GARDENER
Situated in the Consecrated/West Section of Jesmond Old Cemetery.
William was born in 1792 in Ravensworth, Lamesley, County Durham. In 1816, at the age of 25, he married Mary Boales from Welbeck, Nottinghamshire, then aged 23, in Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire. On the marriage record, William is described as a ‘gardener’. Which is interesting, as by the time of the 1841 Census, William is in the employ of Armorer Donkin as a ‘gardener’ and is living with Mary, and their seven children, William, Maria, Joseph, Thomas, George, Henry and Robert, in Jesmond Park Lodge, situated within the grounds of Jesmond Park. Jesmond Park, built in 1826 for Armorer Donkin, overlooked the Dene and its Lodge was at the Jesmond Road entrance to the 8 acre estate near Sandyford New Bridge over the Mill Burn; unfortunately, it is long gone now, it being demolished in 1899, but it was situated where Kimberley Gardens is today, with gardens and woodlands sloping down to the Ouseburn.
By the time of the 1851 Census, Mary is now a widow, William having died in 1850, and is still living in Jesmond Park Lodge and is recorded as being a ‘Gate Keeper’. In the 1861 Census, Mary has moved on to 154, Grove Road, Jesmond, along with her daughter, Maria, whose death, as well as her husband, George, is also recorded on the gravestone.
William’s career as a Gardener saw him win many awards and medals and I’m guessing it was seen as a desirable and prestigious position for an ordinary working man, with many of the local ‘gentry’ employing successful gardeners to enhance their own reputations. For example, a quick trawl of the local newspapers of the day highlights that Mr. Joseph Clark was gardener to Mrs. Berwicke of Close House, Mr. George Forman was gardener to Joseph Lamb, Esq., of Axwell Park, Mr. George Cook was gardener to Edward James, Esq., of Wylam Hall, Mr. James Reid was gardener to William Losh, Esq., of Little Benton, Mr. John Cook was gardener to Edward Collingwood, Esq., of Dissington and Mr. Anthony Hedley, gardener to John Hodgson, Esq., of Elswick Hall – all ‘posh’ names or addresses familiar to anyone from Newcastle today.
Anyway, within the columns of those some newspapers, William’s name appeared quite a bit…..
In the Newcastle Courant, dated September 10, 1836, they carry on apology, stating that ‘we omitted in our report, last week, of the Anniversary Meeting of the Botanical and Horticultural Society, to state that Mr. William Kelly, gardener to Armorer Donkin, Esq., of Jesmond, was presented by the chairman of the meeting at the Queen’s Head, with the large Silver Banksian Medal of the Horticultural Society of London, as a reward for his merit in obtaining the greatest number of prizes, and for affording valuable productions to the Society for the last year’.
In the Newcastle Courant, dated May 5, 1843, we get an idea of William’s prowess as a gardener, as it reports that, ‘to Mr. William Kelly, gardener to Armorer Donkin, Esq., Jesmond, the silver medal, for the best 6 double hyacinths, from the open ground; the second silver medal for the best 6 single ditto, ditto, the second silver medal, for the best amaryllis; the second bronze medal, for the second best ditto; and the second bronze medal, for the best bouquet of jonquils (not less than 12 specimens)’.
Once again, in the Newcastle Courant, of July 4, 1844, it was reported that ‘at a general meeting of the Newcastle Floral and Horticultural Society held at the Music Hall, Nelson Street, the following prizes were awarded:- the best melon; the second silver medal to Mr. William Kelly, gardener to Armorer Donkin Esq., Jesmond’.
As well as growing and showing melons, William grew other exotic fruit for the time, with the Newcastle Courant, dated July 11 1844 saying that ‘Mr. William Kelly, gardener to A. Donkin Esq., Jesmond, for the second best-flavoured pineapple, and the best bouquet of seedling flowers at the Botanical and Horticultural Society, Music Hall, Blackett Street’.
Again, in the Newcastle Courant of December 1, 1848, the Botanical and Horticultural Society announces that ‘their annual Chrysanthemum and Camellia exhibition, held at ‘the Music Hall, Nelson Street, in this town’, that Mr. Kelly, gardener to A. Donkin, Esq., Jesmond, had exhibited a very fine specimen of Camellia, which gained first prize, and his collection of six Chrysanthemums, four varieties, had also gained first prize’.
One can imagine that William, with his proven track record of excellence as a gardener, was held in very high esteem for his efforts by his employer, Armorer.
William died, aged 58, on August 13th, 1850. The Durham Advertiser, dated Friday August 23, 1850, carry a lovely obituary to William, saying that, ‘we much regret to state that Mr. William Kelly, gardener to Armorer Donkin, Esq., Jesmond, near Newcastle, departed this life on the 13th instant, at the age of 58 years after a long instance. Mr. Kelly was much respected by his employer, whom he had faithfully served upwards of a quarter of a century. He was a clever gardener, and as an old member of the Botanical and Horticultural Society, constantly exhibited very capital specimens of Fruits and Flowers, in which he was rarely excelled by any competitor. The Society has lost one of its most active and honourable members, and his death is deeply deplored by a numerous circle of friends, by whom he was highly regarded for his straightforward, manly conduct, and his sterling integrity and sincerity in all the transactions of life’.
Mary died on May 28th, 1870, aged 78.