Joseph Cordingley 

Job Title(s)

Mechanical Superintendent (TKWM), President (Brownsville)

Dates of Employment

c. 1889-1902 in Salem, 1902-1924 in Brownsville

Last Name  Cordingley 
First Name  Joseph 
Middle Name/Initial   
Born  1 Oct 1858 Bradford, Yorkshire, England 
Home Addresses   1894 – 19th & Ferry, Salem, Marion, Oregon 

1910 – Oak St, Brownsville, Linn, Oregon 

Died  22 Aug 1924 Brownsville, Linn, Oregon 
Place Buried  Brownsville Pioneer Cemetery, Brownsville, Linn, Oregon 
Wife  Mary Ann Maplethorpe  (1855-1887)     

Phoebe Ann Deacon (1865-1936)       

Date of Marriage  27 Sep 1880 to Mary Ann in Yorkshire, England   

01 Jan 1894 to Phoebe Ann in Salem, Marion, Oregon 

Children  Sarah Martha “Sadie” (Cordingley) Iwan (1882-1929) 

Grace A Cordingley (1884-1886)  

Tracy Gail (Cordingley) Templeton (1886-1960) 

Dates of Employment   1889-1902 in Salem, 1902-1924 in Brownsville 
Job(s)   Mechanical Superintendent (TKWM), President (Brownsville) 
Story  Joseph Cordingley was born to William Cordingley and Sarah (Kay) Cordingley in Oct 1858 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. His mother was the sister of Thomas Lister Kay. Joseph married Mary Ann Maplethorpe on 27 Sep 1880 in Yorkshire, England. 

Joseph’s family was listed in the 1881 England census. Joseph’s father William is listed as a joiner and his mother, Sarah (Kay) Cordingley listed as a worsted weaver. Joseph is a joiner and his wife Mary Ann a dressmaker.  

Joseph and Mary had three daughters, Sarah Martha “Sadie” (1882-1929), Grace A (1884-1886) and Tracy Gail (1886-1960). Sadie was born in England, the other two were born in America. Joseph immigrated to America with his wife Mary Ann and their daughter in 1883 according to the 1900 census. 

Joseph’s young family made their way to Forrest, Livingston, Illinois where Mary Ann’s mother and siblings were living; most had come to America around 1882.  

Joseph and Mary Ann’s daughter Grace died in Forrest, Illinois before her 2nd birthday on 6 Mar 1886. Mary Ann died the following year on 31 Oct 1887. They are buried at the Forrest Township Cemetery.  

Mary Ann’s brothers William, John, James and Thomas Maplethorpe came to Oregon by the late 1800’s. James Alfred was married in Salem in 1891, he was head spinner at the TKWM from 1900 until about 1917 when he moved to CA. Thomas is part of Salem’s history making his mark as a shoemaker.   https://www.willametteheritage.org/thomas-maplethorpe/ 

Joseph’s father William died in England. Joseph’s mother Sarah (Kay) Cordingley came to America in 1888 to be with her son and family. Joseph, his two young daughters and Joseph’s mother made their way to Oregon. By 1889 Joseph was working for the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem, Oregon. He continued work there until 1902. 

1 Jan 1894, Joseph Cordingley married his 2nd wife Phoebe Ann Deacon. Thomas L Kay was their witness. Phoebe’s mother Hannah was the sister of Ann (Slingsby) Kay, the wife of Thomas Lister Kay. Phoebe came from Yorkshire, England to Lawrence, Essex, MA with her parents in 1882; she came to Salem to work at the Thomas Kay Woolen mill in 1889. 

The 1900 census Joseph Cordingley was a machinist at the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill. Joseph, Phoebe, his two daughters and his mother are living together in Salem. 

By June 1902 Joseph Cordingley had become one of the proprietors of the Brownsville Woolen Mills, he moved his family to Brownsville. An article in the Capital Journal (14 Jun 1902) said he had been working for twelve years as an employee of the Kay Woolen Mills. 

Joseph became President of the Brownsville Woolen Mill by 1910 and Phoebe was a Weaver in that mill. They were both retired by the time the 1920 census was taken. A newspaper article states he was hired to help revive the old Brownsville Mill in 1921, erecting the dye house. Joseph supervised a number of projects for the Brownsville Woolen Mill revival from 1921-1924. 

Joseph died suddenly on 22 Aug 1924 and is buried at the Brownsville Pioneer Cemetery. Joseph’s second wife Phoebe (Deacon) Cordingley died on 31 Oct 1936 and is buried in Brownsville.  

Joseph’s daughter Tracy Cordingley, who married Leighton Templeton, died in 1960 and is buried in Brownsville. His mother Sarah (Kay) Cordingley is also buried there. His daughter Sadie Cordingley who married Charles Iwan, died in 1929 and is buried in Salem. 

References 
Name  Remarks 
Salem City Directories  1891 Cordingley Joseph, benchman C S D & Mfg. Co, res n s Mill 1 W of Capital (Joe’s mother Sarah is living there too) 

1893 Cordingley Joseph, carp C S D & M Co, res 19th 11 w cor Trade 

Census  1881 England Census – Joseph Cordingley, head, age 25, Joiner 

and Mary A Cordingley, wife, age 22, Dressmaker Idle, Yorkshire, England 

1900 US Census – Joseph Cordingley, head, age 41, Machinist Woolen Mill and Phoebe A Cordingley, wife, age 35, Salem, OR 

1910 US Census – Joseph Cordingley, head, age 51, President Woolen Mill and Phoebe A Cordingley, wife, age 44, Weaver Woolen Mill, Brownsville, Linn, OR 

1920 US Census – Joseph Cordingley, head, age 59 and Phoebe A Cordingley, wife, age 50, neither are working, living on Oak St in Brownsville, Linn, OR 

Find-a-Grave  Joseph Cordingley (1859-1924) 
Ancestry  Deacon Family Tree by MaryJoStoutenburg 
Oregon Death Index  Joseph Cordingley d. 22 Aug 1924 in Linn Co. 

Certificate number 157 

Visuals   
Pic  Joseph and Mary Ann (Maplethorpe) Cordingley (C. E. Cordingley shared on Ancestry) 

Joseph Cordingley (C. E. Cordingley shared on Find A Grave) 

SJ – 2 Jan 1894 – pg. 1 

CJ – 4 Jan 1894 – pg. 4 

The First Marriage 

Married Deacon-Cordingly  

CJ -27 May 1895 – pg. 4  In Running Order  
CJ – 27 Jun 1898 – pg. 4  Business Trip with Thomas L Kay  
CJ – 1 Mar 1902 – pg. 1 

CJ – 14 Jun 1902 – pg. 3 

Good Men Gone  

Cordingley removes his family to Brownsville 

Albany Democrat Herald 

23 Aug 1924 – pg. 1 

Albany Daily Democrat 

23 Aug 1924 – pg. 1 

25 Aug 1924 pg. 2 

 

Attempts to Close Door; Drops Dead 

 

Joe Cordingley of Brownsville Suddenly Dies  

Funeral at Brownsville   

WHC Catalog Items  M3 1966-001     Mill Records