A ne’er-do-well rests here, although whether it was by design or by bad luck is unknown. We can’t know how hard William actually tried. In fact as far as can be figured, William was doing his best. He was born in 1790 at Burnt Acre (right on the border between Erringden and Stansfield, in Eastwood) …
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”
This grave holds two people from very different backgrounds, who both met a sad and early end – and of course, as with so many stories like this, there’s also the story of one person in particular who they left behind… Frank Nuttall, the second person buried here, was the first person born to this …
You often find yourself feeling sorry for the last person into a grave, and this grave is certainly no exception. Ingham Proctor, or Procter, was born in 1815 in Worsthorne, outside Burnley, to Robert and Mary (Ingham – hence the name) Proctor. The area the family lived in was Hurstwood, where the reservoir is now, …
Read more “46.51 – Ingham, Robert and Sarah Proctor, and Mary Heap”
Here we have some Walsden-born publicans who left the area – but came back one way or another. This story begins with James Fielden of Inchfield Fold, who was born in 1808 and would later move up to Speak Edge, or Speke Edge, to become a stonecutter. This area was rife with Fieldens in 1841 …
The story of those buried here shows some of the interconnectedness of the yard; peeling apart each grave’s story makes seeing those links possible. It’s part of why we do what we do. The story of this grave can’t be fully told without also telling the story of the Charltons at 49.58, the Buttons at …
Read more “50.57 – Maria, Eveline, William, Isabella and William Thomas Heyworth”
This lancet with its still-clear ivy motif marks a grave with two small and only children, and a husband and wife whose bond remained beyond death and remarriage. Sally Haigh was born in the summer of 1845 to James and Ann (Dyson) Haigh of Walsden and was baptised at Walsden St. Peter’s in September of …
Read more “53.64 – Mary Ann, Rachel Alice and John Howorth, and Sally Hollinrake”
This is another of our graves that was missed last time around, and that is linked to other graves within the yard. Who were these people? Elizabeth Ann Helliwell was born in 1863 to William and Hannah (Normington) Helliwell of Square, Walsden. Her baptism at St. Peter’s was on September 24th of that year and …
Ann is the graveyard’s oldest resident. Not because of when she was born but because of her age when she died; not only is she our oldest, but she’s our only centenarian, having died at the impressive age of 104. There are many people buried in this grave and at V11.8 whose lives were very …