hairy Posted 7 February 2014 Posted 7 February 2014 Its a new app for the iOS https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/welford-road-cemetery-trail/id803193039?mt=8 Really fascinating. Gives a real history of the people of Leicester from 1849 onwards. The murdered, civil rights activists, architects, athletes, suffragettes, engineers etc For example:- Alice Starkey Plot: ul.626 Date of death 9 April 1877 The memorial is to Buckby but this is because Alice Starkey was buried in a common grave that was subsequently purchased by the Buckby family. This is quite common across the cemetery as the plots would be significantly cheaper if some of the space was already taken. Alice was born Alice Cooper in Little Dalby, Melton Mowbray. One of four children of labourers. Victim of a terrible murder aged 24 in April 1877 when her husband slit her throat. The case attracted national interest and the execution of John Henry Starkey was carried out in Leicester jail by William Marwood, a celebrated hangman. John Henry Starkey was a 26 year old coachman originally from Lincoln living with his wife and young son in Cedar Street, a nice newly built area near to Victoria Park, and working for a liquor merchant in High Street.. They shared their house with two lodgers George Wright and Joseph Bates (both railwaymen). Although only Wright was at home during the fateful night he claimed to have heard nothing. However, a neighbour, Mrs Chamberlain heard quarrelling at 11.00 at night including Mrs Starkey screaming Oh what shall I do; what shall I do and a great rustling from their bedroom. Chamberlain banged on their door and called police loudly but the noise ceased and she went to bed. When the second lodger returned from his night shift he couldn’t get an answer to his calls to Alice for his breakfast. Mrs Chamberlain didn’t see Starkey leave but he returned at about 10.00 in the morning and asked her to get Alice to fetch her watch and scarf. She got no reply so Starkey went in and returned to tell her that Alice’s throat had been cut. Chamberlain and Bates, the lodger were called to witness Alice, undressed lying on her stomach clutching a table knife in her left hand. Blood was splashed around the room. Starkey rode off to find a doctor returning with Dr Sloane and Constable Deboo. Starkey was found with some blood on his shirt, arm and foot which he claimed was from a horse’s mouth. He claimed that Alice had committed suicide. At the trial it was revealed that Starkey had been seeing a young woman who he had promised to marry and take to Lincoln. He had a record of petty crime and had been whipped as a boy for various offences. Starkey’s defence claimed that he suffered from a brain disease but it only took the jury 15 minutes to find him guilty. In prison he confessed saying he had secretly sharpened the knife and hid it under his pillow. When Alice was asleep he had got dressed and cut her throat. Alice had woken up during the struggle and seized the knife but was finally overpowered. Starkey was hanged on 31st July 1877. He was visited by several members of his wife’s family and his young son on the evening before but the visit passed off peacefully. Large crowds gathered outside the Borough Jail in High Street and the proceedings were widely reported and Albert (Bert) Walter Harris Plot: uA.35 Date of Death 26 April 1897 Bert was a world renowned racing cyclist towards the end of the 19th Century. He was Champion Amateur Track Cyclist of England and later Champion Professional of England. Cycling regularly attracted crowds of 20-30,000 at the time and he was a champion in this country and Australia. Born in Birmingham in 1874, he moved to Portsmouth Road Leicester aged 8. He started racing as a fourteen year old on the Aylestone Road track (now Leicestershire cricket ground). winning his first big race in 1891 – the Five Mile at Bristol. He turned professional in 1894 and joined the London Polytechnic Cycle Club which at the time was England’s premier club. He broke the English professional record at Hearn Hill with a half mile in 57.3 seconds and the mile in 118.3 seconds. He went to Australia in 1896, winning races all over the continent. He returned to England in late 1896 but was killed on the track when his front wheel collided with another bike in the 10 mile scratch race in front of 30,000 in Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham on Easter Monday 1897. He only rode in the race at the last minute as his bike needed a replacement front wheel and it was only secured just before the start. Legend says that when he fell a testimonial from friends in Australia fell from the wall of his home onto the many trophies underneath. His funeral attracted huge crowds over the two miles between his house in Belgrave and Welford Road. The ‘cyclists of England’ raised a subscription for his memorial which calls him ‘a fair and honourable rider and sportsman and his lamented death cut off in his prime one of the brightest and most genial spirits of cycledâ€. We believe that the memorial originally held a picture of Bert but it is long gone. I found my Great Uncle listed in there too Didn't know if this was the forum to put it but thought it might get overlooked in the app thread
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