The end of the beginning
We often wondered how the story of H & H would end.
The day I collected the bound red book with the gold lettering, suddenly, there it was, staring me in the face. I’d read it hundreds of times but never actually “looked” at it:
The year Henry died, Camperdown Cemetery was new, according to the Burial Register, Henry was burial 135.
Some time later, (exactly when is unknown), a headstone was erected to his memory. The details were tremendously useful, but consolidated the inaccuracies.
15 Years later Hannah died and was probably buried with Henry.
Why “probably” ?
The instruction on the Burial Butt is “Same grave as 134” – complete with a large tick, suggesting the job was done properly.
Robert Potter is 134, Henry was 135!
Was Hannah buried with Robert Potter???
In my opinion probably not.
At the time of Hannah’s death, the cemetery was almost full. Robert Potter’s grave was unmarked and it’s actual location unrecorded. Hannah’s inclusion on the headstone appears to have been added later. If that was the case, then Henry’s grave was well marked at time Hannah died.
So - Where exactly was Henry’s grave?
Camperdown Cemetery languished until 1946 when the body of a young girl was found in the cemetery prompting authorities to establish the Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in 1948. The resumption, instituted by the Department of Lands, was completed over the next few years. The process was thoroughly documented, even if the photographs were too few and too general.
What exists today for all to see, is the broken headstone commemorating the lives of Henry and Hannah, pinned inside the west wall of St Stephens Church Cemetery. Thankfully, the transcript taken during the resumption is complete, suggesting the headstone was probably broken during the relocation.
Interestingly, Robert Potter died the day before Henry, and was buried the day before Henry, and, they both lived in Sussex Street. They might have been neighbours or even knew each other......
Thanks to the thoroughness of the Department of Lands, Henry and Hannah were originally buried in Section A /74
