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Cemetery Wildlife October

October 29, 2021 by Helen Bovillin General, Volunteers, Wildlife2 Comments

The “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” is how John Keats described Autumn in his famous 1820 ode to this season. The cemetery has not seen any mists this month but there has been the usual Autumnal mix of rain and cold days and sunshine and warm days.Cemetery Wildlife September

Plants

Many of the plants are now bearing that fruitfulness, including the Guelder Rose shown at the start of this report. This is the season when it now becomes obvious why the Snowberry is so named, and its white berries are a good source of food for the cemetery wildlife. Please note however that they are poisonous to humans!

The Pyracantha bushes are now full of their distinctive reddish-orange berries and they look particularly striking along the grass verge on Spring Bank West. They are an excellent source of food for the many birds living in and around the cemetery.

Last month seems to have been the best one for Elderberries and Brambles, with very few ripe fruits left on the bushes. But there are still a few Brambles left, some of which are not quite ripe enough for the cemetery wildlife to eat.

The Blackthorn bushes still have a few of their dark purple Sloe berries on them, although only in small numbers as you can see here.

The Yew trees still have some of their small red berries on them. The Berberis bushes growing in various places have started to show some nice autumn colour on their leaves. They have small oval dark berries growing along the branches.

There are not many traditional-looking flowers to be seen this month other than a few Dandelions on the grass verge and small patch of Feverfew.

But the most abundant flowers to be seen this month are on the Ivy. Initially the flower heads don’t look much like a traditional flower. But when you look at them in closer detail you can see all the usual elements you’d expect to see in a flower, but just positioned differently. If in the course of writing future editions of this column I have a “slow news month” then I may use that opportunity to talk about Ivy in greater detail.

Butterflies and other insects

The only Butterflies I saw this month were a few Speckled Wood in the central grassy area of the cemetery during a warm spell earlier in the month.

There is an abundance of Ladybirds though – they can be seen just about everywhere. Some are the native British ones and some, like the one on the Feverfew photo, are non-native Harlequins.

Birds

Nesting season is now over. Some dry sunny days in the middle of October provided the ideal conditions for the volunteers to check the nest boxes to see which ones had been used. This is the second year of doing this so it was interesting to compare this year’s findings with last year’s.

A total of 41 boxes were checked and 26 of them had been used, giving an occupancy rate of 63.41%. (Last year a total of 40 boxes were checked and 24 had been used, giving an occupancy rate of 60%).

These figures suggest that this year was more successful than last year. But three of the original boxes were either no longer present or were not located. There are also 5 new boxes that were put in place too late to be included in last year’s check.

I could split the above figures according to nest box design and even down to the size of the hole in the front of the box. This would generate more statistics, some of them quite impressive, but this is intended to be just a brief overview of the volunteers’ work relating to the cemetery wildlife.

Nest hygiene

For reasons of hygiene nest boxes are always cleaned out and left empty ready for the birds to start all over again in the Spring. This is in accordance with guidelines from the relevant wildlife organisations. The nests we found were like miniature works of art, carefully built from dried hogweed stems, twigs, feathers and leaves. Most if not all of the nests contained moss which the birds can easily find on the trees and headstones.

I can’t say for definite who the occupants of the nests were but the first one was from a nest box with a 25mm hole. This would suggest it had been occupied by either a Blue Tit or a Coal Tit.

The second nest looks a lot cosier, doesn’t it? The white material appears to be artificial filling of some kind and I think the small amounts of red material are wool are from the Poppies that are attached to the small wooden crosses dotted around the cemetery. These are to commemorate the graves of soldiers from WWI and WWII.

I can’t say for definite which species of bird built this nest. But it came from a box with a 32mm hole which would allow for a slightly larger bird such as a Great Tit or even a Nuthatch. It was occupied last year too.

As mentioned earlier, the checking of the nests is not quite complete and needs a bit more work. A few additions and clarifications to our existing data could make future checking easier and the results more meaningful. Perhaps this time next year, after 3 years of checking the boxes, we will be able to publish a full report of our findings on the website.

Conclusion

October has been a quiet but colourful month for the cemetery wildlife, and the birds are becoming easier to see as the leaves start to fall. The daylight hours may be less but there is still plenty of time for a leisurely stroll. I’m sure you’ll manage to see at least one of these endearing little characters during your time here!

Helen Bovill

Helen is a keen photographer and nature lover. She spent a large part of her working life at the Land Registry. She is a member of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and various other similar organisations. Living close to the Cemetery for over 30 years she has seen the fortunes of the site fluctuate and has joined the FOHGC to make a positive difference.

Cemetery Wildlife September

September 25, 2021 by Helen Bovillin General, News, Volunteers, Wildlife2 Comments

As Summer Ends and Autumn begins we are now at that time of year when the days are roughly the same length as the nights. Cemetery Wildlife – August Well, for a couple of weeks anyway. At the time of writing it looks like this September is set to be the warmest one on record. For a few days we had temperatures in the mid to high 20s and it has been very dry with rain falling on only a couple of days. This has created perfect conditions for a leisurely stroll to appreciate the cemetery wildlife.

