Instituted as Rector of Christ Church Spitalfields in 1857 and still in place in 1877. At some point he was rector of Finchley and Rural Dean of Highgate. Married to Mary Anne Crofts. A man with the same name was associated with John Wesley and we'd guess our SB is from the same family.
Our colleague, Andrew Behan, was unable to confirm the John Wesley link but states that Samuel Bardsley was born in late 1821 or early 1822 in Oldham, Lancashire (now Greater Manchester), the eighth of the eleven children of Joseph Bardsley (1777-1843) and Lydia Bardsley née Udell (1780-1854). On 6 January 1822 he was baptised in the St John the Baptist's Chapel of Lees, Lancashire, where in the baptismal register the family were shown as living in 'Street in Oldham' and that his father was a weaver.
In the 1841 census he was shown as a labourer, living in Treacle Street, Oldham, with his parents, and four siblings: Ann Bardsley (b.1814) - a weaver; Sarah Bardsley (b.1816) - a weaver; Joseph Bardsley (1825-1896) and James Bardsley (b.1831).
On 3 July 1850 he married Alice Parker (1821-1854) in St George's Church, Bolton, Lancashire, where in the marriage register he is shown as of full age, a bachelor and student residing at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, whilst he wife was recorded as of full age, a spinster of Bolton parish, the daughter of Richard Parker, a clergyman.
In the 1851 census he was described as a student and both he and his wife were shown as lodgers in the family home of John and Mary Carr at Baguley Fold, Newton, Lancashire, a farmer of 45 acres. Their son, Richard Youdle Bardsley, was born on 4 May 1851 at Baguley Fold, Ten Acres Lane, Newton and when his birth was registered on 28 May 1851 Samuel Bardsley was described as a teacher. Their boy only lived for 16 weeks and died on 25 August 1851 at Albion Street, Newton, suffering from a bowel complaint.
His wife died, aged 33 years, in Birch, Essex, her death being registered in the 4th quarter of 1854 in the Lexden registration district, Essex and her body was buried on 10 November 1854 in the Chapelry of St John's Lees, Lancashire
On 17 September 1856 he married Mary Anne Crofts (1830-1891) at St Botolph's Church, Newbold-on-Avon, Rugby, Warwickshire, where in the marriage register he is shown as of full age, a widower and clergyman residing at Newton Grange, Manchester, whilst his wife was described as of full age, a spinster of Lawford Hill, Rugby, the daughter of Thomas Crofts, a gentleman. The ceremony was conducted by one of his older brothers, the Reverend James Bardsley (1809-1886).
He was the Curate of Christ Church, Battersea, Surrey (now Greater London) at the time of the 1861 census living in Park Road, St John's Hill, Battersea, with his wife, their two children: Frederick William Bardsley (1857-1923) and Mary Elizabeth Bardsley (1860-1935), together with two female domestic servants.
When the 1871 census was undertaken he was described as the Rector of Spitalfields, residing at Church Street, Christchurch Spitalfields, London, with his wife, their five children: Frederick William Bardsley; Mary Elizabeth Bardsley; Samuel Martyn Bardsley (1863-1913); Percy Crofts Bardsley (1866-1925) and Joseph Udell Norman Bardsley (1868-1928), his brother-in-law, James W. Crofts (b.1825), together with a nursemaid and two female general domestic servants.
His sixth child, Frances Beatrice Bardsley (1871-1951) was born on 22 December 1871 and in the 1881 census he is shown as the Rector of Finchley, living in The Rectory, Church End Village, Finchley, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his wife and their six children, together with three female general servants.
He was still described as the Rector of Finchley in the 1891 census, and living in The Rectory, with his wife and four of their children: Mary Elizabeth Bardsley; Percy Crofts Bardsley - a medical student; Joseph Udell Norman Bardsley - a Cambridge student and France Beatrice Bardsley - a student at London University, together with three female domestic servants.
His wife died, aged 61 years, on 8 October 1891 at The Rectory, Finchley. She had suffered from hemiplegia for the previous 3 months and died from a cerebral haemorrhage 6 days earlier. She was buried on 12 October 1891 in Plot D, Row 3, Grave 74, in the St. Marylebone Cemetery (now known as East Finchley Cemetery), 122 East End Road, London N2 0RZ.
The following month he also died, aged 70 years, on 21 November 1891 at The Rectory, Finchley, from mitral valve disease that he had been suffering from for 11 years and acute bronchitis that he had for the previous 8 days. On 25 November 1891 he too was buried the same grave as his wife.
On 4 February 1892 probate was granted jointly to the Reverend Joseph Bardsley DD, the Reverend Frederick William Bardsley and the Reverend Samuel Martyn Bardsley. His effects totalled £7,921-12s-3d. Five days later, his elder daughter married Alexander Alfred Yeatman (1858-1931).
