The Washington family of Lightcliffe There are eleven Washington names in the parish burial records for St.Matthew’s church, Lightcliffe and all eleven were related, and then there are the Cordingley in laws. You can look them all up via the Burial Search on our website where there are also transcriptions of the memorial inscriptions. We have photographs of some of the gravestones such as these Washington ledger stones in the old part of the churchyard by the western wall.
The most noteworthy member of the family was Samuel Washington. His claim to fame was because he was land agent to the Walker family of Crow Nest and then land agent / steward for Anne Lister at nearby Shibden Hall. He was also recorded as a “schoolmaster and land surveyor” in 1822. He seems to have lived in Lightcliffe most, if not all, of his life. The previous steward to the Lister family of Shibden Hall had been James Briggs. But he became seriously ill in the summer of 1832 as recorded in Anne Lister’s diary.
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Friday 29th June 1832
Called & inquired after my steward, Mr James Briggs – 10 minutes there with his poor wife who was in tears – had given up all hope of him.
Thursday 26th July 1832
Said enough this evening to give Washington good hope of being my steward, should anything happen to Briggs.
Wednesday 15th August 1832
Went to meet Washington at the brook where he had set out the new cutting …. filling up old line [of brook]
Monday 17th September 1832
Marginalia: my steward, Mr James Briggs, died about 10 this evening of dropsy, having been severely ill & confined chiefly to his room since about the middle of June last, leaving his widow & 1 unmarried daughter slenderly provided for.
Wednesday 26th September 1832
Out at 10 ¼ - some time with the workmen, and saw Washington at the weaving.
Thus in 1832, Samuel Washington stepped into the breach becoming Anne Lister’s steward as well as land agent for Ann Walker of Crow Nest. But the Washington family connections with Lightcliffe begin before then. This is their story.
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Samuel Washington was the youngest son of James Washington and his wife Esther Mann. The Manns were another Lightcliffe family many of whom were also buried in St.Matthew’s churchyard but their story will have to wait. James Washington would appear to be the son of a Stephen Washington, of Hightown, and his wife Ann Holgate who baptised their son at St.Peter’s Church, Birstall on 2nd February 1754. On June 1783 James Washington, a labourer of Hipperholme, married Esther Mann also of Hipperholme. By the time of the ‘1784 West Yorkshire, England, Select Land Tax Records, 1704-1932’ James Washington was the occupier of a house owned by Mr William Walker Esq of Crow Nest, Lightcliffe. Perhaps it was one of these Crow Nest Cottages.
This was presumably where they lived when James and Esther Washington baptised five children at St. Matthew’s Church, Lightcliffe; Hannah on 11th July 1784, Thomas on 22nd April 1787, Mary on 8th February 1789., John on 5th May 1793 and finally Samuel on 11th June 1797. Oldest sister Hannah Washington and Japhet Turner, both of Northowram, married on 24th June 1801. Sister Mary Washington never married.
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Twenty-seven-year-old Thomas Washington was the first family member to be buried in St. Matthew’s churchyard in plot Q*21 on 9th June 1814.
In memory of Thomas the son of James Washington of Lightcliffe who departed this life
June 4th, 1814 in the 27th year of his age.
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The Cordingleys The “Surveyor” Samuel Washington married Hannah, the daughter of John Cordingley on 29th January 1824 at St.John’s Church, Halifax. Some of this Cordingley family also have links to St. Matthew’s Church, Lightcliffe so we will digress for a moment to sort them out. The History Directory & Gazetteer of the County of York, 1822, Vol I West Riding lists:- John Cordingley, worsted manufacturer; Jas (James) Washington, surveyor of highways; Samuel Washington, schoolmaster & land surveyor i.e. Hannah’s father, future father in law and future husband. Widowed “Worsted Manufacturer” John Cordingley had married Susey [sic] Stocks on 28th April 1799. They then baptised three children at Lightcliffe, Joseph on 8th June 1800, Hannah on 1st November 1801 and finally William on 21st November 1809. When father John Cordingley of Lightcliffe died aged 80 years old he was buried on 28th February 1834 at St.John’s Church, Coley. Not long after that elder brother Joseph Cordingley, a farmer, married Sarah Bancroft on 5th July 1835. They too baptised children at St.Matthew’s Church, Lightcliffe; namely James on 10th July 1836, John born 25th May 1838 on 30th September1838, Edward on 25th July 1841 and Sarah on 21st March 1847. For the last two baptisms the family address was Hill Top, Lightcliffe. But there is also a 4th December 1823 baptism for a Joseph Cordingley Bancroft, born August 1823 the son of “Spinster” Sarah Bancroft. Then just to add a further twist there is a 6th April 1828 baptism at Lightcliffe of Henry Cordingley Charnock born 27th February 1828, the illegitimate son of Joseph (crossed out) and “Spinster” Ann Charnock. This little chap only lived a year before being buried on 5th April 1829 in an unknown grave in the Lightcliffe churchyard. Before that an even younger baby Susannah Jane Cordingley, the illegitimate daughter of “Spinster” Ann Charnock, was buried on 21st January 1824 aged just 5 weeks again in an unknown grave. Joseph Cordingley (Bancroft) born in 1823 appears on the 1841 census at Hill Top with his father, mother and brothers James and John; and in subsequent censuses with his unmarried siblings John and Sarah so this would appear to confirm that he was the son of Joseph Cordingley and Sarah Bancroft. John Cordingley (1838 – 1908) married a Mary sometime between the 1891 and 1901 censuses, but it is difficult to work out who this was. And did she have a son Edward who took the Cordingley surname or ……. ? See John Cordingley’s probate. The memorial inscriptions on plots U*8 and L37 in St.Matthew’s churchyard, Lightcliffe tells us what happened to Hannah Washington’s brother Joseph Cordingley, Samuel Washington’s brother in law, and his family.