Birds

Not much to report this month – the birds are still around but proving hard to capture on film. The ones born this year are slowly starting to develop their adult plumage, such as this Chaffinch.

You can see the steely blue crescent starting to appear around the head, indicating that this one is a male.

The volunteers sunk a shallow dish into the ground in the Quaker Burial Ground recently and the birds seem to appreciate this. No doubt other wildlife such as Squirrels and Foxes will appreciate it too.

On a couple of days towards the end of the month I heard a Tawny Owl calling at sunset and this is very encouraging as the call seemed to be coming from the direction of the Owl boxes.

And finally, I was surprised to see a couple of Parakeets flying overhead while I was walking along Princes Avenue! They were quite high up but from their call I could tell they were Ring-necked Parakeets. It was disappointing to realise they were not headed for the Cemetery but probably for Pearson Park or East Park, where they have occasionally been sighted.

Butterflies and other insects

There are still some butterflies around including this Red Admiral on the grass verge along Spring Bank West. It is a shame that it landed on a piece of litter but this butterfly looked too perfect not to take a quick photo!

There were also some Small Whites along the verge, and a Holly Blue feeding on a Thistle.

But the butterfly most often seen inside the cemetery is the Speckled Wood. They seem to be the easiest ones to photograph because they rest mainly on leaves and remain still long enough to get a good photo.

This was taken in the recently trimmed meadow area in the centre of the Cemetery. The volunteers took care not to cut down the Teasel and as soon as the area around it was cleared the plant was buzzing with insects.

It is also that time of year when there are plenty of spiders around. One of the most common ones is the Cross or Garden Spider. It is a member of the Orb-weaving family and has a distinctive cross marking on its abdomen. Many can be found in our gardens and parks as well as in the cemetery. Look out for them and if you’re lucky you might get to see one creating its web. It’s a fascinating process.

This one has its prey neatly trussed up ready for consumption at a later date. The photo on the left shows a different spider of the same species, resting on our gardening equipment.

Also seen in the meadow area was this attractive White-lipped Snail.

Plants

There are very few plants in flower at the moment. A few Hogweed are still in flower, but most have now gone to seed – a good food source for the cemetery wildlife.

Other flowers seen this month are Feverfew, Thistle and Smooth Sow-thistle. There is also some Cyclamen in flower near the Cholera Monument, although this is not a wild flower.

Many of the plants have now started to produce berries and I hope to write in more detail about this next month.

Mushrooms

I have not found anything new this month, other than the usual very tiny Fairy Inkcaps growing in groups on the ground.

Conclusion

The cemetery is a great place to see and hear wildlife. It is a great place to remember and appreciate the lives of the people who are buried here. It is also a great place to appreciate the artistic beauty of the headstones and memorials.

Also it is a great place for photography. As we head into Autumn the changing colours of the leaves and the increasing levels of light create the perfect setting for taking photos of the cemetery wildlife. Why not give it a go and share your photos on our very popular and vibrant Facebook page?

Helen Bovill

Mysteries

September 17, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin General, History, Volunteers

A couple of years ago I was told that there was to be a talk at the History Centre. It was entitled ‘The Mysteries and Secrets of Hull General Cemetery’. I thought I’ll pop along to that. I’m always open to increase my knowledge of the site

About a couple of months before the talk I was in the History Centre. Chatting to the staff I was told by the person who usually books the monthly talks that she was sorry. She said HGC was usually my topic and that the booking had happened whilst she was off ill. I was touched by this nod to my idiosyncrasy. I said I was happy to share the topic but I was intrigued as to what the mysteries and secrets were, as to my knowledge, there were very few if any. She nodded.

It was common knowledge amongst the staff there that I had copied or photographed every item that they possessed about Hull General Cemetery and that I had acquired a few things myself that they didn’t possess.

As it turned out the talk didn’t talk about any mysteries or secrets in HGC. Don’t get me wrong here. It was a good, well researched talk and it definitely had lots of visuals to keep the punters happy. But the ‘mysteries and secrets of Hull General Cemetery’, well, I’m afraid there was little sign.

Not Hollywood

That circumstance lies in the fact that the life of HGC is not a movie script. Harrison Ford does not uncover the catacombs of the ‘lost chapel’. Sam Neil, whilst cutting back the brambles, does not find he’s walked into a velociraptor nest. No, sorry. Highly unlikely. Much more likely is that Harrison Ford would find the remains of a shooting-up drugs gathering or that Sam Neil would tread in some maggot ridden kebab.

Yes, there are stories within the cemetery. Stories of its trials and tribulations. Stories of the people who are buried there. But it is not the Marie Celeste. It is not Area 51. It is not the X-Files. The truth isn’t ‘out there.’ It’s a shame but that’s the way it is.

The real Secrets and Mysteries

The secrets and mysteries, if they exist, are found in far more mundane places. They are written in numerous documents. These documents take a lot, and I mean hundreds of hours, of painstaking research to extract that small nugget of information you are seeking. And this process takes a number of years. At the end, the result may be as unexciting as finding that a miscalculation on the part of some clerk a century ago can now be cleared up. But to someone with that penchant for ‘the truth’ it;s like gold dust.

