Ehemaliger Englischer Friedhof - English Cemetery

 

Der ehemalige anglikanische Friedhof mit einer Kapelle in der Bauweise der englischen Neugotik befindet sich an der Kreuzbuchstrasse in Meggen bei Luzern. Auf dem seit 1874 bestehenden Friedhof fanden Anglikaner aus der Region Luzern, aber auch aus anderen Orten in der Innerschweiz ihre letzte Ruhestätte. Ich habe die Grabsteine im Juli 2014 fotografiert, auf den meisten waren damals die Inschriften noch mehr oder weniger gut lesbar. Einige Grabsteine habe ich im Oktober 2023 nochmal fotografiert, da waren viele nicht mehr so gut lesbar. Dafür habe ich noch drei Gräber entdeckt, die ich 2014 übersehen habe. Speziell an den Inschriften der Grabsteine ist, dass manchmal auch die Todesumstände erwähnt werden. Zu einigen Unglücksfällen habe ich Zeitungsberichte gefunden.

 

This old English cemetery with a chapel is situated at the Kreuzbuchstreet in Meggen near Lucerne in Central Switzerland. On this cemetery were burried members of the English Church who lived and died in the Lucerne area or in other places in the region of Central Switzerland.

In July 2014 I took pictures of the old headstones on this cemetery, on most of them you could still read the inscriptions. In October 2023 I took again pictures of some of the old headstones, but there were also some headstones where you could barely read the inscriptions. They sometimes also mention the circumstances of death. I found some accidents in several newspapers in the UK and Switzerland. In 2023 I found three graves which I didn't see back in 2014, they are situated near the chapel / church.

 

Inschriften auf dem Englischen Friedhof in Meggen bei Luzern, Schweiz im Mai 1905

Inscriptions in the English Cemetery at Meggen near Lucerne, Switzerland in May 1905

 

https://archive.org/stream/s10notesqueries06londuoft#page/124/mode/2up/search/Cemetery

 

 

Im Jahr 2023 zusätzlich gefundene Grabstellen:

 

Familienwappen (vier Teile: zwei Türme, zwei Löwen)

Coat of Arms (four parts: two towers and two lions)

Hedwig Vivien 1889 - 1956

Amy Paul Vivien 1893 - 1970

 

In Loving Memory of

Lewis Hare Clayton 1872 - 1921

Eva Clayton 1888 - 1935

 

To the sacred Memory of Wilhelma von Roeder

Born Berlin 6. IX. 1880 - died Lucerne 4.II.1891

"The Lord Bless Thee And Keep Thee"

 

Inschriften auf dem Englischen Friedhof in Meggen bei Luzern, Schweiz im Juli 2014

Inscriptions on the English Cemetery at Meggen near Lucerne, Switzerland in July 2014

 

Francis Lee Dopfer, died October 1923

Henry Anderson, Church warden, 1870 died 1942

 

In Loving Memory of

Hugo Grün, July 24th 1860 – June 14th 1934

Annie C. Grün, born Cox, Feb. 19th 1860 – Oct. 11th 1934

 

Julia Chanes, died Lucerne, May 1930

The Lord need thee and bless thee.

 

Sacred to the Memory of

Cordelia Schermerhorn Steward

The beloved wife of John Steward

Born at New York, June 23rd 1849

Died at Carlsbad, June 12th 1920

at the seventy first year of her age.

 

She was at Carlsbad in 1885, and from 1911 to 1916,

always with husband John Steward, except 1915 and 1916.

(see the guestlist at the National Library of the Czech Republic)

http://kramerius.nkp.cz/kramerius/Welcome.do?lang=en

 

You can find her death entry in the churchbook of Carlsbad as follows:

 

1920 am 12. Juni um 3h nachmittags in Karlsbad Nr. 766 Königsvilla

Mrs. Steward Cordelia, verheiratet, gebürtig in New York, 

angeblich geboren am 23. Juni 1849 (70 Jahre alt), 

Todesursache Lungenödem, wird nach Luzern überführt.

 

http://www.portafontium.de/iipimage/30070901/karlovy-vary-evangelicka-13_0600-z

 

 

Lisa Morrison widow of James Graig Howie J. P.

