All Saints Church Silkstone
A brief tour of the Churchyard with 10 selected monuments
Start at
THE HUSKAR MONUMENT. This
monument is one of 10 Grade 2
listed monuments and a focal
point of the Churchyard. It
commemorates the 1838 Huskar
Pit Disaster in which 26 children
aged from 7 to 17 were drowned. The rather
cold and unemotional epitaph has been
balanced by the recent addition of the Memorial
Window in the Stainborough Chapel.
(2) The OLDEST GRAVESTONE
we have discovered to date:
Cecilia Mason, 1681. This is
at the West end of the
church. Now very difficult to
decipher.
(4) GEORGE TEASDALE. He was
the Schoolmaster at the time of
the Huskar Disaster and washed
the childrens’ faces following the
tragedy. George came from a
well-known mining family; his
son Edwin has a memorial
window within the Church.
(6) CLARKE FAMILY
PLOT. This plot
contains 11 members
of the Clarke family,
former owners of the
Noblethorpe Estate
and most of the
mines within the Parish. David Fullerton, the last
of the dynasty to reside at the Hall, died in 1977.
(8) JAMES WILSON. The
Wilson family were
involved in coal-mining and
the gravestone of James
Wilson has a small, but
intriguing, relief of a tub
and tools connected with
the industry.
Next (1) THE
HAWKSWORTH
TOMB. The
Hawksworths
were business
people,
particularly
Whitesmiths
(metalworkers)
in the village.
They had property in High Street with initials and
dates of JH 1740 and JH 1758.
Now go to the East end of the
church and see (3) a most
UNUSUAL TOMB, attributed
to Thomas Peigham, Vicar of
Silkstone 1677-89. The style
of this monument has
attracted a plethora of
stories and fables.
(5) JOSEPH
HARDCASTLE. One
of the unsung
workers at the
Church, Joseph was
Sexton for many
years.
(7) THE AFFLECK
GRAVE. This was
the source of
puzzlement for
many years until
the chance
discovery that it is the resting-place of Maria, the
Reverend Robert Affleck’s wife. Later Sir Robert ,
he was incumbent from 1817-35.
(9) SOLDIERS’
GRAVESTONES. The two
familiar white stones
are in memory of two
Silkstone men who died
in the First World War.
There are a total of 13
service personnel either buried or
commemorated in the Churchyard
This tour is an introduction to the monuments and gravestones found in Silkstone
Churchyard, to whet your appetite and encourage you to come again.
Please take care on your way around the Churchyard. Be aware of uneven ground,
hidden stones and ironwork and areas where you could lose your footing. Do take your
time in order to prevent accidents.
Churchyards are excellent sources of social interest and information. Silkstone
certainly meets those criteria. Represented on the gravestones are a host of
professions, including stone masons, a tax inspector, cattle doctor, tobacconist,
whitesmith, and, of course, coal mining. A number of soldiers lost in both World Wars
are remembered, as are former clergymen of the Church. A sad fact to relate is the
number of children who died in infancy or their formative years.
The Churchyard has been extended several times over the years and covers a large
area. There are sad stories all around, none sadder than the Husker Disaster; yet the
Churchyard is a tranquil and peaceful place where one may take the opportunity to
collect ones thoughts.
A programme of work on aspects of the churchyard has been undertaken as part of the
project ‘Silkstone Reflects on the Church Heritage’. A number of records about the
churchyard including early registers of burials, a comprehensive record of graves and
George Birkhead’s monumental inscriptions have been gathered. These are available on
computer and in files in the Bramah Gallery. This guide, a more detailed booklet and a
guided tour have been researched by volunteers as part of this Heritage project.