John Peel

Name: John Peel
Born: 1776
Died: 1854 aged 78
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About John Peel

John Peel was a famous huntsman who lived in Caldbeck, Cumbria. He had a pack of successful hounds and used to follow the hunt on foot. John was said to be around 6ft tall with sparkling blue eyes and he is forever immortalised in the famous song 'D'ye ken John Peel' (Do you know John Peel) which was written by his friend and fellow Cumbrian William Woodcock Graves. It is said that both men met up at Graves's house after a hunt and Graves heard his childrens grandmother lulling the children to sleep with an old nursery rhyme known as 'Bonnie Annie'. Graves was taken with the tune and wrote a song in honour of his friend John Peel. He completed a version there and then and joked to John 'By Jove, Peel, you'll be sung when we are both run to earth!'. He was right. The song is a famous folk song.
John is buried at Caldbeck church along with his wife laid beside him and 11 of there 13 children (they had 6 sons and seven daughters).
His headstone is an elaborate one with hunting horns and other carvings. Apparently 3000 people showed up at his funeral. If you have any other information please email us

Other famous people alive at the time of John Peel

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Canning, George	Born 11th April 1770, died 8th August 1827 aged 57
Canning, Charles John	Born 14th December 1812, died 17th June 1862 aged 49
Cavendish, Henry	Born 10th October 1731, died 24th February 1810 aged 78
Cook, Captain James	Born 27th October 1728, died 14th February 1779 aged 50
Gaskell, Elizabeth	Born 29th September 1810, died 12th November 1865 aged 55
Hawker, Robert	Born 3rd December 1803, died 15th August 1875 aged 71
Langtry, Lillie	Born 13th October 1853, died 12th February 1929 aged 75
Owen, Robert	Born 14th May 1771, died 17th November 1858 aged 87
Peel, Robert	Born 5th February 1788, died 2nd July 1850 aged 62
Priestley, Joseph	Born 13th March 1733, died 8th February 1804 aged 70
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Roget, Peter Mark	Born 18th January 1779, died 12th September 1869 aged 90
Victoria, Queen	Born 24th May 1819, died 22nd January 1901 aged 81