Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

John Elkanah Armitage (1853 - 1885)


 John Elkanah Armitage was the fifth son of Benjamin Armitage MP and became part of the family cotton business Elkanah Armitage and Sons of Salford. He was a twin and he never married.


John and his twin sister Mary Elizabeth were born in 1853 in Salford. Their father was Benjamin Armitage (1821-1899) who was a partner in his father's (Elkanah Armitage) cotton business and became MP for Salford in 1880. Their mother was Elizabeth (nee Smith) Armitage (1823-1855), daughter of John Smith, papermaker of Turkey Mill, Bingley Yorkshire. Elizabeth Smith was born on 9th November 1823 and baptised on 13th June 1824 at the Congregational Church in Bingley.


John's other, older siblings were Frederick (born 1846), William Henry (born 1847), Benjamin jnr (born 1850) and Charles Smith (born 1851). In 1855, the children's mother sadly died when John and Mary were only 2 years old. Their father married again the following year to Elizabeth Southam (1827 – 1899), the daughter of George and Jane Southam. They had a daughter, Helen Corina (born 1866).


The 1861 census, at 37 Broad Street, Pendleton, shows John and Mary as 7 years old. Their father Benjamin was aged 38 and a Cotton Spinner and Manufacturer. Their step-mother Elizabeth was aged 34. Also in the house were Benjamin jnr aged 11, Charles aged 9 and a Governess and two servants.


After attending private schools, John completed his education in Germany. He was fond of travel, and in company with his brother Charles, he often visited the Continent. He was a member of the Western Club and frequently distinguished himself as an athlete. He was a Liberal in politics and attended Eccles Congregationalist Church.


John joined his grandfather's family cotton business, Elkanah Armitage and Sons, and took part in the conduct of the business. However his health deteriorated and over the last four years of his life, his delicate health compelled him to remain from business for months at a time. In 1883, in the hope that it would bring about an improvement, he took a voyage to Australia, returning by way of America. However, it made little difference in his condition and since that time he gradually got worse.


John Elkanah Armitage died on 23rd March 1885 at home, Chomlea, Claremont Road, Pendleton aged only 31. He was buried in the family vault in A3 of the Dissenters portion of Weaste Cemetery.


John's twin sister Mary Elizabeth married George Armitage Southam in 1893 when she was 40 years old and George was 50 years old. George's father was Dr George Southam of Salford and his mother was Rebecca Armitage (the sister of Benjamin Armitage) which made Mary Elizabeth and George first cousins. Also George's father was the brother of Benjamin's second wife, making George the nephew of Mary's step-mother. George had joined the family business (Elkanah Armitage and Sons) when he was 16 and the 1891 census shows that he had become Managing Director of Cotton Spinning Corp. Mary Elizabeth died later in 1893 and George died in 1898.