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

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.

John and Mary Ann Bray Highley (Part 11 - John and Mary)

This is the final post in this series about John and Mary Highley and their family.

John died in 1929 at the age of 76. He had worked as a Cotton Weaver all his life. The last record we have of him is the 1921 Census where he is shown at age 68 working at Hollins Mill in Walsden for the Cotton Manufacturer Caleb Hoyle. 

Hollins Mill, Walsden in 2018

Mary carried on living at 106 Summit, Littleborough with Thomas Arthur and his family. The 1939 Register shows her occupation as ‘Retired. Unpaid Domestic Duties’. She died 2 years later at the age of 88. At the time, she was living with her daughter Mary Hannah in Todmorden. 

Entry in the Todmorden & District News 5th December 1941

John and Mary were buried at Calderbrook church in Littleborough.

Calderbrook church. View from John and Mary's grave

John and Mary's grave

Mary had lost 5 of her children in infancy and had lost 3 in the First World War. At the time of her death 4 of them were still living with their families. She had 20 grandchildren. She had survived her husband by 12 years.

John and Mary Ann Bray Highley (Part 10 - Thomas Arthur and Richard)

Thomas Arthur’s first wife Ann Selina died in 1923 and he remarried two years later Elizabeth Ann Threlfall. He worked as a Cotton Weaver for Fothergill & Harvey and lived at 106 Summit, just outside Littleborough. He died in 1952. 

106 Summit, Littleborough
(behind the maroon car)

Richard married Alice Hartley soon after the War ended. The couple had a daughter Phyllis who sadly died after only 2 days. In the 1939 Register Richard is shown as being divorced, working as a Cotton Weaver, and living with his sister Beatrice Annie and her family at 1 Sourhall Road in Todmorden. He died the year after Thomas Arthur.

1 Sourhall Road, Todmorden
(first house on left)

The suicide of Betsy Eastwood

For today's post I am indebted again to F.O.C.C.T. The story below is reproduced from their website with permission.

F.O.C.C.T. – Friends of Christ Church, Todmorden (focct.org.uk) 

Reuben Hiley (1862-1934) was a grandson of Reuben and Betty Hiley. Reuben (snr), known as 'Old Wraggs' lived at Nicklety in Walsden. He was a Road Labourer and Quarry Man and has already featured a number of times in this Blog. 

In 1918 Reuben (jnr) was a Canal Lock Man for the Rochdale Canal Company. He lived with his wife Sarah Ellen (nee Webster) at the Lock House in Gauxholme, Todmorden. 

Reuben gave evidence at the inquest into the death of Betsy Eastwood.

15.12 – John Edward and Betsy Eastwood

by adminon Posted onJune 23, 2023

Betsy Scholfield was the daughter of Samuel Scholfield (a fish hawker) and Sarah Ann Kershaw. She married John Edward Eastwood (a postman) at Walsden Parish church on 6th November 1902. On 25th July 1905, John Edward dies aged just 32 years old. Betsy moves back to live with her parents and brothers at 771 Rochdale Road. By 1918, it appears that it’s now just Betsy and her brother William living at the address. Her mother died in 1914 and at least one brother is currently fighting in the 1st World War.

On 15th January 1918, Betsy disappears.

(Todmorden & District News – Friday 15 February 1918)

MISSING THREE WEEKS.

INQUEST ON WALSDEN MYSTERY.

“Last Saturday afternoon, Deputy Coroner Norris held an inquiry at the Town Hall in reference to the death of Betsy Eastwood, of 771, Rochdale Road, Walsden, whose body had been found in the canal the previous Thursday.

Wm. Scholfield, brother of the deceased (with whom she resided), identified the body. Deceased, he said, was a widow, and was 43 years of age. She had not enjoyed good health for the past few years, and at the beginning of November she was attended by Dr. Stevenson for a nervous breakdown. The doctor told them she would want watching. She was hysterical at that time, but she seemed to improve somewhat, although she had occasional fits of depression.

The Coroner: Did she ever make any statement that would lead you to suppose she would do something? — Witness: She once said she thought she would never be right until she got into a wooden box, but when I have talked to her, she said we had no occasion to be frightened, that she would not do any harm to herself. She had fretted about her younger brother, who was in France, especially when letters did not arrive regularly. Witness went on to say that she disappeared on January 15th, and although inquiries were made amongst all the friends of the family, both in the district and at Littleborough and Rochdale, nothing could be ascertained as to her whereabouts. On Thursday, Reuben Hiley, of Gauxholme Lock House, told him they were going to draw off the water at Nip Square Pool, Walsden, so that they could repair the lock head. He went to see the water drawn off, and the body was found embedded in the mud in the middle of the bed of the canal. It was very bad to get at, and they had to get waders on, and get some pieces of wood, on to which they floated the body. On account of the position of her clothes he could not identify the body just then, but next morning he went down to the mortuary, and he had no doubt that the body was that of his sister, although her face was much swollen and dark coloured.

