Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1857 & 1869

Thomas Ashworth (1800 - 1865)


 Thomas Ashworth was the senior partner in the cotton mill T and J Ashworth and Co. of Salford. He was an Alderman of Salford Council and resided at Gorsefield, Salford.


He was born on 28th January 1800 in Salford and baptised at Manchester Presbyterian Chapel on 28th February 1800. His parents were John Ashworth (born 1775 in Manchester) and Sarah (nee Brown) Ashworth (born 1775 in Salford) who married on 5th June 1796 at Manchester Collegiate Church (which became Manchester Cathedral) It would appear that he had at least 3 brothers named John (born 1803 in Manchester), William (born 1807 in Manchester) and Joseph (born 1813 in Manchester), the latter of whom would enter into a business partnership with him. The 1841 census shows that Thomas lived at Woodland, Salford, with his brothers William and Joseph.


In 1842, Thomas Ashworth married Mary A Jackson at Manchester Collegiate Church. He was aged 42 and Mary was born in 1814 and aged 28. In 1861 Thomas and his family lived at 45 Brick Hill, Salford. He was 61 years old and an Alderman and Cotton Manufacturer employing 343 persons, and Mary was aged 46. Their children were John (born 1843 in Manchester) aged 18 and an Assistant in Cotton Manufactury, Thomas jnr (born 1848 in Pendleton) aged 13, Alice (born 1849 in Pendleton) aged 12, Alfred William (born 1852 in Pendleton) aged 9, George (born 1853 in Pendleton) aged 8, and Mary A (born 1855 in Pendleton) aged 6.


Newspaper reports about Thomas Ashton include: in November 1847 he supported the Liberal Party nomination of Alexander Henry Esq. for South Lancashire and in April 1852 when he supported the vote of thanks to Alexander Henry MP on his retirement. In January 1851 when the Pendleton Mechanics Institute held its first annual Tea Party at the mill of T & J Ashworth located near Brunswick Chapel. In September 1851 when Thomas (and brother Joseph) were thanked for their donations of books to the Pendleton Mechanics Institute. In January 1852 when a storm of massive hailstones smashed 1,380 squares of glass at the mill of T & J Ashworth of Pendleton. In March 52 when Thomas was nominated to be a member of Salford Board of Guardians. In October 1853 when Thomas was nominated by the Liberal Party to become a Councillor in Pendleton. In August 1854, when T & J Ashworth and Co. donated £25 to the Paris Universal Exhibition fund. In September 1856 when Thomas supported his brother Joseph who laid the foundation stone of the Pendleton Mechanics Institute building and donated £50 to the building fund. In February 1862 when T & J Ashworth and Co. made a donation of 5 guineas to the Hartley Colliery Accident fund.


Shortly after 1861, Thomas and family moved to Gorsefield, near Chaseley Field, off Eccles Old Road, as he lived there when he died in Spring Gardens, Manchester, of apoplexy (stroke) on 12th January 1865 aged 64. He was interred in a vault in A3 of the Dissenters portion of Weaste Cemetery. Mary Ann lived another 5 years and died on 12th November 1870, aged 64 and was re-united with her husband. In 1871, their children John, Alfred and George lived at Gorsefield and in 1908 it became part of Pendleton High School.