Combining a walk around the Bradfield area near Sheffield, South Yorkshire with a little family history, I planned our walking route so we would pass by the graveyard at the Church of Saint Nicholas, High Bradfield.

This is rather a large graveyard given that even today the local population consists mainly of small hamlets and hill farms, though judging by the inscriptions the graveyard served many local villages even though these are several miles away.

With limited time our search was rather random but luckily within a couple of minutes our eyes fell upon a small headstone inscribed with the names John and William ASHFORTH. The inscription reads:

John Ashforth 1768 of Stannington
Also William Son of the above who died (illegible) 1825

The headstone is embedded quite deeply in the ground and not wishing to cause any damage we simply had to make do with what was visible. Below the surface there could be further inscriptions, though judging by the proportions of the headstone, I doubt it.

For any researchers not familiar with this area, Stannington, originally a small hill top village, is now more or less a part of Sheffield. In fact from 1955 to 1959 I lived and went to school at Stannington and it was very much a village though signs of expansion were quite noticeable.

Low Bradfield and High Bradfield are rather remarkable, just 3 miles from the outskirts of Sheffield they have managed to retain their status as small villages. Low Bradfield has a post office that also serves as general store and cafe, together with a magnificent cricket ground. High Bradfield boasts the magnificent Church of Saint Nicholas. Quintessential West Riding of Yorkshire villages, now in the administrative area of South Yorkshire.

So far all my ASHFORTH line originate from Sheffield. I am about to obtain more ASHFORTH birth, marriage and death certificates that may lead me a further afield, though intuition tells me John and William ASHFORTH are not part of my immediate family.

Updates:
2010-11-10 I recently attended a Family History Fair at Bradfield Village Hall, Low Bradfield near Sheffield. A group representing the Friends of Bradfield Archives held a plan of the burials at the Church of St. Nicholas, High Bradfield. This showed at least 2 other Ashforth burial plots. I made a rough sketch of the location of these plots and on my next visit to the churchyard will try and locate the headstones.

Old Comments:

My father John Edward Asforth Sr, died 4/28/1984
Submitted by Susan on Sat, 2010-06-26 21:20

I wish I could track down his family, grew up not knowing any of them. All I ever met was my Grandmother once who loved in Cinn, Ohio. I think I have family in the New England area.