Another grave with Chartist links – this corner truly does have a fantastic selection of radical townsmen! Jakeh Butterworth was born in Oldham in 1804. He was baptised Jackey, and his name morphs over time and changes back and forth between Jackey, Jackeh, Jacky, Jakey, and finally Jakeh. How was it pronounced? It might be …
Read more “41.16 – Betty, Ann, Jane, Mary and Jakeh Butterworth”
Sisters in law and a tiny son – these women hailed from afar and their husbands didn’t stay long…but this grave is linked to one of Todmorden’s greatest railway landmarks via one husband, and it’s a shame that the story of these women will be light on details when there’s so much to tell about …
Quaker and bread baker Robert Walmsley was one of Todmorden’s many offcumden residents over time who made their home here; this story is short on detail about the people buried in the grave mostly due to their ages, but his first wife Sarah also suffers from the usual lack of records and roles for women …
The three Wilson children in this grave are another example of children whose families moved on and never came back – and also a reminder that access to medicine or medical knowledge wasn’t enough to save you back then. It’s also a mystery all of its own for other reasons… Matthew Wilson was born in …
A stonemason, a woman with two names, and young losses, one (hopefully) redeemed by some grandparental love. First, the mysterious aforementioned woman. Not that she’s mysterious really, but for reasons we’ve never gotten to the bottom of, she had two names. Betty Crossley, as she was christened, was born in June 1850 in Midgley near …
Read more “41.55 – Sam, Harry, William Henry and Betty Atkinson, and Lily Bramley”
Six children, some only young, some grown; the Wood family suffered some terrible losses which are masked by this ornate “wooden” cross. Who were they? Edwin Wood was born in Ashton under Lyne in 1853, the son of John Wood, a baker and German yeast dealer and his wife Sarah (nee Booth). The yeast was German, …
Two adults and two little ones. Even the adults weren’t that old though… Liverpool is our first port of call on this story. John Johnson Jr. (the Jr. is important, it’s on his gravestone after all) was born there in 1846, in Kirkdale parish. He was the second of five children, all boys, born to …
Read more “41.57 – John, Ruth and Mary Elizabeth Johnson, and Ruth Varley”
The Denhams were an unlucky lot, all with early deaths – even by the standards of the day. They’re possibly the most unlucky family in this graveyard, even those who aren’t buried here. The fact that their stone was roughly laid flat by shattering the base only underlines the point. Olive Webster was a year …
Read more “41.58 – John, Olive, Sam, Tom, Sarah and Annie Denham”
Londoners, coming up here, taking our jobs, stealing our women! Well, you don’t hear that last bit these days, but for the sake of accuracy in this story we’ll pretend that’s still a relevant gripe in Todmorden. But people have always travelled for work and to try and do something different with the skills they …
Read more “42.ii – Mary, William, Sally, Betty and William Gunn”
This grave holds a mother, two of her children, a grandson and a daughter in law; their story starts in Leeds, but also, in France! Mercy’s story comes first, and it’s not an uncommon story for the time. Mercy Smith was born in Wetherby in 1813 and at some point moved to Bramley with her …
Read more “41.60 – Mercy, Young, Susannah and John Henry Potentier, and Emma Stansfield”