Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1900 & 09

John Holbrook (1845 - 1904)


John Holbrook was a Mechanic, Warehouseman and then a Maker-Up of Cloth. Two of his daughters married two brothers named Wightmore.


He was born in Salford in 1845. His father was John Holbrook (born 1823 in Salford) who was a Porter and his mother was Frances Copley (born 1825 in Salford). The couple were married on 11th August 1844 at St Mary the Virgin Parish Church, Eccles. At this time John (snr) was a Joiner and his father (another John) was a Cordwainer (leather goods and shoemaker). Frances's father John Copley was a Joiner.


The 1861 census shows that 16-year-old John Holbrook lived with his parents and younger brother William (aged 14) at 52, Union Street, Salford. John was a Warehouse Boy and William was an Iron Fenner. In 1871 The family was living at Durham Street, Salford, John (snr) was aged 48, Mother Frances was 46, John (jnr) was 25 and William was 23.


On 10 June 1871 John Holbrook married Mary Jane Collins at St Stephens Church, Salford. John was aged 26, a Mechanic, living at 12, Clay Street, Salford and Mary Jane was aged 24 and living at 11, Clay Street, Salford. Mary Jane's father was James Collins, a Property Repairer. Witnesses were William Holbrook and Caroline Collins.


John and Mary Jane's five children were all born in Salford and baptised at St Stephen's Church. They were: Carrie (born 9th November 1872), Ada (born 2nd March 1876), John Henry (born 14th October 1877), Florence Mary (born 19th March 1879) and Elizabeth Ellen (born 9th March 1881).


In 1881, the family was living at 1, Albert Street, Salford and in 1891 they were living at King Street, Salford. Carrie was aged 18 and a Waitress in a Restaurant. The others were scholars. Also in 1891 Carrie married Harry Kilvert Wightmore (born 1869 in Salford), the son of Daniel and Louisa W (nee Pimlott) Wightmore. They were to have six sons. In 1899 Florence Mary married William G Wilson at Gravel Lane Methodist Chapel, Salford. Their son William Holbrook Wilson was to die on 20th Oct 1901 aged only 10 weeks and is remembered on the family grave at Weaste Cemetery.


The 1901 census shows John and Mary Jane living at 19, Marlborough Rd, Broughton with John Henry aged 23, a Maker-Up of Cloth; Ada aged 25, a Stitcher of Cloth and Elizabeth Ellen aged 20. Also at the house was Caroline Collins, Mary Jane's mother. Ada married in 1901 to George Hill at Gravel Lane Methodist Chapel, Salford. Elizabeth Ellen married in 1904 to Daniel Eustace Wightmore. John Henry married in 1905 to Mary Aldcroft at Collyhurst Methodist Chapel, Manchester.


John Holbrook died on 22nd March 1904 aged 58, and was buried in Plot 37 number 625. His wife Mary Jane died on 27th February 1909 aged 61 and was buried with him. Eldest daughter Carrie died on 21 November 1925 age 53 and her husband Harry Kilvert Wightmore died on 9th January 1931 in his 62nd year are also interred there. Also in the family grave is John's mother, Frances Holbrook (nee Copley), died 1895.