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

A trip to Oxford

Our posts on the life of Henry Hiley have reached the year 1930 and will resume shortly, but in the meantime a visit to Oxford recalls Henry's time at University there.

Henry wrote:

I went up to Oxford in 1937, becoming aware that the world was not at peace. Bolivia fought with Paraguay, the Chinese and Japanese were fighting in Manchuria, the Spanish Civil War involved 'volunteers' on both sides from many European countries, Mussolini invaded Abyssinia, Hitler was making outrageous claims in Germany. I slowly became more and more aware that I was unlikely to take my final schools in a world even technically at peace.

Even so, the two years before Hitler's war started were like magic to me. I had rooms in the New Buildings on the top corridor which had been broken through only during the summer vacation of 1937. I had a scout, Francis, to look after me and my rooms, a lady to make my bed, a boy to clean my shoes. I took a hot bath every morning, usually after a training run round Addison's Walk. Dinner was a four course meal, five courses on Sunday, and cost only half a crown.

New Buildings, Magdalen College

Entrance to Staircase no. 4

Top floor of Staircase no. 4

Bolton Brow graveyard, Sowerby Bridge

This Blog contains a number of posts about graveyards in Calderdale where Hileys/Highleys are buried.

There are over 30 such graveyards, several containing just a single Hiley/Highley grave. Most of the graveyards are accessible with a plan available, so it is usually possible to locate all the graves of interest.

But the graveyard at Bolton Brow Chapel in Sowerby Bridge is now completely overgrown and inaccessible so that it was not possible to find the two Hiley graves there.

The Bolton Brow Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was opened in 1831, extended in 1868, altered in 1897 and finally closed in 1979. The basement included warehouse facilities for the nearby Calder & Hebble Navigation. The premises were also used as a day school, for Salvation Army work and as the first cinema in Sowerby Bridge. The building was eventually converted into private flats.

Graveyard on the left of the path

Below is a map of the graveyard, situated to the left of the chapel between Rochdale Road and the canal. The two Hiley graves are next to each other - R11 and Q11. FH stands for Firth Highly, KHW stands for Kitson Hiley Walsh.

In grave Q11 is buried Priscilla Hiley.  

IN MEMORY OF PRISCILLA HILEY OF KINGS CROSS WHO DIED OCTOBER 10th 1846 IN HER 16th YR ALSO OF HARRIET DAUGHTER OF GEORGE AND SARAH ANN WALSH WHO DIED JUNE 25th 1865 AGED 18 YRS ALSO OF THE ABOVE GEORGE KITSON WALSH W WHO DIED AUGUST 11th 1872 AGED 54 YRS ALSO SARAH ANN RELICT OF THE ABOVE GEORGE KITSON WALSH WHO DIED OCTOBER 9th 1894 AGED 71 YRS "FOR SO HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP"

Priscilla was the daughter of Mark Hiley and Sabina (nee Walsh). Her brothers William and Aquila are buried at King Cross Methodist Church in Halifax. Buried with Priscilla are George Kitson Walsh, son of Sabina, his wife Sarah Ann (nee Garside), and their daughter Harriet.

In grave R11 is buried Hannah Hiley (nee Firth).

THOMAS FIRTH OF BOLTON BROW WHO DIED THE 28th MAY 1850 AGED 19 YEARS ............... ALSO FANNY RELICT OF THE ABOVE ABRAHAM FIRTH WHO DIED THE 24th DAY OF APRIL 1853 AGED 75 ........... ALSO HANNAH WIFE OF THE ABOVE BENJAMIN HIGHLY WHO DIED AUGUST 23rd 1879 AGED 77 YEARS

Hannah's husband Benjamin was the son of John Hiley and Mary (nee Shaw). Her parents were Fanny and Abraham Firth. The transcription above does not include details of Benjamin and Abraham so maybe the gravestone was partly illegible.

Benjamin and Hannah were married in 1851. The couple lived in Skircoat, Halifax. Benjamin worked as a woollen weaver and died in 1876.

(with thanks to Calderdale Family History Society for the two memorial inscriptions)

Joseph Highley and the Todmorden Relief Committee

The Todmorden Relief Committee was formed in January 1862 to address the widespread unemployment and distress in the area caused by the American Civil War and the resulting cotton famine. After a year it had collected over £26,000 for distribution, and operated a soup kitchen, along with organizing sewing classes as a form of relief. Its purpose was to provide relief to the large number of unemployed cotton workers in the Todmorden area, who were suffering from the lack of raw cotton imported from America due to the Civil War.

The pages below are taken from the Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Historical Almanack for 1890.

As a member of the Relief Committee Joseph might have been required to collect subscriptions locally (from millowners, tradespeople, churches, and private citizens), identify and assist local families in need, and help with “relief works” or “useful employment” schemes, which might include stone-breaking, drainage, road work, or public improvements.

The 1861 census shows Joseph, born in 1821, living at 9 Patmos, Todmorden with his wife Mary Ann (nee Lord) and children Elizabeth Ann, William, Charles, Agnes and Lilie. His occupation is shown as Cotton Manufacturer employing 8 people.

Joseph moved to Rochdale in later life and died there in 1890.