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.
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
A few months ago whilst clearing the area around the Main gates, John Wheeldon uncovered 3 gravestones that were not recorded in MI Book1, these were Arthur & Irene Allen, Sydney & Elsie Winter and Lily and Arthur Holmes. The Winter grave also commemorated Sydney Winter jnr who had been killed in North Africa on 30 Nov 1942.
We discovered that all of the above were relatives of member Sue Honeyman, who sent us photographs of her family. One of the pics was the attached pic of her aunt laying flowers on the above graves in the 1950’s, the girl in the black pram is Sue! Her mum Sheila, took the photograph. We arranged to meet Sue, her cousin Elaine and her mother Sheila (who is now a spritely 91!!) this morning to show her the graves and lay some flowers and 2 poppy crosses. (1 on Sydney Winter’s grave, and 1 on the adjacent grave of Herbert Walker, another family member who had been killed in France on 12 April 1918 ). We went on to show them the grave of Samuel Widdowson who has a headstone at the rear of the cemetery.
We were very privileged to share the time and stories of the family, and thank them for the old photos that they have shared with us.
