History

LIVERPOOL DAILY POST, 23 APRIL 2009

Page 6:

MAKEOVER FOR 19TH-CENTURY GRAVE OF LEWIS'S DEPARTMENT STORE FOUNDER

by James Illingworth

THE gravestone of the founder of a famous Liverpool department store has been given a makeover. Restoration work to the resting place of David Lewis took place yesterday at Deane Road Jewish Cemetery, Kensington.

David, who was the founder of Lewis's Department Store, in Ranelaigh Street [sic], died in 1885 and his eight-foot high memorial has since become weather-worn.

Cllr Louise Baldock, who is a volunteer helper at the cemetery, said: "It is a shame that David's grave has got like this. The inscriptions on the stone have become very hard to read. Because it is so special and he is the most famous 'inhabitant' of our cemetery, we thought we should do something about it. We are in the process of restoring all of the gravestones, not just David's."

Volunteers at the cemetery are awaiting the results of their bid for a £200,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a full restoration project. The cost of the work to David's gravestone has been donated by ex-Lewis's employee David Boydell who now lives in Peterborough, and will be carried out by Dave Hollywood of Manor Memorial.