Connections to Hyde Chapel
Beatrix Potter, famous children’s author was born on the 28th of July 1866.The author and illustrator of many wonderful books, Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, and many more, was born in London to Helen and Rupert Potter.
Although Beatrix Potter is famous for her beautiful children’s stories, and also living in the Lake District, her links to Tameside, And particularly , Hyde Chapel and Stalybridge are less well known.
This connection was discovered by the late Tony Husband, a wonderful cartoonist, employed by ‘Private Eye’ for many years and whose work also appeared in ‘The Times’ Newspaper.
Whilst carrying out research about Gee Cross, he discovered the Potter family tomb of Beatrix Potter in Hyde Chapel, in which her parents Helen and Rupert Potter, together with her grandparents and other relatives are buried. Helen and Rupert Potter were also married in Hyde Chapel.
Her paternal grandfather, Edmund Potter was a successful cotton manufacturer and owned mills in Dinting, Glossop, and then later became an MP.
Her maternal grandparents, John and Jane Leech had considerable wealth, Jane was the sister of Thomas Ashton, of Pole Bank Hall.
John and Jane Leech were a very wealthy family, and contributed large sums of money to build Stalybridge Unitarian Church. They purchased Gorse Hall in Stalybridge in 1835.
John Leech died in Gorse Hall in 1861.His wife Jane lived on in Gorse Hall until her death in 1884.
They are both buried in their family vault in Old Chapel, Dukinfield.
Beatrix Potter and her parents spent holidays at Gorse Hall, and spent time with their friend the Revd. William Gaskill ( the husband of the famous author Elizabeth Gaskill.)
Beatrix had a very strong faith and records in her diary, show that she returned to Stalybridge to open the annual church bazaar.
Beatrix Potter married William Heelis in 1913 and settled in the Lake District, where she returned to farming. She had a lifelong love of animals, as her illustrations testify, in her books. She died on the 22nd 1943, aged 77. She was cremated and her ashes scattered near her home in Sawtrey.