Lister Lane Cemetery (3) - graves 2908 and 2721

Grave no. 2908

Norris Highley, son of Harry Highley and Annie (nee Stapp).

Elizabeth Sunderland (nee Robinson), wife of William Sunderland, great great grandmother of Harry.

George Nutton, son-in-law of Elizabeth, and his wife Hannah. 

Harry Highley was an Iron Moulder who lived in Halifax. 

Grave no. 2721

John Highley

Matilda Jane Brooksbank and Sam Brooksbank, stepchildren of John

John was the third husband of Caroline Helliwell. Her first husband, William Brooksbank, was the father of Matilda and Sam, and her second husband was Thomas Eastwood.

John was a Labourer, born in Warley but later lived in Halifax.

There are several Hileys/Highleys listed in the burial records but buried in unmarked graves or unable to be located, along with a number of adults and children in public or infant vaults with no markings.

Lister Lane Cemetery (2) - graves 362, 3672 and 3932

In the next few posts we look at the Hiley graves in Lister Lane Cemetery, Halifax.

Grave no. 362

James Riley Highley.

Lucy Ann Highley, James's cousin and wife, daughter of John Highley.
Their children Lucy Annie, Kate, Ada Elizabeth and an infant son.

Hannah Highley (nee Bentley), wife of William Highley, James's brother.

James and Lucy Ann both lived in Halifax and married in 1854. James was a Clerk to the Commissioners of Taxes and Deputy Magistrates' Clerk in Halifax.

After Lucy Ann's death, James Riley Highley emigrated to New Zealand where he died and was buried.

Grave no. 3672

Thomas Hiley

Mary Hiley (nee Feather), wife of Thomas.

Nancy Ackroyd, widowed sister of Mary.

Thomas and Mary were both from Warley. They married in Halifax in 1813 and later moved to Northowram. Thomas was a Carpet Weaver. 

Thomas and Mary had 11 children. Two of them are buried in unmarked public graves at Lister Lane - Edward Feather Hiley (1833-1855), a dyer from Northowram, in grave no. 4307, and Thomas Hiley (1821-1848), a plasterer also from Northowram, in grave no. 4243. 

Grave no. 3932

Caroline Highley (nee Shaw), wife of John Highley.

Charles Highley, Caroline's son.

Joel Shaw, Caroline's father.

William Denton Shaw, Joel's son.

Mary Alice Shaw, Joel's granddaughter.

John Highley lived in Skircoat, Halifax and was a joiner and builder. He married Sabina Cooper in 1833 and the couple had 5 children. Sabina died in 1843 and five years later John married Caroline Shaw, with whom he had a further 7 children, including Charles, a Wool Sorter.

The burial records for Lister Lane show that Blanche Hiley, a daughter of Caroline and John, is also buried in this plot but she is not named on the headstone. The 1921 census shows Blanche and Charles, who remained single all their lives, living together in Halifax. Blanche died in 1951.

Lister Lane Cemetery (1)

Lister Lane Cemetery in Halifax contains the graves of a number of Hileys/Highleys. The next few posts will show photos of their gravestones and brief summaries of their lives.

An information board gives a history of the cemetery and mentions some of the notable people buried there. Remember to click on the photo to enlarge it.

Lister Lane cemetery

The ruined chapel

The cemetery contains a number of Hiley graves with their own headstones together with some Hileys in unmarked graves. There are also Hileys buried in public graves and infant vaults. These have no names, markings or memorial stones.

Public and infant vaults

Bolton Brow revisited

The post of 14th November 2025 described the graveyard at Bolton Brow in Sowerby Bridge which has two Hiley graves but is now completely overgrown.

I am grateful to a reader of the Blog for sending me some photos of the graveyard, including ones of the two graves, for which we only had transcriptions previously.

Graveyard in 2007

Graveyard in 2025

Graveyard in 2007

Happy New Year

Best wishes for 2026!

The Blog has now entered its 8th year with well over 200 posts so far.

We will be continuing many of the themes of previous years including:

- the life of Henry Hiley

- Hileys and Highleys killed in the two World Wars

- notable Hileys/Highleys

- graveyards where Hileys/Highleys are buried

- family stories and articles

- families with a Hiley/Highley connection

Over the years I have neglected ancestors and relatives on the maternal line of the family, so this year I will rectify this with posts featuring some of these.

