This headstone is at the grave of James Harker and his wife Dinah (Dawson) at Holy Trinity church, Cowling, West Yorkshire.
Dinah is my 2nd cousin 3x removed – our common ancestors are my 4x great grandparents John Dawson and Ann Watson. Dinah was born in Cowling on 5 May 1853 to parents James Wright Dawson and Mary Thompson.
Sometime in Q3 of 1874 Dinah married James Harker, also from Cowling. I haven’t done any research on James so at the moment I can’t tell you who is parents are.
James and Dinah had at least two children – Martha (c 1878) and Edith (c1880).
Between 1881 and 1911 James worked as warp loomer, presumably in one of local mills. Dinah worked as a weaver until in the 1901 census she is described as ‘confectioner, own account’. In 1911 her occupation is ‘confectioner sweets’. I have this image of Dinah running her own sweet shop – you know the sort I mean, with large jars of sweets of all different kinds.
In 1911 the family was living at 121 Keighley Road, Cowling (see photograph below). I wonder if Dinah was running her confectionery business from this address.
James died on 28 July 1924 at the age of 73 and Dinah passed away on 9 September 1932 aged 79.
you don't choose your family 