MANCHESTER AND LANCASHIRE FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
Researching Names from Angel Meadow Memorials
Introduction
These notes are specific to tracing information about those named on the surviving memorials
at Angel Meadow. These memorials, it is believed, were all originally within the churchyard of
the former St. Michael’s church since the burials in the adjacent former parochial burial
ground were substantially, if not all, of poor people who would not have been able to afford
the purchase of a grave in the St. Michael’s churchyard. These notes do not constitute
general information on tracing family histories since they are quite specific to time and place.
Those interested in learning more about family history research in general should consider
attending the monthly beginner talks which are held each year by Manchester and Lancashire
FHS.
The Memorials
The surviving memorials were transcribed in 1968 by Robert Chorlton. A number of the
memorials transcribed have since disappeared. A copy of the 1968 transcript has been
provided to the Friends of Angel Meadow (Liz Long) and is available for this project. The
transcripts are mostly complete, though some words have been lost owing to erosion.
In researching the names on any of the memorials the first step is to read the memorial
carefully and extract any relevant information. Some memorials will relate to a single
individual and others to several separate burials. As these were family graves (i.e. purchased
for exclusive use) it is a reasonable assumption that all those buried in an individual grave
(and hence recorded on the gravestone) would be in some way related. This is likely both
where the surnames are the same and where they are different. However, it is also possible
that the body of someone whose family could not afford a private grave may be buried in the
grave of a friend’s family. Any burial in a family grave should have only taken place with the
permission of (and payment by!) the grave owner.
The appearance of a name on a memorial does not necessarily mean that the person was
buried there. Occasionally people buried elsewhere may be recorded on a family gravestone.
The dedication “Here lies...” will definitely indicate that they were buried in the grave but “In
memory of...” may not necessarily have the same implication. See ‘Burial Registers’ below.
Similarly, not everybody buried in a grave is necessarily recorded on the stone. This was
something optional to the family.
Look to other memorials in the transcribed records. Are there other families of the same
surname? If so, they may be related, particularly if the surname is an unusual one. Note
details from other memorials in case they fit in with information subsequently discovered.
Burial Registers
For each burial in the St. Michael’s graveyard, there should be a burial register entry. The
registers for this church have been digitally scanned and are available free of charge on the
internet by the Mormon Church. See http://tinyurl/stmichaelregs for links to the individual
books.
These registers have not been transcribed or indexed and so it is necessary to view them
page by page to locate individual burial entries.
Those involved in this project may find it beneficial to transcribe the registers so that it
is easier for volunteers to search and also to identify other burials of family members
whose memorials may not have survived. MLFHS will provide guidance in this work if
it is decided to proceed.
Start by locating the burial of the individual in the register. This will usually be 2-5 days after
the death date on the memorial. Any longer delay may suggest an error in the transcription of
the memorial. If the burial is not found then the inscription may commemorate a person buried
elsewhere. Note that spellings of names may vary – William ALLUM, recorded on the first
memorial in the transcript is buried as William HALLUM. Bear this in mind when searching
other sources.
You will not get a lot of information from the burial register. Burials before 1813 may provide
no more information than the memorial (indeed, possibly less) but after 1813 the registers will
at least give the street in which the deceased lived. This can be valuable in identifying them in
other records.
You may, however, be fortunate in finding an annotation such as “died in an accident”, which
may suggest further lines of research.
It is possible that you will find other family members buried at St. Michael’s, possibly in graves
for which the memorials have not survived (or possibly in the same grave but not named on
the memorial). The availability of a searchable transcript would assist in identifying such
entries.
St Michael Baptism Registers
Where the burial concerns a child or older person who was born after 1789, when St.
Michael’s opened, it is possible that you may find the baptism was at St. Michael’s and
recorded in the baptism registers. As with the burial registers, before 1813 the information is
very limited, but thereafter, it should include the street in which the parents lived and the
father’s occupation. If the baptism was not at St. Michael’s, the most likely place of baptism
would be Manchester Collegiate Church (Cathedral) which was the parish church for
Manchester (see below). The registers are at http://tinyurl/stmichaelregs
St Michael Marriage Registers
Where a memorial names a spouse or the parents of a child it may be possible to find their
marriage. There were no marriages at St. Michael’s until 1839, which is later than many of the
memorials. The registers are at http://tinyurl/stmichaelregs Before 1839 the most likely place
for a marriage was the Collegiate Church (Cathedral).
Collegiate Church Registers
The baptism registers at Manchester Collegiate Church (Cathedral) are available as scanned
images for the period 1798-1817 at http://tinyurl.com/cathregisters The full baptism and
marriage registers are indexed on the www.ancestry.co.uk web site. Access to this is
available at the MLFHS library at Clayton House. Many of the baptisms, marriages and
burials are transcribed by Lancashire Online Parish Clerks http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/ and on
the Mormons’ Family Search index https://familysearch.org/search
Trade Directories
Families who could afford to purchase graves at St. Michael’s would have been at least a little
better off than labourers or factory workers and it is possible that some of them may have
owned small businesses locally. Trade directories will link names with occupations and street
addresses.
