The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium is a

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

and

crematorium A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...

in the east of London. It is owned and operated by the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

. It is designated Grade I on the

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...

National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

. Anyone can be interred at the City of London Cemetery irrespective of city connections or religious beliefs. The cemetery reuses graves which have not been used for more than 75 years, and which are known to have depth for at least two more burials. English Heritage has listed many burial grounds and says it has no objection to the reuse of graves in principle, as long as heritage is protected.

Location

The cemetery is on the north-east side of Aldersbrook Road, in Manor Park, in the London Borough of Newham, near

Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...

. It has two entrances: the Main Gate, close to the junction of Aldersbrook Road and Forest Drive; and the South Gate, a small gate at the junction of Aldersbrook Road and Rabbits Road.

History

The entrance gateway of the City of London Cemetery

In 1849 William J. Haywood,

Chief Engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer ...

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 ...

Commission of Sewers, reported on the condition of the city's churchyards and their health risks. The Commissioners were responsible for public hygiene and sanitation and were in effect also the burial board for the City of London, due to an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

in 1852. The commissioners directed that a cemetery be built for the city's 106 parishes, to replace intramural interment (burial within the confines of a parish). The task was taken up by William Haywood and Dr John Simon. In 1853 this led to the purchase of land owned by the 2nd Duke of Wellington, forming most of the Manor of Aldersbrook. The of land suited the construction of the cemetery because it was accessible—only from the City of London—and had attractive planting and porous, gravelly, well-drained soil. This former farm land was sold to the Corporation for £30,721 and the cemetery was founded in 1854. It was laid out in 1855 by William Haywood, who designated for burial but also reserved land for plots sold in perpetuity, buildings, landscaping and roads. He was helped by

landscape gardener Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic design and general engineering of various structures for constructio ...

Robert Davidson. In selecting planting, Haywood and Simon were guided by

John Claudius Loudon John Claudius Loudon (8 April 1783 – 14 December 1843) was a Scottish botanist, garden designer and author. He was the first to use the term arboretum in writing to refer to a garden of plants, especially trees, collected for the purpose of ...

's ''On the Laying Out, Planting, and Managing of Cemeteries (1843)''. The total cost is estimated at over £45,000, which is approximately £26,000 more than originally planned. The first

interment Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

was on 24 June 1856, although the cemetery was not consecrated until November 1857, due to legal difficulties (which were solved in the

Burial Act 1857 The Burial Act 1857 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is one of the Burial Acts 1852 to 1885. Its purpose is to regulate burial grounds. It regulates where and how deceased people may be buried, and provides for the exhumati ...

). It is estimated that in 1858 around 2,700 interments took place. Approximately 600,000 people have been interred here and with the remains from over 30 London churchyards also placed on the site, the figure is approaching 1 million. At the beginning of the 20th century a crematorium was built (designed by D. J. Ross), at a cost of around £7,000 and was opened on 25 October 1904 in the presence of Sir Henry Thompson. In 1937 a garden of rest was constructed, followed by a series of memorial gardens, today with an estimated 20,000 rose bushes. A new crematorium was built in 1971 to a design by E. G. Chandler. It is a modern, symmetrical building containing two chapels and a basement crematory. The cemetery has been in continuous use since its opening. Many of the churches that were demolished in London had their dead reinterred in the City of London Cemetery (''see § Reburial and memorials'').

Importance

The cemetery grounds have been listed Grade I on the

National Register of Parks and Gardens. Eight Grade II listed buildings on the

National Heritage List for England The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) is England's official database of protected heritage assets. It includes details of all English listed buildings, scheduled monuments, register of historic parks and gardens, protected shipwrecks, a ...

are also associated with the cemetery, these are the Main Entrance Screen and Lodges, the Non Conformist Mortuary Chapel, the

Columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...

, the Monument at the South End of the Columbarium and Non Conformist Chapel, the monument to William Haywood, the cottage, and the Central Avenue chapel and the South Chapel

Facilities

City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, which has received the

Green Flag Award The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation given to publicly accessible parks and open spaces, managed under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, a UK Government department, by Keep Britain Tidy, ...

, is open 365 days a year and contains formal gardens, roadways, and over 3,500 mature trees in a rolling landscape. It has uniformed information staff, a florist shop and a café with its own garden. The cemetery has different burial sites, an Anglican Chapel with a spire, and a round

Dissenter A dissenter (from the Latin ''dissentire'', "to disagree") is one who dissents (disagrees) in matters of opinion, belief, etc. Usage in Christianity Dissent from the Anglican church In the social and religious history of England and Wales, and ...

's Chapel (designed by William Haywood), although the cemetery and crematorium is today non-denominational. There are now two crematoria, designated the Old and the New. The Old Crematorium is no longer in use as a crematorium but is used as a chapel. There is also a chapel of remembrance and a

columbarium A columbarium (; pl. columbaria) is a structure for the reverential and usually public storage of funerary urns, holding cremated remains of the deceased. The term can also mean the nesting boxes of pigeons. The term comes from the Latin "''colu ...

