Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1890 & 99

Cordelia Clark (1824 - 1893)


Cordelia Clark was a member of the Bible Christian Church and was the wife of James Clark its Minister for nearly 50 years.

 


She was born Cordelia Collier in 1824 and Christened on Christmas Day 1824 by her uncle Rev James Gaskill at Hulme Bible Christian Church. Her parents were George Collier (1798 – 1866) of Hulme and Margaret (nee Gaskill). Her younger brother Edwin Collier became an Accountant, was a Deacon of the Bible Christian Church and was Vice President and Treasurer of the Vegetarian Society.

 


Cordelia was an active member of the Bible Christian Church in Hulme and followed its policy of not eating meat or drinking alcohol. In 1854 she married Rev. James Clark, the Minister of the Bible Christian Church located in King Street, Salford, and moved to Salford. The couple lived at No.1 Albion Place, Salford. However, the Church was to move location in July 1868 to the corner of Cross Lane and Woodbine Street, Salford.

 


Cordelia and James's children were: Ernest Collier (born 1856 in Hulme, who became a Commercial Traveller and married Jane Ann Beardsall in 1879 in Salford), Bertha (born 1857 in Hulme), Maud Helen (born 1860 in Salford, who became a Teaching Assistant at an elementary school and married Thomas Longshaw in 1894), Harold (born 1862 in Salford, who became an Accountant's Cashier and married Clara A. Mills in 1905), Ethel (born 1864 in Salford who became a Pupil Teacher at an elementary school and married Charles C McNair in 1892), Arthur James (born 1866 in Salford and became a Warehouseman/calico printer. His life centred around the church where he was Deacon for 40 years and choirmaster. He was very active in the Vegetarian Society and Vice President for many years) and Alfred Cyril (born January 1870 and died December 1871).

 


In 1889, Cordelia suffered a seizure and never really recovered. Then in early 1893 she took a turn for the worse and was confined to bed. She died on 23rd March aged 69. Following a service at Cross Lane Bible Christian Church, she was interred in her uncle's (James Gaskill) grave in square 32 of the Dissenters portion of Weaste Cemetery. The service was conducted by Rev James Clough of Greenhill Street, Manchester. James Clark was to last another twelve years and although he had failing health he continued his church duties, but after a paralytic stroke he died on 7th June 1905, aged 74.