This story was told on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour. This is another tale that is about a family, not just a soldier. As often happens, it is filled with tragedy, and not a little graphic detail. Reader discretion is advised. John Albert Barker was born in 1882 to John and Susannah (Marshall) Barker. Susanna …
This story was told on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour. This is a story of not just a soldier, but an entire family that were drastically affected by the events of WW1. But let’s start with the birth of a little boy that would one day die for his country. George William Rohrer was born …
Read more “15.4 – Margaretta, George, Leopold and Sarah Mary Rohrer”
(the following is the text from our coverage of this grave on our Remembrance Sunday 2023 tour, so does not cover all the abovenamed in full detail) I’d like to share the life of Fred Ashworth with you, another of our brave Tod lads who died for his country, fighting to keep us all free. …
Read more “V7.7 – Annie, Fred, Mary, Edith, Richard and Will Ashworth”
This story was initially written up for our 2023 Remembrance Sunday tour, so it will start focusing exclusively on Edwin Hewitt, and then loop back at the end to discuss William, Elizabeth, and John’s lives. Edwin Hewitt was born at 17 East Street on the 18th April 1874, the son of William Hewitt, a labourer, …
Read more “24.31 – Elizabeth, Edwin, William and John Hewitt”
This is a grave where the relationships between all three people took a short spell to unpick. Not one of these three is biologically related to the other, but all three men meant something to a Suthers. Not that poor Felix got the chance to become a man. In chronological order, we will begin. Patrick …
Read more “12.37 – Felix Sebastian Muldoon, Patrick McDonald and Thomas Sutcliffe”
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 …
Albert Jackson was born in Burnley on the 24th February 1886, the son of Fergus and Mary Jackson (nee Heys). He was Mary’s birthday present to herself; they shared a birthday 34 years apart. Later records give his year of birth as 1887 but we can be certain that those are in error. Fergus was …
This grave originally had a notation on it saying that the existing stone – a sidestone lying flush with the ground – was for James William, and the missing one was for Mary Ann Jackson; but when we got there and had a prod, we found not Mary Ann, but John. Who were this family? …
Read more “35.12 – John, James William and Mary Ann Jackson”
This grave is two graves – the real one, and the accidental one. The accidental one is a CWGC marker at the front of the graveyard, and the real one lies further back near the school path. The second one contains two heroes, father and son, and a woman who loved them both dearly. Arthur …
Read more “2.11 and 37.31 – Will and Arthur Marshall and Alice Ada Swindells”
Researcher Holly writes: Samuel Fielden, killed in Mesopotamia on 30th April 1917. The family were originally from Todmorden but by the time of the 1911 census had moved to Burnley. Samuel’s parents were John William Fielden (an insurance agent) and Frances (maidenly Wilson). By 1911 they had had ten children and three that had died …
Read more “24.29 – John William, Frances and Samuel Fielden”