The Blackburn Giant

Frederick's story begins in Bayswater, London.
He was born to Joseph and Jane Kempster on April 13, 1889, and was one of eight children, Frederick being the second youngest of the Kempster clan.
Jane would later describe him as "a jolly, laughing boy, of a very liberal and generous disposition" but it seemed that her love for Frederick could only do so much good.
This was Victorian England, in London, the epicentre of petty crime, thievery and the smog of industrial Britain and tragedy could cause massive social upheaval in working class families.
Frederick was only eight years old when his father died from bronchitis on Christmas Day 1897. He was just 50 years old.
His mother had no way of feeding the three remaining children as she had at home, her 12-year-old daughter Susan, Frederick, and his younger brother George, who was two at the time.
Frederick was part of a sideshow attraction attached to a travelling fair in Blackburn in 1917 when he contracted influenza.
When the press heard he was in hospital in 1917, they took a picture of him in his hospital bed, made up of two beds pushed together.
Stories of Kempster in hospital reached the press across the world, as far afield as New Zealand, where newspapers claimed that Frederick had eaten all the food for the entire ward.
Frederick's influenza progressed to pneumonia and he would die in the Queen's Park Hospital the following year, 1918, before the Great War could reach its natural conclusion.
Throughout his travelling, touring and performing, Frederick seemed to flit from place to place and, with his crippling illness, the year or so he spent in Blackburn represented a rather long time for the giant in comparison to his other haunts.
In reality, Frederick was never from Lancashire or spent much time here, but he was dubbed the Blackburn Giant because he spent a rather painful year dying in the town.
We have little notion of what affect Blackburn had on him or the relationship he built with the north west but Frederick certainly put down some roots there.
He had a friend called Tom Cook who, somehow, inherited Frederick’s massive long johns which were auctioned off by Tom's nephew John Jardine from Clitheroe in 2012.
They were bought for £550.
Kempster died, aged 29, in the Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn in 1918 and was buried in a 9 ft (2.7 m) coffin in a 10 ft (3.0 m) grave in Blackburn Cemetery.
Case notes from the hospital state Kempster was 7 ft 9.3 in (2.37 m) in height when he died.
Frederick also weighed 170 kilograms or (370 lb).
His grave stone also calls him 'The British Giant'.
Much like his height and reports of his eating habits, the papers embellished details of Frederick's death claiming that his imprisonment in Germany had caused him to fall ill.
Even though doctors were able to confirm that Frederick was seven foot nine, papers still claimed that he was more than eight foot tall, even after his death.

[@GenerationsFound]

Fredrick's headstone is so unique. OMG that family picture he is huge.

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

He loved his pizza 🍕 and beer Colorado 🍺 😋 😄

[@DaysofHorror]

Loved this one mate. Also near my neck of the woods 😮 I've visited this grave many many times but always stayed cleared of his story, for now, because a lot of people I subscribe too have already covered it 😅 but you did this one justice, extremely well researched. Loved it!

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank u...I love Lancashire...I wondered if I put too much detail in.. its hard to know sometimes...fascinating story and Cemetery...thank u 4 ur kind words

[@spitfirekev]

I've just subscribed to your channel, some very interesting stories. Some may even help me for my research on my channel. Keep up the great work.

[@spitfirekev]

Fantastic story Johno.

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank I

[@AdventuresUnseen24]

Wow he was huge. Enjoyed johno. 😊

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Hope you enjoyed 😉

[@ParanormalContact83]

I very much enjoyed this Johno

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank u 4 watching 👀

[@davidjones6470]

Awesome job, Johno, really enjoyed this very interesting sir, 🤘

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Appreciate that David...thank u...hope it was not too long winded

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank you sooo much. I really appreciate your kind words

[@davidjones6470]

Watching now sir,

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Cool..thank u

[@davidjones6470]

8:42, bloody hell,

[@bella_Areghostsreal]

sorry it's taken me so long to watch this. work/life got busy so barely had time to watch video's great one though Johno. fascinating story Brilliantly done as usual.

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank u my little sausage roll...work is priority Bells 🔔 got to earn ya beans 🫘 😋 hope all is well

[@bella_Areghostsreal]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 so true. Haha 🤣🤣 hope all is good with you?

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

@@bella_Areghostsreal always pumpkin 🎃

[@marieswindlehurst9694]

Really enjoyed this very informative ,also no far from me

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank u Marie..That is really kind of u 2 say...Thank u 4 watching 👀 I am so glad u enjoyed my tribute 💖 💗 ❤️

[@davidjones6470]

Damn he's a Big fella,

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

He sure was

[@davidjones6470]

Now that's a Big Breakfast, 🍳

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

4 sure