Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1920 & 29

Eli Paul (1885 - 1923)

Eli Paul was a 37-year-old Gardener at Peel Park when he was discovered lying on the footpath at the corner of Cross Lane and Broad Street.

Eli was born in 1885 in Oldham, the son of James and Mary (nee Heaton) Paul, who had been married in Christ Church, Glodwick in 1881. Eli married Eliza Smith at Christ Church, Salford in 1910.

The Salford City Reporter of 26th May 1923 records the following sad story about Eli being found by a Policeman. "As he was directing Traffic at the junction of Cross Lane and Broad Street, Pendleton at about 5.45 pm on Tuesday week (16th May 1923), Constable Haydock's attention was suddenly attracted by an inanimate form lying on the footpath near Vulcan Street. Upon investigation he found that it was a Peel Park Gardener named Eli Paul, of Chaney Street, Pendleton. He appeared to be dead although he was bleeding from his left ear. The Policeman conveyed him in a taxi-cab to Salford Royal Hospital, where a doctor made an examination and pronounced life extinct."

At the Inquest, Eli's widow Eliza, said that her husband was only 37 years of age and she thought that he was a healthy man. About three weeks previously he had a cold and he afterwards complained of pains across his back and chest. On 7th May he attended a doctor who gave him medicine, but he was careless about taking it. However, he attended work regularly and she last saw him alive when he left home for Peel Park at about 7.45 am on the day in question (16th May).

Dr Ghosh of Seedley Terrace, Pendleton, who made a post mortem examination, stated that the cause of death was a rupture of a vessel of the heart. There was a small fracture of the base of the skull, but he thought that was caused subsequently. A verdict of "Death from natural causes" was returned.

The funeral of Eli Paul was held on Monday 22nd May, where he was interred in plot J of the Dissenters portion of Weaste Cemetery. Rev C.E. Leytham conducted the service.