Two Williams, father and son, with a world between their two jobs, and one of them with one eye on worlds other than these… William Dixon Sr. was born in 1772, probably in Batley near Leeds. Mary Hepworth was born in, we think, Huddersfield in 1776. Somehow they met, married in 1807, and started a …
Two husbands, four children; some of them are here, along with the woman whose affection they all held in common. John Binns was born in 1811 somewhere outside of Todmorden. The short time he was alive and the time he was alive in means we know nothing else about him apart from that he was …
Read more “42.16 – John Binns and Joshua, Betsy and Richard Taylor”
Much like the story of Peter and James Studdard, this story is also about the people who aren’t here – the bridges. John and Ann are grandfather and granddaughter. Their stories are short, but the story in between…well! But first things first. John Staley was born in 1796 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Quite a …
As always, the stories we tell aren’t always just of those buried here. There’s also those who might be buried here but aren’t named, and those who were left behind. This story starts with Edmund Mitchell, who was born in February 1810 at Lower Laithe to John and an unknown Mrs. Mitchell. Shore Baptist’s baptism …
Offcumden who made their home here, or at least near here. Roger Bramley was born in 1784 in Downham, midway between Gisburn and Clitheroe and just north of Pendle Hill. A gothic beginning to a not-that-exciting story. His father Edmund was a farmer and Roger spent most of his life in agricultural labour and farming. …
Read more “43.iv – Roger, Rebecca, James and Agatha Bramley”
For the past 2.5 years we have used an old, rickety shed which is perched at the back of the upper slope, below the church itself, as a toolshed. Once it served as the storage shed for the school’s gardening club, but the club folded, the graveyard became overgrown, and the new owners of the …
Older graves are fun because they’re often the places where you learn about seeds getting planted for other, later burials. That’s a clumsy way of putting it, but you’ll see what we mean. John Whitaker was born in Littleborough around 1794. We don’t know who his parents were, only that he and his brother James …
This grave holds two parents and commemorates three unnamed infant sons. We did our best to try and identify these children but sadly weren’t able to; they must be buried elsewhere, which is common, although usually where they’re buried is also mentioned. We have some theories about why this might not be… John Holt was …
If you’ve ever had a pint at the Black Swan that was, or the Polished Knob that is, then next time you’re there raise another to this publican family who did their best by the place through good times and bad. This story begins with two Greenwoods – Robert, who was born here in Todmorden …
Read more “43.8 – Robert, Fanny, Henry, John, Sarah and William Greenwood”
From meat and sweets to pub landlording; this family made sure quite a few of the town’s basic needs were met. At this grave we first find Edmund Farrar and his two wives, Sarah (Taylor) and Elizabeth (Ibbotson). Both these women came from very different backgrounds. Sarah is a little bit of a mystery – …
Read more “43.54 – Sarah, Elizabeth, Edmund, Arthur and Alice Farrar”