Infant Mortality in 19th Century Chorlton-cum-Hardy ..... another story from Tony Goulding

This sad little grave in the old St. Clement’s Churchyard on Chorlton Green is a stark reminder of the terrible toll of infant mortality during the 19th century. 

Elizabeth, Cyril and Sophie

The two occupants are the children of Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, of Barlow Hall, and his wife Jane Elizabeth (née Orrell). 

A son, Cyril and a daughter, Sophia died both aged just one day. They were buried on the 29th June, 1851 and 11th July, 1852 respectively. (1) 

Significantly, Sir William was a wealthy barrister, banker and Conservative politician which is an indication that the ravages of childhood illnesses were no respecter of either income or social standing. 

Nearby is the substantial tomb of the Rickards family; containing the remains of no less than 5 children, the eldest, Gerald Broome, being only 8 years and 8 months old when he died on the 22nd July, 1853.

The Rickards family tomb

The 1851 census records the family at Richmond Terrace, Stretford New Road, Stretford, Lancashire. Ten years later the family had moved to Moss Bank, and in 1871 and 1881 to Carlton Lodge, Dudley Road both in Whalley Range, Lancashire. 

Mr. William Henry Rickards was born in Stretford, Lancashire in 1816 the son of Charles and Frances (née Broome). 

He was baptised at St. John's Church, Manchester on the 14th July, 1816. He became a very successful calico printer and merchant and fathered a total of 14 children; 8 with his first wife Ellen (née Royle) and 6 with his second wife Sophia (née Munton). However, only 9 of his children survived to adulthood. (2)

Another grave a few steps away is the final resting place of Rev. Peter Hordern, the incumbent of St. Clement’s who died on the 15th March, 1836 just over a month after having buried his just one-day-old son, Arthur, on the 17th February, 1836.

The Rev Hordern

In his two and a half years at St Clement’s of the 53 burials Rev. Hordern officiated at, his son was the 20th of a child aged 5 years and under, a figure of 37.7%. 

Nor did the percentage of child mortality decline very much throughout the Queen Victoria’s reign. 

The figure for an equivalent two and half period between March, 1876 and September, 1878 were a total of 90 burials (3) carried out from St. Clement’s (by Rev John Edmund Boothe and his assistants). Of these 90, 32 or 35.5% were childhood fatalities.

Tony Goulden ©2020

Location; Chorlton

Pictures; Chorlton, 2020, from the collection of Tony Goulding

NOTES: -

The entrance to the old parish graveyard

1) The existence of this grave is suggested to have been one of the main reasons for Sir William Cunliffe Brooks’s antipathy towards the re-building / re-siting of the parish church and an associated regard for the “old” church. The most prominent expression of this position was his gift of the Lychgate to the parish to celebrate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887, though he was also a major contributor towards the installation of a lavish new window and other improvements to the old church building.

2) Their various stories may be the subject of a future post.

3) These burials included the particularly sad case of the 10-month-old twins Henry and Ellen Jones. 

They were, the son and daughter of Thomas Jones, a domestic gardener, and his wife Hannah (née Langford), a laundress; born on the 21st June, 1875 and baptised together at St. Clement’s on the 18th July, 1875. The twins died less than a week apart Henry died first and was buried at St. Clement’s on the 7th May followed by his sister, Ellen, on the 13th May, 1876.

The family were living at the time of the 1871 census at “Lane End” and in the following census of 1881 were recorded at nearby, Ivy House, Didsbury Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy. A curious feature of this family was that Thomas and Hannah had eight children; the first four of which died in infancy and the later four all survived to adulthood.