A large number of famous and/or notorious people from Bradford's past found their last resting place in Undercliffe Cemetery. I was reminded of that this week by a letter from Colin Clark, right, of the Undercliffe Cemetery Charity in response to a Past Times feature about Dr John Henry Bell, a pioneering figure in the battle against anthrax.
The feature also mentioned his role in treating victims of the Bradford poisoning of 1857 and helping to prevent more people being affected by it.
Mr Clark writes: "We have in Undercliffe Cemetery John Henry Bell MD, died 1906 (in grave A 824), and Felix Marsh Rimmington, analytical chemist, died 1897 (in grave E 168). After Dr Bell alerted the authorities to the poisoning it was Felix Rimmington who did the detective work to find the source.
"And last but not least we have in grave Q 106 William Hardaker, otherwise known as Humbug Billy of Northwing, who had made the poisoned peppermints to sell in the market. Once again Bradford's history is recorded in Undercliffe Cemetery. Curiously though I cannot find in our records any of the victims of the poisoning."
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