Lives in Cricket No 19 - Frank Sugg

son, Hubert Henri Michael. In Bert’s case, duty and propriety prevailed over any ill-feelings he had had towards Frank. But Frank’s widow did not attend. The Waterloo and Crosby Herald of 3 June 1933 carried a brief account of the funeral; it reported that ‘many others’ attended the funeral and ‘many beautiful floral tributes were sent by relatives and friends.’ According to the church’s records, Frank was buried at St Luke’s. 114 Yet there is no headstone to mark Frank Sugg’s final resting place. Indeed, he is buried in a public and unmarked grave, often the fate of paupers. This fact was first reported by Philip Paine with the comment: ‘A sad end for such a talented man.’ 115 A sad end indeed: not only does the grave have no headstone, its exact location has been lost. The part of St Luke’s graveyard that contains the public graves is overgrown with long grass, brambles and elderberry bushes, with just the occasional stone tablet marking the ground’s purpose. Neither Lorna Brown, his granddaughter, nor Timothy Sugg, his brother’s great-grandson, were aware of the place and nature of Frank Sugg’s grave and they could offer no explanation of why the grave should have been left unmarked. Timothy Sugg had always assumed that Frank had been buried in the family plot in Burngreave Cemetery, Sheffield. For certainty, I checked the cemetery records and they confirm that Frank Sugg is not buried there. Lorna Brown wondered if he had been cremated. Frank apparently introduced his family to Christian Science – he was attracted by its advocacy of a healthy and positive lifestyle – and Lorna’s mother and aunt became keen followers. Denying the existence of matter, including of the human body, and believing that disease and death 122 A Sad End St Luke’s Church, Crosby in 2010. Frank Sugg’s funeral was conducted here in June 1933. 114 The graveyard, now virtually full, covers an area of four and a half acres. 115 Philip Paine, Innings Complete , Volume 8 , 2004, p 45.