IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Broadway, LINCOLN, LN2 1SN

Immaculately maintained municipal cemetery, all the main paths have been cleared of the recent snowfall.

Just inside the gateway of the cemetery, stands this beautiful red hawthorn. Crataegus. leavigata - Sometimes referred to as Midland Hawthorn or Woodland Hawthorn, is a species of Hawthorn native to western and central Europe, from Great Britain (where it is uncommon, and largely confined to the Midlands) and Spain east to the Czech Republic and Hungary. It is a deciduous shrub or tree with red flowers. The red flowered Hawthorn grown in gardens is derived from Midland Thorn. It is mainly a woodland species, and can have a single trunk. Height - A maximum of 10m (rarely to 12m) tall, with a dense crown. Less common than C. monogyna, preferring the heavy clay soils of the Midlands and a few areas further South and East.

The following information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission explains the presence of this plot within Newport Cemetery: During the First World War, the 4th Northern General Hospital was at the Grammar School in Lincoln. the hospital had 1,400 beds and during the course of the war, admissions numbered 45,000. Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery, which was near the hospital, contains 139 First World War burials, almost 90 of them forming a war graves plot. During the Second World War, this plot was extended and most of the 120 burials from this period were made there. The rest of the graves from both wars are scattered throughout the cemetery.

The grave of Mrs.Amy Beechey in Newport Cemetery, widow of Rev.Prince William Thomas Beechey, she died on Boxing Day 1936, aged 81. She had eight sons and five daughters ..... all eight sons fought in the First World War, but only three came home. Sgt.Barnard Beechey of the Lincolnshire Regiment was a Cambridge mathematics graduate, teacher and deputy head at Dorchester Grammar School. He was the first of the brothers to die, killed in the Battle of Loos, he charged to his death on 25th September 1915, aged 38. His body was never found. 2nd Lt.Frank Beechey had been a schoolmaster the Choir school in Lincoln. He was captain of the Lindum football club, kept wicket for the Lindum Cricket Club and some times for the County Eleven. Frank died of his wounds on 14th November 1916, aged 30. His legs were torn off by a shell in the Battle of the Somme. Frank had lain in No Man's Land under enemy fire from dawn until dusk before an army doctor risked his life to crawl out and administer morphine before he later died of his wounds. L.Cpl.Harold Beechey and his brother Christopher emigrated to Australia in 1910. They both enlisted in the Australian Infantry in 1914. He was wounded at Gallipoli and again at the Somme in 1916 but was sent home to recover from his wounds and wrote to his mother ..... "Very lucky, nice round shrapnel through arm and chest, but did not penetrate ribs. Feel I could take it out myself with a knife.“ He was patched up and sent to France in November 1916, writing to his mother .... "To deny a fellow the right of a final leave seems to me to be miserable spitefulness on their part.“ Harold was killed by a shell blast at Arras on 10th April 1917, aged 26 and has no known grave. Private Charles Beechey Charles was a graduate of St.John’s College Cambridge and became a Schoolmaster. He reluctantly enlisted in to the Royal Fusiliers and was killed by machine gun fire, 20th October 1917 on service in East Africa, aged 39. Rifleman Leonard Beechey joined the London Irish Rifles, was gassed and wounded at Bourlon Wood. His last words written in spidery handwriting from his deathbed at a French hospital were: "My darling mother, don't feel like doing much yet. Lots of love, Len.“ He died of his wounds on 29th December 1917, aged 36. Christopher Beechey, Emigrated to Australia with his brother Harold in 1910 and enlisted in the Australian Infantry with his brother in 1914. He was a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli where he was hit by a sniper’s bullet and fell down a ravine, damaging his spine leaving him severely disabled for the rest of his life. He died in 1968, aged 85. Despite losing five of his older brothers, at the age of 19, Samuel Beechey was conscripted and sent to the Western Front for the last 3 weeks of the war. Thankfully he survived. Eric Beechey was an Army dentist. He was posted to Malta and Salonika and was spared the carnage of the trenches. Amy Beechey was presented to King George V and honoured by the King and Queen for her immense sacrifice - but despite her great pride in her sons, she was a reluctant heroine. She reputedly said to Queen Mary "It was no sacrifice, Ma'am, I did not give them willingly." http://www.thelincolnshireregiment.org/beechey.shtml

A snow-covered scene at Newport cemetery, opened in 1856 and still in use

The grave of Mrs. Amy Beechey in Newport Cemetery, widow of Rev. Prince William Thomas Beechey, she died on Boxing Day 1936, aged 81. She had eight sons and five daughters ... all eight sons fought in the First World War, but only three came home. Sgt. Barnard Beechey of the Lincolnshire Regiment was a Cambridge mathematics graduate, teacher and deputy head at Dorchester Grammar School. He was the first of the brothers to die, killed in the Battle of Loos, he charged to his death on 25th September 1915, aged 38. His body was never found. 2nd Lt. Frank Beechey had been a schoolmaster at the Choir school in Lincoln. He was captain of the Lindum football club, kept wicket for the Lindum Cricket Club and sometimes for the County Eleven. Frank died of his wounds on 14th November 1916, aged 30. His legs were torn off by a shell in the Battle of the Somme. Frank had lain in No Man's Land under enemy fire from dawn until dusk before an army doctor risked his life to crawl out and administer morphine before he later died of his wounds. L. Cpl. Harold Beechey and his brother Christopher emigrated to Australia in 1910. They both enlisted in the Australian Infantry in 1914. He was wounded at Gallipoli and again at the Somme in 1916 but was sent home to recover from his wounds and wrote to his mother ... "Very lucky, nice round shrapnel through arm and chest, but did not penetrate ribs. Feel I could take it out myself with a knife." He was patched up and sent to France in November 1916, writing to his mother ... "To deny a fellow the right of a final leave seems to me to be miserable spitefulness on their part." Harold was killed by a shell blast at Arras on 10th April 1917, aged 26 and has no known grave. Private Charles Beechey Charles was a graduate of St. John's College Cambridge and became a Schoolmaster. He reluctantly enlisted in to the Royal Fusiliers and was killed by machine gun fire, 20th October 1917 on service in East Africa, aged 39. Rifleman Leonard Beechey joined the London Irish Rifles, was gassed and wounded at Bourlon Wood. His last words written in spidery handwriting from his deathbed at a French hospital were: "My darling mother, don't feel like doing much yet. Lots of love, Len." He died of his wounds on 29th December 1917, aged 36. Christopher Beechey Emigrated to Australia with his brother Harold in 1910 and enlisted in the Australian Infantry with his brother in 1914. He was a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli where he was hit by a sniper’s bullet and fell down a ravine, damaging his spine leaving him severely disabled for the rest of his life. He died in 1968, aged 85. Despite losing five of his older brothers, at the age of 19, Samuel Beechey was conscripted and sent to the Western Front for the last 3 weeks of the war. Thankfully he survived. Eric Beechey was an Army dentist. He was posted to Malta and Salonika and was spared the carnage of the trenches. Amy Beechey was presented to King George V and honoured by the King and Queen for her immense sacrifice - but despite her great pride in her sons, she was a reluctant heroine. She reputedly said to Queen Mary "It was no sacrifice, Ma'am, I did not give them willingly."

War graves in Newport Cemetery

Municipal cemetery off Newport

War graves in Newport Cemetery