I did mention my idiosyncrasy, didn’t I?

So, with my Harrison Ford / Sam Neil hat on, I have entered this dangerously tedious world many times.

There are two mysteries I’d like to put forward. The first one is about the mystery of Thomas Skerrow and, to add background, the rest of his family. The second one could be titled, ‘What did they do with bodies?’ You’ll understand when you read it.

In some ways these mysteries are mundane and perhaps only of interest to someone like me with that specific ‘nerdiness’ mentioned above but they are mysteries. And I can’t confidently say I have solved them. Yes, I know that my solutions are the most likely yet something still bugs me. See what you think.

Thomas Skerrow

Thomas Skerrow was a gravedigger. You should all know by now my affinity with such people. One could say that it’s in the blood but thankfully it isn’t. Other wise I’d probably be dead from tetanus or anthrax by now. Quite nasty soil borne diseases. No thank you.

Not in the blood but I do have some understanding of these under sung heroes’ roles. And indeed the stresses that were placed upon them. A Grave Digger

Thomas Skerrow had been employed by the Company since its inception in 1847.

As I’ve mentioned before, the workforce of the cemetery, received less than star billing in its production. I suppose that’s why I want to highlight them. Without them the Company would have failed, and the citizens of Hull would have had to put up with the horrific conditions of burial that took place prior to the HGC.

His death

We first learn of Thomas Skerrow by his death. Here’s his burial entry in the HGC burial register.

He died on the 9th April 1854 and was buried on the 12th.

Edward Skerrow, his father

The family already had a family grave as his father Edward had died the previous November. This was a particularly sad case as his father committed suicide. His death resulted in a post mortem and the death reached the local press.

When Edward’s daughter Fanny married later that decade she was still so mortified by the death of her father she refused to provide her father’s name to the registrar. In the burial register of the Cemetery his cause of death is listed as ‘insanity’.

Cowkeeping

Edward Skerrow had been born at Tadcaster in 1791. He lived at 21, Canning Street and his occupation at his death was cowkeeper. Not as outlandish an occupation as we sophisticates of the 21st century would believe. It was quite common for small entrepreneurs to keep a number of cows. These could be hired out for breeding or when ready, sold for slaughter.

However the major source of income from keeping cows was milk. Milk was sold door to door to the gentry. The poorer classes often bought some too though mainly for weaning purposes. It was a thriving industry. Approximately where the old Edwin Davis Store stood in Bond Street was the site of a street called Milk Street because of the number of cows pastured there in the early 19th century..

Alan Harris, in his The Milk Supply of East Yorkshire, 1850-1950′, quotes F.M.Eden saying that in the closing years of the 18th century, ‘for 2 to 3 miles round‘ Hull land was devoted to grazing ‘for the convenience of the inhabitants.‘

Harris also states, and this is probably appropriate to Edward Skerrow, that,

‘Within the towns themselves, still smaller pieces of land were used for purposes that, if not strictly agricultural, must nevertheless have created in their vicinity an unmistakeable aroma of the countryside. {…} William Eleanor, another Hull Cowkeeper, occupied in 1851 a yard and a range of outbuildings behind residential property in North Street, Myton.’

Now Edward was in a fairly lucrative business if he kept his herd healthy. Plus he had a sizeable property as the map below shows so his herd may well have been quite sizeable too.

Yet, as the newspaper article above shows he was an alcoholic and an opium user.

Opium for the masses

Let’s be clear here. Opium was the drug of choice of many people then, from all classes. Queen Victoria enjoyed her laudanum as much as the workman who bought his pennyworth of opium for his pipe. It deadened the pain of living. It took away guilt, hunger and emotion. In Britain of the 1850s that was something to be cherished.

As for the alcohol, it was as readily available as was the opium. As were the public houses. You may note that Edward’s post mortem was conducted in a public house. This was that a public house was, in essence, neutral territory. It could accommodate the officials and the witnesses for such a gathering. It is only in the recent past that civic buildings have eclipsed the public houses in this role. Coroners, magistrates and other civic officials conducted their affairs from hostelries. It was felt less threatening and more fair.

The downside of that was that they were everywhere. So, if you had an issue with alcohol, then it would be difficult to avoid it.

Hannah

So, Edward Skerrow was dead. In death he left about £100 to his widow Hannah. By the 1861 census her son Edward junior had taken on the cowkeeper role and she disappears from the public eye for about 20 years.

She resurfaces in 1881, living in Hallgate, Cottingham and is described as a ‘property owner’. She died a year later and I’m sure no one could smell any trace of cows or manure at her funeral.

Of interest, the younger brother of Thomas, Edward, took over the Cowkeeping business from his mother some time in the late 1850s as mentioned above.

Prior to that he too worked for the Cemetery Company. In 1858 he found a box laid beside the cholera monument. Inside were two babies, born prematurely and probably dead at birth. The box was handed to the police who investigated but to no avail. Another mystery but probably all too common back then.

