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, …
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 …
“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, …
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 …
The use of surnames as first names means you might have to pay attention to this one! Betty Greenbank, the grandmother on this stone, was born Betty Barker in October 1805 to John and Hannah Barker of Stansfield. She married John Greenbank at St. Chad’s in Rochdale in September 1823. She might have been John’s …
Read more “47.52 – Betty and Elizabeth Greenbank, and Sarah and Greenbank Law”
These two sidestones were the first to get this treatment – a new way of trying to keep loose sidestones together while also not making life difficult for those who keep the lawn trimmed here. John and Ellen (Byrne) Partlin were Irish immigrants who met and married in Haslingden in 1870 at the Catholic church …
The age old question – why bother doing what we’re doing? We’re so sick of it! Let us give you an example of why. Andrew and Elizabeth Dodd are in what is now, on our new transcript for the school extension graves, row 1 plot 5. It’s the last one before the wall adjoining the …