The colourful, courageous and innovative characters buried at Ford Park Cemetery reflect their times and sometimes they were ahead of their time.

Our guided walks, exhibitions and heritage trail regularly prompt comment along the lines of ‘Well I never knew that!” on hearing about the achievements and experiences of the dead honoured in the cemetery.

Each headstone is the prologue to a fascinating story which has been uncovered by our volunteers and local historians.

The Trust has a heritage trail and booklet (£3.50) which can be enjoyed by individuals and groups. On the trail are some of the notable graves with military, scientific, artistic, medical, legal, financial and commercial connections.

Examples of notable graves on the heritage trail include:

• Reverend Robert Stephen Hawker – the talented poet best known for The Song of the Western Men with the famous refrain ‘And shall Trelawney die’
• Peter Grillage – a Russian orphan boy whom Florence Nightingale brought back from the Crimea. He moved to Plymouth and was a butler
• Commander John Neil Robertson MB – inventor of the Neil Robertson stretcher used to this day in rescue operations
• John Rendle – nursery and seedsman who founded the Royal Botanic Gardens.
• John Butter MD FRS – an ophthalmic surgeon who founded the Plymouth Eye Dispensary which then became the eye infirmary.

 

Michael Keating (better known as Tristram Shandy) 1867-1895

A talented cartoonist, ventriloquist and conjuror and manager of St James’s Hall in Union Street, Plymouth. It was said he was willing to assist any charitable undertaking. He died aged 28. The inscription reads: Erected as a last token of respect by a few friends.

 

 

To contact us call 01752 665442, Fax 01752 601177 or
e-mail at info@ford-park-cemetery.org