Back to Thomas

Back at Thomas. He died of a heart condition. The Company went as far as resolving to buy a headstone for his grave.

And now we come to the mystery. Or mysteries shall we say.

Firstly, there is no record of a stone being erected on the grave. From the entry above in the HGC minute books it appeared to be quite straightforward. A stone was to be erected and James Sibree, the Cemetery’s chaplain, was to write an inscription for the stone. Was it just forgotten? Quite unlikely. That the Company wanted to do something to mark Thomas Skerrow’s passing in the first place is unlikely but that they said they would and minuted this gives credence to the fact. So where was the stone? It wasn’t destroyed in the 1970s as far as we know. Did it ever exist?

No, I cannot solve this part of the mystery.

What compounds the mystery is this. In September 1858, the Board had given the tenants at the west end of the Cemetery notice to quit. One of these people, John Hill, sent a sharp letter to the board. The minute book tells the story.

The Company under attack

Mr Thompson and Mr Todd, chair and secretary respectively of the Company, appeared to be unduly worried at this attack. Why? The man was behind in his rent. He had been given notice to quit. All was above board. That they both, busy men that they were, went to see Mr Hill shows something of the anxiety this letter from Mr Hill caused them. Again I ask why? The Cemetery was in fine shape and often cited as a boon to the town. What would such gentlemen care for the word of a disgruntled tenant? What harm could his tittle-tattle do?

We already know that Thomas Skerrow died from heart failure. He wasn’t crushed by any graveyard calamity was he? What was Mr Hill alluding to? Was the probable cause of death something he caught during this particular job that later affected his heart? Could any damage to Thomas’ heart have been caused during this particular task?

Ordinarily I would dismiss such questions. I have a death certificate and burial entry all saying the same thing. That’s gold plated in my book. But I still have that nagging doubt, simply caused by two of the major players in Hull at the time, going out of their way to discuss an irate tenant’s baseless claim. Both of these men were learned, C.S.Todd was a solicitor and later became the Sheriff of Hull. They could and should have laughed at this or possibly taken legal action. They did neither.

With my Probation Officer head on I find it’s just a little odd. What do you think?

Cholera

And the second mystery is shorter but more difficult. As most of you will know in 1849 cholera hit Hull for the second time.

The Cemetery fulfilled a public duty and buried the corpses in a timely and safe manner. To cater for the great mass of bodies the Cemetery Company set aside two full compartments and two halves. This was recorded in the Minute books of the 9th August 1849.

As can be seen from the map below taken from the Cemetery records the compartments chosen were 96,97,122 and 123.

The Cholera monument was erected in Compartment 96. All fine so far.

The problem

Now we come to the problem. Many of the people who died from cholera were not buried in those plots. Yes, if a family grave had already been purchased the relative could be buried irrespective of the cause of death. What is more surprising is that many of the burials in the portion assigned to the Cholera ground appear to have been in Compartment 121.

Unfortunately there is no Compartment 121 in the Cemetery except for a rump that was sited under what is now the shops on Princes Avenue. So, what’s going on?

That this issue was not noticed for 50 years is surprising. Michael Kelly, the last Superintendent, noticed it and remarked on it during his tenure. But it was obviously a mystery to him too.

Compartment 121

Let’s look at one of these graves. Grave number 18844 is a public grave. It was first dug for Ann Levitt who died of cholera on September 4th. She was buried that same day. The following day Charles Cheeseman, Elizabeth Gossop and 8 year old Bridget Dunbar joined her. Cholera was the cause of death for all of them. This was the last entry for burials in Compartment 121.

The first burial in Compartment 121 took place on August 12th, grave number 20645. It was filled within two days and a new one opened at 20647. All were cholera deaths.

Now we know that the burials were taking place. They were recorded meticulously by the Cemetery staff at the time. The problem is where are they? The grave numbers do not match any other grave numbers in the cemetery. Quite frankly, they do not exist.

So, we are left with a mystery. Those people were buried in the Cemetery but not in the grave number given, and certainly not in the Compartment 121.

Yes, a clerical error perhaps. I agree with Michael Kelly; they must be in Compartments 122 and 123. I’d just like to know how we could ever find that out.

Over to you to solve this mystery.

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

William Henry Moss

September 13, 2021September 14, 2021 by Bill Longbonein Facebook Archive, General, History, Volunteers

William Henry Moss was born in London in 1814 and was articled as a solicitor. He came to Hull in the 1840’s and married Eliza Charlotte Blundell, daughter of Henry Blundell, (founder of Blundell, Spence & Co) and his wife Maria (Porter) in 1840. The marriage resulted in seven children.

The couple are recorded as living in Russell Place, Linnaeus Street in 1841. In the subsequent census’ they are living at 4 Kingston Terrace, Beverley Road, adjacent to the Mariner’s Almshouses (now Kingston Youth Centre). In 1848 he is recorded as being in partnership with Francis Lowe of Moss, Lowe Solicitors, later, Blundell, Moss, Lowe & Co, at 19 Parliament St.

