Gorton
Cemetery

Gorton Cemetery, Thornwood Avenue, Gorton, formerly opened Thursday 26th July 1900, by the Chairman of the Cemetery Committee Mr Hugh Dean. At 2pm the procession met at the council offices on Hyde Road. St Joseph’s Industrial School lead the procession followed by Chairman of the council Mr M Bushell. Chairman of the cemetery committee Mr Hugh Dean, the clerk Mr Sam Berry and other members of the council and ex-members, ministers of dissenting denominations, members of the technical instruction committee, the council workmen and leading residents of the district. Arriving at the cemetery Mr Bushell spoke of everyone all meeting to dedicate the cemetery, with a simple service for all denominations to join, and that it had been long felt and need in the neighbourhood for a cemetery for the local district. The consecration difficulty had been successful and satisfactorily met and he had pleasure in declaring the cemetery open to the public. Rev Thomas Armstrong (Baptist minister) offered a prayer and Mr Dean opened the gates with the golden key which had been presented to him. The procession then proceeded to walk around the grounds and the hymn “O God, our help in ages past” was sung, followed by a short service by the Reverends T. Armstrong, John Williams and George Evans.

It was the beginning of 1891 when it was brought to the attention of the Manchester Parks and Cemeteries Committee that there was an urgent need for a Cemetery in Gorton, to help with the districts of Gorton, Droylsden, Longsight and Openshaw. The nearest Cemetery was Ardwick and was now near full and other Cemeteries - Harpurhey and Southern Cemetery in Withington were to far to be of service to the local community.

Realising the need the Council entered into negotiations in May 1891 with Mr Bridgford it was reported for the purchase of a 15 acre plot of land offered by him for the use as a cemetery, (it is not found why it took so long to agree to the purchase) by the end of 1896 the Local Government had approved the purchase, in the same year the committee had successfully purchased two additional plots of land for the cemetery at considerably less than what had been paid for the original plot. The Cemetery was now 32 acres in total with a planned three chapels, Church of England, Non conformist and Roman Catholic, and a boundary wall at an estimated cost of £15,000. But by 1897 it was reported that an application to the Local Government board to have borrow £10,850 for the new cemetery at Taylors Farm and erection of the mortuary chapels.

In April 1898 the town hall advertised for contractors to lay road and drainage, and for contactors, joiners, plasterers, slaters, iron founders masons and plumbers for the erection and completion of three new chapels

The designs by Messrs Marriott & Sons, Dewsbury were chosen for the layout of the cemetery and mortuary chapels at a cost of £3,500.

The district council advertised for a Registrar for the cemetery July 1900, this position was given to ???

31 Jan 1901 parks and cemetery committee asked council to sanction to borrow the remaining £15,000 for completion of the cemetery. The council have already borrowed £15,704 taking the total cost to £30,704.

Commonwealth War Grave Commission applied in 1926 to the Manchester Parks and Cemeteries committee for a piece of ground to erect a War Memorial permission was granted. There are various WW1 & WW2 private family graves as well as Commonwealth War Graves in the Cemetery.

Left:

Covid Pandemic

Memorial Tree

Right:

Side of the old Chapels

Roman Catholic Chapel

NON CONFORMIST CHAPEL GORTON CEMETERY_edited.jpg

CHURCH OF ENGLAND CHAPEL GORTON CEMETERY_edited.jpg

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Non Conformist Chapel

Church of England Chapel

Belle Vue War Memorial

War Memorial

Gorton Railway Men Killed in Rail Collision 1909

The Sharnbrook train crash occurred at around 4.00 a.m. on 4th February 1909 on the main line of the Midland Railway Company between Wellingborough and Bedford.

A slow mineral train travelling from London to Birmingham was standing on the main down line where it had backed off to allow the newspaper train travelling north to pass. Once the newspaper train had gone a signal was given to the goods train to go back on to the main down line but for some reason or another the points had not been turned and the train was travelling on the main up line. The driver and the fireman, both from Birmingham, had not travelled far when they were horrified to see the headlights on an oncoming fast train, which was the Manchester to London express goods train.

When the driver of the slow mineral train realised what was happening he took remedial action, stopped his train and reversed it getting back to their original position near the signal box but there was no time to clear the line. The driver and fireman, seeing that a collision was inevitable, jumped clear of the train and lay in a ditch. When the fast goods train collided with the stationery train people in the vicinity said the noise was like a thunder clap. The two engines overturned and then on top of them came truck after truck one falling on another, reaching a height of forty feet, with their contents being scattered. The driver and fireman of the Manchester train were buried under all of this.

