Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

Thomas Barlow (1823 - 1885)


Thomas Barlow was Mayor of Salford in 1871 to 1873. He was a Provisions Dealer of a company established by his uncle Mr Grimshaw and became a Corn Merchant and Maltster as well. He was also a Church Warden at St Thomas's Church Pendleton and Treasurer of St Thomas's School.


He was born in 1823 in Pendleton, the son of Richard Barlow, Beer Seller. Not a lot is known about his early life, but on 6th April 1858 he married Elizabeth Christiana Marriott at St Mary the Virgin Church, Eccles. She was the daughter of Thomas Marriott, Bookkeeper, of 335 Broad Street, Pendleton. Their children were Harry Grimshaw (born 1859 in Pendleton), Elizabeth (born 1860 in Pendleton), Annie (born 1863 in Pendleton) and Thomas Marriott (born 1864 in Pendleton).


In 1861 the family lived at 2 Gardner Street Pendleton. Tragedy struck in October 1870 when Thomas's wife Elizabeth died in Blackpool, aged 41, leaving Thomas with 4 young children. She was buried at Weaste Cemetery, grave A11/CE/2770 on 11th October. In 1871, 48-year-old Thomas, widower, was still living at Gardner Street with his four children (aged between 12 and 6). Also in the house were two sisters-in-law Sarah Marriott aged 47 and Annie Marriott aged 39 and two Servants. The 1881 census reveals that Thomas, age 58 had retired and lived at Church Street, Southwell, Nottinghamshire with his two daughters Bessie and Annie, his sister-in-law Sarah Marriott and two servants.


Thomas Barlow's political career began in November 1853 when he was elected to Salford Council by winning Crescent Ward for the Conservatives and again in 1856. In 1861 and 1864 he was successful in Seedley Ward and in 1868 he was elevated to Alderman for Seedley Ward. In November 1871 Thomas was elected Mayor of Salford Council. In his acceptance speech he said that he accepted the honour from a sense of duty and not from choice! He became a Committee Member of the Chicago Relief Fund, which was established following the Great Fire of Chicago in October 1871 which killed about 300 people and destroyed approximately 3.3 square miles (9 square kilometres) of the city and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. In November 1872 he presided over the introduction of new (sale of alcohol) Licencing laws, and as a local Magistrate he heard from the Salford Chief Constable that the number of public houses in the Borough was 117, one more than the previous year. Also in November 1872 Thomas was elected to become the Mayor for a second term.


In 1874 he stepped down from the Council and went to live in Birkdale Park, Southport and later removed to Southwell in Nottinghamshire. It was at Southwell, on 13th August 1885 that Thomas Barlow died, aged 62. His body was brought back to Salford and on 17th August, he was re-united with his wife Elizabeth at Weaste Cemetery. The Funeral was attended by the Mayor of Salford Alderman C Makinson, the Town Clerk (Mr Graves) and Alderman Robinson. The flag on Salford Town Hall was placed at half- mast as a tribute of respect to the memory of Thomas Barlow.