Monday 17th February, 10 – 11.30am approx
Come into the woods this half term. Try out a few Mindfulness exercises, do a little woodland yoga, have a go at some naturals crafts.
Meet at the Hull General Cemetery old stone gate posts on Spring Bank West.
Cost: £4 per family
Booking required: please contact Jude on 0777 937 1032 or send a message to YogaCraft via Facebook.
All welcome
We have just heard of the sad death of Patrick Branagan who was an early supporter of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery and contributed to its success. We send our condolences and best wishes to his family at this sad time.
Mr Patrick Branagan, 3rd May 1955 – 4th January 2020.
Just a quick message to let everyone know that the notice board we erected in Hull General Cemetery close to the rear (cemetery) entrance of Thoresby Street primary school is for use by everyone. Notices do not have to be related to the cemetery, they can be from anyone or any local organisation across the whole community.
You may have also noticed that we have also placed some wooden bins (made from pallets) in the cemetery… We would like to add some more but (Patrick) the person who built them for us (he also made the notice board) is too busy at the moment and just doesn’t have the time to be able to help us.. So we were wondering if any of our wonderful ‘friends’ with woodworking/cabinet making skills would be able to put some together for us.
If you are able to help us we can supply all the pallets, and Patrick is able to draw up some plans if needed – though the design doesn’t have to be the same.
Please contact us on our Facebook page, or by using the form on our contact page, or by popping-in to the Head Gardener on Spring Bank and speaking to Jo if you are able to help us. We would be very grateful. Thank you.
Most people in Hull are familiar with, and have an affection for, Brown’s Bookshop in George St, few will be aware that the graves of the founders family are located in Hull General Cemetery, although unfortunately their headstones no longer remain.
Anthony Brown was born in 1829 in Holme on Spalding Moor, where he married Mary Ann Raney in 1850 and had one son, John, who was born on 1 December 1850, the family moved to Hull, but sadly Mary Ann died on 19 August 1853 aged 25. Anthony later married Sarah Ann Sharp on 20 May 1858, and they had a daughter and a further 4 sons (3 of whom died whilst young). In 1860 Anthony established a booksellers and publishing business in Prospect St.
The eldest son, John, trained as a publisher in London, joining his father’s business in 1870, the same year that the Education Act (Forster Act) was introduced to provide free, compulsory and non-religious education for all children. Anthony immediately saw the opportunities, and rapidly expanded his business, opening a school outfitters. John became a partner in 1872 when the company became A Brown & Son. When the company opened larger premises at 26/27 Saville St in 1877, John’s brother, Walter, also joined the company, becoming A Brown & Son(s).
Anthony died of bronchitis at his home at 74 Peel St on 2 January 1880 aged 51, and was buried in Hull General Cemetery. His wife Sarah Ann died in Newcastle on 11 May 1919 aged 82, and is also buried in HGC.
After his death, the business continued to expand under the stewardship of John and his brothers, and in 1895 they expanded into 28 & 29 Savile St, and also opened printing works in West St. (Brown Brothers). John became the company’s first chairman in 1905, when they opened new printing works at 15 Dock St backing onto the rear of their George St premises.
John had married Annie Elizabeth Strapps on 16 March 1876, initially living at 38 Peel St, before moving to Hazeldene at 34 Pearson Park, where they had a daughter Lilian.
John became active in local politics, becoming a JP, Alderman, Sheriff and eventually Mayor of Hull in 1912/1913. The same year, the company created a new School Stationery manufacturing department at 19-21 Dock St, and in 1929 opened purpose built printing works and warehouse in Perth St West.
John died at his home in Hazeldene of a cerebral thrombosis on 19 January 1920, and was buried in the Strapps family grave in Hull General Cemetery. His wife Annie (incorrectly recorded as Amy), died of cancer on 18 August 1925, her cremated remains were buried in HGC. After Annie’s death, the house was left derelict for a number of years until it was purchased by local builder and entrepreneur, Robert Tarran in 1937.
