Charles Blondin

AKA:
The Great Blondin, The Little Wonder
Birth Name:
Jean François Gravelet
Birth Date:
February 28, 1824
Birth Place:
Hesdin, Pas-de-Calais, France
Death Date:
February 22, 1897
Place of Death:
Blondin's "Niagara House", Northfield Avenue, Northfields, London W5 4UG, UK
Age:
72
Cause of Death:
Diabetes
Cemetery Name:
Kensal Green Cemetery
Claim to Fame:
The Odd and the Interesting
Charles Blondin was a French tightrope walker and acrobat. During the winter of 1858, a 34-year-old French acrobat traveled to Niagara Falls hoping to become the first person to cross the “boiling cataract.” Noting the masses of ice and snow on either bank and the violent whirls of wind circling the gorge, Blondin delayed the grand event until he would have better weather. He always worked without a net, believing that preparing for disaster only made one more likely to occur. Known for his numerous crossings of the 1,100 ft (340 m) Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, he added a touch of showmanship - once stopping midway to cook an omelette and once carrying his manager on his back. Believe it or not, he died in bed at the ripe age of 72.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Kensal Green Cemetery

Harrow Rd

North Kensington, London, W10 4RA

United Kingdom

Europe

Map:

Grave Location:

Grave 13198, Square 140, Row 1

Grave Location Description

After entering through the main entrance, turn right at the first intersection and head west. Continue heading straight along this road for about 1,850 feet until reaching the church. Go around the church. You can either go right to go around or go left, and continue heading west. Charles Blondin’s grave is about 95 feet directly west of the church. After going around the church and heading west, drive about 95 feet and park your car along the road. Blondin’s grave will be on your left and near the road.

Grave Location GPS

51.528554, -0.226546

Photos:

[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]
[+]

Read More About Charles Blondin:

Videos Featuring Charles Blondin:
The Charles Blondin Wheelbarrow Story
The True Story of Trust and Faith - Blondin; The Greatest Tightrope Walker in History
Tightrope Daredevil Extraordinaire: The Great Blondin
The Great Blondin Trailer

See More:

Mary E. Hart

popular name: Mary E. Hart

date_of_death: October 15, 1872

age: 47

cause_of_death: Unknown

claim_to_fame: The Odd and the Interesting

best_know_for: As the story goes, at 48 years old Mary E. Hart, as she was known in life, “just drops to the floor” one day at midnight. Believing her dead, her family had her buried at Evergreen Cemetery the very next day. However, one night her aunt has a terrible nightmare that Mary’s not actually dead. The aunt eventually convinces the family to exhume the body, and when they open the coffin, they find Mary’s nails bloodied from scratching and a petrified look on her face as if she died of asphyxiation. Legend has it that she may of just suffered a stroke when she fell to the floor, her family not realizing she was still alive. So now urban legend has it that Midnight Mary haunts Evergreen Cemetery and will curse anyone with certain death if they are found in the graveyard at midnight or caught desecrating her grave.

Charlotte Bridgwood

popular name: Charlotte Bridgwood

date_of_death: August 20, 1929

age: 68

cause_of_death: Unknown

claim_to_fame: The Odd and the Interesting

best_know_for: Charlotte Bridgwood patented the first electrically powered windshield wiper in 1917, improving previous manually-operated wipers such as the one patented by Mary Anderson in 1905. However, her wiper used rollers rather than blades and did not catch on. She was also the mother of silent screen star Florence Lawrence (a.k.a The Biograph Girl) who followed her mother in inventing automotive accessories.

Annie Edson Taylor

popular name: Annie Edson Taylor

date_of_death: April 29, 1921

age: 82

cause_of_death: Natural Causes

claim_to_fame: The Odd and the Interesting

best_know_for: Annie Edson Taylor was an American schoolteacher who, on her 63rd birthday, October 24, 1901, became the first, and oldest, person to go over Niagara Falls intentionally and survive. The trip itself took less than twenty minutes, but it was some time before the barrel was actually opened and discovered she was relatively unharmed with only a small gash on her head. She attempted to earn money by talking about her experience, writing a memoir, and eventually working as a clairvoyant, but eventually fell into poverty and died in relative obscurity.

Back to Top