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In
Loving Memory
of
JOSEPH CORNES
WHO FELL ASLEEP IN JESUS
JULY 4TH 1897,
AGED 66 YEARS.
PEACE, PERFECT PEACE.

Joseph was listed in Kelly’s directory of 1895 as a farmer at Sleap, just outside the parish of Waters Upton in Ercall Magna. But it was only through the discovery a reference to his daughter, Mary Jane Cornes (described as “only daughter of Joseph Cornes of Crudgington Grange,” born in Manchester 26 Aug 1859 and baptised there at the Cathedral on 23 Sep 1859) that I was able to track down more information about Joseph himself, on the 1881 census at Moreton Say in Shropshire.

Joseph was then a farmer of 375 acres giving his age as 48 and his birthplace as Crewe. Living with him was his wife Mary Cornes, 41, born at Woodcott Hill in Cheshire, the aforementioned Mary Jane, son Joseph Nield Cornes, 19, born at Manchester, and brother-in-law Richard Nield.

Finally I found Joseph closer to the time and place of his death. He and his family had been on the 1891 census all along, living at Crudgington, with their surname transcribed as Corner. In ten years Joseph’s age had gone from 48 to 60 and his birthplace was given as “Cappenhall” (Coppenhall, the ancient parish in which the town of Crewe originated). The age of his wife Mary had also advanced by 12 years since the previous census, and her birthplace was clarified as Woodcott in Shropshire.