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 …
Two more names hidden from the eye (for now at least) – John and Christina, whose stone we last saw in 2016. John Barker was born in 1854 to Thomas and Betty (Haigh) Barker. The first child of his parents, John grew up first at Honey Hole in what used to be called Hanging Ditch, …
We always get intrigued when we see different surnames in a grave – and, of course, as this stone is under the school, there’s no inscription we can see which might offer a clue as to family relationships. The answer to this particular mystery is “the usual one” – a child born out of wedlock …
Read more “S7.2 – Samuel Wood and John Greenwood, Susannah, John Willie and Law Southwell”
“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, …
It’s not the what, but the how, for us. Mary was once the headmistress of the National School, and now her resting place is irrevocably tied up in its very fabric. Here you can see the list of names pulled from the headstone for the Crowther family in the 1980s, when a group of teenagers …
Read more “S7.5 – Benjamin, George, John, Susan, Ann and Mary Crowther”
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 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 …
This plot marker was found lying on its back in row 43. We did know where it came from, and will update this post at a later date to explain further. We didn’t know initially, though, who LAD was. Plot markers can be awkward things. Many times the initials on them are the initials of …
There are only six graves in the graveyard which we can access that are Commonwealth War Grave Commission graves. The 7th is on the grounds of the school, the extension built around it in a way that allows the stone to still be visible and visitable, and in that grave over there is Eric Mitchell. …