As always I would welcome contributions from readers of this Blog. Please send photos, newspaper cuttings, stories or any item you have with a Hiley/Highley connection. You can contact me directly at christopherhiley@hotmail.com

Joseph Highley 1828 - 1904

In the last post we learned that Joseph Highley was living at Jonny-gate on Erringden Moor in 1864 with his wife Eunice and 6 children, and receiving poor relief from the township of Heptonstall. Jonny-gate would appear to be another name for Johnny Gap.

The photo below shows 'The remains of Johnny Gap'. I am indebted to Paul Knights for his permission to use this photo from his Blog 'Landscape Story' - Imprints – Landscape Story

The various census records show Joseph living at:

Haugh Gate Head in 1841

Law Hill in 1851, occupation Wool Comber

Jonny Gap in 1861, occupation Labourer

Bank Bottom in 1871, occupation Beerhouse keeper

Sportsman Inn in 1881, occupation Beer seller

Gates End in 1891, occupation Beer retailer

Four Gates End, Cragg in 1901, occupation Retired beer seller

Joseph was the landlord at the Sportsman Inn in Cragg Vale. His son Alfred took over from him.

The former Sportsman Inn, originally a Beerhouse, closed in 1950.
© Copyright Humphrey Bolton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Jospeh, Eunice and two of their children, William Henry and Mary Ann are buried at the church of St John in the Wilderness in Cragg Vale.

Church of St John in the Wilderness, Cragg Vale (right) Grave of Eunice, Joseph, Mary Ann and William Henry

Gravestone inscription

 

Todmorden List of Paupers 1864

 Today's post looks at the Todmorden Union List of Paupers for 1864.

This document includes lists of persons whose relief was charged to the various townships of the Todmorden Union for the half-year ending March 26th 1864.

The information given was no. of males, no. of females, no. of children, no. of orphans, name, residence, cause of relief, relief given.

There are 4 Hileys/Highleys included in these lists:

M    F    C    O    Name                    Residence                Cause of Relief                Relief             

Township of Todmorden & Walsden

1     1     2           James Highley      Smails                      Rheumatism                    £0    7s  0d

       1                  Samuel Highley    Knowlwood             Old age                              £4  16s  0d

1     1     2           James Highley      Generalwood           Insufficient earnings     £0     8s 0d

Township of Erringden

1     1     6           Joseph Hiley         Jonny-gate               Without work                  £2     0s 0d

James Highley

James was born in 1839, the son of Reuben and Betty (nee Hudson). He married Mary Ann Lord in 1857. By 1864 they had had 2 children, Sarah Ellen and Reuben. They had 7 further children - Haigh, Hannah, Thomas, James, Lord, Emma and Mary Ann. James was a Carter. The census records show a number of residences in Walsden - Nicklety in 1851, Inchfield Fold in 1861, Newbridge in 1871, Strines in 1881 and 1891 and Smails (Smales) in 1864 at the time of this list.

Samuel Highley

Samuel was born in 1797, the son of John and Grace (nee Ogden). He married Mary Mitchell in 1817. The couple had 8 children - Thomas, Sarah, William, Mary Ann, John, Edmund, James, Joseph and George, but by 1864 all the children had left home. Samuel's occupation is given as Cotton Spinner in 1841, Cotton Carpet Weaver in 1851, Twister in Cotton in 1861, and Mule Spinner in 1871, two years before his death.

James Highley

James was the son of Thomas and Betty (nee Mitchell). He was born in 1839 and married Ellen Harrison in 1858. By 1864 they had had 3 children - Alice Ann, who died in infancy, Alfred and Harrison. At this time he was working as a Cotton Scutcher and living at General Wood in Walsden, not far from the Hollins Inn and Top o' th' Hill Road. James and Ellen had 6 further children - John Thomas, Sarah Ellen, Mary Ann, James Thomas, Martha Jane and Betsy. Ellen died in 1876 and James married again the same year, this time to Salome Wearne (nee Northey). He died in 1900.

Joseph Hiley

Joseph was born in Ovenden, Halifax in 1828 and married Eunice Wilcock in Heptonstall in 1852. By 1864 they had had 6 children - William Henry, John, Mary Ann, James, Hannah and Thomas and the document shows Joseph as being without work. Joseph and Eunice had 5 more children - Emma, Clara, Ada, Alfred and Sarah Ellen.

More about Joseph and his family in the next post