Reuben Hiley, Lock House, Gauxholme, spoke to drawing off the water at Nip Square, for the purpose of carrying out some repairs to the lock head. They found the body fast in the the mud in the bed of the canal, the head and the upper part being completely covered. The body had probably been in the water for some time, and would have remained there a long time if the water had not been drawn off.

Elizabeth Cryer, 1, Bar Street, said she prepared the body for burial. There were no marks on the body, but judging by appearances, it had probably been in the water a fortnight or three weeks.

The jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst of unsound mind.”

The Lock House at Gauxholme
Photo taken in 2018

William Henry Gledhill

Today's post is another contribution from F.O.C.C.T., reproduced from their website with permission.

F.O.C.C.T. – Friends of Christ Church, Todmorden (focct.org.uk)

It tells the story of the gruesome suicide of William Henry Gledhill who married Elizabeth Ann Hiley in 1873. Elizabeth, born in 1851, was the daughter of John and Alice (nee Haigh), and was descended from David Hiley, born in 1700, and Dorothy. 

Elizabeth's father John was killed in the boiler explosion at Lord Brothers in Todmorden in 1875. This was covered in the post of 5th November 2019. Click on this link to read the post.

Hiley Family History Blog: Search results for Boiler Explosion at Todmorden

S6.4 – William Henry Gledhill

by adminon Posted onNovember 18, 2023

Plot markers can be difficult things to work out – sometimes the initials are of the plot owner, sometimes of the person buried there. Christ Church’s fairly regular grid pattern allows us to occasionally make an educated guess, and in the case of the mysterious W.H.G. under the school, we can guess that it’s William Henry Gledhill of Watty Hole who died on November 13th 1882.

Or rather, who took his own life.

William Henry Gledhill was not the only William Henry Gledhill to be born in 1851. Another existed who was the son of Joseph Gledhill, headmaster of the National School – wouldn’t that be a coincidence – but there’s room for only one former head of the school under the extension and that honour is held by Mary Crowther. THIS William Henry Gledhill was the son of Robert and Hannah Gledhill of Brown Hill, located just a little north of Blackshaw Head and accessible from the road between there and Colden. Robert was a weaver, and William was the youngest son and the second youngest of ten total children. The Gledhills lived in the area until 1861 when they reappear living at Sharneyford. The reason for the move is unknown. Hannah died in 1868 and was buried up at Blackshaw Head Methodist Chapel, as was Robert when he died in March 1882.

(Side note: we know this because of the work we’ve carried out with Blackshaw Head Chapel to produce a MI transcript for their graveyard that incorporates their incredibly detailed burial records. Many thanks to them for their interest in our project, their enthusiasm for the concept, and their 170 years of meticulous record-keeping.)

As you can see, by 1868 the family were in Walsden, although by 1871 they had moved from Wood Bottom over to Friths Wood Bottom, so to Bacup Road from Hollins Road. William also went into weaving, and in April 1873 married Elizabeth Ann Hiley (or Highley). The couple moved to Watty Hole and for the next nine years lived happily, or happily enough, having two children of their own.

William lost his father in early 1882, and the loss sat with him for a while. He began to worry about work after a spell, and began to lose sleep. He also began mentioned to both Elizabeth and to his neighbour and workmate, Enoch Fielden, that he was worried about his father. Elizabeth’s response that “what occasion has tou to be bothered about him for; he’s been dead and buried six months, and he’s happy now” wasn’t sufficient to do more than quiet him. Why was he worrying about his father? What was the cause? Was his mind disordered, or was he pondering some long-ago event or difficulty or revelation about the man? On another night Elizabeth woke to find him awake and standing at the bedroom window watching a comet (the “Great Comet” of 1882) and asked her to get out of bed and watch it with him. We’d probably do the same in the circumstances, but after the fact something about the incident that perhaps didn’t make it into the newspaper made it stand out in his wife’s mind as unusual and worth mentioning.

Everyone thought that William would be all right, although Enoch had a moment of thinking that William was going to drown himself because he was so quietly unlike his usual self, although he waved the thought away after getting home the night in question and hearing from his wife that William had already returned. Thinking his friend was fine, he went to bed. But he was awakened in the middle of the night by William’s sister, Grace Uttley, banging on his door and telling him to go next door and help Elizabeth because William was dead.

