Unearthing Pendleton’s Past: The volunteer group digging up history

A group of volunteers are planning to uncover long-lost gravestones hidden under a grass verge at St. Thomas’ Church, Pendleton.

The three-week long project, named ‘Uncovering Pendleton’s Past’, hopes to aid in local history research and shed light on the lives of working-class people during the Industrial Revolution.

The move comes after Historic England offered over £770,000 to community projects relating to working class history across the UK.

From its opening in 1767, through to the 1970s, St.Thomas’ Church laid gravestones horizontally, over the tombstone. However, when Church-goers in the 1970’s decided to cover the stones, in a bid to make the yard look ‘tidier’, years of local history was lost.

The two sites are estimated to hold around 100 graves, with each grave containing three or four coffins on average.

Set to begin on October 10th, the project will see Historic England, archeologists, members of the Friends of St. Thomas’ Church organisation and volunteers work to dig the gravestones up.

Barry Emberton, a member of the Friends of St. Thomas’ Church, said: “As a community I think people are genuinely interested in the origins of their families, or the place which they now call home. It’s not faith-based, or anything based. Its if you’re interested in local history.”

The dig is estimated to take around 17 days, with a scheduled competition date of 28th October.

Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett, is scheduled to visit the site on 11th October to mark its unofficial opening.

Emberton continued: “Pendleton has changed hugely over the past 200 years. It’s gone from an isolated community (due to the Irwell, to urban decay, decline and gentrification and finally investment into the area.

“Although the church is just beyond the boundary of the investment happening in ‘Central Salford’, hopefully it will benefit from the investments in this area.”

Alongside the team, six local schools, asylum seekers, members of the Iranian community and local charities plan to support the dig.

Historic England has also offered grants to projects such as: Ordsall’s Fault Lines Project, Navvies in Salford and the Kathleen Project in Stratford.

To register interest in the dig, the Friends of St. Thomas’ Church is holding an Information Meeting on 29th September at 18:30.