Item 59 - Receipt for chapel coals

Henry Hazard (c.1786 – 13 May 1866)

Henry lived at the Counting House on Mill Lane and worked as a coal and corn merchant. He ran a company called ‘Comings and Hazard’. He died aged 80 years old was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 18 May. The Cambridge Independent Press wrote a short obituary which read ‘Truly it may be said he was a fine old English gentleman, whose removal will be missed by all, but especially by the many recipients of his bounty. To any tale of woe or distress his care and his purse were ever open. But, like others whose bounty is boundless, he had neither wisdom or wariness of Solomon, and the consequence was that he was liable to be imposed upon by the plausible tales and unscrupulous appeals of the unprincipled. Still, taking him all in all it will be long, perhaps, before we look upon his like again’. The Cambridge Chronicle and Journal printed a more charitable obituary saying ‘it would be fruitless to attempt to describe the good qualities of the deceased gentleman. His kindness of heart was proverbial – he was incapable of anything mean and in all his transactions in business no one could be more honourable or straightforward. He died at a ripe old age, and his memory will be long cherished and revered, for ‘take him for all in all, we shall never look on his like again”.

He left an estate valued at c£25,000 (£2m at 2019 values)