William had gone downstairs in the night, assuring Elizabeth he’d be back, and then at some point had cut his throat so deeply that he died almost instantly. By the time Enoch made it into the house he was long gone. The coroner’s jury had no difficulty deciding that he had killed himself in a fit of temporary insanity, and so he was buried here in consecrated ground.

You always wonder what happened to the families afterwards; and why is he here on his own, with only a plot marker and never a full stone? Well many full stones only get put up after a few more people are added to a grave, or the grave is filled. His wife isn’t here because she remarried. In fact, she remarried Enoch Fielden in the autumn of 1883. His wife Ann had died in the first quarter of 1883, leaving him with three children, and not long before his death William had gotten Elizabeth pregnant – so she was left with two young children and another on the way. There was already a friendship of sorts there so it made sense. Tom was born in the summer of 1883, the marriage took place a few months later, and the pair went on to have another three children together.

The Fieldens moved to Milnrow and Elizabeth became a widow again in 1896 when Enoch died. She died in 1921, and the two are buried together along with their daughter Ada at St. James in Milnrow. William’s three children with Elizabeth either stayed in the Rochdale area or emigrated to the U.S., far from the father that only two of them even had any living memory of. That’s how a plot marker never gets replaced, and how someone gets forgotten before the digital age came along and gave us a fighting chance of discovering who they really were.

James Thomas Highley and the Robinson family

This is the next post in our series on Hileys/Highleys buried at Christ Church, Todmorden.

Alice Finch, the daughter of James and Alice, was born in Heywood near Rochdale in 1863. She was one of nine children and her father was a Whitesmith, or Tinsmith - someone who makes articles out of metal, especially tin. The family moved to Knowlwood near Todmorden soon after Alice was born. In 1881 they were living in Inchfield Buildings in Walsden and Alice was working as a Throstle Spinner.

In  1886 Alice married William Henry Robinson, a Wheelwright, in St Peter's Church in Walsden. The couple had 3 children, Edith, Annie and William Henry. William Henry junior was born in 1891, three months after his father had died.

In 1905 Alice married again, this time to James Thomas Highley, a Carter living in Rochdale Road in Walsden. He was the son of James and Ellen (nee Harrison). In 1911 James Thomas and Alice were living in Maitland Street in Walsden, along with Alice's three children. Alice died in 1940 and James Thomas in 1945.

Gravestone in Christ Church
William Henry (snr), William Henry (jnr), Alice and James Thomas Highley

William Henry (jnr) grew up in Walsden, working as a Picker Maker at Inchfield Works. He enlisted in September 1916 in the 207th Battalion Machine Gun Corps and served on the Western Front from March 1917. He was killed in action at Messines, aged 25, on 11th July 1917 and buried at Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium, but his name is inscribed on the gravestone at Christ Church along with those of his parents.

William Henry's grave at Messines Ridge, Belgium

William Henry's name in the  Todmorden Garden of Remembrance

William and Betsy Highley

This post continues the series on Hiley/Highley graves at Christ Church, Todmorden.

William Highley was born in 1846 in Northowram, Halifax. His parents were John, a Cordwainer, and Mary (nee Eastwood). William was the youngest of 8 children. His brother John (Jack) Highley was the subject of a post on 7th December 2021.

Jack and William moved to Todmorden and followed in their father's footsteps by working as Boot, Shoe and Clog Makers.

William married Betsy North in 1869 and the couple had 6 children - Arthur, Fred, Thomas Edward and Mary Emily, Hannah Maria and Sarah.

The 1881 Census described William as a Master Clogger.

In loving memory of William Highley, Garden Street Todmorden, born July 23rd 1846 died August 27th 1888. “Thy Will Be Done.” Also of Betsy, his wife born August 30th 1846, died March 25th 1911.

Charles Joseph Hiley and his family

This post continues the series on Hiley/Highley graves at Christ Church, Todmorden.

Charles Hiley died in 1922, aged 79, and was buried on the 20th November that year. In the family grave are buried Charles, his wife Sarah, and children William Campbell, Emily, Mary Jane, John Walter, Mabel and Amy Elizabeth (wife of Sam Baldwin).

