Todmorden St Mary's graveyard

The first Hiley/Highley burial at Todmorden St Mary's was that of Mally Highley, the daughter of John and Grace (nee Ogden). Mally's grandfather James and his brother Mark had been the first Highleys to take up residence in the Todmorden area some time in the 1750s after moving west away from Warley.

Mally was baptised at St Mary's on 5th February 1789 and was buried there on 29th February 1792. Mally's sister Sarah and brothers Thomas and Tommy all died in infancy and were also buried there. The family were living in Gauxholme, Walsden at the time of Mally's death.

Linda Briggs writes in her website 'Todmorden and Walsden': In 1930 a road widening scheme in Church Street meant that the present raised pavement was constructed over part of the graveyard, and in 1968 the gravestones were removed to allow for further widening of the road, and were re-laid around the churchyard. A survey showed there were 425 in all. Most of the stones date from the 18th and early 19th century, with a few from the 17th century. More recently the churchyard has been renovated, some stones have been lifted, cleaned, and used as decorative walling for a memorial patio. Stones have been laid to good effect round the Church Street boundary for passers-by to see. The ones within the old yard are mainly laid flat, and are deteriorating rapidly. Many are broken and some are propped up against a back wall. Many have disappeared forever. 

There are no memorials of Hileys to see at St Mary's, but some of the gravestones show connections  with those first Hiley families.

Elizabeth Ogden (1727-1771) was the aunt of Mally's mother Grace. She married Benjamin Bottomley (1730-1805).

The names of Elizabeth, Benjamin and their son Ogden (1771-1804) are shown on this stone.

Martha Ogden was another aunt of Grace. She married John Haigh. The gravestone shows the name of John's father Reuben Haigh (1696-1729).