CFHS code : PL148
Parish : St Paul
Inscription : In Loving Memory of SARAH ELIZABETH DOGGETT d Aug 13th 1919 aged 70 THOMAS FREDERICK DOGGETT d Feb 14 aged 77 In Loving Memory of MARY ANDERSON d April [17] [1941]
Monument : Kerb stones
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
Inscription
Sarah Elizabeth Doggett (née Gray) (1849 – 13 August 1919)
Sarah was born in Chesterton and baptised there on 1 April 1849. She was the daughter of John and Mary Ann Gray and her father was a labourer. Sarah married Thomas Doggett on 31 July 1873 in Chesterton and they had eight children: Rosa Evelyn (1874-1956), Harry Edwin (1875-1944), Walter Grimwood (1876-1904), Sarah Elizabeth (1878-1879), Ernest Albert (1879-1950), Herbert Francis (1881-1882), Lily Gertrude (1882-1964) and Bertie Frederick (1883-1973). Thomas was a naturalist/ taxidermist and the family lived at 8 Caius Street (at least 1881-1911) and 91 Glisson Road (at least 1917 onwards). She died in August 1919 after she and Frederick had been out for tea with some friends. She appeared in good health but when she returned home she had a coughing fit and went into a semi-conscious state. The doctor was called but was unable to assist. Sarah was described as the ‘wife of the well known naturalist’ and her funeral took place on 16 August at Mill Road Cemetery. The Cambridge Daily News reported ‘the coffin was of heavy polished English elm, with brass fittings…it was covered with beautiful floral tributes as was the glass hearse’.
Thomas Frederick (Frederick) Doggett (19 April 1843 – 14 February 1921)
Fredrick was born in Dickleburgh, on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and baptised there on 19 May 1843. He was the son of Thomas Frederick and Sarah Doggett and grew up in Dickleburgh where his father was a tailor and hatter. Aged 17 he was also working as a tailor, but by 1871 was lodging at the Ship Inn, Mill Lane, Cambridge and working as a naturalist. He married Sarah Gray when he was 30 years old.
Two of his sons also worked as naturalists and in September 1899 Walter Doggett was appointed naturalist on Sir H.H. Johnston’s expedition to Uganda. The Cambridge Independent Press reported that ‘it is owing to the reputation gained by his father, under whom young Doggett was articled, that the position was secured…Thanks to the skill and unique experience of Mr. Doggett, senior, who by the way, fitted out the Hon. Walter Rothschild, and Mr. Scott B. Wilson for the Sandwich Islands, the newly appointed naturalist goes out under the most favourable conditions. Young Doggett…has made Queen Anne Mansions, London, his headquarters for the past few weeks, whence he has studied at Kew, received instruction in the testing of soils for gold and silver, and in other sciences likely to be useful to him in Uganda’. The expedition was very successful and Sir Johnston published a book including some of the photos and drawings which Walter made during the trip. Walter reportedly shot a ‘specimen of the whale-headed stork, which had not been seen in Europe for 30 years, while on the Ruwenzora Mountains Mr Doggett found a new fruit, the blackberries of Ruwenzora …and these have been named after the discovered ‘Rubus Doggetti”.
Walter Doggett drowned in the River Kagera, Uganda on 3 January 1904. He was ‘engaged in fishing from a native canoe in order to collect specimens of fish for the British Museum….The canoe, in which there were several native boatmen, drifted on to a submerged rock and was capsized. The natives, it is regrettable to observe, appear to have made no attempt to save their European companion and swam off to the short – no doubt in a panic lest they might be snapped up by crocodiles’.
In September 1878 Mr Atkin of Wisbech ‘had the good fortune to catch a fine rudd (a type of freshwater fish), at Cotton’s Bridge, Upwell, weighing 2lbs. He had placed the same in the care of F. Doggett, naturalist, Caius Street, Cambridge for preservation. The above is brilliantly marked and can be seen at Doggett’s address for a short time only’. In November 1881 The Cambridge Independent Press reported that ‘a fine roach, weighing 1lb, 10oz was couaght by Mr. H. Jerem…at Holywell. It is being preserved by Mr. F. Doggett, naturalist’. In November 1886 he was given two peregrine falcons to preserve. Frederick often placed information in newspapers detailing the work he was working on and local townsfolk were welcomed to view the various birds/fish. He exhibited his work at The Cambridgeshire Ornithological Society in both November 1897 and November 1899. His exhibits in 1897 were said to include ‘a representation of a piece of Wicken Fen, over which pinioned green plovers picked and pecked their way. There were also vessels showing the successive stages in the development of the toad, newt, hornet, wasp, cockchafter, barn owl, trout from the embryonie to the fully matured condition, while other exhibits included a pair of stuffed British snowy owls, an American bison skin, an elephant’s hoof of nearly dairy pail dimensions, some emu’s eggs, and a pearl-inlaid Maori water bottle’.
He owned ‘live’ animals too and his Persian kitten won first prize in the Kitten Class at 1901 Cambridgeshire Ornithological Society Show , with the judge saying ‘it possessed the best eyes of any cat in the show’. A kitten (possibly the same one) won second prize at the National Cat Club Show in Regent’s Park, London in June 1902.
Frederick was on the committee of the Ancient Order of Foresters. In 1900 he collected ‘useful articles for our sick and wounded soldiers’ which amounted to 67 walking sticks, 63 pipes, 17 ounces of tabacco and a quantity of literature. He then wrote to Lady Audrey Buller asking her to forward the items to South Africa. Her thank you letter to Frederick was printed in the Cambridge Independent Press on 6 April 1900. In 1902 he spoke at the Good Friday tea held at the Barnwell Mission on ‘The Birds and Beasts of the Bible’. He also gave lectures entitled ‘The old sport of hawking’, ‘Strange creatures in Natural History’ and ‘The history of the egg’.
Frederick continued to live at Glisson Road after he was widowed but died at Mill Road Infirmary aged 77 years old. The cause of death was due to ‘senile decay and dementia’ and his funeral took place on 17 February 1921.
Mary Anderson (d 1941)
No information has been found about Mary Anderson, and her name does not appear in the grave register.
From Parish burial records it is known that Frederick and Sarah’s infant daughter is also buried in the same grave
Sarah Elizabeth Doggett (6 February 1878 – 13 March 1879)
Sarah died at Cross Street aged 13 months old and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 18 March.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
Parish burial records transcribed by CFHS
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]