The breakdown gangs worked as quickly as they could but they did not find the body of Fireman Hawley until the evening. His injuries comprised a compound fracture of the left leg, three scull fractures and most of his body was scalded and burnt. The scull fractures would have rendered him unconscious at the time of the accident and then he was buried beneath the coal and debris and he would have died before regaining consciousness,

Driver Coope’s body was not found until 10.00 p.m. but could not be recovered until the early hours of the next morning. He was found underneath the engine buried under coal. His injuries were a fractured elbow which was dislocated, his body in its entirety was scalded and he had a fractured cheek bone which would have caused him to lose consciousness. Like his fireman he would have died before regaining consciousness.

Both Arthur Coope’s and John Hawley’s cause of death was recorded as suffocation.

The signalman, a man called Alfred Robins, was distraught with grief. He had been working this particular signal box for 21 years and was a man of good character. He had entered the service with Midland Railway Company in 1873 and in 1877 had been presented with an award of gratuity by the company and the passengers as his actions had prevented a collision.

The Coroner, at the inquest, asked the jury to rule on three points. To confirm the cause of death of each man and then look at how the accident occurred which he believed was quite clear in that the cross over lever had not been pulled over thus allowing the train to go straight on up passenger line instead of going on to the down passenger line as intended. Lastly the jury needed to decide whether the signalman was guilty of culpable negligence which would lead to a charge of manslaughter or whether he had made an error of judgement.

The jury confirmed the cause of death of both men as suffocation and also on the cause of the accident. Furthermore the jury unanimously reached the verdict that the signalman had made an error of judgement and was not guilty of manslaughter.

Arthur Coope was the driver and John William Hawley was the fireman and both men were family men who were living in Gorton at the time of the accident.

Both men were buried on 10th February 1909 in the same grave J Non Conformist 31. The stone was erected by their work colleagues. (by D. Psaila)

Lieutenant Samuel Davison D.C.M

Royal Air Force Pilot Lieutenant Samuel Davison died in an accident on the morning of Saturday 30th November 1918 aged 28 years in Throwley Kent. Mr C B Harris held an inquest on Tuesday and it was put forward that Samuel passed out at a height of 1500ft, with no other evidence it was recorded as 'Accidental death' Samuel had previously served in the Army and won the D.C.M Medal in France before joining the R.A.F. and serving in the 122th Squadron. His parents are both buried with him Q consecrated Grave number 22.

Thomas Edge Plant - Indian Mutiny Veteran

(1841-1907)

Thomas Edge Plant was buried with full military honours at Gorton Cemetery on 13th June 1907.

He died on at 5 Garibaldi Street, Openshaw on 7th June 1907 and his remains were transported to the cemetery on a gun carriage by several members of the Army Service Corps from Hulme Barracks.

Thomas Edge Plant was a veteran of the Indian Mutiny which took place between the years of 1857 and 1859 and s an unsuccessful rebellion again British rule in Indian and took place in 1857-1859. It is also known as the First War of Independence.

Thomas joined the 80th Regiment of Foot (Staffordshire Volunteers) in 1859 at the age of 18 years and it was whilst he was with this regiment he saw service in the Indian Mutiny. He served with the 80th Regiment for 10 years and 35 days. In 1869 at the age of 28 years he joined the 68th Regiment (Durham Light Infantry) at the rank of private. He was promoted to corporal on 17th June 1870. In 1871 he was stationed at Templemore, Ireland and then in 1873 he returned to India where he was promoted to sergeant in 1875.

In 1879, at the age of 37, he was discharged from the army on medical grounds “due to recurrent bouts of fever and bronchitis contracted whilst performing duties, both lungs enfeebled” and described as “a broken down, old soldier, disability permanent but may eventually be able to work a little for his wife and two children”

By 1881 he was back in Openshaw recorded as an army pensioner of the 68th Light Infantry. He did work again, as in 1891 and in 1901 he was employed as a general labourer.

Thomas Edge Plant married Catherine Gillespie at Manchester Cathedral on 5th December 1870, they had eight children. He was buried in grave V Consecrated 488.

(by D. Psaila)

Gypsy Funeral

Saturday 24th April 1954, it was reported, that a funeral took place of Gypsy Helen Lee a member of the famous Romany family who was reputed to be over 100 years old but even her own people were not exactly sure of her age. Gypsies’ travelled from many parts of the country to the Cheetham Hill encampment and after a day of “laying in state” in a candle lit cabin with all her personal possessions including ornaments and jewellery all around her she was carried by hearse to the cemetery. Helen Lee does not appear on FreeBMD or LancsBMD, nor does she appear on the Manchester City Councils burial index.

Gorton burial Registers are freely searchable via the Manchester City Council Burial Index. (1910- present)

also searchable at Manchester Central Library

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