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Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground in central London, in the London Borough of Islington, just north of the
City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
. What remains is about in extent and the bulk of the site is a public garden maintained by the City of London Corporation. It was first in devoted use as a burial ground from 1665 until 1854, in which period approximately 123,000 interments were estimated to have taken place. Over 2,000 monuments remain, for the most part in concentrated blocks. It was a prototype of land-use protected, nondenominational grounds, and was particularly favoured by nonconformists who passed their final years in the region. It contains the graves of many notable people, including John Bunyan (died 1688), author of '' The Pilgrim's Progress'';
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel '' Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
(died 1731), author of '' Robinson Crusoe''; William Blake (died 1827), artist, poet, and mystic; Susanna Wesley (died 1742), known as the "Mother of Methodism" through her education of sons John and Charles; Thomas Bayes (died 1761), statistician and philosopher; and Isaac Watts (died 1748), the "Father of English
Hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...
ody". Bunhill Fields Burial Ground is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It is now maintained by the Friends of the City Gardens. Nearby, on the west side of
Bunhill Row Bunhill Row is a street located in St Luke's, London Borough of Islington, London. The street runs north–south from Old Street to Chiswell Street. On the east side are the cemetery of Bunhill Fields and the open space of the Honourable Art ...
and behind the residential tower Braithwaite House, is a former Quaker burial ground, in use from 1661 to 1855, at times also known as Bunhill Fields.
George Fox George Fox (July 1624 – 13 January 1691) was an English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. The son of a Leicestershire weaver, he lived in times of social upheaval and ...
(died 1691), one of the founders of the movement, is among those buried there. Its remains are also a public garden, Quaker Gardens, managed by the London Borough of Islington.


Historical background

Bunhill Fields was part of the Manor of
Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn ...
(originally Fensbury), which has its origins as the prebend of Halliwell and Finsbury, belonging to
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...
and established in 1104. In 1315 the prebendary manor was granted by Archdeacon Robert Baldock to the Mayor and commonalty of London. This enabled more general public access to the semi-
fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires ...
or moor stretching from the City of London's boundary (
London Wall The London Wall was a defensive wall first built by the Romans around the strategically important port town of Londinium in AD 200, and is now the name of a modern street in the City of London. It has origins as an initial mound wall and ...
), to the village of
Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. It l ...
. In 1498 part of the otherwise unenclosed landscape was set aside to form a large field for military exercises of archers and others. This part of the manor has sports and occasional military use: Artillery Ground. Next to this lies Bunhill Fields. The name derives from "Bone hill", likely linked to occasional burials from at least Saxon times, but more probably derives from the use for mass-deposit for human bones—amounting to over 1,000 cartloads—brought from St Paul's charnel house in 1549 (when that building was demolished). The dried bones were deposited on the moor and capped with a thin layer of soil. This built up a hill across the otherwise damp, flat fens, such that three windmills could safely be erected in a spot that came to be one of the many windmill hills.


Opening as a burial ground

In keeping with this tradition, in 1665 the City of London Corporation decided to use some of the land as a common burial ground for the interment of bodies of inhabitants who had died of the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
and could not be accommodated in the churchyards. Outer walls were completed but Church of England officials never consecrated the ground nor used it for burials. A Mr. Tindal took over the lease. He allowed extramural graveyard burials in what was unconsecrated soil, thus popular with nonconformists—those Protestant Christians who practised their faiths outside the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Brit ...
; unlike Anglican churchyards it was open for interment to anyone who could afford the fees. It appears on Rocque's Map of London of 1746, and elsewhere, as "Tindal's Burying Ground". An inscription at the eastern entrance gate to the burial ground reads: "This church-yard was inclosed with a brick wall at the sole charges of the City of London, in the mayoralty of Sir John Lawrence, , Anno Domini 1665; and afterwards the gates thereof were built and finished in the mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bloudworth, Knt., Anno Domini, 1666." The present gates and inscription date from 1868, but the wording follows that of an original 17th-century inscription at the western entrance, now lost. The earliest recorded monumental inscription was that to "Grace, daughter of T. Cloudesly, of Leeds. February 1666". The earliest surviving monument is believed to be the headstone to Theophilus Gale: the inscription reads "Theophilus Gale MA / Born 1628 / Died 1678". In 1769 an Act of Parliament gave the corporation the right to continue the lease for 99 years. The City authorities continued to let the ground to their tenant as a burial ground; in 1781 the Corporation decided to take over management of the burial ground. So many historically important Protestant nonconformists chose this as their place of interment that the 19th-century poet and writer Robert Southey characterised Bunhill Fields in 1830 as the ground "which the Dissenters regard as their Campo Santo". This term was applied to its "daughter", Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington.