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In memory of SARAH the wife of JOSEPH CORDINGLEY of Lightcliffe who departed this life February 6th 1849 aged 48 years. Also of EDWARD son of the above
who died October 16th 1852 aged 11 years. Also of JAMES son of the above
who died March 16th 1864 Aged 27 years Also of the above named JOSEPH CORDINGLEY
who died November 19th 1880 aged 80 years.
Apparently 11-year-old Edward Cordingley was killed at Lightcliffe when a horse he was holding dragged him along the road
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In memory of JOSEPH CORDINGLEY of Hove Edge
who died May 23rd 1891 aged 66 years Also of SARAH CORDINGLEY his sister
who died May 21st 1891 aged 49 years Also of MARY the wife of JOHN CORDINGLEY
who died March 21st 1901 aged 60 years Also of the above named JOHN CORDINGLEY of Hove Edge
BORN May 25th 1838
DIED November 15th 1908
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The probate records give more details. CORDINGLEY Sarah 29 June Administration of the Personal Estate of Sarah Cordingley late of Hove Edge in the Township of Hipperholme-cum-Brighouse in the County of York Spinster who died 21 May 1891 at Hove Edge was granted at Wakefield to John Cordingley of Hove Edge Boot and Shoe Maker the Brother and one of the next of kin. Personal Estate £282 8s CORDINGLEY Joseph 30 June Administration of the personal Estate of Joseph Cordingley late of Hove Edge in the Township of Hipperholme-cum-Brighouse in the County of York Farmer a Bachelor who died 22 [MI says 23] May 1891 at Hove Edge was granted at Wakefield to John Cordingley of Hove Edge Boot and Shoe Maker the Brother and one of the next of kin. Personal Estate £267 18s 5d Notice that Joseph died the day after his sister Sarah. Were their deaths connected? Left on his own did John Cordingely then marry? His wife Mary was not granted probate. CORDINGLEY John of Hove Edge Lightcliffe Yorkshire cordwainer died 15 November 1908 Probate Wakefield 20 November to Edward Cordingley cordwainer. Effects £553 3s 9d
The Edward Cordingley granted probate above may or may not be John Cordingley’s son, but he was probably the Edward Cordingley who was buried on 28th October 1941 in plot K34 in St. Matthew’s churchyard. His wife Alice Cordingley nee Sternwhite was also buried there – her burial record has been mistranscribed as R34 but it should be K34 – on 26th April 1944. CORDINGLEY Edward of Ivy House Farm Hove Edge Yorkshire died 24 October 1941 Probate Wakefield 4 February [1942] to Alice Cordingley widow William Sternwhite schoolmaster and John Westman transport driver. Effects £994 14s 6d Resworn £1294 14s 6d
CORDINGLEY Alice of Ivy House Farm Hove Edge Brighouse Yorkshire widow died 23 April 1944 Probate (save and except settled land) Wakefield 6 July to William Sternwhite schoolmaster and Eva Steward (wife of Arthur Richard Steward) Effects £383 10s 5d
CORDINGLEY Alice of Ivy House Farm Hove Edge Brighouse Yorkshire widow died 23 April 1944 Probate (limited to settled land) Wakefield 30 August to William Sternwhite schoolmaster and John Westman transport driver. Effects £1250 Former Grant D.R. Wakefield 6 July 1944
Now read the second part of Samuel Washington’s family story
D.M.Barker June 2019
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