Joel Wainwright, Disley, Cheshire

Disley churchyard, the gravestone of Joel Wainwright (1831-1916). Remembered here are his first wife Ellen and their daughter Annie, who are buried in Chadderton. Also buried here is his second wife Betsy and daughter Grace Mary. Annie and Grace Mary died at three years and eighteen months respectively. When Joel and Betsy died they were living at Finchwood, Ludworth. As far as I know this is the first photo of his grave to be published on the internet.

From 1849 to 1905 Wainwright worked at Strines printworks, a calico printing business, where he was accountant and then manager. But he is most noted for his dedication to a monthly paper, the handwritten The Strines Journal, on which he worked with John M. Gregory between 1852 and 1856.

The Strines Journal contained details on many subjects: literary, historical, geographical, scientific, etc. It is a unique record of life as seen in and beyond a Derbyshire village at a certain point in history. Original articles, poems, etc, were requested for inclusion. The journal included a number of illustrations, and from 1853 the photos of Joseph Sidebotham, a partner in the business, were included in the journal. The forty-seven issues were bound into five volumes and remained in the family until 2013, when local historian Rosemary Taylor discovered their whereabouts. They are now in Rylands Library.

Joel Wainwright's other publications include Reminiscences of a life-time in Marple and the neighbourhood, Rural poetry : lecture delivered in S. Anne's Schools, Haughton, November 4th, 1892 and Memories of Marple (1899).