Closure as a burial ground

In 1852 the Burial Act was passed which enabled grounds to be closed once they became full. An Order for Closure for Bunhill Fields was made in December 1853, and the final burial (that of Elizabeth Howell Oliver) took place on 5 January 1854. Occasional interments continued to be permitted in existing vaults or graves: the final burial of this kind is believed to have been that of a Mrs. Gabriel of Brixton in February 1860.Corporation of London 1991, p. 8. By this date approximately 123,000 interments had taken place in the burial ground. Two decades before, a group of City nonconformists led by
George Collison George Collison (1772–1847) was an English Congregationalist and educator associated with Hackney Academy or Hackney College, which became part of New College London—itself part of the University of London. Early life Collison was born i ...
bought a site for a new landscaped alternative, at part of Abney Park in Stoke Newington. This was named Abney Park Cemetery and opened in 1840. All parts were available for the burial of any person, regardless of religious creed. It preceded Brookwood Cemetery as the prototype of many cemeteries to come nationally with "no invidious dividing lines". It has a unique nondenominational chapel, designed by
William Hosking William Hosking (26 November 1800 – 2 August 1861) was an English writer, lecturer, and architect who had an important influence on the growth and development of London in Victorian times. He became the first Professor of Architecture at K ...
.


Community garden

Upon closure of the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, its future was uncertain as its lessee, the City of London Corporation, was close to expiry of its lease, scheduled for Christmas 1867. To prevent the land from being redeveloped by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners (who controlled the freehold) at this expiry, the Corporation formed the Special Bunhill Fields Burial Ground Committee in 1865. This became formally known as the Bunhill Fields Preservation Committee. Appointed by the corporation, it consisted of twelve advisors under the chairmanship of Charles Reed, FSA (son of the Congregational philanthropist Andrew Reed). He later rose to prominence as the first
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) for Hackney and chairman of the first School Board for London before being knighted. Along with his interest in making it into a parkland landscape, he was similarly interested in the wider educational and public benefits of Abney Park Cemetery, of which he was a prominent director. To corroborate the committee's work, the Corporation obtained an Act of Parliament, the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground Act 1867, "for the Preservation of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground ... as an open space". The legislation enabled them to continue to maintain the site when possession would have otherwise reverted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, provided it was laid out as a public open space with seating, gardens, and some of its most worthy monuments were restored. The improvements, which included the laying out of walks and paths, cost an estimated £3,500. The new park was opened by the Lord Mayor, James Clarke Lawrence, on 14 October 1869. The ground was severely damaged by
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
bombing during World War II; it is believed to have hosted an anti-aircraft gun during the Blitz. In the 1950s, after some debate, the City ordered: to clear the northern third (the projection) of the site of most of its monuments to open it as a public garden; and to preserve and protect the rest behind railings. Legislation in 1960 gave the freehold to the city (the corporation), which continues to maintain the grounds. Landscaping was designed and overseen by the architect and landscape architect Peter Shepheard in 1964–65.


Bunyan, Defoe and Blake

The best-known monuments are those to the three literary and artistic figures, John Bunyan,
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel '' Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
and William Blake. Their graves have long been sites of cultural pilgrimage: Isabella Holmes stated in 1896 that the "most frequented paths" in the burial ground were those leading to the monuments of Bunyan and Defoe. In their present form, all these monuments post-date the closure of the burial ground. Their settings were further radically modified by the landscaping of 1964–65, when a paved north–south "broadwalk" was created in the middle of the burial ground to display them—outside the railed-off areas, accessible to visitors, and cleared of other monuments. Bunyan's monument lies at the broadwalk's southern end, and that to Defoe at its northern end, while Blake's headstone was moved from the site of his grave and repositioned next to Defoe, alongside the headstone to the lesser-known Joseph Swain (died 1796). This arrangement survives, but in 2018 a second monument to Blake was placed on the actual site of his grave.


