Esther Felsted was the faithful servant for Letitia Mountague for 32 years, Letitia was the Keeper of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground for 10 years.
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William Bithray was the maker and seller of optical and scientific instruments; apprenticed to his uncle Stephen Bithray. A large headstone is placed on the location of the common grave in which William Bithray is buried.
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The volunteer-based Abney Unearthed project has now successfully run for almost five years. Funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (now NLHF) and Hackney Council allowed volunteer work to begin on site in Jan 2017. The project is now a part of the activity plan being delivered as a part of the NLHF-funded restoration project. Read further to learn about the accomplishments made by the project.
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Charles Walker Norwood lived in, and ran his business from, Hoxton. A master Painter Stainer, wallpaper manufacturer, painter and decorator; he was also an exhibitor at the Great Exhibition in Crystal Palace in 1851. Located on one point of a triangular section in a northern area of Abney Park Cemetery, this unusual monument is a 6-sided pillar of red granite with a black granite base & coping, capped with a draped beehive.
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A man of many talents, John ‘Jack’ Knifton was a Life Guardsman, a cow-keeper, a licensed victualler, bailiff, antique dealer, boxer, church warden, mason, Radical, self-taught lawyer, philanthropist & family man. He was a well-known local figure, renowned for his philanthropy and his boxing skills. John ‘Jack’ was reported to be the first heavyweight boxing champion of England with the nickname ‘The 81-Tonner’
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This large red granite pedestal often gains attention due to the spiked wheels that adorn the railings of the plinth. The monument stands over a double vault. Two generations of the Stiles family of Shoreditch and Hackney are buried in this grave, three siblings: William Stiles, Elizabeth Stiles & Stephen Stiles. William was a stone merchant and Stephen was a successful builder. They were both noted philanthropists.
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Elizabeth Mounsey was a renowned and accomplished church organist and composer. At a young age, she secured the position of organist at St Peter’s Cornhill in the City of London, from 1834 until 1882. In September 1840, Felix Mendelssohn visited St Peter’s and he played several pieces for Elizabeth. She was listed in the London Trades’ Directory of 1856, under the category head of ‘Teachers of Music’.
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Alice Zimmern was a pioneer educationist and writer of numerous books, and a suffragist with a strong interest in the rights and education of women. After graduating with honours in 1885, she became a teacher of classics and English at several girls’ schools. After the turn of the century, she increasingly turned her attention to the suffrage issue and women’s rights.
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At the end of 2021 Abney Unearthed volunteers were delighted to discover that Abney Park Cemetery has its own grave-side dog monument. Volunteers were working on a section near the boundary wall on the east side of the site. The stone dog discovered is one of several interesting finds in this section. The following article discusses some of the discoveries made in this area and illuminates some of these questions.
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Edwin William Alabone M.D was a Chest specialist, practising in Hackney and Islington. He was also 'a pioneer in the treatment of tuberculosis' who was at the centre of professional controversy. The treatment of tuberculosis was the basis of his life's work as a medical practitioner and this is recorded on his Abney Park family grave.
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Daniel Cole was a Seaman in Nelson's Navy, invalided out of the service one month before the Battle of Trafalgar. He laid the foundations for a pottery business at White Hart Lane, Tottenham, which operated until the mid-1950s. His wife Ann died in the Union Workhouse, Edmonton in 1847.
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Known as ‘the Old Dad’ Archibald Sloss was a burglar and ex-convict who, after many sentences, joined the Salvation Army and worked for them, supporting prisoners when they left gaol. After being interviewed by Charles Morley, his stories were published in the Westminster Gazette. The following article is with thanks to Abney Unearthed researchers and by permission of a relative of Archie Sloss.
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Richard and Jane Louisa Fishenden moved to Hackney in 1901 and were the parents of Richard Bertram Fishenden, OBE, Msc, Lecturer. Richard Bertram was an editor, author and designer, who was instrumental in advising on graphic design and printing processes.
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Edwardus Johannes (Edward John) Sage was a local historian who was also a commissioner and benefactor for the Stoke Newington library.
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Alice Cron, née Taylor, was born in Hackney in 1859. Little is known about Alice’s education, home life or working life but she is noted as being a ‘Writer and Poetess’ on her headstone.
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Thomas Bunyan was a member of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and also a Chief Warder of the Tower of London. This grave was discovered by Abney Unearthed volunteers as they added plot numbers and grave details to a previously unmapped area of Abney Park.
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