The tragic story of a Cheshire fire which claimed the lives of a family

At about 6am, the property of a well-known and respected farmer, Edward Cooke, was found to be on fire.

The farmer had resided in the house all his life and his father Randle before him.

The farm was the property of Sir John Chetwode and was a long and rambling building made of timber with windows that were almost impossible to escape from, except for one where a servant girl was able to get out.

The farmhouse was constructed of very combustible material; unfortunately, there was only one door, which was both the entrance and exit of the house.

The police superintendent in Middlewich, Mr Roubottom, was informed of the fire, and he immediately dispatched the fire brigade and engines.

However, the fire was so rampant that any attempt to subdue the flames was in vain.

The rebuilt Brierley Hulme Farm (Image: Paul Hurley)

As a result, the firemen were redirected to save the outbuildings and haystacks. All members of Mr Cooke’s family, including himself, his wife, and four children, perished in the fire, along with one nursemaid.

The inquest took place on the next day at a nearby farm, Brierley Pool, the residence of Joseph Lownds.

The jury consisted of local farmers and gentlemen from Middlewich; the foreman was Mr W Harding.

The deceased was Edward Cooke, aged 40; Elizabeth, his wife, was 34; Ellen (7), Sophia (4), Edward junior (2), baby Mary (8 months); and the nursemaid Elizabeth Shaw (aged 12).

The first witness called was a waggoner who worked for Mr Cooke by the name of John Roylance.

Middlewich cemetery (Image: Paul Hurley)

He lived in Mr Cooke’s farmhouse with four other servants. John woke at around half past four on Sunday morning, went downstairs, and, finding that the farm was on fire, raised the alarm to all those sleeping therein.

All but one of the servants managed to get out of the farm, but it was quickly burnt to the ground, and only the chimney stack and gable end remained standing.

The second witness was a servant girl called Ann Davenport. She recalled that a clothes maiden had been left in front of the fire in the kitchen to air the washing. Her master had stoked the fire before retiring at about 1am.

The next she knew was when John Roylance woke everyone alerting them to the fire.

Her mistress joined her in her bedroom and helped her to get through the small window whilst another of the servants had put a ladder up for her to get down.

She pleaded with her mistress to follow her, but Mrs Cooke insisted that she should remain with her children in the house.

The police constable who attended found the farmhouse had collapsed and only charred tinder and a few bones were left where the family had been.

The family grave at Middlewich cemetery (Image: Paul Hurley)

The coroner addressed the jury, saying that this inquest would be the worst they would ever face and that it was a very painful and distressing occurrence they had to discuss.

There was no evidence to suggest foul play. The jury returned the following verdict just a short time after deliberation: “The seven deceased persons met with their death from suffocation, from the flames and smoke from the house taking fire. As to the cause of the fire, the jury had no evidence to show.”

The funeral of all seven deceased took place the following Wednesday and was attended by many relatives and friends.

There is an existing monument in the Middlewich cemetery upon which it is stated that all the remains are buried within a single coffin. A Victorian farmhouse of the same name now stands on or near the site.