By 1862  there were more than 7,000 people buried in St Johns churchyard plus those at Ebenezer, a estimate of 12,000 all buried within a few yards of Bacup centre. Fairwell Cemetery was opened in 1862 the  Cemetery was run by the local burial board which had been formed in 1858 following instructions from the Home Office that no more burials were to take place in St Johns churchyard other than those in family vaults. After a election the following members had been elected to the board: James Greaves, Warp sizer,

 Henry Gregory, Tailor and Draper, William Raws, Tailor and Draper, William Tagg, Fent Merchant, Charles Stewart, Cotton Manufacturer, J. H. Worall, Surgeon, Ashworth Taylor, Woollen Printer, James Nuttall, Publican, John Howarth, Cashier. Mr Nuttall however resigned his seat at the first meeting and his place was taken by Mr Redman, and sometime later Mr Edward Hoyle to Mr Taylor's place.

 
The first meeting of the board was held on June 25th 1858. However four years elapsed between receiving the Home Office notice and the opening of the cemetery at Fairwell. The cemetery had 3 chapels one for the Catholics, one for Church of England and one for Nonconformists. The first person to buried in the new cemetery on April 12th 1862 was a Hannah Haworth of Britannia aged 46 and married. Her grave is number Gen B 279. The officiating minister was  Rev G Haywood. The first clerk to the board was Mr Sam Hall. Advertised in the Bacup Times of 1863 a large and commodious Mourning coach  was available for hire from Mr Pilling of Church Street. Capable of accommodating 20 persons plus the corpse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bacup Times 1903

Another Serious outbreak Of Smallpox In Bacup.

Another outbreak of Smallpox has occurred in Bacup, at a time when most people thought the disease had been stamped out. In all there are seven cases, four being notified on Sunday night and three on Monday morning. Much alarm was created in the town when it became known that three people in one hose in Inkerman street, a most respectable and clean neighbourhood had been certified to have been suffering from smallpox. At the time Mr Barnes the sanitary inspector was taking his holidays in Blackpool, and on Sunday night a detective of the Blackpool police sought him out and told him  that a message had been received from Bacup and that he was wanted. Mr Barnes accordingly left Blackpool early on Monday morning by express train and on arrival in Bacup immediately arranged for the three infected people , John Henry Greenwood, Martha Greenwood, and John Bolton Greenwood, father mother and son to be removed to Sourhall . This was accordingly done and the house put into quarantine with all bedding thoroughly disinfected.

 

 

 

On Monday afternoon another four persons were certified to be suffering and put into quarantine at Sourhall. The names are Mrs Marsden, Birch Street, Mary Howarth, William Howarth and Robert Howarth of Ashworth Street. Mother father and son all are supposed contacts.

 

Another case was reported to the sanitary inspector yesterday the victim being a Mr Marsden, Weaver, 21 Birch Street husband of Mrs Marsden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHOCKING ACCIDENT YESTERDAY

Girl Killed By Steam Wagon

SAD OCCURRENCE AT STACKSTEADS

 

A shocking fatality occurred  about 4'oclock yesterday afternoon in Newchurch Road near to the Wesleyan Chapel Stacksteads, the victim being a girl named Grace Ann Hacking aged five years daughter of Mr and Mrs Walter Hacking, of 7 Brandwood Road Stacksteads. The girl was a scholar at Western Council School, and left there at 3.50 in company with a number of other children. They had crossed the road and were walking on the footpath in the direction of Waterfoot. A steam wagon and trailer, belonging to Messer's Appleby and Sons Corn Millers, of Blackburn was travelling at a slow speed in the same direction and when it got abreast of the children the deceased is supposed to have side-stepped off the footpath and was caught by the near hind wheel. The stoker at once shouted for the driver to stop, which he did immediately. The girl was picked up and carried into the shop 444 Newchurch-Road, but was found to be dead, the wheel having apparently passed over her head, her injuries were of a terrible nature. Information was given to the Police and the body was  removed to the mortuary at Bacup to await inquest. The sad occurrence cast quite a gloom over the district.

