Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1870 & 79

Joseph Foden (1839 - 1875)


 Joseph Foden started his career as a Schoolmaster, but changed to follow in his father's footsteps as a Brewer. He was also Hon Secretary of the Irwell Flood Prevention Association.


He was born in 1839 and registered in the Ardwick district of Manchester. He was baptised on 12th February 1840 in Manchester and was the son of Joseph Foden snr (born 1807 in Lower Peover, Cheshire) who was a Brewer of ales and porter, and Fanny (nee Blythe) Foden (born 1804 in Chester). They were married on 9th February 1833 at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. Joseph senior died on 22nd June 1870 aged 63 and was buried at Rusholme Road Cemetery, Manchester.


The 1841 census shows that the Foden family lived at Chatham Street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock. Joseph snr was aged 35, Fanny was aged 37, John B (born 1836) was aged 5, Joseph jnr (born 1839) was aged 2 and Thomas (born 1841) was aged 0. Also in the house was Fanny's sister Martha Blythe aged 35. There appears to be no 1851 census, but in 1861 the family lived at 27 Islington Street, Salford. Joseph snr was aged 54, and a Brewer Servant; Fanny was aged 57; John B was aged 25 and a Commercial Clerk; and Joseph jnr was aged 22 and a Government Schoolmaster.


In 1864, Joseph Foden jnr married Gertrude Preston at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. Gertrude was aged 22 and a Teacher. She was born in 1842 in Chorlton-upon-Medlock, and was the daughter of Thomas Preston (born 1809 in Manchester) who was a Cloth and Yarn Agent, and Marianne (nee Hyde) Preston (born 1807 in Manchester), living at 4 Russell Terrace, Broughton. In 1861, the couple lived at Grosvenor Square, Cumberland Street, Broughton with daughters Marion B (born 1865 in Manchester) aged 6, Frances G (born 1866 in Manchester) aged 5, and Emma Hyde (born 1868 in Manchester) aged 3. Two more daughters followed: Edith (born 1872 in Broughton) and Josephine (born 1875 in Broughton).


Tragedy struck on 17th April 1875 when Joseph Foden died in Salford aged just 36. He was buried at Weaste Cemetery A4/CE/4648 on 20th April 1875. Two notices appeared in The Guardian on 29th April 1875: re JOSEPH FODEN of Bridgewater Street, Salford, Brewer. All persons having any claims or demands upon or against the estate of the above are required to …. etc; and For immediate disposal by private treaty, the whole of the good-will, fixtures, stock in trade and business recently carried on at the above address …. etc.


Joseph's widow Gertrude was left with five daughters aged between 0 and 10. But in 1881 she re-married to William Hodgkinson (born 1836 in Cheshire) who was a Tram Inspector. They had a son in 1883 named Arthur Bertram, in Chorlton-upon-Medlock and in 1901 the family, including 5 Foden girls, two Hodgkinson children and young Arthur, lived at West Clowes Street, Salford. Gertrude died in 1909 aged 67 and was buried in the Foden grave with her first husband Joseph, and William Hodgkinson died in 1912 and was re-united with Gertrude in the Foden grave at Weaste Cemetery.