The Birley family of Didsbury … Chorlton-cum-Hardy connections … another story from Tony Goulding

In this beautiful setting of St. James Church, Didsbury lies, in the foreground, the family grave of the distinguished Didsbury family the Birley’s. 

St. James's church and Birley grave

The patriarch of the family was Joseph Birley, a cotton spinner and merchant, who was born on the 31st May, 1782, in Blackburn, Lancashire. His parents were Richard Birley, a successful cotton merchant and owner of cotton mills in the town, and Alice (née Hornby). Richard was also in partnership with his brother-in-law John Hornby (1), who together built some of the first cotton mills in Blackburn.

In the 1820s Joseph Birley moved to Manchester a city in which his older brother, Hugh Hornby Birley, was already a prominent if somewhat infamous resident. (2)  In partnership with his brother they developed the large cotton mills complex on Cambridge Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester He settled in Didsbury, Lancashire, building a large house at Ford Bank. On the 29th August, 1824, together with his brother, is recorded as being a member of the committee formed to progress the building of the Manchester to Liverpool Railway. (The world’s first passenger railway).

In the 1841 census it is recorded as housing Joseph, his wife Jane (née Hornby), his first cousin, together with his ten children and eight servants.

The Liverpool and Manchester Railway, 1830

My initial thought on seeing this grave was to ponder if there was a connection to the Rev. William Birley, the rector of St. Clement’s, Chorlton-cum-Hardy from 1843 until 1859 when he exchanged livings with his successor at St. Clement’s, Rev. John Edmond Booth, then the rector of St. Stephen’s, Salford. 

It was not surprising that Rev. William decided to move to Salford as a number of his cousins had also relocated there. Herbert to Spring Bank and Henry to “Brentwood”, both in Pendleton whilst another cousin, Arthur, lived at Wood Bank in nearby Pendlebury.

Rev. William was indeed related to the Birley family of Didsbury, Joseph Birley was his uncle. There are also other connections between the Birleys of Didsbury and the clergy of St. Clement's. On the 26th April, 1855 Rev. George Langton Beckwith, who since November, 1852 had been assisting Rev. Birley at Chorlton-cum-Hardy, was married to, Joseph Birley’s daughter, Elizabeth at St James’s Church, Didsbury.  A generation later, on the 2nd April, 1891 at Forest Hill, Oxfordshire, one of Joseph’s granddaughters, Mary Adelaide, married Rev. James Creswell Pigot the nephew of the Rev. Frederick Octavius Pigot who also served as one of Rev. Birley’s curates in Chorlton-cum-Hardy between February, 1856 until January, 1859. 

Obituary of England Cricket

Another member of the Birley / Hornby extended family was Albert Neilson (A. N.)  Hornby the famous cricketer for Lancashire and England. He is best known as the captain of the ill-fated England cricket team which lost to Australia on the 29th August, 1882. This defeat at the Kennington Oval, London was England’s first in a test match on home soil and a satirical obituary notice placed in the Sporting Times a few days later which ended 

"N.B. The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia"  This led to contests between the two countries being called “The Ashes”

A. N. Hornby was also immortalised in the lines 

“As the run stealers flicker to and fro,

 To and fro:

 O my Hornby and my Barlow long ago!”

From “At Lord’s” the celebrated cricket poem by Francis Thompson.

Already rich through their cotton manufacturing, the family’s wealth was enhanced by going into partnership with Charles Mackintosh in the production of the eponymous waterproof garments. (3) 

    The affluence of the family can be gauged by the estates left by two of Joseph Birleys children when they died in 1890. Cecilia died at the home she shared with her sisters, Jane and Adelaide, 1, Stanley Place, Chester, Cheshire on the 2nd January, 1890. Her estate was valued at £33,891-0s-3d. (Equivalent to £4,633,824 today) When her brother Herbert died at his home, Spring Bank, Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire on the 20th November, 1890 he left an estate valued at “45,262-3s-11d.(£6,051,822 in today’s value). 

Pictures: - St. James’s Church and Birley family grave courtesy of Andrea Martinez. Image of Manchester-Liverpool Railway, 1830 and “Obituary for English Cricket” both in Public Domain and sourced from Wikipedia. “Manchester Heroes” from the collection of Tony Goulding.

“Manchester Heroes”

Notes: -

1) John Hornby was a prosperous cotton spinner in Blackburn. Two of his sons William Henry and John were both separately elected as that town’s Member of Parliament, as were two of William Henry’s sons, Edward and William Henry Jnr. (known as “Harry”). The latter was noted as never having spoken nor attempted to speak in the House during his 24-year career there! Nevertheless, he was also twice selected to be the mayor of Blackburn; thus, emulating his father who had been the town’s first mayor in 1851. A. N. Hornby, the England cricketer mentioned above was also one of William Henry’s sons.

2)Hugh Hornby Birley’s notoriety was the result of his involvement in the “Peterloo Massacre”. As Captain Hugh Hornby Birley he was second-in-command of the Manchester and Salford Yeomanry on the 16th August, 1819. After being ordered by his superior officer, Major Thomas Joseph Trafford to do so he led the charge of his troops into the crowd of peaceful protestors into St. Peter’s Field. Although it is still somewhat contentious but the blame for the resulting fatalities and injuries is widely placed on this action. It is argued that his command was both partisan and ill-disciplined. Some accounts have also suggested they were “half-drunk” having spent the morning in local taverns.

As one of the demands of those assembled at Peterloo was that Manchester should have a representative in Parliament, it was with extreme irony that his nephew and namesake Hugh Birley was elected to serve as the city's Member of Parliament from 1868 until his death in September, 1883.

3) Their mill, in Cambridge Street, is still standing, now converted to residential use but for many years was a factory of the Dunlop Rubber Company who acquired the building in 1923.

Acknowledgements: -

As well as census and other records on “Find My Past” and Wikipedia entries I have gleaned extra information from the following sources.

Graces Guide to British Industrial History. Birley family records posted on line (RootsMagic). “Peterloo Massacre – 1819" (2009) by Philip McKeiver. “100 Halls around Manchester” https://100hallsaroundmanchester.wordpress.com