Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

John Clegg Boond (1809 - 1886)


 

 

John Clegg Boond was a warehouseman in Manchester and by 1881 he was a clerk at a dye works. His sister Eliza's daughter was Frances Hodgson Burnett who was famous for writing the children's classic novel, "The Secret Garden."


John was born in 1809 in Manchester. His parents were William Boond (born 1781 in Manchester) and Hannah (nee Clegg) Boond (born 1781 in Salford), who were married on 16th April at 1803 at Manchester Collegiate Church, (later to become Manchester Cathedral). The 1841 census shows that they lived at Faulkner Street, Manchester. John was the eldest of four children: William jnr (born 1811), Charles (born 1813) and Eliza (born 1815 and married Edwin Hodgson in 1844).


On 18th August 1842, John Clegg Boond married Caroline Holt at St James's Church, Manchester. She was the daughter of James and Frances Holt of Devonshire Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. There is no census return for John in 1851, but the Electoral Register shows he lived at 147 Rosamond Street West, Chorlton-on-Medlock. Their children were: Frederick John (born 1843 in Cheetham, Manchester), Caroline Ann (born 1845 in Cheetham, Manchester), Lucy (born 1849 in Chorlton-on-Medlock), Ernest William (born 1851 in Chorlton-on-Medlock and died in 1868 aged 17), Emma (born 1853 in Cheetham), Elizabeth Clegg (born 1856 in Chorlton-on-Medlock), and Helena Annie (born 1859 in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester). On 31st December 1853 the Leicester Mercury records in the Patents section, John Clegg Boond of the City of Manchester, Warehouseman, for certain improvements in Jacquard (loom) apparatus.


An excerpt from the book "Beyond the Secret Garden" written by Ann Thwaite about Frances Hodgson Burnett is quite intriguing. "Frances was not yet four when her father (Edwin Hodgson) died (in 1853 aged 38). His death, of course, made a great difference to their lives. He died intestate and Eliza (nee Boond) Hodgson, pregnant with the fifth child, signed the deed of administration as his widow. It was witnessed by her brother John Clegg Boond, warehouseman, and her mother Hannah (nee Clegg) Boond."


There is no census return for 1861, but the Manchester Rate Books show that John Clegg Boond and family lived at 47 Rosamond Street West, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. The 1871 census shows the family lived at Bedford Street, Hulme, where John was aged 61, his wife Caroline was aged 51 and their children are: Caroline aged 25, Lucy aged 22, Emma aged 17, Elizabeth aged 15 and Helena aged 10. Also in the house was Caroline's elder sister Frances aged 61. The 1881 Census shows the family lived at 12 Aldred Street, Salford.  John was aged 72 and was a Clerk in a Dye Works. His wife Caroline was aged 62 Emma was 27, Elizabeth was 24 and Helena was 20.


On Friday 19th January 1883, John's wife Caroline died at home aged 63. She was interred at Weaste Cemetery plot B17/CE/13 on 25 January. Three years later, John Clegg Boond died on 11th May 1886 at Wynford Street, Salford, aged 77 and was interred with his wife on 15th May. In the 1891 census, Emma and Elizabeth lived with their brother Frederick J Boond at 36, Brookland Street, Salford. All still single.