Holmfirth Flood of 1852 - Burials
The following list includes both primary and secondary victims of the Holmfirth Flood of 1852. The latter are shown in italics.
Names marked † are not listed in the burial register (or the register no longer exists) but their burials were reported in the local press. Spellings are used from the register, even if they are different from other official documents.
St. David's, Holmbridge
Monday 9 February 1852
- Joshua Earnshaw (72) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Charles Earnshaw (36) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Joshua Crosland (21) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Jonathan Crosland (39) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Hannah Crosland (17) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Martha Crosland (15) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Charles Crosland (13) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Ralph Crosland (3) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Rose Charlesworth (39) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Joshua Charlesworth (16) of Hinchliffe Mill
- James Charlesworth (14) of Hinchliffe Mill
- John Charlesworth (4) of Hinchliffe Mill
- Ruth Charlesworth (1) of Hinchliffe Mill
- William Healey (46) of Hinchliffe Mill
Tuesday 2 March 1852
- Mary Crossland (19) of Hinchliffe Mill
Hinchliffe Mill Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Sunday 8 February 1852
- Joe Mettrick of Hinchliff Mill
- Jane Mettrick of Hinchliff Mill
- William Exley (32) of Hinchliff Mill
- William Mettrick (31) of Hinchliff Mill
- Abel Earnshaw (5) of Hinchliff Mill
- Jos Marsden (16) of Hinchliff Mill
- Elizabeth Dodd (7) of Hinchliff Mill
- Sarah Hannah Dodd (3) of Hinchliff Mill
- Hannah Dodd of Hinchliff Mill
Monday 9 February 1852
- Nancy Marsden (54) of Hinchliff Mill
- Eliza Marsden (47) of Hinchliff Mill
Sunday 15 February 1852
- Samuel Mettrick (20) of Hinchliff Mill
Monday 16 February 1852
- Mary Mettrick (38) of Hinchliffe Mill
Wednesday 3 March 1852
- Joseph Dodd (47) of Hinchliffe Mill
Tuesday 6 July 1852
- James Mettrick (58) of Hinchliffe Mill
St. John's, Upperthong
Sunday 8 February 1852
- James Lee (65) of Rocher, Wooldale
- John Ashall
- Margaret Ashall
- Mary Helliwell (28) of Scarfold
- Ann Helliwell (11m) of Scarfold
- George Helliwell (9) of Scarfold
- Sarah Helliwell (7) of Scarfold
- Elizabeth Helliwell (5) of Scarfold
- John Helliwell (3) of Scarfold
- Amelia Fearnes (23) of Hollowgate, Wooldale
- Lydia Ann Fearnes (7m) of Hollowgate, Wooldale
- Charles Thorpe (2y 10m) of Hollowgate, Wooldale
Monday 9 February 1852
- Girl unknown — likely the body of Ann Bailey
- Boy unknown
- Hannah Shackleton (9) of Mill Fold, Holmfirth
- Ann Bailey (4) of Upper Bridge — likely the body of Ellen Ann Hartley
- Shackleton (33) of Mill Fold, Holmfirth
- James Shackleton (1) of Mill Fold, Holmfirth
Tuesday 17 February 1852
- Alfred Ashall (1y 10m) of Hollowgate, Holmfirth
Saturday 21 February 1852
- Grace Hirst Shackleton (4½) of Mill Fold, Holmfirth
Wednesday 3 March 1852
- Richard Shackleton (31) of Norridge Bottom
Sunday 28 March 1852
- Ann Earnshaw (41) of New Town, Holmfirth
Lane Independent Chapel
Sunday 8 February 1852
Holy Trinity, Holmfirth
Monday 9 February 1852
- Ann Earnshaw Beaumont (13) of Scarfold, Upper Bridge
Wednesday 14 April 1852
- Joseph Charlesworth (59) of Eldon House, Holmfirth
Holmfirth Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
Sunday 8 February 1852
- Alfred Thorpe of Holmfirth — aka Alfred Woodcock
- † Sarah Jane Sandford
Monday 9 February 1852
- Sarah Woodcock of Holmfirth
- † Emily Sandford
Saturday 21 February 1852
- Johnathan Sandford of Holmfirth
Wednesday 18 August 1852
- Hannah Whitehead (26) of Holmfirth
Christ Church, New Mill
Sunday 8 February 1852
- Sidney Hartley (41) of Holmfirth
- Martha Hartley (16) of Holmfirth
- Mary Ann Hartley (40) of Holmfirth
- James Hartley (14) of Holmfirth
- Elizabeth Hartley (5) of Holmfirth
- George Hartley (infant) of Holmfirth
- although some contemporary newspaper reports state that Ellen Ann Hartley was also buried with her family, her body had in fact been claimed by Aner Bailey and was apparently buried as his daughter Ann at St. John's, Upperthong on Monday 9 February
All Saints, Netherthong
Monday 9 February 1852
- A girl (name unknown) found drowned in the river at Thongsbridge (2)
St. Mary's, Honley
Sunday 8 February 1852
- Betty Healey (8) daughter of Thomas Healey of Smithy Place
Monday 9 February 1852
- Alfred Mettrick (6) son of James Mettrick of Water Street, Hinchcliff Mill, Holmfirth
All Hallows, Kirkburton
Sunday 8 February 1852
- Eliza Matthews (12) of Holmfirth, daughter of David & Ann Matthews
Tuesday 10 February 1852
- Lydia Midgley (46) of Holmfirth, wife of Samuel Midgley — aka Greenwood
Wednesday 11 February 1852
- Samuel Midley (47) of Holmfirth — aka Greenwood
St. John the Baptist, Kirkheaton
Tuesday 10 February 1852
- Foster Crosland (9) son of Jonathan Crosland, clothier of Hinchliffe Mill, Almondbury
St. Mary's, Mirfield
Saturday 7 February 1852
- Betty Earnshaw (25) of Holmfirth, wife of Enos Earnshaw
Missing List
The following known victims are missing from the available burial registers and no report of their burial was found in a newspaper report during research.
- Born in Shepley, she worked as a servant for Jonathan Sandford. Her body was recovered and formally identified at the inquest by her mother, Bathsheba Hirst. However, it seems the body was not returned to Shepley for burial as there is no entry for her in the Shepley burial registers nor in the Kirkburton registers (Bathsheba was living in Shelley township in 1851 but there was no church there until 1868). Since Sandford's two daughters are not listed in the burial register of Holmfirth Wesleyan Methodist Chapel but are known to be buried there, it may be that Ellen was also buried there but similarly not entered into the register. Since Jonathan Sandford's father was wealthy, he may had offered to cover the burial cost.
- Ellen Ann's older sister Hannah formally identified the body at the inquest. However, afterwards, Aner Bailey "claimed" the body as being of his missing daughter Ann and buried it at St. John's, Upperthong. It is more likely that Ann's body was instead the one found in Victoria Street that was taken to the Waggon and Horses Inn, remained unidentified and was buried as "Girl unknown" also at St. John's.
- Joseph's body remained missing and had not been recovered by the summer of 1852. No further reports were found during research.
- Sometimes named as "Hamer" in reports, there are no references to a body being identified as his nor are there any burial records in his name. Newspaper coverage of the coroner hearing evidence on Saturday 7 February 1852 as to the identities of the recovered bodies suggests that two unidentified bodies could have been Emor's but both appear to have been subsequently identified (as neither was the "unknown boy" buried at St. John's, Upperthong, the following day). In a subsequent statement, Emor's father stated that the body had yet to be found.