1873 Aberdeen – 1951 Luzern

 

In Loving Memory of Swenddlen Gladys Rose

Born 8. Februar 1909 – September ????

 

Sacred to the Memory of

Michael Arthur Castle who died at Lucerne

the 9th of December 1885 in his 68th year of age.

 

Richard Bayldon Guest and Elizabeth his wife

of Cudworth, Barnsley, England

Born July … died at Lucerne …

 

In Loving Memory of

Charles William Parker of Merton Surrey

Born September 5th 184?

Died September 5th 1904

Result of a carriage accident near Lucerne

Watch therefore for you know not

what hour your Lord doth come.

 

John Horsley Haslam,

Vicar of St. Saviour's., Denmark Park

died at Lucerne, 27. August 1904, aged 54

 

Obituary Notice: Fellows: Haslam, John Horsley

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 65, p. 336/337

 

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1905MNRAS..65R.336.

https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/65/4/336/1127005

 

 

Ann Jane Cannon, born at Douglas, Isle of Man

April 20th 1859, died at Lucerne, March 24th 1901

 

In Memory of Henry Devenish Leigh

Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford

Died at Luzern May 2nd 1903 aged 38

 

This source says that he died in 1909 in Southampton aged 44

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Leigh-1410

 

Occupants of Oxford, 35 Hollywell Street, listed in directories etc. see 1894

http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/holywell/north/035.html

 

Occupants of Oxford, 2 Hollywell Street, listed in directories etc. 1896-1901

http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/holywell/north/002.html

 

 

John Henry Brown, died May 20th 1903

Eldest son of the late John Brown of

Carlisle, England, born July 24th 1840

 

In Loving Memory of … …

Wife of James Kenyon

Accrington, Lancashire

She died at Seeburg, Lucerne

July ?? 1896, aged ?9 years

 

Henry A. Carson B. D. T. C. D.

Vicar of Santry County Dublin

Died at Lucerne, Sept. 1st 1895

We also bless Thy Holy Name

For all Thy Servants departed this life in…

 

In Loving Memory of dear Father

Edward Doughty

Born at Wakefield, Yorkshire, England

December 7th 1826 died at Lucerne July 19th 1895

In the midst of Life we are in Death.

 

In Loving Memory of Joseph Zobel

from Calcutta, born 24th June 1856/58

Died Lucerne 5th April 1921

 

 

Mary Bleecker Seymour Tibbits April 26 1927

 

Zu Mary Bleecker Seymour Tibbits sind bei familysearch online einsehbar:

Passport Applications / Reisepassanträge von 1894, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921.

Demnach wurde sie am 31. März 1846 in Albany, New York geboren und wohnte auch dort.

Sie verliess die USA am 26. Juni 1908 und war seit dem 31. August 1914 in Luzern registriert.

Beim Passantrag von 1917 wird Mary E. T. Richards, Grand Hotel National, als Zeugin genannt.

Mary E. T. Richards erklärt, dass sie Mary B. S. Tibbits seit 34 Jahren kennt.

Mary Bleecker Seymour Tibbits hielt sich zudem an folgenden Orten auf:

1894-1904 Frankreich, Deutschland, Italien

1908-1912 Ägypten, Russland, Heiliges Land

1912-1921 Luzern, Schweiz

 

Mehr Informationen zu ihrem Leben und ihrer Familie in den USA vor dem Jahr 1890 liegen mir vor.

I have collected more documents and information about her life and her family in the United States.

 

 

Mary Edith Treat Richards October 27 1939

 

Zu Mary Edith Treat Richards sind bei familysearch online einsehbar:

Passport Applications / Reisepassanträge von 1894, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1921.

Demnach wurde sie am 9. April 1845 in Bedford, New York geboren und wohnte in Albany, NY.

Sie verliess die USA am 26. Juni 1908 und war seit dem 31. August 1914 in Luzern registriert.

Beim Passantrag von 1917 wird Mary B. S. Tibbits, Grand Hotel National, als Zeugin genannt.

Mary B. S. Tibbits erklärt, dass sie Mary E. T. Richards seit 34 Jahren kennt.

