Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1857 & 1869

Samuel Holroyd (1773 - 1858)


Samuel Holroyd was a Broadcloth Weaver and later a Labourer. He was also a founding member of the Duchess of Devonshire Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity which was founded in Salford in 1815.

 

He was born in 1773 in Linthwaite, (famous for woollen mills and Covonia cough syrup) in the Colne Valley near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, and baptised on 14th November 1773 at the nearby St James's Church, Slaithwaite. His father's name was John Holgate and the family lived at High House, Linthwaite. It is not known when Samuel came to Salford, but in the 1841 census he was aged 65 and living at Hope Street, Salford with his wife Hannah (born 1776) aged 65. Also in the house were George (born 1792) aged 49, Charlotte (born 1800) aged 41, Enoch Earl (born 1812) aged 29 and Hannah (born 1828) aged 13.

 

In 1845, Samuel's wife Hannah, died in Salford, but as this was before Weaste Cemetery opened I haven't been able to find her burial place. The 1851 census reveals that the family was still at Hope Street, Salford. Samuel was aged 76 and his daughter Charlotte was aged 54 and a Factory Worker. Samuel's son Enoch was aged 40 and a General Labourer, Enoch's wife Rebecca was aged 40, and Rebecca's son George H Whitehouse was aged 20 and a Journeyman Dyer.

 

Samuel was an Oddfellow for nearly 50 years. He was a founding member of the Duchess of Devonshire Lodge in 1815 and also presided over the Lodge for a term.   In 1856 it was recorded as meeting at the Royal Veterans public house on Stanley Street, (close to the Old Bailey Prison), Salford, every other Saturday. The Oddfellows go back a long time, but in 1796, The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows re-located its Grand Lodge (HQ) from London to Sheffield. This unsettled members in a number of regions including Manchester. So in 1810 a group of dissatisfied members of the Manchester District met in the Ropemakers Pub in Chapel Street, Salford, and established the breakaway society known as The Independent Order of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity. Its first Annual Conference was held in Manchester on 30th May to 1st June 1822. By 1851 they became the largest and richest friendly society in the world and workers could protect themselves and their families from financial difficulties caused by illness, injury or death.

 

Samuel Holroyd died of "natural decay" at Hope Street, Salford in 1858 aged 85. He was buried in a common grave in plot B1/Diss/691 at Weaste Cemetery on Sunday 6th June 1858. The Manchester Weekly Times of 12th June 1858 reported that upward of 150 members of the Oddfellows attended the interment and remarked that Samuel Holroyd PG was the only surviving member of the founders of the Duchess of Devonshire Lodge which was founded 43 years ago.

 

Samuel's son Enoch continued to live at Hope Street. His wife Rebecca died of dropsy, aged 53 in 1863 and was buried in a common grave at Weaste Cemetery on 4th November. Enoch died in 1876 and was buried in a common grave on 3rd April.