THE other day historian Jack Nadin came across an old postcard depicting a little piece of Padiham history – it showed ‘Owd Mary Monk’s Cottage, Padiham’.

The postcard was dated 1902 and Jack was intrigued.

Who was Owd Mary Monk, and where was her cottage?

“I decided to investigate. An old directory showed where Owd Mary lived – it was in Old Chapel Street, now named West Street.

“I think the cottages we can see in the background are those that still survive on West Street today, to the left of the Hare and Hounds pub.

“But what of Owd Mary herself, what do we know of her?”

“Mary Whitehead, as she was born, was a Padiham lass, born and bred, who came into the world around 1823. In 1844, she married John Monk at St Leonard’s Church, Padiham.

"He was a Great Harwood lad, who worked as a contractor, possibly a carter in connection with the local cotton mills.

“The couple had at least three children, two sons, one named Whitehead Monk, after his mother’s surname, which was quite common at the time, and one named George, as well as a daughter named Nancy. The latter married a William Shaw at the register office at Burnley in 1877.

“Owd Mary Monk died in 1903, just a year after the postcard image was taken – but where she was buried is somewhat of a mystery!

“She was not laid to rest at the church cemetery, in Blackburn Road, as one might have thought, nor is she in the municipal cemetery in St John’s Road in the town, or in Burnley cemetery.

“She may have been buried in a private chapel, or church, somewhere else and a good contender might be St James’s churchyard at Altham.

“If there are any descendants of the Monks of Great Harwood, or the Whiteheads of Padiham, who would like a copy of this image and interesting bit of Padiham history, I would be more than willing to oblige.”