Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1857 & 1869

Henry Southern (1797 - 1863)


 Henry Southern was a Builder, who was renowned for building *St Bartholomew's Church in the early 1840s and also the Triumphal Arches at Peel Park and Cross Lane to celebrate the Royal visit in 1851. He was also an Assessor for St Stephen's Ward.


He was born in 1797 at Rainford, Lancashire and baptised at Rainford Independent Chapel on 25th July the same year. His parents were William and Mary Southern. On 18th March 1821 he married Ann Linley (1798 – 1883) at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. She was the daughter of Samuel and Hannah Linley.


In 1841, at St Philip Place, Salford, their children were Samuel Linley (1826 – 1885), William (1828 – 1909), Mary (1831 - ?), Henry jnr (1834 – 1871) and Elizabeth (1839 – 1922). In 1851, the family lived at 67, Regent Road, Salford. Henry was aged 53 and was a Builder, Ann was aged 52, Samuel L was 25 and a Warehouseman, William was 22 and a Builder Servant and Henry jnr was 17 and also a Builder Servant.


Henry Southern died of apoplexy (a stroke) at Southport on 7th November 1863 and was buried in the Dissenters plot A5 number 447 on 12th November. He was 66 years old. The 1871 census reveals that Ann had moved to Thorncliffe House, Half Edge Lane, Eccles, with Henry jnr aged 37 and Elizabeth aged 32. But later that year, Henry jnr died on 13th December 1871, aged 38. Henry's wife Ann died on 22nd May 1883 aged 84 and was buried with her husband at Weaste Cemetery.


Their first son Samuel Linley Southern married Alice Lee in 1859. He was a Fustian Merchant and they lived at Great Cheetham Street in Broughton. Their children were Alice Lee (b.1861), Mary E (b.1863), Samuel H (b.1864), Walter (b.1866), Gertrude (b.1868), John Lee (b.1869) and Thomas Linley (b.1871).


Second son William married Harriet Bancroft in 1854 and was a Builder. They lived at The Rookery, Broughton Park, Broughton and their children were James Bancroft (b.1856), William Henry (b.1858), Charles (b.1860), Helen (b.1862), Alfred (b.1864) and Mary B (born 1867). Harriet died in 1886, aged 56, and William died in 1909, aged 80.


Third son Henry was also a Builder, did not marry and died on 13th December 1871, aged 38.


Their Daughter Elizabeth did not marry and died on 17th October 1922, aged 84.


* In the 1830s, the Anglican Church decided to build ten new churches, which would ensure its dominance in Salford. The Manchester Times 04 September 1841 reports – "First of the ten new churches." An interesting ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a new church dedicated to St Bartholomew, which is about to be erected on the southerly side of Regent Road, took place on Monday.  The church is to be a stone edifice in the Norman style of architecture designed by Messrs Starkey and Cuffley and the builders are Messrs William and Henry Southern.