Civic responsibility

William was the company solicitor to the Hull Docks Company, and was very active in local politics. He promoted the Free Library in Hull, and was twice elected Mayor of Hull, firstly in 1856, and again in 1862.

He remained an Alderman for many years. Whilst Mayor, he paid for the marble statue of Queen Victoria in Pearson Park. The statue had been commissioned in 1861 by Zachariah Charles Pearson to commemorate an earlier Royal Visit. However due to Pearson’s bankruptcy, he was unable to pay for the work. Moss picked up the bill.

Grief for the family

His daughter Maria Blundell Moss died aged only two months in 1858. His son, Bernhard Martin, died two years later aged four.

William died of pleurisy in 1874 aged 60, and his wife Charlotte died aged 71 in 1888.

The family are buried in Hull General Cemetery, but their headstone was removed in the 1970’s. The East Yorkshire Family History Society recorded the inscription.

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.

APPRA

September 13, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin General, News, Volunteers

The Avenues and Pearson Park Resident’s Association, or APPRA as its more commonly called, published an article about the work of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery this quarter. I’m posting it as I think it may as well be covered here. I wrote it some tine ago. I hope you find it interesting.

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

Tree hugging

September 1, 2021September 9, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin General, Volunteers, Walks, Wildlife

Tree hugging gets a bad name. It’s used as pejorative term to denote people who are not on speaking terms with reality. As my mother would have said, ‘away with the fairies’. This was usually when she was talking about me.

Moving on.

However, in some cases, it can be a useful tool to estimate the age of a tree. The item below is taken from a book, ‘Hidden Histories: A Spotter’s Guide to the British Landscape’ by Mary-Ann Ochota. It was published in 2016. It’s worth buying.

As Mary-Ann says in her introduction,

‘When you look at the British landscape, you don’t just see the new, the now: you also see the traces of what came before – in the shape of a field, the wall of a cottage, a standing stone or churchyard.’

In essence, history is all around us and its up to us to read it. In terms of the cemetery the easy bits to read are the headstones.

Tree hugging

Other things are a little more tricky. And here we come to the trees. Some of the trees in the cemetery are probably remnants of the original plantings when the cemetery was laid out in 1847. Now that’s close on 200 years old. That’s a decent age. Only long lived species will have survived that length of time. So Oaks, Limes, Ash, Horse Chestnut and maybe Whitebeams are the likely survivors of the original planting.

The ubiquitous Sycamore that swamps the cemetery now is almost certainly not an original planting. Indeed it’s doubtful it was planted at all but invaded from outside. The Silver Birches that were originally planted will have died by now as their life spans are almost comparable to humans. The Yew in the Quaker Burial Ground would not have been planted until 1855 at the earliest. So that one’s easy to date.

But here’s a fun way to gauge the age of some of the trees in the cemetery.

As Mary-Ann says, this could be fun, especially with children. Once the foliage dies down and it gets easier to get to some of the trees, why not try it? Half term might be a good time.

Here’s a handy chart to help you with an Oak. You won’t be far off with other trees using this guide. Good hunting.

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

Cemetery Wildlife – August 2021

August 25, 2021August 28, 2022 by Helen Bovillin General, News, Volunteers, Wildlife4 Comments

August was a quiet month, weather-wise, with no extremes of heat, cold or rain but with plenty of dull days. Pretty much a typical summer month in these parts! Summer Wildlife

Birds

It seems to have been a good year for the cemetery’s birds, with plenty of young ones around. All the cemetery’s Tit species have bred successfully – Long-tailed, Blue, Great and Coal (pictured above). There are some young Blackbirds around, and I saw a young Song Thrush too – its tail feathers will appear later but it is still able to fly without them.

The best, albeit brief, sighting this month was a pair of Bullfinches but I didn’t manage to get a photograph of either of them. The young Goldfinches of last month’s report are doing well and starting to feed independently.

There are plenty of Chaffinches around and these are easy to spot, especially the males with their pinkish-brown feathers. The females are much duller shades of brown and can sometimes be mistaken for Sparrows. But male and female Chaffinches have white feathers in their wings which make them easily identifiable in flight.

I find it fascinating that the males and females of some bird species have distinctly different plumage – for example, Chaffinches and Bullfinches. This is known as sexual dimorphism. Their differences are quite obvious to see. However, the differences between male and female Goldfinches are much more subtle to the point of them being almost identical. I would not be able to say with confidence what sex the Goldfinches of last month’s report were!

Butterflies and other insects

It has been a very quiet month for butterflies. One of my neighbours has a huge Buddleia in her garden which is normally teeming with butterflies in August. I have only seen a couple on it so far and this lack of activity is reflected in the cemetery. I caught brief glimpses of a few White butterflies (I was unable to tell which species) and I saw a Holly Blue flying high around some Ivy.

The most common butterfly species in the cemetery is the Speckled Wood and on sunny days there are usually a few around. They flutter around each other in the air and then spend time basking in the sun. This one was in the Quaker Burial Ground.

There are Ladybirds and Hoverflies around too but not in great numbers.