. The cemetery is one of only a few cemeteries in London with catacombs. This however has proven to be an unpopular method of burial; part of the unused catacombs have now been converted into columbarium space. Despite having over 150,000 gravesites the cemetery is reaching capacity. New burials have begun to be placed above older burials, leaving deep interments undisturbed. These new burials involve advice from experts, and the family of the previously buried if known. There are 729 identified Commonwealth service personnel of the First and Second World Wars commemorated at the cemetery, many buried in a War Graves plot, which has a

Cross of Sacrifice The Cross of Sacrifice is a Commonwealth war memorial designed in 1918 by Sir Reginald Blomfield for the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). It is present in Commonwealth war cemeteries containing 40 or ...

and a Screen Wall memorial that lists casualties who are buried in the plot or elsewhere in the cemetery without headstones, and those cremated at the City of London Crematorium. Many of the soldiers died at the

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By ...

Military Hospital.
CWGC Cemetery Report. The Cemetery provides a car park, but allows vehicle permissive access to cemetery roads. It is served by National Rail and London Underground stations, and London Transport buses.

Reburial and memorials

The Union of Benefices Act 1860 allowed for the demolition of many unused City churches, and for the reinterment of the remains in the City of London Cemetery. The cemetery also contains inhumations from London churches destroyed during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

. *

St Benet Gracechurch St Benet Gracechurch (or Grass Church), so called because a haymarket existed nearby (Cobb), was a parish church in the City of London. First recorded in the 11th century, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666 and rebuilt by the o ...

(1865) * All Hallows Staining (1870) *

St Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...

and St Sepulchre (1871), this Grade II listed grand monument was designed by Haywood *

St Mary Somerset St. Mary Somerset was a church in the City of London first recorded in the twelfth century. Destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, it was one of the 51 churches rebuilt by the office of Sir Christopher Wren. The tower is located in Upper Thames S ...

(1871) *

Holy Trinity the Less Holy Trinity the Less was a parish church in Knightrider Street in the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Following the fire the site was used for a Lutheran church, which was eventually demolished in 1871 to make way for Mans ...

(1872) *

St Mildred, Poultry St Mildred, Poultry, was a parish church in the Cheap ward of the City of London dedicated to Anglo-Saxon Saint Mildred. It was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London, and demolished in 1872. St Mildred in the Poultry was the burial place of th ...

, the church was demolished in 1872, the parish was joined with St Olave * St James Duke's Place (1874) * St Martin Outwich (1874) * St Antholin, Watling Street (1875) *

All Hallows Bread Street All Hallows Bread Street was a parish church in the Bread Street ward of the City of London, England. It stood on the east side of Bread Street, on the corner with Watling Street. First mentioned in the 13th century, the church was destroyed in ...

(1878) * St Dionis Backchurch (1878) * St Matthew Friday Street (1884) * St Olave (1887) *

St Helen's Bishopsgate St Helen's Bishopsgate is an Anglican church in London. It is located in Great St Helen's, off Bishopsgate. It is the largest surviving parish church in the City of London. Several notable figures are buried there, and it contains more monumen ...

(1892) * St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street, destroyed by a fire in 1886 and demolished in 1893 *

St Mary Woolnoth St Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on the corner of Lombard Street and King William Street near Bank junction. The present building is one of the Queen Anne Churches, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The pari ...

(between 1897–1900), the contents of the crypt were moved here because of the construction of the Bank Station under the church. * St Peter le Poer, the church was demolished in 1907, the parish was joined with St Michael, Cornhill *

St Alphage London Wall St Alphege or St Alphage London Wall was a church in Bassishaw Ward in the City of London, built directly upon London Wall. It was also known as St Alphege Cripplegate, from its proximity to Cripplegate. It is now operated as St& ...

(1924) *

St Katherine Coleman St Katherine Coleman was a parish church in the City of London, situated in St Katherine's Row, on the south side of Fenchurch Street, in Aldgate Ward. Of medieval origin, it narrowly escaped destruction in the Great Fire of London in 1666, b ...

(1925) * All Hallows Lombard Street (1939) * Holy Trinity, Minories (1940) * St Alban, Wood Street (1940) * St Mary Aldermanbury (1940), the church was rebuilt in

Fulton, Missouri Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Located about northeast of Jefferson City and the Missouri River and east of Columbia, the city is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri, Metropolita ...

, USA, in 1966 *

St Botolph's Aldgate St Botolph's Aldgate is a Church of England parish church in the City of London and also, as it lies outside the line of the city's former eastern walls, a part of the East End of London. The full name of the church is St Botolph without Aldga ...

