Josiah was born in 1843 in Idle, the eldest son of William and Martha nee Ackroyd. The family lived and worked in Eccleshill but by 1871, Josiah had moved to Bristol to become a student in Theology. He may have been influenced by his father who was a part-time local preacher.
In 1873 he returned to Eccleshill and married local girl Hannah Witton, the daughter of William and Rachel Witton. They had four children – Edith Ackroyd (b.1877), Ernest W. (b.1879), Emily (b.1880) and Herbert (b.1885). They were all living in Morley when Hannah died in 1885 at the age of 35 and he brought her back to Eccleshill to be buried in Chapel Street Cemetery.
He married again in 1886 to Sarah Ann nee Brown. She died in 1899 and is buried in Rehoboth Cemetery in Morley. Josiah, who died in 1901 and his daughter Emily who died in 1900, are both buried in Chapel Street Cemetery with Hannah.
Location: section 3 D5