Here are some pictures from the bramble clearing workday on Sunday October 19th. Many thanks to all the volunteers who came down and to Colin for giving up his day of rest to come and supervise us. We cleared a good section of paths, making it easier for people to walk around the cemeteries and to get to graves. We even uncovered a pink marble monument, hitherto covered in thick brambles.



Monday
Bramble Clearing Volunteer Workday
Posted by
Patrick Napier
at
22:41
0
comments
Labels: brambles, Volunteer day
Wednesday
Healthy Brockley event

Many thanks to all who visited us at the Healthy Brockley event on October 5th.
And thank you also to Caro Swan who sent us these pictures of an Environmental walk through the cemeteries at a previous Healthy Brockley day.
Posted by
Patrick Napier
at
20:13
0
comments
Labels: Environmental walk, Healthy Brockley
History and Notable Burials
Probably the most interesting (albeit gruesome) piece of history in Brockley Cemetery is a monument erected to the memory of Jane Clouson.
The monument was paid for by public money and stands alone amongst the trees - a praying child sits on top of a pillar.
Below the figure is an inscription detailing the horrific events surrounding her brutal murder on April 25th, 1871:
"A motherless girl who was murdered in Kidbrooke Lane Eltham age 17 in 1871. Her last words were, "Oh, let me die". "
The Scottish Times
News and intelligence from Scotland, and around the globe. Vol. II–No. 38.] Edinburgh, October 11, 1871. Price 3d.
[from Northstar Creative.co.uk]
GREENWICH MURDERER ACQUITTED. YESTERDAY, the Pook family of Greenwich, London, were forced to leave their family home, so strong was the feeling of the local community against them – the animosity having arisen from Mr E. Pooks recent acquittal at his trial, for the murder of Miss J. Clouson.
For anyone who has not been following the case, the public anger and resentment is quite understandable when one considers the undisputed evidence, in that: Jane Clouson was 17 year old when she gained employment at the Pook’s residence, that 3 years later Mr E. Pooks overcame her virtue, and that earlier this year the unfortunate girl found herself pregnant.
It was also revealed from testimonies that Miss J. Clouson had been led to believe Mr E. Pooks was going to make a respectable woman of her and, on the evening of her demise, she was going to meet him.
What follows next is a clear and exact series of events, which only a judge – with the mighty burden of the Law weighing down on his shoulders – could find circumstantial.
Sometime later on that fateful evening, a Constable discovered Jane Clouson in a wretched condition, crawling on Kidbrooke Lane with her head battered so severely, that one eye was hanging from its socket. She never fully regained consciousness, and died later in Guy’s Hospital.
Despite the facts that the accused was seen running from the lane, and that the murder weapon found at the scene – a hammer – had been sold to him by a local shopkeeper some days earlier, and that his trousers were covered in blood and mud : there still remained a “reasonable doubt”.
Mr Pooks claimed that he had spent the entire evening, awaiting with amorous intent, outside another ladies’ house in Greenwich – and this claim, much against everyone’s wishes, could not be disproved.
Notable burials:
Sir William Eames (1821-1897) Marine engineer
Sir John Gilbert (1817 - 1897) Illustrator, drawing for the 'Illustrated London News' and designed a cover for 'Punch'
Sir George Grove (1820 - 1900) First director of the Royal College of Music in 1882 - author of 'Dictionary of Music and Musicians)
Sir William Hardy (1807 - 1887) Deputy Keeper of Public Records 1878 - 1886
Sir Alexander Nisbet (1812 - 1892) Inspector General of the Royal Navy and honorary physician to the Queen
William Stephens (1817 - 1871) Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of England
[information from London Cemeteries - Hugh Mellor]
Taken from London Necropolis



