Ely Cemetery

Ely Cemetery. . In the shadow of the cemetery mound lie members of some of Ely's prominent Victorian and early twentieth century families...., The headstones in this part of the cemetery have suffered perhaps more than most from the effects of weathering, but some retain a certain faded splendour and are well worth exploring. This is best done in spring or autumn because this area, during the summer months is allowed to become a wild meadow, where flowers, plants and wildlife can flourish. This has been done as part of the City Council's work toward making the cemetery a more environmentally friendly open space and elsewhere swift boxes, hedgehog houses and bug hotels have been installed with this in mind., To the right is what is known as 'the cemetery mound'. It has given rise to Ely's very own urban myth, in as much as it has the reputation of being the burial place of large numbers of people who died in a cholera outbreak in the 1830's. There is no truth in the story and the mound was in fact constructed to be the site of a windmill. A cartway leading to the top can still be made out., In this area lie members of some of Ely's most distinguished families of the late Victorian and early twentieth century periods. , Lt Col William Browne Ferris (1841-1906) was a soldier who served with distinction in various parts of the British Empire and in 1879 was appointed Chief Constable of the Isle of Ely Police Force serving in that post until his death. At his funeral three volleys were fired over his grave and the Last Post was sounded. , Harold Archer (1845-1933) a leading authority on the drainage of the Fens, a solicitor and head of the firm founded by his grandfather, played a notable role in Ely's civic and church life. In the same grave may be found other members of his family, including his son Goodwyn Luddington Archer (1878-1962), a distinguished Territorial officer., Also there may be found Col John Goodwyn Allden Beckett (1914-87), Harold Archer's nephew and son of Dr Francis Beckett, who served with the Cambridgeshire Regiment and was a prisoner of war after the fall of Singapore in 1942. Dr Francis George Allden Beckett (1910-94), who served at the Grange Maternity Hospital for thirty six years, is also interred in the same grave. Dr Francis Mears Beckett (1836-1903), and his wife Martha lie nearby in another grave which also has an inscription honouring their son Victor Louis Sydney Beckett (1882-1916), who was killed in France during the Great War., Elsewhere are tombstones of good quality like that of William Boyce Creak, stationer and printer of High Street, and his wife Hannah, both of whom died in 1893 and William Panchard Snell (1836-1915), a florist and nurseryman of Broad Street., The grave containing Gertrude Mary Sindall (1870-1941), and Fanny Louise Sindall (1872-1938), is of particular note. They were sisters and connected to several local farming families. Also in the grave is Ellen Maria Roberts (1811-96), who was born in Surinam in South America. Throughout this section are to be found the names of members of families closely connected to this whole period of Ely's history -- Cutlack, Woodbine, Cross, Ashby and Lowe to name but just a few.