 

 

 

 

 

Bacup Times April 18th 1906

Suicide At Bacup

WELL KNOWN MAN HANGS HIMSELF

 

Israel Simcock, a labourer residing at Dale Street, Bacup, and about 60 years of age committed suicide by hanging yesterday morning. He had been ailing for about six months and had been attended by Dr Brown for oral weakness. Latterly, however he had been rather better, though unable to follow his usual employment. It appears that at 5 o'clock yesterday  morning Mrs Simcock left the deceased asleep in bed. She went upstairs again about 6-20 and was alarmed to find her husband un a sitting posture against the bedpost and apparently dead. She called in Mrs Buckley, a neighbour who went for assistance. Mr Edward Taylor, assistant to Mr Mountain, chemist, who resides close by, went to the house and lifted deceased up. It was then found that a cord was round his neck and attached to the bed post. Dr Brown was sent for, but when he arrived shortly after he pronounced life extinct, death being due to strangulation.

Deceased was a member of a well known Bacup family, being a son of the late Councillor Israel Simcock, who from 1882 to 1891 was a member of Bacup Town Council. There are at present several of the deceased brothers resident in the town, One of them is Mr J Simcock, earthenware dealer, in the Bacup Market Hall. 

 

 

Bacup Times 1867

Toothache

Mrs Richard Ashworth of New Line having suffered acutely from toothache had a tooth pulled out by a chemist in Bacup. Next day mortification set in and she died last week.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

June 3rd 1865

Death Of An Old Veteran

On Wednesday week , Mr John Sagar, an old soldier residing at Rockliffe breathed his last at the age of 77 years The following is a short account of his life.

He was born in the year 1788, in the Bacup neighbourhood, and at the age of 16 years enlisted in the 84th Regiment of Foot, being then without father or mother and in which regiment were two of his brothers to whom he had resolved to make his way. The regiment was quartered in India  at the time he enlisted, one brother was a Grenadier and had been a French prisoner for four years.  Our hero found to his dismay on his arrival in India that both of them were dead. He remained in the regiment for thirteen years, at which time they were disbanded and sent home. He preferred remaining in India

to returning to England, and volunteered in the 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers, which distinguished itself in many engagements. After a period of 7 years he returned to England along with a great number of soldiers, some disabled and some worn out with long service. Sagar finally reached home in 1824, having been absent about 20 years, and nearly 36 years of age. He then married Susan Maden, and was blessed with a large family of whom eight are at present living.  He had seen much hand fighting and had many narrow escapes being at the taking of the Isle of France.*

 

He has been discharged more than 40 years on a pension of 1and half pence per day. His remains were conveyed to the cemetery on the 30th June. Attended by Sgt Rogers of the 4th LRV.Corps, Mr Levi Tattersall, and James Cunliffe, both of whom had belonged to the 84th and are now two od the eldest pensioners in the district.

 

 

 

Bacup Times

June 6th 1874

A FATAL ACCIDENT

A fatal accident occurred to George Miles Ashworth, aged 23 years old, residing at the  Blue Ball Inn Todmorden road. It appears that along with his father he was sinking the shaft of a colliery at Kidnapper. The shaft was already 90ft deep and while at work at about 10'oclock the deceased complained of a headache and  said  he wanted to go to the top. He seated himself on the iron bar at the end of the rope and was being wound up by a windlass when he was within 25 yards of the top he fell fracturing his skull and was instantaneously killed. In falling he seriously injured his father who was at work at the bottom of the shaft. His uncle was also turning the windlass and when the deceased fell it was with great difficulty that his uncle could retain hold of the handle. As he was winding the deceased up a tub was going down and had he not been able to keep hold of the handle the tub would no doubt have gone down to the bottom and struck the father of the deceased. A verdict of accidental death was recorded  at the inquest.