Mr Tarran renovated the house at his own expense to accommodate a number Basque refugee children who had been evacuated from northern Spain after the the German attacks on Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.. The children remained in the house until after the war, when they were repatriated, although some remained in Hull. The house received a blue plaque in 2017 to commemorate its role in housing the Spanish children.
The story of the Hohenrein family of butchers and it’s tribulations during WW1 is well documented. Many of the family are buried in Hull General Cemetery, and are commemorated with an impressive marble monument. The family originated in Mosbach, Baden- Wũrttemburg, Nr Heidelburg, Germany, Georg Friedrich Hohenrein (1832-1902) emigrated to Hull in 1848, and established pork butchers shops in Waterworks St and Princes Ave.
This story relates to one of Georg’s gt grand children, Jean Bartel, who, although not buried in Hull General Cemetery, has direct links to it, and is another of the inspirational women associated with HGC.
Georg and his wife Katherina (Myer) had 6 children, 2 of which died in infancy. During WW1 the family suffered from anti-German sentiment, and Charles Henry (1883-1974) changed the family name to Ross.
Charles Henry’s brother, George William (always referred to as William) (1865-1933), married Julie Bierman, and had a son, William born 1897, and a daughter, Else, born in Hull 3/2/1898. Becoming increasingly concerned at the anti-German sentiment during WW1, he emigrated to Germany with his family. However, as British subjects, George William. and his teenage son, William were immediately interred in the Ruhleben Internment Camp, near Berlin until the end of the war.
After the war, his daughter Else, married Alfred Leonhardt Bartelmeh, and in 1922, the family moved to America. They had a daughter, Jean who was born in Los Angeles 26/10/1923. Jean shortened her name to Jean Bartel and became Miss America in 1943, becoming the first college student to be crowned Miss America. She worked on Broadway as an actress/singer, and later worked in films and TV. She once claimed that “I was never beautiful, but I had vitality and looked healthy”. She married William Hogue but had no children. She died 6/3/2011 aged 87.
Sadly, her brother William, who became a doctor, was killed in an allied bomb attack in Germany in WW2.
You can read more about the problems faced by the Hohenreins during WW1 on the excellent humberfirstworldwar website.
Another of the monuments recently recorded by volunteer Andy Lister whilst undertaking the groups Photo Record Project, was that of John Leopold Brunstrom. Andy records that the stone is a ‘fallen granite obelisk with no evidence of a remaining plinth, but is otherwise in good condition’. Here is John L Brunstrom’s story.
He was born Johann Leopold Brunstrom in Sweden in 1834, the son of Olaf and Nelli Brunstrom. He worked as a mariner, and married Magdalena Theodora Korsholm, the daughter of a Danish ship store manager, in Liverpool on 2 August 1851
They had 5 children and moved to Hull some time in the 1850’s. At the time of the 1861 census they are living at 23 Francis St West, where he is recorded as a ship broker. Around the same time he formed the company of Shields & Brunstrom with his friend Samuel Shields, and in Jones’s 1863-4 Mercantile Directory, they are listed as merchants with offices at India Chambers, Queen’s Dock Side South.
One of their daughters, Elvira Helena, died of croup at their home in Francis St West on 30 April 1860 aged 1yr and 9 mths. John’s wife, Magdalena, died of consumption on 10 January 1864 aged 32 years. 5 years later another daughter, Lene Marie, died of diptheria on 5 September 1869 aged 5 yrs and 9 mths. A few months previously John and Samuel’s business had floundered, and they filed for bankruptcy on 9 February 1868. John died of liver cancer on 9 May 1875 aged 50 and his buried with his family in the above grave.
His partner Samuel Shields, died of an apoplexy at The Hull Workhouse on 30 March 1884 aged 56. He is also buried in Hull General Cemetery along with his father, brother and daughter, but unfortunately their gravestone no longer remains. However, the inscription was recorded by the EYFHS prior to its removal
As part of the ‘Friends’ wildlife initiative, Pete Civic and myself planted several Rowan, Birch, Buckthorn, Hawthorn, and Dogwood saplings this morning. These will eventually provide much needed cover and food source for the birds in the future. Most of the saplings were donated by The Woodland Trust and organized by Eva La Pensee, some were kindly donated by Catherine Foster’s father as part of the Queen’s Canopy project. All of the saplings were planted in areas that previously didn’t have any tree cover, such as adjacent to Thoresby St School and the Workhouse graves area. We still have a couple dozen more to plant.