John Bunyan

John Bunyan, author of ''
Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...
'', died in August 1688. He was initially buried in the "
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
Corner" at the back of the burial ground, on the understanding that his remains would be moved into the
family vault A burial vault is a structural underground tomb. It houses the casket and protects them through a lined, sealed container. A burial vault shields the casket from maintenance equipment and resists water. Different levels of burial vaults are off ...
of his friend John Strudwick when that was next opened for a burial. There is no certain evidence as to when (or even if) this was done: the probability, however, is that it occurred when Strudwick himself died in 1695, and certainly Bunyan's name was inscribed on the side of the monument. The Strudwick monument took the form of a large
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
stone chest. By the 19th century, this had fallen into decay, but in the period following the closure of the burial ground a public appeal for its restoration was launched under the presidency of the
7th Earl of Shaftesbury Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury (28 April 1801 – 1 October 1885), styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was a British Tory politician, philanthropist, and social reformer. He was the eldest son of The 6th Earl of Shaftesbury ...
. This work was completed in May 1862, and comprised a complete reconstruction of the monument, undertaken by the sculptor Edgar George Papworth Senior (1809–1866). Although Papworth retained the basic form of the tomb-chest, he added a recumbent effigy of Bunyan to the top of it, and two
relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
panels to its sides depicting scenes from ''Pilgrim's Progress''. The monument was further restored in 1928 (the tercentenary of Bunyan's birth), and again after World War II (following serious wartime damage to the effigy's face). File:Bunyan tomb 1849.jpg, The monument to the Strudwick family and John Bunyan in its original form: an engraving of 1849 File:Monument to John Bunyan, Central Broadwalk 2013-09-04 14-21-58.jpg, John Bunyan's monument as remodelled in 1862 File:Bunyan's tomb.jpg, Effigy of John Bunyan


Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel '' Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
, author of '' Robinson Crusoe'', died in April 1731 and was buried in Bunhill Fields: his wife, Mary, died in December 1732 and was laid to rest beside him. His daughter-in-law was also buried in the same grave. Defoe died in poverty, and the grave was marked with a simple headstone. In the winter of 1857/8 – at a time when the burial ground was closed and neglected—the grave was struck by lightning and the headstone broken. In 1869, James Clarke, editor of the ''Christian World'' children's newspaper, launched an appeal for subscriptions to place a more suitable memorial on the grave. He encouraged his readers to make donations of sixpence each; and to stimulate enthusiasm opened two lists, one for boys and one for girls, to encourage a spirit of competition between them. Many adults also made donations. In the end, some 1,700 subscriptions raised a total of about £200. A design for a marble
obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...
(or "Cleopatric pillar") was commissioned from C. C. Creeke; and the sculptor Samuel Horner of Bournemouth was commissioned to execute it. In late 1869, when the foundations were being dug, skeletons were disinterred, and there was an unseemly rush for souvenirs by the crowd of onlookers: the police had to be called before calm was restored. The monument was unveiled at a ceremony attended by three of Defoe's great-granddaughters on 16 September 1870.


William Blake

William Blake—painter, poet, printmaker and visionary—died in August 1827 and was buried in the northern part of the burial ground. His wife, Catherine Sophia, died in October 1831 and was buried in a separate grave on the south side of the ground. By the 20th century, Blake's grave was in disrepair; and in 1927, for the centenary of his death and at a time when his reputation was on the rise, a new headstone was commissioned. As it had been decided to commemorate both William and Catherine, despite the fact that the headstone would stand at some distance from Catherine's grave, the inscription was phrased as "Near by lie the remains of ...". When Bunhill Fields was relandscaped in the 1960s, Blake's grave lay in the area that was to be cleared of monuments. The headstone was therefore moved approximately 20 metres (yards) to its present location, next to the monument to Daniel Defoe. It was also rotated through 90°, so that it now faces south rather than west. Joseph Swain's headstone was added to the grouping at the same time, although that faces west. Flowers, coins and other tokens are regularly left by visitors to Blake's headstone. In 2006–07, members of the group The Friends of William Blake established the original location of his grave, and proposed placing a new memorial there. In the form of a ledger stone, with lettering by Lida Cardozo Kindersley, this was finally unveiled on 12 August 2018 by Philip Pullman, President of the Blake Society. File:Finsbury bunhill blake 1.jpg, 1927 headstone to William and Catherine Sophia Blake File:Bunhill Blake 2018.jpg, 2018 ledger stone on William Blake's grave


