Jesmond Old Cemetery, Grave of William Campbell

1856-1878. Campbell was the Scottish landlord of the Duke of Wellington on High Bridge. He was famous for his enormous weight. At his death aged 22 he weighed 53 stones and he was 6 feet 3 inches tall. His chest measurement was 96 inches. A winch had to be used to lower his lead-lined coffin out of the window of the third floor of the pub. The window frame and brickwork had to be removed. The coffin was taken to Jesmond on a black-draped horse-drawn lorry. There were said to be up to 40,000 spectators. At the cemetery 'a scene of most unseemly disorder ensued' according to a local newspaper, where people were crushed in the crowds and several were knocked into the grave. It took an hour to lower the coffin into the grave. No trace of the grave exists today. It was by the walk alongside Jesmond Road. Presumably it was exhumed in 1971, along with many other graves, for the proposed dualling of Jesmond Road.