Richard Hunter Jeff was born in 1856 the son of Hull wine & spirit merchant Richard Jeff (Geo. Jeff & Co), and Anne Hedley Hunter, both of whom died whilst he was still relatively young.
In 1880 he formed a Seed & Corn Merchant company at Baltic Buildings in High St with his friend George Johnston, which became very successful, and continued trading in Hull until quite recently. The company of Johnston & Jeff still trade in bird seed to this day.
He married his wife Florence (nee Allison) in 1884 and they had 3 children, he lived the majority of his life on Anlaby Road primarily at West Parade Tce near Landsdowne St, adjacent to the Western General Hospital, and later at 341 Anlaby Road adjacent to St Matthew’s Church at the top of Boulevard.
Both Richard Hunter Jeff and his partner, George Johnston, were active members of the Fish St Memorial Congregational Church on Princes Ave. Richard retired from the business in 1924, he died at 341 Anlaby Road in September 1936 aged 80, his business partner, George, had died 2 years earlier. His wife, Florence died in London in 1945 aged 86.
Richard’s and his wife’s ashes were placed in the family grave in Hull General Cemetery and are recorded on the headstone which still exists near the Thomas Holmes grave.
These two graves are situated to the left of the main gate behind the recently discovered Sydney Winter grave. Perhaps these were not recorded either?
The one on the left: ~ In Loving Memory of Arthur the beloved husband of Irene Allen Died Dec 18th 1956 aged 46 years – Ever in Thought.
Arthur lived at 314 North Road but died at Sutton Annexe.
The one on the right: ~ In Loving Memory of George Walker beloved husband of Annie Died Nov 19th 1949 aged 57 years ~ Ever in Thought
Also Annie beloved wife of the late George Walker Died June 21st 1964 aged 68 years ~ Reunited
George lived at 216 Pickering Road.
Wendy Kirkross recently requested to adopt the Kirk grave No 469 in MI Book 1. I have now allocated it to her, the Kirk family were a large family of shoe makers and printers in the Derringham St area. Here is the information that I have on the family:
Joseph Kirk was a shoemaker born in North Wheatley, Nottingham in1792, he married Jane Crowage (1800-1885) in Blidworth, Nottingham on 1 Jan 1821.
They had 2 children, Joseph William, (known as William), b 1821 and Thomas b1839, moving to Hull around 1838, and living in Providence Row, Beverley Rd.
Joseph William was a printer and married Cecilia Brewis at the Salem Chapel, Cogan St on 14 Aug1841, they had at least 11 children. He started a printing business at premises on Holderness Rd, nr Williamson St, and in the 1851 census the family are recorded as living at 10 Holderness Rd. By the time of the 1861 census the business had moved to Victoria St off Derringham St, and was employing 3 men and 8 boys. His sons William Bruce and George Sanderson followed their father’s footsteps and joined the printing business. William was married to Sarah Ann Johnson, and lived at 25 Crystal St, George married Anna Maria Wreghitt and lived at 46 Derringham St.
Their mother Jane, died of decay of nature at Providence Row in 1865 aged 64, their father, Joseph, also died of decay at Derringham St 1867 aged 75, both are buried in the family grave.
George and Anna lost 3 of their children in childhood, Stanley George died on 4th Jan 1873 aged 6 days, Florence Mary died on 13 July 1875 aged 15 months, and Cecilia died of meningitis on 7 Nov 1877. All of the children are buried in the family grave, along with another child, Alice, who was the daughter of Thomas Kirk, decorator, and the grand daughter of George & Anna, she died on Boxing Day1886 at 11 Colonial St aged 6 years 6 months.
