She sat by his grave every day

Lucy Thompson was born in 1799 in London and baptised in 1802. At the time of baptism, her parents were living in Angel Alley in Whitechapel, a later haunt of Jack the Ripper. The area was primarily inhabited by prostitutes and farmers who supplied the Whitechapel Hay market.

In 1815, Lucy married John Buckridge, a silk weaver. This provided some financial security for Lucy. In 1818 her parents and younger siblings were the subject of a removal order back to the parish of Saint Botolph Without, Aldersgate so as not to be a financial burden for poor relief on the parish they were then residing in.

John and Lucy’s children were Robert, Rachael, Lucy and Jane who were all born at their home in Swan Yard, Shoreditch. John died in 1826 aged 28.

In 1830 at Saint Giles, Cripplegate, Lucy married William Lyall. By 1841 with the children married, William and Lucy were living in Putney and William was working as a shoemaker. Lucy’s son Robert and his family emigrated to Wellington in 1841 and in 1849 Lucy and William followed. She left her three daughters behind and presumably never saw them again.

In Wellington, William continued his trade as a bootmaker until 1859 when he was appointed assistant lighthouse keeper to Mary Bennett at Pencarrow. She was the only woman to ever be appointed to that role. In 1866 William was appointed as light house keeper to the new lighthouse on Somes Island, assisted by Daniel Susan. He lived in the six-roomed lighthouse keeper’s house with Lucy. In 1871, William died aged 66, and was buried at Bolton Street Cemetery. His stepson Robert took over as lighthouse keeper.

The headstone inscription for William reads:

But now the harbor’s mouth is gained,
All danger at an end;
The lighthouse is the seaman’s star,
And God his bounteous friend.

The Lyall family grave, plot 0702, Bolton Street Cemetery. It was photographed in the late 1960s by the City Sexton, P J E Shotter, prior to its being dismantled to make way for the Wellington motorway. Ref: 35mm-25500-6A-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22697836

In July 1885, the West Coast Times reported that since the death of William, Lucy had been going to his grave daily and sitting inside a ‘watch-box’ she had constructed inside the plot enclosure. It had a seat and a small table with a pane of glass in the door. For thirteen years she had sat there from morning till night, able to gaze out at Somes Island where they had happily lived.

‘And now, in the winter of her life, waiting, watching, and praying hopefully for the reunion once again, in that great and unseen world beyond the grave, where cares and sorrow and sadness are unknown, but where all is made glorious and bright in the dawn of never-ending eternity.’ (West Coast Times, July 18, 1885, p2).

By 1885, Lucy was too infirm and had given up going to the grave. She died in September and was interred with William.

The plot was disturbed for the construction of the urban motorway. We are lucky to have a photo of the plot from that time. What remains of the headstone has not fared well, laid almost flat and on a plinth of concrete it has eroded badly.

Bolton Street Cemetery Plot: C of E/07/2

Lucy Lyall

She sat by his grave every day

Wellington Boots

Lucy Lyall

She sat by his grave every day

Phoenix Briggs

George Long

Wellington Boots