Some early directories have been reprinted including the Lewis Directory of 1788 and the
Bancks Directory of 1800. Both of these can be purchased from the Manchester and
Lancashire FHS online bookshop: bookshop.mlfhs.org.uk . The Pigot Directory for 1828-1829
has also been published in reproduction. A copy of the Manchester pages can be made
available to volunteers. This and the same directory for 1821-1822 and 1824 as well as the
Scholes Directories for 1794 and 1797 can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/mandirectories
There are several later Manchester directories also at this site.
Rate Books
Householders, other than those in poverty, were requited to pay a rate for the support of the
poor. Rate books from 1706 to 1901 will be available on Microfilm at Archives+ in Manchester
Central Library from about March of 2014. They are currently unavailable. Rate books will
show street addresses and the names of their occupiers.
Census
Most of those for whom a memorial survives died before the first census in 1841. However, it
is possible that parents of children born in the late 1700s and early 1800s may have lived long
enough to appear in the 1841 or even 1851 census. The census returns can be searched at
www.ancestry.co.uk and www.findmypast.co.uk Both of these services are available in the
MLFHS library. Census entries can provide a wealth of information about individuals and
families.
Civil Registration
Civil registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced on 1 July 1837. The indexes to
registers for this part of Manchester are indexed at www.lancashirebmd.org.uk for most of the
19th century. It is, however, necessary to purchase certificates to obtain any further
information. The death certificate will provide both an address and in the case of an adult
male, his occupation. For a child, the father will be named and for a married woman, her
husband will usually be named. Where the death was unexpected, there may be reference to
an inquest, an account of which may appear in contemporary newspapers. The marriage
index may be useful in identifying the time and place of marriages of parents of children who
died after 1837, though in most cases the marriages will pre-date this.
Newspapers
It is possible that some of the adults recorded on memorials may appear in newspapers of the
time. There are three possible online sources:
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Manchester Guardian – published from 1821 onwards and available free to members
of the Manchester Online Library:
http://www.manchester.gov.uk/info/200062/libraries/110/online_reference_library
19th Century Newspaper Collection – available free to members of the Lancashire
Online Library
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=6328&pageid=37311
British Library Newspapers – subscription service includes Manchester Mercury
1759-1826 (with gaps), Manchester Courier 1825-1916, and Manchester Times 18281900 www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
Other Sources
Depending upon what is found using the basic sources above, it is possible that there may be
other sources which might provide information on individuals. These include:

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
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Poll Books and Burgess Rolls
Manchester Court Leet Records
Business records
Registers of other churches
Wills and Administrations
It is beyond the scope of this initial handout to discuss the way in which these records may be
accessed and used.
John Marsden
24 September 2013
Case Study 1: Woodhead
106
WOODHEAD Sacred to the memory of Thomas son of Joshua and Elizabeth
WOODHEAD of Manchester who departed this life Sepr 6th 1840 in the 23rd year of his age
also Elizabeth their daughter who departed this life April 5th 1846 in the 15th year of her age.
From this memorial we learn that Joshua and Elizabeth Woodhead had a son Thomas born
circa 1817 and a daughter Elizabeth born circa 1830-31 This suggests a marriage 1817 or
earlier and that Joshua and his wife were born some time before 1800. There are no other
Woodhead memorials in the transcript.
Searching the burial register for the period after 6 September 1840 produces no entry for
Thomas Woodhead. The burial of Elizabeth Woodhead is, however, recorded on 8 April 1846
and her address is given as ‘Newton’ (probably meaning Newton Heath). The absence of
Thomas may be simply that his date of death was mis-transcribed (the availability of a
transcript of the registers would help confirm this) or that he was buried elsewhere and simply
memorialised on the stone. As to Elizabeth, the address indicates that the family had moved
away from Angel Meadow by this date.
Since the family appears to have been in the Manchester area from 1840 to 1846 the first and
most obvious place to look is the 1841 census. A search for Joshua Woodhead born circa
1800 shows the family living at Cock Gates (close to Withy Grove) as follows:
Joshua
Elizabeth
Robert
Mary
Richard
Martha
Jane
Elizabeth
Susannah
Ann
Joseph
45
40
21
15
15
15
13
11
9
5
2
Ostler
Butcher
All are recorded as born in Lancashire, except for Joshua, who was born outside the county.
Ages of adults over 15 were rounded down to the nearest 5 years so must be taken as
indicative only. Eleven year old Elizabeth is the child who would be buried at St, Michael in
1846.
