Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1857 & 1869

Thomas Goadsby (1805 - 1866)


 Thomas Goadsby was a member of the New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian) in Salford, was a Druggist and Oil Merchant with premises in Albert Place, Albert Bridge, Manchester and also ran a wine warehouse next door. He became politically active in Manchester and rose to become Mayor in 1860/61. During his term of office Prince Albert died, and Thomas proposed and paid for an eight feet tall, marble sculpture of the Prince, that now adorns Albert Square in Manchester city centre.


He was born on 19th April 1805 in Salford. His father was Francis Goadsby (1879 – 1869), who was a Druggist with premises in Chapel Street, Salford, and also played a prominent part in New Jerusalem Church as Treasurer of the school. His mother was Mary (nee Greehough) Goadsby, and they were married on 16th August 1802 at the Collegiate Church, Manchester, (later to become Manchester Cathedral). Thomas was the eldest of ten children and spent his early years working in his father's shop, learning to become a Druggist.


On 31st March 1831, Thomas married Elizabeth Salisbury Grime at St John's Church, Deansgate, Manchester. Born in 1811, she was the daughter of William Brereton Grime, the Manager of the New Quay Company. In 1828, when Elizabeth was 17 years old, she and her sister broke a bottle of wine on the bow of the company's new boat "Emma," before it was launched onto the River Irwell. The sisters and about 200 people were allowed to ride the boat as it was launched. However it crashed into the far bank and capsized, resulting in the deaths of 47 people, but sparing the sisters.


Thomas and Elizabeth only had one child, Marianne, who was born on 17th September 1835, but she tragically died in 1839 aged 3. Throughout their marriage they lived in a mansion "Rosehill" at Throstle Nest, Stretford, which was directly facing Henshaw's homes for the Blind and Deaf.


Liberal in politics, Thomas was first elected to Manchester Council for Exchange Ward on 1st November 1844, and later St James's Ward. He was made an Alderman on 9th November 1857 and appointed Mayor for the year 1861/62. He was for several years Chairman of the Markets Committee. His first official duty as Mayor was to attend divine service at Manchester Cathedral which included a civic procession. Then on Christmas Day a special meeting of the Council was called to agree the wording of an address to the Queen concerning the loss of her husband Prince Albert. Then on 5th February 1862 the Weekly Standard announced that Thomas "offered to present a statue of the Prince, eight feet in height of Carrara marble." On 8th August, Thomas chaired a meeting concerning the relief of distress in the cotton districts of Lancashire.


Thomas Goadsby died on 16th February 1866 aged 60 and was buried in grave A5/DISS/9 at Weaste Cemetery. His funeral on 22nd February was very well attended and the cortege involved 40 carriages. His widow Elizabeth married again to Alderman Abel Heywood who became Mayor of Manchester on two occasions. In 1873, they moved to Bowden, where Elizabeth died in 1887 at the age of 75.