Reader Harry Atkinson, of Little Horton Green, was looking into the history of All Saints Church, Horton, when he chanced upon a brief mention in the history by Colin Clarke and Reuben Davison, In Loving Memory - The Story of Undercliffe Cemetery – regarding a triple tragedy at the church in 1871.

Mr Atkinson said: “I unearthed the Telegraph & Argus report, reference to the Coroner’s report, with help from the cemetery staff the grave was located using the marvellous and extensive cemetery records, and finally I found the family lived two doors away from me on Little Horton Green.”

This is the story in The Bradford Daily Telegraph of Monday, February 6, 1871: “A melancholy occurrence took place in Bradford on Saturday evening, three young brothers being suffocated while lighting the fires for heating All Saints’ Church.

“It appears that the church is heated by means of a hot air apparatus which is situated in a vault below the church. The apparatus uses Haden’s principle, and the fuel used in it is coke. It is under the charge of Mr. Jabez Lumb, Little Horton Green, but he being ill, on Saturday, three of his sons named Charles Edward, 13, John William, 8, and Frederick, 5, were sent to light the stoves which warm the schoolroom and the church.

“There is another son named James, 15, but he had gone out to a friend’s on Saturday and this led to the other boys being sent.

“They had often been present when their father had lighted the fires, and we are informed had also frequently lighted that under the vestry of the church themselves when the father had been unable to do so. They left home about half-past seven, and appear to have first gone to the schoolroom and then proceeded to the church.

“Their aunt, Mrs. M. L. Lumb, wondering what had become of them, went to look for them, and not finding them at the school, proceeded to the church and seeing no light there, she thought they might have gone to meet their brother James, and went to the house where he was.

“He had not seen them, however, but accompanied her home. James went to the church. On trying the door he found it open and went in.

“As he was opening the door he felt something pressing against it, which he found to be the body of his brother William.

“The fire was at that time burning but feebly, and in a few moments he was able by the faint light it threw out to see that Charles and Frederick were also lying, one on a heap of cinders and the other in a corner, and all three were apparently lifeless. The cause of death is as yet not definitely known.”

Nine days later the paper reported the boys’ father, Jabez Lumb, had died.