CFHS code : AS195
Parish : All Saints
Inscription : EMMA the beloved wife of ALFRED TURNER d Jan 7 1909 aged 43 also EDITH MAY infant of the above d Jan 1891 also ALBERT WILLIAM TURNER husband and father of the above d August 21 1917 aged 53
Monument : Headstone
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Lat Lon : 52.20324, 0.137472
Monument
This headstone, located in the parish area of All Saints, stands 3 rows west of the central path on the southern border of the parish. There is a well preserved carving at the top and the inscription of metal letters is in good order. It’s position facing into a large fir tree has protected it from the elements but also makes it difficult to find.
Inscription
In Loving Memory Of
EMMA the beloved wife of ALFRED TURNER who departed this life Jan 7 1909 aged 43
Also EDITH MAY infant of the above died Jan 1891
“Rest in Peace”
Also ALBERT WILLIAM TURNER husband and father of the above died August 21 1917 aged 53 years
“Peace Perfect Peace”
Emma Turner (née Seagrott) (1865 – 7 January 1909)
Emma was the daughter of Robert and Sarah (née Grout) Seagrott (later spelt Segrott). Her father was a coachman and she grew up at 6 Corn Exchange Street. Robert died in May 1880 and Sarah Seagrott then worked as a college servant at Caius College. Emma married Albert Turner in 1887 and they had one daughter: Edith who died as an infant.
The couple lived at 40 Green Street until at least 1892 and Albert worked as a stableman. They later ran the Eagle Inn on Benet Street (it is thought from c.1893 onwards as the previous landlord died in November 1892). In 1901 the couple were being aided in the business by Emma’s siblings Nellie (1874-1915) and Frederick (1867-1936) and were also employing one general servant, a stableman and three mail cart drivers. Emma died aged 43 years old.
Edith May Turner (1890 – 15 December 1890)
Edith died at 40 Green Street aged 3 months old.
Albert William Turner (1864 – 21 August 1917)
Albert was born in Borough Green , a village six miles south of Newmarket and was the son of Richard and Mary. He was baptised on 7 August 1864. Aged 16 Albert was working as an agricultural labourer which was the same occupation as his father. He later moved to Cambridge and worked as a stableman.
In 1911 he was running the Eagle with the help of Nellie Seagrott (Emma’s sister), and also employed a general servant and a hotel cook. Nellie died in March 1915 and a few months later Albert had to also contend with a fire at the hotel. The fire broke out at 1.30 am on 4 June 1915 and was discovered by neighbour Mrs Porter. She sent her daughter to awaken Albert who discovered that the partition which separated the Eagle from the neighbouring property was alight. The Cambridge Independent Press reported that ‘he attacked the flames with buckets of water and succeeded in half quelling the fire. Finally he pulled the partition down to prevent the flames spreading to the wooden balcony above’. The Fire Brigade also attended and the damaged was restricted to just woodwork damage. The cause of the fire was some tenants from the neighbouring property having vacated the previous day and burned their rubbish at the property.
Alfred died at the Eagle ‘after a short illness’. The Eagle was owned by Hudson’s Brewery in Pampisford and was advertised for let in September 1917. The brewery advertised ‘to be let with immediate possession, The Eagle, Benet Street, Cambridge with good stabling – Apply by letter’. Clara Hayden took over the business in October 1917.
Robert, Sarah and Nellie Seagrott are also buried at Mill Road Cemetery but their graves have not yet been identified.
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
by Claire Martinsen
[If you have any further information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]