You have no doubt already clicked on the ‘Everton‘ tab on the home page, as it explains my own personal role within the cemetery. This page relates to one of my favourite grave stories for the cemetery.
John Houlding
There is so much history written on the web in both Liverpool FC and Everton FC circles, which at times is hard to compile into as short a synopsis as this, so it is to this end I would leave the telling to others far more eloquent than myself in these matters…
John Houlding was born August 1833, the second son of Thomas & Alice Houlding (Thomas’s registered occupation was ‘Cow Keeper’… I will be looking into this occupation in depth in my next post, to another ‘Cow Keeper’ actually buried at the Cemetery). Records show that they were living at the time in 19 Tenderton Street. Thomas and Alice, were able to give the boys a good education and John, in fact went to Liverpool College.
After leaving Liverpool College, John worked at several occupations, before settling on a job at Davidson’s Brewers, in Soho Street, and marrying Jane Lowe (daughter of a farmer) in 1856 at St.Peters/Everton. by the 1861 census, it shows John’s occupation as Brewery Manager and by the 1871 census, it shows John and Alice living in Robson Street and having 3 children… More importantly John is now listed as having his own Brewery in Tynemouth Street, called ‘Beacon Ales’ and owning and supplying several outlets in Breckfield Road… This Brewery, was to finance all future financial ventures, to which John endeavoured to undertake.
In 1876, Everton Parish, knowing that the Necropolis cemetery, was nearing its full capacity of 80,000 burials, needed a new piece of land to locate a new cemetery for the Parish. 54 acres, were bought from landowner Mr. Woodward for £12,000. John Houlding by this time, had branched out into the Building Contractors Market (as per the 1881 census record, John was now listed as a Building Contractor & Brewer), John Houlding was subsequently contracted to develop the new Everton Cemetery, laying drains, roads, paths, a boundary wall and gated entrances, before building the 3 Mortuary Chapels and paired Lodges plus Cemetery Offices situated at the Higher Lane Entrance to the Cemetery. Mr. John Houlding Esq. was made Chairman of the newly formed, Everton Burial Board, for its inauguration in July 1880.
From 1884-1892 Everton FC played at Anfield, in a deal brokered by John Houlding, as he was the landlord of the site and its facilities. However, after some debacle concerning increased rents owed by Everton FC, the Everton FC board Chaired by George Mahon, decided to leave Anfield and take the team to a new site at Mere Green, later named Goodison Park. This left John in somewhat of a financial dilemma from the move. John had bought the land, developed it along with an enclosed stadium and all the infrastructure to enhance the site, along with this, he owned various public houses around the ground selling ‘Beacon Ales’ from his own brewery. With the loss of income from the rent, as well as the loss of lucrative match-day beer sales, this would have been a heavy burden indeed, to lose income on this scale, now that the City’s only professional team had moved away… The answer, after consultation was simple. Instigate the founding of a new City Football team… to step into the breach, and the rest is indeed history!
In John’s later life, Jane his wife died in 1896… a year later John Houlding was made Lord Mayor of Liverpool. Later in John’s life, after his mayoral office and without the companionship of his wife Jane, John decided to travel the world… but in March of 1902, John fell ill in Cimiez/Nice, South of France… close family members were called for and John died on 17th March 1902 (aged 69). His body was brought back to his beloved Liverpool, and his final resting place is here at Everton, where he joined his wife Jane.
Here is John’s Burial Report… from his Loyal Orange Lodge
A Full and comprehensive account of John Houlding’s funeral can be found by clicking the image below…
As well as John and Jane’s burials listed on the memorial, other members of the family also have memorial inscriptions.
to this end, …. This memorial, is in in fact an OFFICIAL Commonwealth War Graves Memorial to John & Jane’s Grandson… Captain William Doudney Knowles.
Rank: Captain
Date of Death: 22/12/1919
Age: 30
Regiment/Service: South Lancashire Regiment 5th Bn.
Grave Reference: XXVIII. C.E. 49-50.
Cemetery: LIVERPOOL (EVERTON) CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Thomas and Alice Margaret Knowles, of Monte Bello, St. George’s Mount, New Brighton, Cheshire. William was married on January 23rd, 1915, to Kate Irene, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Livesey, of Bootle, Lancashire, and left one son, born October 1st, 1916.
William died in a sanitarium in Matlock/Derbyshire of Tuberculosis contracted during his service in France and Germany.
Full Monument Inscription:
Sacred to the Memory of
Jane
the beloved wife of
John Holding
who departed this life
1st November 1896
Also of
John Houlding
Who died at Cimiez Nice
17th March
in his 69th year
and interred herein
21st March 1902
RIGHT PANEL
William Doudney Knowles,
Captain, 5th South Lancs Reg
Beloved husband of Katherine Irene Knowles
Grandson of John Houlding
Died Dec 22nd 1919 aged 30 years
“Died for his Country”
LEFT PANEL
Alice Margaret, daughter of John Houlding
and beloved wife of Thomas Knowles
Who died 20th July 1939 aged 60(?) years
