We’re quite often drawn to the large and obvious, sometimes the small and quiet can go unnoticed. Every plot though has at least one burial (most have several) and interesting stories can be found wherever we choose to look. Without ordering a death certificate the cause of death for little George Edward is unknown, from …
If you haven’t read the story of Catherine Armistead, go read that first – this story follows on from there and finishes hers, although it raises a few other questions along the way. We left Catherine’s story with one unanswered question: how did Catherine, whose Todmorden links were unclear, end up being buried here? She …
The farmer’s daughter who became a nurse and was one of several sisters who came to Todmorden. We can’t see her stone, but we can learn a great deal about her life. Catherine was born in 1839 in Arkholme, in the parish of Melling in Lancashire, just south of Kirkby Lonsdale. Her father John was …
Jeremiah is one of many people with a very “Todmorden” surname buried here who, on investigation, turned out to be from further afield. Once here though, he and his family stayed. Jeremiah was born about 1830 in Kildwick, near Silsden. He was the second son of his parents, Jeremiah and Susannah (Stow or Stowell) Horsfall, …
Read more “27.34 – Jeremiah, Mary Catherine, Albert Edward and Betty Horsfall”
The final Anderton family grave here at Christ Church contains the second of John and Theodora’s four sons and members of his family – George Lloyd Anderton, his wife Jinefer, and three of their children. George owes his middle name to his step-grandfather; it was clearly a nod to him, and a sign that Theodora …
Read more “26.41 – George, Jinefer, Stephen, Bertha and John Anderton”
This post about the Anderton/Fielden double plot is split into two, because there are simply so many people in this plot. This post will concern Theodora and her three children who are buried here; the other will concern the wives and children of the sons buried here. Theodora was born Theodora Spencer Sherington, and not …
Read more “9.35 – Theodora, John Stephen and William Anderton, and Elizabeth Fielden”
The stories here in this graveyard are stories mostly of ordinary people, and some could not afford grave markers. We believe the ordinary folks were (and are!) the heart of Tod, so here we remember one of them. This is the grave of Fanny Danks. It was a popular name in the time period! She …
We stand now by the unmarked grave of Rose Gibson. She was born Rose Harlow in 1845 in Derbyshire, and the whole family were handloom silk weavers. It was not a great time to be a weaver, as you history buffs will know, but this family set up was typical. Children were set before looms …
This stone is for many members of the Stansfield family, and maybe anyone here who has walked past and noticed it have noticed the mention of a son who died in America at the bottom. This is the story of just two of the many on this stone, because it’s long and because it’s sad. …
“In Death Not Divided”, as the obituary for Robert and Betsey begins, and as in life so in death. The obituary tells you quite a lot about this couple. Robert was a native of Burnley, who married his wife Betsey Stephenson there in 1869. They had known each other for quite some time; in fact, …