Records

Burial ground registers, from 1713 to 1854, are held at
The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
at Kew. Other records, including interment order books dating from 1789 to 1854, and a list of the legible monument/headstone inscriptions in 1869, are held at London Metropolitan Archives.
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
minister
John Rippon John Rippon (29 April 1751 – 17 December 1836) was an English Baptist minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns'', commonly ...
—who was himself buried at the site in 1836—made transcripts of its monumental inscriptions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, some copied while "laying on his side". In 1803 he issued a prospectus for a six-volume publication on Bunhill Fields, but this never came to fruition. The
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...
now holds 14 manuscript volumes of his transcripts; a further six volumes are held in the
College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the British Sover ...
.


Notable graves

Notable burials include:


17th century

* Thomas Brand (1635–1691), nonconformist minister and divine * John Bunyan (1628–1688), author of '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' * Thomas Cole (1628–1697), Independent minister * John Faldo (1633–1690), nonconformist minister and controversialist * Lt. Gen. Charles Fleetwood (c. 1618–1692), fought on the Parliamentarian side in the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...
, served as Lord Deputy of Ireland 1652–55, and married Bridget, eldest daughter of
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...
* Theophilus Gale (1628–1678), nonconformist minister, educationalist and theologian * Thomas Goodwin (1600–1680), Puritan theologian and preacher * William Hooke or Hook (1600–1677), Puritan clergyman * Francis Howell (1625–1679), Principal of
Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...
, from 1657 to 1660 * William Jenkyn (1613–1685), nonconformist minister, imprisoned during the Interregnum * Hanserd Knollys (1599–1691), Particular Baptist minister * Nathaniel Mather (1631–1697), Independent minister * John Owen (1616–1683), Puritan divine, theologian, academic administrator and statesman *
Vavasor Powell Vavasor (or Vavasour) Powell (161727 October 1670) was a Welsh Nonconformist Puritan preacher, evangelist, church leader and writer, who was imprisoned for his role in a plot to depose King Charles II. Early life Powell was born in Knuc ...
(1617–1670), Welsh Puritan preacher and vicar of
Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...
, Kent, Parliamentary Army chaplain, "church planter" sent out by the Westminster Assembly, and writer * Thomas Rosewell (1630–1692), nonconformist minister of Rotherhithe * John Rowe (1626–1677), nonconformist minister *
Nathaniel Vincent Nathaniel Vincent (?–1697) was an English nonconformist minister, ejected in 1662 and several times imprisoned. Life He was probably born in Cornwall about 1639, son of John Vincent (1591–1646), who was nominated by the committee of the Wes ...
(c. 1639–1697), nonconformist minister