Flowers and other plants

The Cow Parsley and Wild Garlic has died back completely to the point where it’s hard to see where it once grew. Any plants now in flower that look a bit like Cow Parsley will most likely either be Hogweed, which is quite a tall plant, or the lower-growing Wild Carrot.

I struggled to find anything in flower to show you this month. The cemetery is still very green though! I did manage to find a few Buttercups, Herb Robert, Nipplewort, Great Willowherb and Feverfew. The berries are now starting to appear on the Snowberry bush but it is still in flower.

My main aim is to write about the wild flowers and plants in the cemetery. This section of the newsletter is called Cemetery Wildlife after all! But many of the trees and shrubs growing in the cemetery are there because of what was planted in the past. They have now become naturalised so I will not draw any distinctions between these and the wild flowers. Regardless of whether or not they are native, they still have value to the cemetery wildlife.

The volunteers will only be planting native species in the cemetery, such as a recently planted English Oak. Any wild flowers to be set will be native species that will blend in with their surroundings and complement what is already growing there.

The situation in the Quaker Burial Ground is slightly different because this area is owned by the Quakers under a long lease. They have requested that the Friends of Hull General Cemetery manage this area on their behalf. It is still in a conservation area where the same considerations apply with regard to the felling of trees and so on. But we have been able to set some new shrubs and plants that are not necessarily native species. However, we will also be planting some native species whenever we can.

Mushrooms

I have not seen any fresh large specimens this month, but there are still plenty of tiny mushrooms to be seen growing on the ground. Given that the footpaths are covered in wood chippings this is not unexpected!

Mammals

I have no new Fox or Hedgehog sightings to report, but there are always some Grey Squirrels around and these can be seen almost every day. There will always be someone who doesn’t like them of course. But I never tire of watching them chasing each other up and around the trees, or simply posing on the ground. And what child doesn’t love seeing them during family walks through our favourite cemetery?

The Grey Squirrel can vary in colour quite a lot – this one has a brilliant white chest and mainly grey/brown colouring. But some Squirrels can have more gingery hairs and very pale ginger chests.

Conclusion

A rather uneventful month for the cemetery wildlife, with the dull and cooler days perhaps accounting for the low numbers of butterflies on the wing. The grass verge on Spring Bank West still doesn’t contain many flowers and this will have affected butterfly numbers too. But the birds are around in good numbers. Berries are now starting to appear on the bushes so they will have plenty of food to keep them going as we head into September. Dare I say that it is starting to feel slightly Autumnal already?

Helen Bovill

Next Month

August 24, 2021August 27, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin Events, General, History, Meetings, News, Talks, Walks2 Comments

Next month is Heritage Open Day month. The second week of September is your opportunity to see behind the scenes of some places in Hull and the East Riding that are not often fully open to the public. So grab the chance to do a bit of ‘hands-on history’ while you can.

In between times you may want to have read of one or two articles on here.

Firstly there will be more from Bill Longbone’s excellent pieces from the Facebook Archive. Secondly, Helen Bovill will be providing more of her stunning wildlife photographs.

The longer article will be the first part of the story of a remarkable family who are buried in Hull General Cemetery. ‘The Stathers of Spring Bank’ highlights the story of a two brothers who were the model of Victorian inventiveness. I hope you enjoy it.

Of course, there will be an Anniversary item. This will focus on October 1946 and, strangely, how that anniversary involved me to some extent.

And all the news that can safely be reported will be here. Next Month

See you all next month.

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

Anniversary September 1868

August 24, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin General, History, Volunteers1 Comment

The anniversary this month is unusual. It shows a more human side to the Hull General Cemetery Company board. I hope you like it.

I’ve often painted the Hull General Cemetery Company as hard-hearted. Grasping capitalists striving to secure whatever gain they can get. And I’m usually right. Which is where an instance where they are seen in a more charitable way should be highlighted. This is one of those times.

Plus ca change

Scattered through the Minute Books of the Company, one finds instances of damage done to the Cemetery grounds. Often these are thefts from graves. No, not bodies, but flowers. Sometimes whole bushes. Or property damage to the fences or cemetery buildings. In 1902 some young boys from the newly opened school in Thoresby Street smashed all of the windows in the Chapel. Well, all of the windows that weren’t already smashed, for the Chapel was already quite run-down.

In September 1868 the Board was informed by Mr Nequest, the superintendent, of further damage. And by a repeat offender.

The Withingtons

Before we look at what the Board decided to do let’s take a quick look at John Withington.

He was born in Howden in 1850 and baptised at the Anglican church there. His father, Samuel, had been born in the USA but was a British citizen. He had moved back from the USA at some time. However he is a little difficult to track down.

Family research? Who needs it?

His mother too, Mary Jane Cramp is also elusive. In the marriage register she states that she is ‘of this parish’, meaning Holy Trinity, Hull. In the census of 1851 she states that she was born there. However there is no record of this.

Their daughter Emma, is stated to have been born in Hull. This may be true. However she was baptised in Keighley. So we can see that things aren’t quite straightforward. Welcome to family history research.