 

 

 

Bacup Times Saturday April 1st 1905

TRAGIC AFFAIR AT STACKSTEADS

MAN DROPS DEAD IN THE STREET

The death occurred with painful suddenness shortly after eleven o clock on Thursday night of Thomas Smith, better known as Weighty a quarryman, 60 years of age, and lodging at 11 Random Row, Stacksteads, Deceased had been employed for some time doing off jobs at Mr . J . E Haworth's  Railway Tavern, Stacksteads, which place he left, perfectly sober about 11 o'clock on the night in questions to go to his lodgings. He appears to have progressed only a short distance up the road when the illness which unfortunately proved fatal attacked him, and he was found by Mr Wilfred Law, steward of the Stacksteads Conservative Club, leaning against a shop window in a prostrate condition. Law was walking past ion company with another gentleman, when he heard deceased remark " don't leave me". Law immediately went back, and on striking a match found that the deceased was vomiting blood, and he subsequently fell to the ground in a helpless condition. The police were summoned and medical assistance was instantly sent for, but on the arrival of Dr Falconer, life was pronounced extinct, deceased having ruptured a blood vessel.

 

 

 

 

 

Bacup Times October 21st 1916

SHOCKING DISCOVERY AT STACKSTEADS

MAN FOUND HANGING FROM A  BEAM

A shocking discovery was made at 11 Taylorholme, Stacksteads, on Tuesday noon when Patrick Keville, a quarryman, 44 years of age was found hanging in the cellar portion of the dwelling house but his wife. The latter is employed as a cardroom hand and on her going to the house for the mid day meal she was horrified to find her husband suspended by a piece of strong twine fastened to a beam. She at once have an alarm and the body was cut down by two men named Livesy and Cassidy residing in the vicinity. Deceased was apparently alright when  his wife left the house at 8-30, the husband then preparing  to get the children ready for school. He had suffered for five years from consumption of the bowels and had not followed any work for two years. An inquest was held at the Tunstead Church Institute on Thursdsy noon before Mr D. N. Hazlewood, and a jury f which Mr H. Mawdsley was the foreman . Bridget Keville widow o of the deceased said her husband was 44 years of age and followed the occupation of a quarryman. Deceased had suffered from consumption of the bowels for about four years. At 6am on Tuesday last witness left him in bed whilst she went to work and returned home at 12-35. On going into the cellar for coals, witness found her husband hanging from a nail with a piece of twine which was fastened around his neck. The nail was in the ceiling. Witness raised the alarm and deceased was cut down by two men  called Livesey and Cassidy. When cut down her husband was found to be dead. Deceased had not followed any work for about two years and had been attended by a doctor Saturday last. He had been low spirited and depressed  on account of his illness, but had never threatened to do anything with himself. The coroner said there was only one verdict the jury could return viz., that deceased had hanged himself whilst of unsound mind, through ill health. Mr Hazelwood remarked that the deceased as they had heard, had been attended by a doctor who had evidently given him no hope of recovery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bacup Times May 9th 1906

TRAGIC DEATH AT BACUP

DOMESTIC SERVANTS SUDDEN DEMISE

GOING TO WORK ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

The Bacup Police on Monday were notified of the death of Ellen Hurst, a domestic servant, 26 years of age, who had died under tragic circumstances in the house of her employer Mr Harold Pickup, accounts clerk, Pleasant View, Bankside, Bacup.

The deceased who was a native of  Workington, was apparently in her usual health when she commenced her household duties at half past six on Monday morning, but about half past eight when she had gone up to the bedrooms she was heard to fall on the floor. Mrs Townsend the mother of Mr Pickup, who was in the house, went to her assistance, but after sighing twice the unfortunate young woman expired. Dr Rigby said the girl probably hadn't eaten any breakfast and had then fainted and had not been able to be brought round.