In affectionate remembrance of Emily, daughter of Charles and Sarah Hiley of Crescent, Todmorden, who died September 15th 1878 aged 2 years and 7 months. Also of William Campbell, their son, who died November 8th 1878 aged 9 months. Also of Mary Jane, their daughter, who died May 15th 1887 aged 5 years and 11 months. Also of John Walter, their son, born January 16th 1874, died December 10th 1904. Also of the above named Sarah Hiley. Born May 9th 1842, died February 17th 1909. Also of the above named Charles Hiley. Born March 14th 1843, died November 16th 1922. Also of Mabel, their dearly loved daughter, who entered into rest February 13th 1945 aged 73 years. Also of Amy Elizabeth, their daughter and the dearly beloved wife of Sam Baldwin, who died May 5th 1952 aged 72 years.

There have already been posts in this Blog about Charles, a musician and noted figure in Todmorden for many years:
Professor C.J. Hiley -19th August 2020.
Professor Hiley (part 2) - 2nd September 2020.

His son John Walter was the subject of a post on 13th January 2021. Type 'Professor' into the Search This Blog box to read these posts.

Christ Church, Todmorden

Christ Church, Todmorden was one of the 'Million Churches' built in the industrial North of England from money paid out of the £1m indemnity obtained from the French following the Napoleonic Wars. The church opened in 1832 although a graveyard had existed for some years previously.

The intention in building it had been to replace the existing St Mary's Church but unrest arose among local people, who felt the new church had been built for the benefit of the rich.

In 1866 Todmorden became a parish in its own right and Christ Church was designated the parish church. St Mary's, which had been closed, re-opened as a chapel of ease. Christ Church closed in 1992 and was sold to a private buyer in 2004. St Mary's continued as a place of worship and was re-dedicated as the parish church of Todmorden.

There are 7 Hiley/Highley graves at Christ Church, along with a number of others with Hiley/Highley family connections. The next few posts will give some brief descriptions of the people buried there.

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).

Calderdale graveyards

This Blog has already featured posts on some of the churchyards in Calderdale where Hileys or Highleys are buried. At the last count, there were 23 which have graves with monumental inscriptions showing burials of Hileys or Highleys.

There are also a number of Calderdale churches where Hileys or Highleys were buried but which no longer have visible gravestones to commemorate them. This may be because the families never provided gravestones in the first place (maybe because they could not afford them), or because the stones became unsafe or damaged and had to be removed, or because burial plots may have been re-used after centuries have elapsed.

In the next few posts we will look at some of these churchyards:

 1 Todmorden St Mary's

2 Sowerby St Peter's

                                                                              3 Halifax St John the Baptist

4 Heptonstall St Thomas the Apostle

On this day...Jack Highley thanks his customers

The following entry appeared in the Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter on this day in 1867.

Newspaper image © The British Library Board. All rights reserved. 

With thanks to The British Newspaper Archive 

(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)

John (Jack) Highley was born in Halifax in 1839. His parents were John and Mary (nee Eastwood). His father John was a Cordwainer or Shoe Maker.

John married Mary Dawson in 1860 and the following year was recorded in the census as living with Mary's family in Todmorden and working as a Boot, Shoe and Clog maker. In 1871 he was described as a Boot and Shoe Maker, employing 2 men.

By 1881 John and his family had moved away from Todmorden and they were living in a house called 'Highley Villa' in Blackpool. He must have been a man of many talents. From starting his working life as a Shoemaker, in 1881 he was a 'Tailor and Draper', in 1891 a 'Pork Butcher', and in 1901 a 'Pig Dealer'. 

Like John, his brother William also followed in his father's footsteps. In 1881 he was a 'Master Clogger' in Todmorden.

John and Mary had two boys and two girls. Their daughter Clara died at age 3 and is buried in the graveyard at Mankinholes on the moors above Walsden and Todmorden. Also buried here are John and Mary. 

Their other daughter Bertha married George Henry Hall in 1894 and Bertha and George's son Clifford was born in 1899 and brought up in St Anne’s. Clifford was a Lieutenant with the Royal Air Force 214th Squadron. He was killed when he crashed in mountains between Lyon and Marseilles, aged 20, on 9th July 1919, while flying a Handley Page bomber with two mechanics and an observer. Clifford was buried at Mazargues War Cemetery in Marseilles but is also named on the gravestone above.

In the 1939 England and Wales Register, Jack Highley is listed, working as a 'Boot Repairer & Clogger own a/c single handed'. Living with him at the time in Todmorden were his brother Clifford and sisters Cora and Mary. Jack was the grandson of William the Master Clogger mentioned above.

Jack Highley's Cloggers shop was a familiar fixture behind the Market in Todmorden until the early 80s. The picture below is from 1973 and, along with the description, is included with the kind permission of Daniel Birch.

On this day...Birth of Cain Cornelius Highley

Cain Cornelius Highley was born on 11th June 1848. He was baptised four years later at St Peter's Church Walsden on the same day as his sisters Sarah Ann and Mary Jane, and his brother John.

