Greaves, Dorothy., 1931-2010

Dorothy was a Warden at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum for a period during the 1980s and later from 1994 until her health failed, and spent much of her spare time over the years researching the 28 Men of Rochdale. She developed a knowledge of her boys as individuals, and as people, not just as historical names and visitors to the Museum loved her descriptions of their characters as well as their lives. Dorothy traced the families of the Pioneers to the present day, sometimes contacting people to ask if they knew that they were descendents.

Her research on the Pioneers included a survey of their graves, including finding those that had been lost for generations - once even uncovering a gravestone that had become grassed over. This research was vital to work done by Co-operative Funeralcare in renovating the graves in time for the 150th anniversary celebrations for the Rochdale Pioneers in 1994.

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