Samuel and Mary Jane’s marriage took place in 1835 as may be seen above. By the time of the 1851 census, 10 months after John Charles is born they live in Howden.

1851 Howden

Samuel is the clerk, come station master, of Howden station. By the 1861 census Samuel has moved his family to Hull. They now live in Pearson Street, a nice neighbourhood. Samuel is a coal merchant dealer and appears to be making a good living at it.

1861 Hull

By the 1861 census above Emma is no longer in the household and there is an Emma Withington living as a servant to a share broker in Chorlton, Manchester. This, incidentally, is a possible site for Samuel in the 1841 census but our focus is drifting a little here. More interestingly is the arrival of grandson which may explain Emma’s disappearance. One must keep up appearances, especially in a good street.

As we know in September 1868 John Charles, who would have been aged 17, was apprehended stealing from the Cemetery. By the time of the 1871 census, which invited further information from the public, we can perhaps catch a glimpse of why.

1871 and the reason why

John Charles’s name is above. The final column notes ‘Invalid from epilepsy’. Was it this that lead to his behaviour? Thefts that appeared to have no reason behind them. What on earth would he want the Cemetery notice board for?

Madness in all its forms

Epilepsy. ‘Touched by God’. A gentle way of speaking about this disease. Yet epileptics were also viewed as imbeciles, idiots, lunatics and, more obviously, problems. Lord Shaftesbury, the great philanthropist, saviour of the poor climbing boy of chimney sweep lore, had an epileptic son. He voiced, with sorrow and disdain, the general opinion of the public shown towards epileptics.

‘Epileptic fits are treated like madness, and madness constitutes a right, as it were, to treat people as vermin.‘

This usually meant confinement in an asylum where, because of the nature of the disease in that it was not curable, was for the long term.

As a young man I worked in an institution with people with learning difficulties. Their behaviour was portrayed as ‘challenging.’ That word covers quite a few things, none of them pleasant.

How would someone cope in that environment who only had epileptic fits occasionally? What would be the end result of that incarceration? How long could that person’s sanity remain?

That the Withington family kept their son at home shows great love and courage. That the Cemetery Company showed some insight into the family’s issues is even more incredible.

The Cemetery Company shows its heart

The Board decided that they would not press any charges against the boy. Instead the Board communicated with the boy’s father. They said that if the father,

The family must have maintained this promise for he does not feature again in the Cemetery’s books. However, this may be due to the fact that John died in 1874. A shortened life was often the fate of epileptics.

John’s death

A weight was probably lifted from the minds of his parents with his death. The worry of what would happen to their son after their deaths would have weighed heavy. I wonder if their grief was assuaged in any way by that thought? I doubt it.

John was buried in Hull General Cemetery in a family grave. He was the first occupant. By the time it was filled it contained his father, mother and a younger brother. The stone was removed in the 1970s.

A rather sad anniversary item. Sorry

Anniversary August 1907

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

John Symons in the Cemetery

August 22, 2021August 22, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin Facebook Archive, General, History, Volunteers, Walks

Sometime in the spring of 1889, Alderman John Symons started on a walk from his home at 15, Coltman Street He wended his way through the newly laid out West Park. He then strolled down Spring Bank West commenting that the last time he had been that way it was a ‘grassed lane and now was a flagged footpath.’ His aim was to walk around Hull General Cemetery for a possible article for the Eastern Morning News.

At the entrance to the Cemetery he met William Hodsman, manager of the monumental works for the Cemetery. Together they strolled and John Symons reminisced. Stonemason of the Cemetery; part two.

His reminiscences are a valuable resource now. Through his eyes we can look back to a time over 130 years ago and catch a faint glimpse of Hull General Cemetery in its pomp.

Probably with this idea in mind, some time in the spring of 2021, volunteers Karen and George decided to retrace John Symons’ journey that day. Here’s what they found.

The walk

Symons’ comments are in bold. Karen and George’s are in italics.

In 1889 Alderman John Symons wrote the book Kingstoniana – Historical Gleanings and Personal Recollections. One chapter, A visit to the Spring Bank Cemetery, is fascinating. I thoroughly recommend buying a copy. “meditations amongst the tombs” – the quotes are from that chapter.

Today George and I retraced his route, as closely as possible, pausing at the 24 headstones that still remain today. I hope you enjoy.

We retraced our steps many times carefully following John Symon’s route. Over 6,000 steps.

The remaining stones; Clowes to Wilde

“The last time I visited the cemetery…there was scarcely a grave near the tomb of the Rev William Clowes”

“Here is the stone tomb, erected to the memory of Captain Cape…He was a diminutive, delicate-looking man in life”

“A little further on, is a neat tomb, denoting the spot where rest the remains of the late Rev. T. Stratten”

“Opposite to Mr. Stratten’s tomb may be seen that of Mr. William Irving, J.P, Mr Stratten’s friend”

“The next monument that attracts the eye is that of Thomas Wilde, better known by the familiar friends of his day as “Tom”

Hodge to Fountain

“A granite obelisk adjacent perpetuates the memory of William Hodge who from a humble position rose to considerable social influence”

“While I was standing admiring the foliage of a splendid cypress tree, I discovered the resting-place of the prince of manufacturers, Mr. Alderman Blundell”

“The epitaph notifies that it was erected by subscription to the memory of Captain John Gravill, who during a period of forty years, was engaged in the northern whale and seal fishery.”