Mary E. T. Richards hielt sich zudem an folgenden Orten auf:

1894-1904 Frankreich, Deutschland, Italien

1908-1912 Ägypten, Russland, Heiliges Land

1912-1921 Luzern, Schweiz

1919 erwähnte sie ihren Vater Timothy Pickering Richards, geboren in Savannah, Georgia.

1921 wollte sie nach Italien wegen ihrer Gesundheit und nach Frankreich um Verwandte zu besuchen.

 

Mehr Informationen zu ihrem Leben und ihrer Familie in den USA vor dem Jahr 1890 liegen mir vor.

I have collected more documents and information about her life and her family in the United States.

 

 

Herbert Hanson Derwent, The beloved son of

Eusebius Mary Derwent of Middlesbro, England

Drowned near Meggen 29 June 1898 age 21

In trying to save another.

 

For account of accident see "The Times" of 1st July 1898

or in the "Evening Express" of Thursday June 30 1898

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3277251/3277253/57/Lucerne

 

"Drowned in Lake Lucerne: A Central News telegram from Lucerne on

Thursday says: A sad boating accident, by which a young Englishman

and a young lady have lost their lives, occurred on Lake Lucerne

yesterday afternoon. A party of five English people who were staying

at an hotel on the borders of the lake took a small boat for a sail., in the

course of which the craft was capsized by a suddenly arising and violent

squall. Three of the party were saved, but Mr. Herbert Derwent, 21 years

of age, and Miss Emilie Schuler, aged twenty, were drowned. Up to the 

present their bodies have not been recovered." 

 

Auch diverse andere britische Zeitungen berichteten über dieses Unglück,

so in Suffolk, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire und Manchester. Diese

Zeitungsartikel kann man bei findmypast lesen, wenn man dort registriert ist.

 

Auch die Neuenburger Zeitung "L'Impartial" berichtete am 1. und 2. Juli 1898:

 

"Lucerne. 30 juin. Hier après midi, cinq anglais, en séjour dans la pension

Seeburg, avaient entrepris une promenade en petit bateau sur le lac. Ils

ont été surpris par un violent orage et leur canot a chaviré. Une jeune fille,

miss Emilie Schuler, et un jeune homme, M. Herbert Derwent, se sont noyés.

Leurs corps n'ont pas encore été retrouvés. Les trois autres personnes ont

pu être sauvées."

 

"Lucerne, 1er juillet. Les corps des deux Anglais qui se sont noyés dans

le lac au cours d'une promenade en petit bateau viennent d'être retrouvés.

Le jeune Herbert Derwent était fils unique; son père est actuellement en

séjour dans l'Oberland bernois."

 

Im Intelligenzblatt der Stadt Bern vom 4. Juli 1898 steht unter anderem zu lesen:

 

"Beide Leichen wurden in der Orangerie zu Altstadt untergebracht (vermutlich ist

damit Altstatt/Altstad in Meggen gemeint). Die Uhr des Derwent ist um 4 Uhr

18 Minuten still gestanden, und daher auch das Unglück wohl um diese Zeit

passiert. Derwent sei der einzige Sohn eines betagten Vaters, der letzte

Woche ebenfalls in Seeburg war, und gegenwärtig im Berner Oberland sich

aufhält. Fräulein Schuler ist eine Waise." (Miss Schuler was an orphan)

 

Der Census von England besagt allerdings etwas anderes. 1881 findet

man die Familie Eusebius und Mary Derwent mit 4 Söhnen, auch 1891

tauchen diese alle wieder auf und 1901 lebten ebenfalls noch 3 Söhne.

Der älteste bei einem Onkel in London, die anderen noch in Yorkshire.

 

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3N4-GQB

 

 

Frances Emma Clossop

Born July 23rd 1823

Died Sept 28th 1899

 

Honored to the Memory of

Maria Brown, daughter of William

and Elizabeth Brown of West Derby Liverpool

sister of W. C. Brown of Cromwell Crescent

S. Kensington, died Lucerne 20th August 1900

 

Elizabeth, beloved wife of Ernest Williams

Born July 1849, died 28. Feb. 1902

and also the ashes of Ernest Williams

who died Dec. 10th 1914 aged 69 years

 

in Loving Memory of FANNY (wife of)

W. O. Williams R. N. of Dropmore House Canterbury

died April 10th 1900 in her 86th year

 

