Jonathan Walsh
Burial

Jonathan Walsh lived at Coldwell Hill Farm, Southowram. He died in 1823 and the age of 82.

Walsh's wife had been buried in one corner of a field on his land at Southowram, and he gave instructions that he was to be planted in the other corner.

According to his own instructions, he was buried on his land, by candlelight at midnight.

It seems that Walsh had selected the site of his grave to be near to the old packhorse road, and in years gone by, Walsh had been provoked by weavers crossing his land instead of using the road.

Tradition says that he was buried close to the road so that his ghost might haunt the travellers.

Walsh's land was passed to his grandson and was later leased to Maude & Dyson the quarrying firm.

A local newspaper in 1896 reported the following story

STRANGE DISCOVERY AT SOUTHOWRAM

AN ECCENTRIC OLD MAN BURIED AT MIDNIGHT
THE REMAINS EXHUMED

On Friday last, as the workmen of Messrs Maude & Dyson, quarry owners of Southowram were baring for stone in a field near Pump Lane (part of the Old Leeds Road), they came across a stone-built vault in the ground containing a coffin in a fair state of preservation.

The coffin lid bore a plate with the following inscription which was fairly decipherable, viz

JONATHAN WALSH Born 1741. Died February 11th, 1823 Age 82 years

With the exception of the Christian name (which was first taken as Nathan), there was not the slightest difficulty in discerning the rest.

Nothing remains of the body but the skeleton and an exceedingly good set of teeth on the upper jaw.

The vault is placed in the corner of a field.

Walsh was a very eccentric fellow and had this vault made whilst he resided at Coldwell Hill Farm of which this field is a portion.

He died, however, at Horton Street, Halifax, and was brought to Southowram and buried by candlelight at 12 o'clock midnight.

Also by his direction, the body was not interred in the usual way, the feet being towards the West and the head to the East.

He must have been a big man as the inside measurement of the coffin was 6 feet 6 inches.

It was said that Walsh's wife is interred in another corner of the field.

Following the discovery of the remains in 1896, the firm placed the bones on public display, charging 2d to inspect them. Thousands visited the attraction until finally the skeleton was

kicked to pieces by drunkards

Thousands of people have visited the spot during the last few days, in fact a fixed charge has been made for the privilege of inspection

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© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 18:48 on 4th February 2017 / x12 / 6