“The Hull Guardians of the Poor negotiated with the company for the purchase of a plot of land for the burial of the Workhouse Inmates. Alderman John Fountain was the Governor at that time”

Dr Beck to Flint

“Near these lowly graves is a slate-coloured slab, bearing a coronet, as if in mocking contrast to those around it. It is raised to the memory of Count de Wendinsky, of Worden Castle, in Galicia, a Polish patriot exiled from his home, who resided in Hull, under the assumed name of Dr. Beck”

“Opposite Mr. Middleton’s grave (no longer exists) is a pyramid, “To the memory of John Lumsden, J.P.” John Lumsden

“…may be seen the funeral columns to several public men, amongst which may be found the names of “W.B. Carrick J.P., formerly Mayor of this town”

“and “W.W. Darling,” all once men of Mark”

“Our attention is attracted to a plain grave with a white marble kerb. Lying in the centre, is a magnificent and chaste sculptured cross. It is placed in memory of one of Hull’s most kind and tender-hearted citizens, who was truly one of nature’s nobility….”T. W. Flint J.P.”

Roberts to Rollit

“The next obelisk that attracted my attention was that of the late gifted and eloquent Alderman George Christopher Roberts….who, by the unaided force of a clear intellect, indefatigable energy, and rare talent, rose to the high offices in this, his adoptive town, of Alderman, Town Clerk, and Mayor”

“A few steps onwards brought me to the monument that self-made merchant who, from humble beginnings, became Alderman, Justice of the Peace, and twice Mayor of Hull. I refer to the late Thomas Thompson.” Thomas Thompson

“Nearly every religious denomination in this town have secured allotments for their dead, and here is one dedicated to the Society of Friends. How noteworthy is the simplicity of their memorials, which have the appearance of stone couches. In reading the names of the sleepers, I noticed one to the memory of Mr. Samuel Priestman”

“I have now arrived at that portion of ground consecrated according to the rites of the Church of England. The first vault that attracted my attention was that of the family of our distinguished townsman, Sir Albert Kaye Rollit, M.P.”

Rylands to King

“…a colossal stone obelisk inlaid with marble crests and coats of arms. It is erected to the memory of the late Joseph Rylands, at one time the largest sailing ship owner, and one of the most enterprising merchants Hull has had”

“There is a very pretty sculptured obelisk standing by itself on the extreme right in this vicinity; it is erected to the memory of W. H. Pearson, aged forty-two years, late of the firm of Brownlow and Pearson”

“Opposite is a massive Carrara marble sarcophagus, which states that “Here lieth the remains of Thomas Earle (sculptor, of London), born at Hull June the 5th, 1810; died at London April 28th, 1876.” The statues of her Majesty the Queen, and Prince Albert, in the Pearson Park, were the handiwork of this eminent sculptor”

“I next paid a pilgrimage to the high pinnacle in memory of the lamented Dr. Gordon, who devoted his life to the political elevation of the working men of Hull” Dr. William Gordon

“a man who did useful work for the town. There could have been very few of the inhabitants of this borough to whom the late Alderman Abbey was not well known, for during his lifetime extending over fourscore years, he had never ceased from activity in public affairs”

“…the resting place of the late Alderman King, during his life-time one of the most respected medical men in the town. The headstone, which marks his grave, is of Scotch granite, and a cross of the same material stands upon a pedestal of rough rockery stone.”

A very round about route

This was the extent of Karen and George’s expedition. For anyone who knows the Cemetery it is obvious that many of the stones mentioned are quite distant from the next one described by Symons. Indeed, if he did this route, it was quite circuitous . As Karen said, over 6000 steps, and just in the cemetery.

Let’s not forget that he had walked from Coltman Street and presumably would have gone back home. I think he may have hailed a cab from the stand outside the Cemetery. I know I would have done.

John Symons’s grave

That Symons did this walk is interesting. John Symons was a Jew. His burial place would not have been this cemetery. Why was he doing this walk? Surely not simply to fulfil a promise to an editor. No, I believe it was probably for the reason he cites in his final paragraph,

‘A visit to this Cemetery now and then is good for the soul, for from the sepulchral slabs may be learned sacred lessons.’

I can’t argue with that. It works for me.

He was finally laid to rest in Delhi Street Jewish Cemetery on Hedon Road. Karen and George contacted the custodian of that site, Mr Phillip Daniels. He escorted them to John Symons’s last resting place.

Not only us, latter day followers of a true ‘influencer’, should be grateful for Symons’ work.

The day after his funeral his will was read. Included in that will was a bequest. A bequest to the ‘incurable sick’ of Hull. That sum, using the measuring worth website, ranges from almost £2 million pounds up to £18 million today. https://www.measuringworth.com/

What a thoroughly nice man.

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