In Loving Memory of William Henry Griffith

Died at Lucerne, July 17th 1887 aged 57

 

 

In Memory of Thomas Dunnill of Dublin, aged 59 years

Accidentally drowned whilst crossing the

bridge in course of construction at Lucerne 19 July 1870

 

Remains removed from the Old Town Cemetery September 26th 1903

 

Thomas Dunnill war offenbar der Besitzer des Unternehmens

"Thomas Dunnill, wool broker, Dublin". Als solcher war er seit

Jahren sehr bekannt bei allen, die in den Wollen-Handel involviert

waren. Dies kann man dem "Bradford Daily Telegraph" entnehmen,

den man ebenfalls bei findmypast einsehen kann.

 

Zeitungsbericht über den Unfall: Flintshire Observer, Friday 29 July 1870

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3749440/3749443/51/Lucerne

 

 

"Fatal Accident at Lucerne. A most sad accident has befallen a middle-aged

gentleman from Dublin, named Dunnell. He was staying at the "Swan," in

Lucerne, and was to have left Lucerne on the very day of his death, but

being anxious to see something of Swiss farming he post-poned his leaving

for Interlacken until the following morning. Returning from a pleasant drive,

he expressed a wish to walk over the new bridge, which is all but completed.

One of his fellow travellers agreed to accompany Mr. Dunnell. The two

traversed the bridge to the point of its completion. They left at this point,

and attempted to go across some planks to the temporary tramroad which

runs parallel with the new bridge. The friend, of light weight, succeeded in

doing so. Mr. Dunnell, a heavy man. displaced the planks, and when his

friend looked back he saw him struggling in the water, and soon the current

twisted him round and round, and after two appearances on the surface he

sank and his body, though an interval of two days has elapsed, has not yet

been recovered. His wife saw from her window the commotion near the lake,

but little dreamt at the time that her husband was the cause of it."

 

 

Erected by Caroline Thomson in Memory of her

beloved husband William Mann Thomson, advocate Edinburgh

died suddenly on Mount Pilatus on 9th August 1858

 

In Loving Memory of Frank Clarence Carter

born August 8th 1870, also his wife Lavinia

of Leeds, Yorkshire, England

 

In Loving Memory of

Agnes Joana Keith

Oldest daughter of

John and Agnes Keith

Aberdeen, Scotland

Born at Aberdeen, 16 Nov. 1856/66

Died at Lucerne 9th August 1876

 

Sacred to the Memory of

J. H. Cromwell Russell

born at Cheshunt Park

Hertfordshire 23. August 1806

died at Schwyz 14. June 1892

Erected by his loving daughter

Frances Cromwell Russell

 

In loving Memory of Martha Elizabeth Neumann

Beloved wife of C. Neumann

daughter of the late B. Butten…/Batten…

May 1833 – January 1894

 

Martha Elizabeth Neumann 1867-1952

Sacred to the Memory of

Professor Conrad Neumann

Born … died March 1917

 

 

Zudem auf der Liste der Gräber von 1905:

 

Arthur Macnamara, barrister-at-law,

born 24. April 1861, died 16. August 1890.

Killed by a fall on the lower slopes of the Düssistock

(dieser liegt im Maderanertal im Kanton Uri, Schweiz)

 

South Wales Daily News, 22. August 1890

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3718245/3718252/104/

 

"Mr Arthur H. Frere writes: As another lamentable Alpine accident

occurred on Saturday last, by which an intimate friend of mine, Mr

Arthur Macnamara, lost his life, I hasten to give a short account of what

actually took place, in order to forestall any possibility of erroneous

reports being circulated. Mr Macnamara and his friend Mr Cornish, both

experienced mountaineers, left the Hotel Alpenclub, in the Maderanertal,

on Saturday morning at six to ascend the Dussistock without guide, the

ascent being easy and free from danger. At 5 p.m., when only an hour and

a half from the hoteJ, Mr Macnamara, who was running down a grass-slope,

slipped, and rolling over, fell and was killed on the rock below, His mother and

two Sisters were at the hotel. My information is derived from my brother, who

was with them at the hotel. I wish to mention that the mountain is well known

to me, and that the accident, occurring where it did, on the lower slope,

might have happened to anyone in the course of an ordinary walk."