18th century

* James Adair (c. 1743–1798), judge and serjeant-at-law * Stephen Addington (1729–1796), dissenting clergyman and teacher * William Aldridge (1737–1797), nonconformist minister * Thomas Amory (1701–1774), dissenting minister, tutor and poet * John Asty (c. 1672–1730), dissenting clergyman * Joshua Bayes (1671–1746), nonconformist minister * Thomas Bayes (1702–1761), mathematician, clergyman, and friend of Richard Price *
William Blackburn William Blackburn (17501790) was the leading prison architect of the Georgian Era. Following the principles of John Howard, his designs aimed to provide inmates with dry and airy cells. Blackburn was born in Southwark, London, the son of a tra ...
(1750–1790), architect and surveyor * Thomas Bradbury (1677–1759), congregational minister * John Brine (1703–1765), Particular Baptist minister * Thomas Fowell Buxton (1758–1795), father of namesake
Thomas Fowell Buxton Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet (1 April 1786Olwyn Mary Blouet, "Buxton, Sir Thomas Fowell, first baronet (1786–1845)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online ed., May 201accessed 25 April 20 ...
, anti-slavery philanthropist * Samuel Chandler (1693–1766), nonconformist minister * Dr. John Conder (1714–1781), President of
Homerton College Homerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Its first premises were acquired in Homerton, London in 1768, by an informal gathering of Protestant dissenters with origins in the seventeenth century. In 1894, the co ...
* James Coningham (1670–1716), presbyterian divine and tutor *
Thomas Cotton Thomas Cotton may refer to: * Thomas Cotton (MP for Huntingdonshire) (died 1574), MP for Huntingdonshire *Sir Thomas Cotton, 2nd Baronet, of Connington (1594–1662), English politician * Sir Thomas Cotton, 2nd Baronet, of Combermere (c. 1672–171 ...
(1653–1730), dissenting minister * Cromwell family: two tombs commemorate various 18th-century members of this family, including Hannah Cromwell ''née'' Hewling (1653–1732), widow of Major Henry Cromwell (1658–1711), the grandson of
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three ...
; together with several of the couple's children and grandchildren. (Major Cromwell himself died and was buried in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
.) *
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel '' Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
(1661–1731), author of '' Robinson Crusoe'' * Thomas Doolittle (c. 1632–1707), nonconformist minister, tutor and author * John Eames (died 1744), dissenting tutor *
Thomas Emlyn Thomas Emlyn (1663–1741) was an English nonconformist divine. Life Emlyn was born at Stamford, Lincolnshire. He served as chaplain to the presbyterian Letitia, countess of Donegal, the daughter of Sir William Hicks, 1st Baronet who married ( ...
(1663–1741), nonconformist divine * John Evans (c. 1680–1730), Welsh presbyterian minister and historian * John Fell (1735–1797), congregationalist minister and classical tutor * Caleb Fleming (1698–1779), dissenting minister and polemicist * Roger Flexman (1708–1795), presbyterian minister, historical scholar and bibliographer * James Foster (1697–1753), Baptist minister and author of ''Essay on Fundamentals'', one of the first nonconformist texts * Philip Furneaux (1726–1783), Independent minister * Thomas Gibbons (1720–1785), nonconformist minister, hymn writer and poet * Andrew Gifford (1700–1784), Baptist minister and numismatist * John Gill (1697–1771), Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and Calvinist theologian, author of the ''Exposition of the Bible'' and the ''Body of Divinity'' *
John Guyse John Guyse (1680-1761) was an English independent minister. Life Guyse was born at Hertford in 1680. He was educated for the ministry at the academy of the Rev. John Payne at Saffron Walden, and began to preach in his twentieth year. He sometim ...
(1680–1761), Independent minister * Charles Hamilton (c. 1753–1792), orientalist, known for his English translation of ''
Al-Hidayah ''Al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi'' (d. 593 AH/1197 CE) ( ar, الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي, ''al-Hidāyah fī Sharḥ Bidāyat al-Mubtadī''), commonly referred to as ''al-Hidayah'' (lit. "the guidance", also spelle ...
'' * William Harris (c. 1675–1740), presbyterian minister *
