In Local Churchyards (Early Collieries)

A number of graves of people associated with the early Neston collieries can be found in local churchyards. It is noticeable that, so far, only more senior figures have known graves – the ordinary colliers’ family could not afford a permanent headstone.

The newly-built St. Winefride’s Roman Catholic Church started recording burials in 1843.

This list will be added to as more research is undertaken.

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The grave of Isaac Jackson (at Neston parish church)

Isaac, commemorated with his wife Rachel, was manager of Little Neston Colliery for several years until its closure.

The grave of Peter Kendrick (at Neston parish church)

Peter was one of several members of the Kendrick family over different generations who worked as engineers at Ness Colliery. He left the area to work in Buckley, Flints. when the colliery closed in 1855. He was a devout Primitive Methodist. At least three of his children died while young – child mortality was very high in the mining community.

The grave of Joseph Cabry (at Neston parish church)

The Cabrys were leading engineers at Ness Colliery. Mary was the wife of Joseph Cabry, a friend of the famous engineer George Stephenson (Joseph died and was buried in York where he moved after his wife died). His son, also Joseph, buried here, was also an engineer as well as being publican of the Wheat Sheaf in Ness and a senior local figure. The gravestone is of expensive granite.

The grave of Charles Stanley (at St. Winefride’s Roman Catholic church)

Charles Stanley was the longest-standing proprietor of Ness Colliery, from 1813 to 1854 (in partnership with his brother, Thomas, for much of the time). A stained-glass window in the church is dedicated to him (Figure 12.6 in The Neston Collieries 1759-1855).

Thomas Cottingham (at Neston parish church)

Thomas Cottingham ran Little Neston Colliery from its opening in about 1820 to its closure in the mid to late 1840s. The colliery was subject to several acts of sabotage by neighbouring Ness Colliery. Thomas was a former war hero, having been injured at the Battle of Waterloo. The grave also marks the burial plot of his Jamaican-born wife, Sarah, their son Thomas Leacroft and his wife, Ann.

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