Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1890 & 99

Rev. ROBERT STEPHENS. (1814 - 1890)


 

 

Robert Stephens was a Congregationalist Minister and held Pastorates at Todmorden, Yorkshire, and Retford, Nottinghamshire, and for many years travelled the country as representative of the Religious Tract Society.

 

He was born in 1814 in Salford and baptised on 30th October 1814 at Manchester Collegiate Church. His parents were James, who was a Weave, and Isabella Stephens. Not a lot is known about his early life, but he was Ordained at Blackburn Independent College as a Congregational Minister on 29th June 1842. His first position was minister of Patmos Congregational Chapel, Burnley Road, Todmorden. The building was formerly the Methodist New Connexion Chapel, but was bought by the Cong-regationalists the year before, in 1841. In October 1847, Robert attended the Annual Meeting of the Congregational Union held in York, representing Todmorden. In 1853 he became Minister of the Congregational Church in Union Street, Retford, Notting-hamshire. And 2 years later joined the Religious Tract Society, which meant travelling and lecturing all over England and parts of Scotland. (The Religious Tract Society was an evangelical Christian organisation founded in 1799, which engaged in charity and published a variety of popular religious pamphlets, books and periodicals for profit).

 

On 7th December 1843 Robert married Hannah Harper at Stockport, Cheshire. Hannah was born on 19th June 1814 at Halifax, Yorkshire, and was the fourth daughter of the late Rev. Robert Harper of Leeds, Yorkshire and his wife Hannah.  The 1851 census shows the couple lived at Patmos, Todmorden, where Robert was aged 37 and Independent Minister, and Hannah was aged 36 and Minister's wife. In 1861, Robert and Hannah lived at 60 Embden Street, Hulme, Manchester. Robert was aged 47 and Congregational Minister and Employing Agent, and Hannah was aged 46.

 

On 29th October 1869, Robert's wife Hannah died at Greeenock, Scotland, aged 55. It is not known where she was buried. The 1871 census shows Robert was one of several boarders at Temple Street, Bristol, Gloucestershire where he was aged 57 and a Retired Independent Minister.

 

In 1879 Robert married again to Eliza Ratchford in Stockport, Cheshire. Eliza was born Eliza Hollingworth on 29th April 1821 in Mossley near Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, the daughter of Robert and Ann Hollingworth. She had previously married Frederick John Ratchford in 1841 in Manchester and had a daughter Ellen, born in 1844. The 1881 census shows that Robert and Eliza lived at Kennerley Garden, Bramhall, Stockport. Robert was aged 67 and a Congregational Minister Retired, and Eliza was aged 60. Six years later, on 22nd March 1887, Eliza died at Kennerley Grove, Mile End, Stockport, aged 66. It is not known where she was buried.

 

In early 1889 Robert's health began to suffer. He had bronchitis and then several strokes from which he never rallied. Reverend Robert Stephens died on 10th January 1890 at his home in Stockport, aged 76. He was buried in his brother William's family grave A5/DISS/49 at Weaste Cemetery on 15th January.