Joseph Hart Joseph Hart (1711/12 – 24 May 1768) was a Calvinism, Calvinist minister in London. His works include ''Hart's Hymns'', a much-loved hymn book amongst evangelical Christians throughout its lifetime of over 200 years, which includes the we ...
(1712–1768), hymn writer and Calvinist minister in London *
William Kiffin William Kiffin (1616–1701), sometimes spelled William Kiffen, was a seventeenth-century England, English Baptist minister. He was also a successful merchant in the woollen trade. Life He was born in London early in 1616. His family appears to ...
(1616–1701), Baptist minister and wool-merchant *
Andrew Kippis Andrew Kippis (28 March 17258 October 1795) was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer. Life The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to Carre's Grammar School in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he pa ...
(1725–1795), nonconformist clergyman and biographer * Nathaniel Lardner (1684–1768), theologian *
Theophilus Lobb Theophilus Lobb (1678–1763) was an English physician, known as a medical and as a religious writer. Life Born in London on 17 August 1678, he was the son of Stephen Lobb, by the daughter of Theophilus Polwhele, nonconformist minister at T ...
(1678–1763), physician, and medical and religious writer * John Macgowan (1726–1780), Scottish Baptist minister and author *
Paul Henry Maty Paul Henry Maty (1744 – 16 January 1787) was an English librarian. Maty was born in London, the son of the librarian Matthew Maty (1718–1786), and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He vacated a Trinity fellowship to marry in 1775. I ...
(1744–1787), British Museum librarian * Henry Miles (1698–1763), dissenting minister and scientific writer * Roger Morrice (1628–1702), Puritan minister and political journalist *
Daniel Neal Daniel Neal Daniel Neal (14 December 16784 April 1743) was an English historian. Biography Born in London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, and at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden. In 1704 he became assistant minister, and ...
(1678–1743), Independent minister and historian of Puritanism * Christopher Ness (1621–1705), Independent minister and theological author * Thomas Newcomen (1663–1729), steam engine pioneer (exact site of burial unknown) * Joshua Oldfield (1656–1729), presbyterian divine * William Orme (1787–1830), Scottish Congregational minister and biographer * Dame Mary Page (1672–1729), wife of
Sir Gregory Page, 1st Baronet Sir Gregory Page, 1st Baronet (c. 1669 – 25 May 1720), of Greenwich, Kent, was an English brewer, merchant and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1720. Early life Page was the eldest son of Gregory Page (died 169 ...
* Edward Pickard (1714–1778), dissenting minister * Richard Price (1723–1791), founder of life insurance principles * Elizabeth Rayner (1714–1800), Unitarian benefactress * Benjamin Robinson (1666–1724), Presbyterian minister and theologian * Samuel Rosewell (1679–1722), Presbyterian minister * Thomas Rowe (1657–1705), nonconformist minister * Samuel Morton Savage (1721–1791), nonconformist minister and dissenting tutor * Samuel Say (1676–1743), dissenting minister *
Samuel Stennett Samuel Stennett (1 June 1727 – 24 August 1795) was a Seventh Day Baptist minister and hymnwriter. Pastor and hymnwriter He was born in Exeter but at the age of 10 his family moved to London, where his father served as the minister of the Bapti ...
(1727–1795), Seventh Day Baptist minister and hymnwriter * Joseph Swain (1761–1796), Baptist minister, poet and hymnwriter * Isaac Watts (1674–1748), hymn writer (" Joy to the World"; "
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross The hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", was written by Isaac Watts, and published in ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs'' in 1707. It is significant for being an innovative departure from the early English hymn style of only using paraphrased bi ...
"), theologian and logician * Susanna Wesley (1669–1742), mother of
John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of a revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies he founded became the dominant form of the independent Meth ...
, founder of
Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
and Charles Wesley, hymn writer * Daniel Williams (1643–1716), theologian and founder of Dr Williams's Library


