Matthew Hiley the Organist

Matthew Hiley was baptised in St Mary's Church, Illingworth on 9th January 1780. He was the son of Matthew, a Weaver in Ovenden, Halifax and Hannah (nee Wilson). Matthew's ancestry can be traced back to Henry Hiley of Warley who died in 1732.

The next record we have of Matthew is his marriage to Nancy Waterworth on 13 May 1832 in Melling, a small village to the east of Lancaster in Lancashire.

The following year their first child James was born. The baptism record shows the family living in Hornby, a village near Melling. Matthew is described as a 'Musick Master'. James was the subject of his own Blogpost on 14 February 2019 entitled 'James Hiley the Boatman'.

Three more children were born while the family were living in the same area - Lydia in 1835, Elizabeth in 1837 and Hannah in 1839. On each baptism record, Matthew is described as an 'Instrument Tuner & Organist'.

St Martin's Church, Bowness-on-Windermere

Soon after Hannah's birth the family moved to Bowness-on-Windermere where Matthew obtained a job as Organist at St Martin's Church. Three more children were born there - John in 1842, Grace in 1845 and Jane in 1848. They lived in the township of Undermillbeck (north end).

From the Kendal Mercury
28 January 1843
Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved.
With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) 

Matthew died in 1854 aged 75. His death was registered in Kendal but his burial place has not yet been established. Nancy went on living for another 30 years. In 1881 she was still in Bowness, living with her son John, a Tailor, and his wife Mary Jane.