Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1857 & 1869

Rev. George Corney (1794 - 1862)


 Reverend George Corney was an Independent Minister of Religion. Although he never lived in Salford, his daughter Sarah lived in Salford at the time of her father's death.


He was born on 25th November 1794 in Clayton, Sussex and baptised in December 1797 at Wivelsfield Independent Chapel, Sussex. His parents were John Corney (born 1745 at Angmering, Sussex) and Margaret (nee Feldwick) Corney (born 1857 in Balcombe, Sussex). They were married in 1778 at Keymer, Sussex.


George was the seventh of eight children. His siblings were John (born 1778 in Keymer), Mary (born 1779 in Keymer), Elizabeth (born 1783 in Keymer), James (born 1787 in Clayton), William (born 1790 in Clayton), Thomas (born 1792 in Wivelsfield) and Martha (born 1799 in Wivelsfield). George became religious quite young and trained at Hackney Theological Seminary, also known as Hackney Academy, in London. (The Seminary was founded in 1802 as a philanthropic, non-denominational venture, in a large house in Well Street, Hackney, where students were accommodated in converted stables. The independent tutor was Rev George Collison of Walthamstow. Its intention was to send evangelical preachers into the countryside, and became known as the Evangelical Association for the Propagation of the Gospel).


On 13th August 1822, George married Mary Ann Stone in Brighton Sussex. She was born in 1792 in Bolney, Sussex and baptised on 2nd January 1793 in Horsham, Sussex. Her parents were Thomas and Jane Stone. By 1823 George was the Independent Minister at Cratfield, Suffolk. George and Mary Ann's children were: George (born 28th October 1823 at Cratfield Suffolk and baptised 18th October 1833 at London Street Chapel, Reading, Berkshire); John (born 1825 at Cratfield, Suffolk, married Elizabeth Felgate in Hackney in 1850 and died in 1908 at West Ham aged 83); Sarah (born 1830 at Cratfield Suffolk, married Rev James Lee in Newmarket, Suffolk in 1853 and died in 1896 at Barton-upon-Irwell, aged 65); Ebernezer (born 21st July 1834 in Barking, Essex and baptised on 2nd November 1835 at Barking Independent Chapel, Essex); and Robert Noah (born 31st December 1827 at Cratfield Suffolk, married Sarah Elizabeth Cox and died in 1897 at St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia).


The 1841 census shows George and Mary Ann living at Tanner's Street, Barking, Essex with Sarah aged 10, Ebernezer aged 6 and George's mother Margaret aged 86. In 1851 they lived at, Ilford Lane, Barking, Essex with Sarah aged 20 and five boarders who were scholars and a House Servant. George was Independent Minister of Barking Chapel. In 1861 George and Mary Ann lived at Great Moor, Stockport Cheshire. George was aged 66 and an Independent Minister without a Charge.


George Corney died on 28th April 1862 at Hazel Grove, Cheshire aged 68 and was buried at Weaste Cemetery at A5/DISS/397 on 2nd May 1862. His epitaph read "For more than 40 years a consistent Minister of the Gospel."  His wife Mary Ann died 2 years later on 10th November 1864 aged 71, and was re-united with her husband at Weaste Cemetery on 16th November 1864.