19th century

* Thomas Belsham (1750–1829), Unitarian minister * Catherine Blake (1762–1831), wife of William Blake * William Blake (1757–1827), painter, engraver, poet, and mystic * David Bradberry (1736–1803), nonconformist minister * John Bradford (1750–1805), dissenting minister * Charles Buck (1771–1815), Independent minister and theological writer, known for his ''Theological Dictionary'' *
George Burder George Burder (May 25, 1752 O.S.May 29, 1832) was an English Nonconformist divine. Biography Burder was born in London. In his early twenties he was an engraver, but in 1776 he began preaching, and was minister of the Independent church at La ...
(1752–1832), nonconformist divine * John Clayton (1754–1843), Independent minister *
Eleanor Coade Eleanor Coade (3 June 1733 – 18 November 1821) was a British businesswoman known for manufacturing Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments made of ''Lithodipyra'' or Coade stone for ov ...
(1733–1821), pioneer of the artificial stone known as Coade stone * Joseph Denison (c. 1726–1806), banker * Daniel Fisher (1731–1807), dissenting minister * Joseph Hardcastle (1752–1819), one of the founders of the
Missionary Society A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
* Thomas Hardy (1752–1832), political reformer and founder of the
London Corresponding Society The London Corresponding Society (LCS) was a federation of local reading and debating clubs that in the decade following the French Revolution agitated for the democratic reform of the British Parliament. In contrast to other reform associa ...
* Thomas Heaphy the elder (1775–1835), watercolourist and portrait-painter * Jabez Carter Hornblower (1744–1814), steam engine pioneer * Henry Hunter (1741–1802), Scottish minister and translator * John Hyatt (1767–1826), one of the founding preachers of Calvinist Methodism at Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road 1806–1828. * Joseph Ivimey (1773–1834), Particular Baptist minister and historian * William Jones (1762–1846), Welsh Baptist religious writer and bookseller * John Le Keux (1783–1846), English engraver * Theophilus Lindsey (1723–1808), a founder of Unitarianism * John Martin (1741–1820), Particular Baptist minister * David Nasmith (1799–1839), founder of the
City Mission Movement The City Mission movement started in Glasgow in January 1826 when David Nasmith founded the Glasgow City Mission (Scotland). It was an interdenominational agency working alongside churches and other Christian agencies to provide for the spirit ...
*
Joseph Nightingale Joseph Nightingale (26 October 1775 – 9 August 1824) was a prolific English writer and preacher. He was particularly noted for his topographic writing and his interest in shorthand. Life He was born at Chowbent in Atherton, Lancashire and beca ...
(1775–1824), writer and preacher * William Orme (1787–1830), Scottish Congregational minister and biographer * Apsley Pellatt (1763–1826), glass manufacturer *
Timothy Priestley Timothy Priestley (19 June 1734 – 23 April 1814) was an English Independent minister. The younger brother of Joseph Priestley, he was a collaborator in making electrical apparatus. Life The second child of Jonas and Mary Priestley, was born at ...
(1734–1814), Independent minister, and scientific collaborator with his brother
Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted ...
* Thomas Pringle (1789–1834), Scottish poet and author, and Secretary to the Anti-Slavery Society (re-interred 1970, Eildon Church, Baviaans valley, South Africa) *
Abraham Rees Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of '' Rees's Cyclopædia'' (in 45 volumes). Life He was the second son of Esther, daughter of Abraham Penry, and her husband Lewis Rees, and was born in ...
(1743–1825), Welsh nonconformist minister and compiler of '' Rees's Cyclopædia'' *
John Rippon John Rippon (29 April 1751 – 17 December 1836) was an English Baptist minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns'', commonly ...
(1750–1836),
Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul c ...
clergyman, composer of many well known hymns * Richard "Conversation" Sharp (1759–1835), prominent among the Dissenters' "Deputies", critic, merchant and MP *
William Shrubsole William Shrubsole (1760–1806) was an English musician and composer. Life The youngest son of Thomas Shrubsole, a farrier, he was born at Canterbury, and baptised on 13 January 1760. He was a chorister in Canterbury Cathedral from 1770 to 177 ...
(1760–1806), singer and composer *
Thomas Stothard Thomas Stothard (17 August 1755 – 27 April 1834) was an English painter, illustrator and engraver. His son, Robert T. Stothard was a painter ( fl. 1810): he painted the proclamation outside York Minster of Queen Victoria's accession to the ...
(1755–1834), painter, illustrator and engraver * Charles Taylor (1756–1823), engraver and biblical scholar * John Towers (c. 1747–1804), Independent minister * George Walker (c. 1734–1807), dissenter, mathematician, theologian, and
Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...
* James Ware (1756–1815), eye surgeon and Fellow of the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
* Rev. Alexander Waugh (1754–1827), co-founder of the London Missionary Society and forebear of Evelyn Waugh *
Hugh Worthington Hugh Worthington (21 June 1752 – 26 July 1813) was a British Arian divine. He was born in Leicester and studied at the Daventry Academy under Caleb Ashworth. Worthington was a pastor at Salters' Hall, London, from 1782; a trustee of Dr Daniel ...
(1752–1813), dissenting minister


References


Further reading

* * * * * * (2 vols)


External links

* *
Aerial view from 1947
from the English Heritage "Britain from Above" archive {{authority control 1665 establishments in England * Cemeteries in London Congregationalism Grade I listed parks and gardens in London Honourable Artillery Company Nonconformism Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Islington Parks and open spaces of the City of London Corporation Protestant Reformed cemeteries