Cain and Cornelius are unusual forenames and I have found no other instances of Hileys with either of these names.

He was the son of Thomas and Betty Highley. Thomas was a Labourer and the family lived at 10 Gauxholme Fold.

Cain Cornelius was a Cotton Weaver. It appears that he never married and continued living in the same house until his death in 1914. The records show that he was buried at Cross Stone in Todmorden but there is no gravestone there to remember him.

Baptism of Cain Cornelius and siblings
(with the permission of West Yorkshire Archive Service)
www.wyjs.org.uk/archives

Gauxholme Fold (left), Todmorden (above left), Knowlwood (above right), Gauxholme viaduct, Rochdale canal.
Walsden is to the right
(photo taken from Naze 2018)

St Paul's Cross Stone in Todmorden (2)

 The Hiley graves

All the nine Hiley/Highley graves were identified and photos and the names shown on the gravestones are shown below.

Willie Hiley 1893-1895

John Hiley 1860-1937

Mary Ann Hiley 1860-1930

Arthur Hiley 1885-1939

Harold Hiley 1891-1918

Arthur, Harold and Willie were the sons of John and Mary Ann (nee Graham). The family lived at Russell Street. Millwood, Todmorden. John and Arthur both worked in a Corn Mill.

Harold, killed in action in France in WW1, featured in the Post of 22 August 2019.

Esther Hiley 1873-1952 Esther Marshall was the second wife of Tom Hiley. They married in 1932. The other people buried here are: Abraham and Mary Marshall (Esther's parents). Grace Marshall (Esther's sister) Willie Crossley (Esther's first husband) Arthur Woodhead (Esther's nephew)

There are two spaces in the graveyard where no gravestone is present but where Hileys are recorded as the owners of the plot.

The photo below shows a plot recorded as 'Owner Hiley Knowlwood'. It is not clear which Hiley of Knowlwood owned this grave since a number of Hileys have lived in Knowlwood over the years. 

The entry for the second one is 'Owner Thomas Edmond Highley, Crossley Street (Dawson erased)'.

Thomas Edward (not Edmond) Highley married Mary Grace Dawson in 1904. The records show that they were both buried at Cross Stone - Thomas Edward in 1939 and Mary Grace in 1933. But there is no gravestone to remember them. Perhaps there was no gravestone made - just a reserved plot which was never used. Or perhaps the gravestone was removed at a later date because it was broken or unstable. Thomas Edward and Mary Grace had two children, Will and Clifford.

Arthur Highley 1871-1949

Annie Mary Highley 1876-1936

Arthur was a brother of Thomas Edward. His father William was a Master Clogger from Halifax but Arthur was born in Todmorden.

The 1911 census showed him working as a Ring Jobber in a Cotton Spinning Mill.

Edith Hiley 1890-1891 Edith was the daughter of Tom Hiley and his second wife Susy Ann (nee Stansfield). The other people buried here are: Richard and Sarah Stansfield (Susy Ann's parents) Martha, Mary and Sam (Susy Ann's siblings) Tom and Susy Ann and Edith's brother Fred are buried at Christ Church, Todmorden.

Sarah Elizabeth Highley 1864-1872 Tom Highley 1871-1872 Betty Highley 1836-1878 Jim Highley 1866-1891 John Highley 1836-1893 Annie Highley 1887-1888 Mary Highley 1843-1900 Sarah Elizabeth, Tom, Jim and Reuben were the children of John and Betty. Mary was Reuben's wife and Annie their daughter. Jim met a sad end when he drowned in a water drain at the Todmorden Union Workhouse. His story was told in the Post of 26th March 2019.

John Highley 1820-1866

Mary Jane Highley 1851-1874

Thomas Highley 1812-1876

Sarah Ann Greenwood 1844-1875

Mary Jane and Sarah Ann were the daughters of Thomas and Betty (nee Mitchell). John was Thomas's brother.

The gravestone has nearly fallen completely over. It was impossible to photograph all of the inscription but the 3 photos below were obtained by crawling under the gravestone and photographing parts of it.

James Highley 1836-1901

James Highley married Ruth Kershaw at St Thomas's Church, Heptonstall in 1866. Their son Edward was born in 1866 and daughters Ruth and Betsy two years later. Ruth and her daughters are all recorded as dying in July 1868 and are buried in the graveyard at Lumbutts near Todmorden.

James remarried the year after - this time to Alice Roberts (nee Smith). Alice's first husband John had died in 1867.

Alice and John's three children, James William, Martha Ann and Fred, along with John, are the other people buried in this grave.