The 1851 census is more useful as it contains more information. Joshua is now living at
Cheetham Fold, Newton:
Joshua Woodhead
Elizabeth Woodhead
Jane Blomley
Elizabeth Blomley
Martha Woodhead
Susannah Woodhead
Ann Woodhead
Joseph Woodhead
William Woodhead
head
wife
dau
dau
dau
dau
dau
son
son
54
53
22
9m
23
19
16
12
10
Chelsea Pensioner*
Assistant to father
Yorkshire
Lancs Burnley
Manchester
Moston?
Manchester
Manchester
Manchester
Manchester
Manchester
*Chelsea Pensioner and farmer of 185 acres employing 2
This helpfully tells us that Elizabeth was born at Burnley and a search for a marriage circa
1817 (www.familysearch.org) shows that Joshua Woodhead and Elizabeth Burrows were
married at Burnley on 3 May 1817. This marriage has been transcribed by the Lancashire
Online Parish Clerk project as:
Marriage: 3 May 1817 St Peter, Burnley, Lancashire, England
Joshua Woodhead - Carpenter, Bachelor, This Chapelry
Elizabeth Burrows - (X), Spinster, Reedley Hollows Within The Precinct Of This Chapelry
Witnesses: James Rawsthorn; Richard Atkinson
Returning to Thomas, whose death is recorded on the memorial, the Lancashire Online
Parish Clerks’ transcript shows:
Baptism: 5 Apr 1818 St Peter, Burnley, Lancashire, England
Thomas Woodhead - Son of Joshua Woodhead & Elizabeth
Abode: Hough Row Reedley Hollows
Father’s Occupation: Carpenter
The same source produces similar entries for children Robert (1819), Mary (1821), Richard
(1823) and Martha (1826).
The baptism of daughter Jane (their next child) can be found using www.familysearch.org.uk
which shows her to be baptised at Manchester Collegiate Church (Cathedral) on 19 October
1828. This may indicates that the family moved from Burnley to Manchester some time
between 1826 and 1828.
Joshua was a Chelsea Pensioner, which means that he had served in the British Army and
drew an army pension. The records of those discharged to pension are indexed in The
National Archives’ (TNA)catalogues. This shows that a Joshua Woodhead, aged 23 and born
Hipperholme, Yorkshire, was discharged (date unspecified but 1812-1816) to Pension from
the Royal Horse Guards. This would require some further research at TNA since while it is
consistent with Joshua’s birth in Yorkshire and subsequent work as an Ostler, the age would
place his discharge circa 1820, three years after his marriage. This does nor rule it out, but it
sits uncomfortably with his occupation at the time of his marriage. It is possible that Joshua
was actually some years older than he admitted in the census (the 1841 and 1851 ages are
also inconsistent). Joshua died in Newton in 1871 at which time his age was given as 77
years. This is more consistent with the Army discharge information and would more-or-less
square with a marriage immediately following discharge.
Comment
This is a particularly well documented family and one which could be researched much
further.
Case Study 2: Cowleshaw
22
COWLESHAW Here resteth the body of Thomas son of Joseph and Elizth
COWLESHAW died Sepr the 13th 1791 aged 1 year also Barbara Ann their daur died Novr
3rd 1794 aged 3 years Elizth their daur died July 3rd 1795 aged 1 year
There are no other memorials in this name.
There is no entry in the burial register for Thomas but Barbara Ann, dau of Joseph Cowlishaw
(sic) was buried on 5 December 1794 and Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Cowlishaw (sic) was
buried on 2 July 1795. Both dates of death are at odds with those which appear on the
memorial and this suggests either an error in the transcription or that perhaps the memorial
was carved some time after the burials.
There is no baptism entry for any of these children at St. Michael. The Collegiate Church
registers record baptisms:
29 Apr 1792
15 June 1794
26 May 1796
13 Oct 1799
16 Jan 1803
Barbara Ann Cawlershaw dau of Joseph Cawlershaw and Elisabeth
Elizabeth dau of Joseph and Elizabeth Cowleshaw
Barbara Ann dau of Joseph and Elizabeth Cowlishaw
Elizabeth dau of Joseph and Elizabeth Cowlishaw
John son of Joseph and Elizabeth Cowlishaw
There is also a marriage:
18 Oct 1890 Joseph Cowlishaw and Elizabeth WRIGHT which appears in full in the
Lancashire Online Parish Clerk transcript as:
Marriage: 18 Oct 1790 Collegiate, Manchester, Lancashire, England
Joseph Cowlishaw - Warehouseman, this Parish & Town of Manchr.
Elizabeth Wright - Spinster, Manchr.
Witness: Henry Aspinall
It seems probable that Barbara and Elizabeth were valued names in one or other of the
families as following the deaths of the children originally given these names two later children
were baptised with them.
The St. Michael’s burial register has an entry on 28 December 1808 for Joseph Cowlishaw.
This would appear to be the father of the above children.
Comment
Joseph Cowlishaw was probably an employee at a warehouse rather than an owner – his
name does not appear in trade directories. This unusual name appears in a number of 1841
census entries in Manchester and it may be possible to reconstitute a wider family.