August 18, 2021 - Friends Of Hull General Cemetery

Here is an update to the news from last month.

Firstly an apology. I wonder how many times I’ve started this item with that phrase. Answers on a postcard please.

Anyway, due to a mix-up, I will not be giving talks on Hull General Cemetery for this year’s Heritage Open Days. I would also like to state that the mix-up was not my fault.

Suffice to say that I noticed that the talks were not in the brochure. I pointed this out and after much apologising by the organisers I was asked if I still wanted to give the talks although they were not in the brochure

I decided not to as it would be confusing to people. The talks will take place next year. To be quite frank I have too much on and not giving these talks was a boon. News

Wrecking Ball, Whitefriargate

I will be giving a talk on the Spanish Flu in Hull 1918-19 on Wednesday, September 15th.

The venue is now The Wrecking Ball. I’m informed that it has no disabled access sadly. I’m also unaware of any booking facility nor how many the people the venue can hold. Many of the regular venues that are usually used for HODS have been found wanting in some way or another. Hopefully by next year those issues should be resolved.

To be able to hold a HODS this year has been an arduous process undertaken, at least in Hull, by just two people. John Netherwood and his wife Christine.

After last year’s events had to be cancelled, and with the uncertainty this year, I think we are lucky that it is going ahead.

Guided Walks

I will also be taking guided walks around Hull General Cemetery. These will take place on Saturday the 11th and the 18th. Both walks will meet at Princes Avenue corner.

The first walk begins at 11.00 a.m. whilst the second walk will begin at 1.30.

Stout footwear is recommended and each walk takes roughly two hours.

I’m hopefully to be accompanied by another of the FOHGC volunteers, Helen Bovill, who will point out the environmental aspects of the site.

I know there’ll be more news later, especially about the work in the Quaker’s site. However that will be written up later.

Thanks

http://www. hullandbeverleyheritagestore.co.uk

Pete Lowden

Pete Lowden is a member of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery committee which is committed to reclaiming the cemetery and returning it back to a community resource.

petelowden.co.uk

Another Mayor of Hull buried in Hull General Cemetery is John Lumsden.

Scottish roots

Originally from Edinburgh, he married his wife, Jane Sinclair Campbell Coghill there in 1836, moving to Hull soon after their marriage. They had 7 children. The family originally lived in Dock Street, where, in 1851, John was recorded at being a carrier and shipping agent.

With the rapid growth in the trade of Hull, John became a member of The Exchange. He was also an advocate of the railways, particularly the Hull & Selby Railway and was a patron of the Sailor’s Orphanage on Spring Bank.

Death of wife

In 1859 his wife Jane died whilst giving birth to their 4th son Sinclair Campbell.

John was obviously successful, and in 1860 he joined partnership with Brownlow, Pearson & Co shipbuilders, formed by William Brownlow and William Hunt Pearson. The company was now known as Brownlow, Lumsden & Co. and they built many ships both in Hull & Hartlepool.

By 1861 John had moved away from Dock Street to 27 Lister Street, where he is noted a ship owner and agent in the census of that year.

Second marriage

In 1862 he married again. This was to a member of his wife’s family, Agnes Auld Coghill.

He became mayor of Hull in 1863. In 1864 William Brownlow died, and Lumsden took on engineer, CD Holmes, who eventually became a partner in the business.

John had Woodfield’s House built in Southfield, Hessle in 1867, which still remains to this day as the Emmanuel Care Home. His son John died of heart disease there the following year aged just 28.

Brownlow, Lumsden and Co were eventually taken over by the Ellerman Wilson Line.

Death

John died in 1876 aged 71. His 2nd wife, Agnes Auld died in 1899. He is buried with both of his wives and son John, in Hull General Cemetery, where there is a marble obelisk to their memories.

Bill Longbone

Bill Longbone has had a long relationship with the Hull General Cemetery. He is an active member of the FOHGC and manages the work of the volunteers on the site. His biographical sketches of some of the people buried in the cemetery are one of the highpoints of the success of the Facebook site.