Account of Tattersfield Graves at Heckmondwike Upper Chapel

INTRODUCTION.

The importance of Heckmondwike Upper Chapel in the lives of many Tattersfields of the “Heckmondwike” family, who appear in Charts 1 and 2,3, has been stated in the section Read Research–The Tattersfield Name–Family Branches–The Heckmondwike Family. There are numerous records of Baptism and Burial, and some of Marriage in the Registers of the Chapel. Furthermore there were many burials in the Chapel graveyard at the front, side and rear of the Chapel buildings.

Before the very large 1890 Chapel was converted into flats, as mentioned below, the graveyard contained 603 graves. Of these, 36 gravestones showed 125 Tattersfield names.

The grave inscriptions of all the 603 graves were recorded by the late Dr Louis Ackroyd in 2003. He was related to some of the Tattersfields in Chart 1. He very generously gave to me a full copy of his records in 2003. He also deposited a copy with The Society of Genealogists in London. It is not available on line, and can only be seen by visiting their London premises.

Without knowing of Dr Ackroyd’s records, I copied all the 36 grave epitaphs for every one of the 125 Tattersfield entries, and some other related famiiy members, at about the same time. They are all set our below verbatim. In some cases the actual layout of the wording on the tombstone was recorded, and is reproduced below.

Dr Ackroyd divided his records into two areas. His map showing these is included below. Part 1 contained 306 graves, covering the period 1760 to approximately 1870, in the front and side of the Chapel buildings. Part 11 contained 297 more recent graves at the back of the buildings. For each of Parts 1 and 11 he gave a sequential number to each grave. His numbering system is used in the records below, to avoid possible confusion. Each grave number is preceded by his initials LA.

Entirely independently of the above, the late Mrs Carol Ann Hendrickson (1930-2020), nee Tattersfield, born in Minnesota, USA , visited the graveyard in 1988. She is shown on Chart 2,3, and her ancestry is JOSEPH (1747-95), JOSEPH, WILLIAM, AKED, RICHARD, CHARLES RICHARD. She took photographs of 16 of the earlier Tattersfield grave monuments, and kindly gave me a selection of prints of them the following year. These are included below, alongside the related gravestone wording. They are used with the kind permission of her son Joel Kevin Hendrickson of Colorado.

As mentioned above, the latest and largest of the Chapels on the site, dating from 1890, was converted into flats some years ago. The graves in the whole of Part 1 and some of Part 11, were disinterred, to create a car park, and nearly all the gravestones were taken away. Their location is not known. Accordingly, most of the earlier records and the photographs below cannot be repeated.

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Pt I / LA37	AMOS	9 March, 1790 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I325
Pt I / LA37	JOSEPH	3 June, 1795 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I320
Pt I / LA37	SARAH	4 October, 1819 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I321
		In Memory of Amos the son of Joseph Tattersfield of the Height, in the township of Heckmondwike who died the 9th day of March 1790 aged 1 year. And also of the abovementioned Joseph Tattersfield, who died the 3rd day of June 1795 aged 48 years. “Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh”. Also Sarah the wife of the abovesaid Joseph Tattersfield who died Oct 4th 1819 aged 70 years.

Pt I / LA44	REBECCA	26 June, 1824 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I412
Pt I / LA44	JOSEPH	25 November, 1824 (dec)	Ch2_3 / Ixxx
Pt I / LA44	WILLIAM	11 September, 1845 (dec)	Ch2_3 / Ixxx
Box grave		Sacred to the memory of Rebecca daughter of John and Sarah Tattersfield, of Kilpinhill who died June 26th 1834 Aged 1 month. Also of Joseph son of the above who died November 25th 1834 Aged 1 year and 9 months. Also of William son of the above who died September 11th 1845 Aged 1 year and 7 months.

Pt I / LA193	MOSES	26 October, 1857 (dec)	Ch1 / I1768
Pt I / LA193	MARTHA	9 March, 1842 (dec)	Ch1 / I611
Pt I / LA193	SIX INFANTS	Various dates 1815-1842	Ch1 / I1768
Pt I / LA193	ANN nee Crowther	4 January, 1861 (dec)	Ch1 / I598
Box grave		In Memory of Moses Tattersfield, of Dewsbury Moor who died October 26th 1857; Aged 66 years Also of Martha, daughter of the above who died March 9th 1842; Aged 22 years. Also of six children who died in their infancy. Also of Ann wife of the above Moses Tattersfield, who died Jany 4th 1861 Aged 63 years.

Pt I / LA194	HANNAH	25 April, 1870 (dec)	Ch1 / I30
Pt I / LA194	JOHN	19 September, 1881 (dec)	Ch1 / I28
Headstone in local stone		In Memory of Hannah, Daughter of John and Johanna Tattersfield of Kilpinhill, who died April 25th 1870 Aged 56 years. Also John, son of the above Who died September 19th 1881, Aged 71 years. “His end was Peace”.

Pt I / LA195	HANNAH nee Crowther	12 July, 1837 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I343
Box grave		In Memory of Hannah, the wife of the Rev. Joseph Tattersfield, of Keighley, Who departed this life July 12th 1837, Aged 33 years. “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord”.

Pt I / LA242	JOHN	19 April, 1873 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I336
Pt I / LA242	SARAH nee Scott	19 March, 1886 (dec)	Ch2_3 / I406
Monument in polished granite Photo: Carol Hendrickson, 1988		In affectionate remembrance of John Tattersfield of Kilpinhill, Heckmondwike who died April 19th 1873 aged 62 years. “The righteous shall be held in everlasting remembrance.” Also Sarah wife of the above Born March 21st 1811 Died March 19th 1886. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints”.

Pt I / LA256	JOANNA	(8 August, 1864) (dec)	Ch1 / I41
Pt I / LA256	George Henry Armitage	(18 August, 1864) (dec)	Ch1 / I45
Pt I / LA256	REBECCA nee Tattersfield	(14 September, 1866) (dec)	Ch1 / I40
Pt I / LA256	GEORGE	(18 December, 1871) (dec)	Ch1 / I27
Monument in local stone, eroded		In memory of Joanna the beloved wife of John Armitage and only daughter of George and Rebecca Tattersfield of Kilpin Hill (?) who died Aug (?) in the (?) year of her age Also GEORGE HENRY their infant. On left hand side —-in memory of REBECCA ——GEORGE TATTERSFIELD.