’s former beau, …
It’s not the what, but the how, for us. Mary was once the headmistress of the National School, and now her resting place is irrevocably tied up in its very fabric. Here you can see the list of names pulled from the headstone for the Crowther family in the 1980s, when a group of teenagers …
Read more “S7.5 – Benjamin, George, John, Susan, Ann and Mary Crowther”
“To Mrs. Dean, with kindest regards from the People’s Warden of Todmorden Church, Jn Barker, May 5th /12” This inscription was inside a copy of Ramshaw’s “Concerning Todmorden Parish” belonging to one of our researchers, and they were curious who Mrs. Dean and John Barker were. Mrs. Dean remains a mystery, but John Barker has …