, the remains of around 2,500 persons were moved here when the north part of the churchyard was cleared in 1965 * St Michael Queenhithe, the church was demolished in 1876, reinterment took place in 1969 * St Michael, Cornhill, reinterment from the churchyard (date unknown) Some churches were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and never rebuilt due to the Rebuilding Act. Many were joined with other parishes. The remains in their churchyards were either left, moved to a new location or to this cemetery (sometimes at a later date). Among these were: * St Dionis Backchurch *St John the Evangelist, Watling Street, the churchyard was cleared in 1954 *

St John Zachary St John Zachary (meaning "St John, son of St Zachary", i.e. John the Baptist) was a church, first mentioned in official records in 1181, within the City of London, England, on the north side of Gresham Street, Aldersgate. Its vicar from 25 May ...

St Leonard, Eastcheap St. Leonard, Eastcheap, sometimes referred to as ''St Leonard Milkchurch'', was a parish church in the City of London. Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt. The site of the church was retained ...

, the churchyard on Fish Street Hill was cleared in 1882 * St Martin Pomary *

St Martin Vintry St Martin Vintry was a parish church in the Vintry ward of the City of London, England. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and never rebuilt. History The church stood at what is now the junction of Queen Street and Upper Thames ...

St Mary Colechurch St Mary Colechurch was a parish church in the City of London destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt. History The church was situated at the junction of Poultry and the south end of Old Jewry. Named after its first benefac ...

St Mary Woolchurch Haw St Mary Woolchurch Haw was a parish church in the City of London, destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666 and not rebuilt. It came within the ward of Walbrook. History The church of St Mary Woolchurch Haw was an ancient foundation, dati ...

, the churchyard was cleared in 1892 *

St Peter, Paul's Wharf St Peter, Paul's Wharf, was a Church of England parish church in the City of London. It was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666. First mentioned in the 12th century, it stood to the north of Upper Thames Street in Queenhithe Ward. The parish wa ...

Notable burials

* Michael Barrett, a

Fenian The word ''Fenian'' () served as an umbrella term for the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and their affiliate in the United States, the Fenian Brotherhood, secret political organisations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dedicated ...

* Sir George Barclay, British diplomat *Robert Bentley and Charles Tucker, City of London policemen and victims of the Battle of Stepney * George Leslie Drewry VC, British sailor in the Royal Navy Reserve, accidentally killed at Scapa Flow 1918 * George Dyer, lover and muse of Irish-born British artist,

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

* Catherine Eddowes, (1842-1888) Whitechapel murder victim of

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...

George William Foote George William Foote (11 January 1850 – 17 October 1915) was an English secularist, freethinker, republican, writer and journal editor. Early life George William Foote was born in Plymouth, the son of William Thomas Foot (a customs officer) ...

, a secularist and journal editor * Benjamin Gardner, Labour MP * William Haywood, civil engineer *

Alfred Horsley Hinton Alfred Horsley Hinton (1863 – 25 February 1908) was an English landscape photographer, best known for his work in the pictorialist movement in the 1890s and early 1900s. As an original member of the Linked Ring and editor of ''The Amateur Ph ...

, a pictorialist photographer *

Robert Hunter (encyclopædist) Robert Hunter (1823–25 February 1897) was the lead editor of the '' Encyclopædic Dictionary'', which he produced in seven volumes between 1879 and 1888. In addition, he was an ordained minister and missionary for the Free Church of Scotlan ...

Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones Frederick Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones, CH, PC (24 October 1909 – 4 December 1989), known as Elwyn Jones, was a British barrister and Labour politician. Background and education Elwyn Jones was born in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, and rea ...

, a British barrister and Labour politician *Rev

Alexander McCaul Reverend Alexander McCaul (16 May 1799 – 13 November 1863) was an Irish Hebraist and missionary to the Jews. Life McCaul, the son of Alexander McCaul (a cordwainer) was born to a Protestant family in Dublin, 16 May 1799. He was educated at a ...

, professor of Divinity and Eccliastical History at London University * (John)

Joseph Merrick Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...

, the "Elephant Man" (soft tissue only) * Bobby Moore, footballer, cremated at

Putney Vale Crematorium Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium in southwest London is located in Putney Vale, surrounded by Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. It is located within of parkland. The cemetery was opened in 1891 and the crematorium in 1938. ...

; his ashes in the Garden of Remembrance *Dame

Anna Neagle Dame Florence Marjorie Wilcox (''née'' Robertson; 20 October 1904 – 3 June 1986), known professionally as Anna Neagle, was an English stage and film actress, singer, and dancer. She was a successful box-office draw in the British cinema ...

, a popular English stage and motion picture actress, dancer and singer. Widow of

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best known for the films he made with his third wif ...

Mary Ann Nichols Mary Ann Nichols, known as Polly Nichols (née Walker; 26 August 184531 August 1888), was the first canonical victim of the unidentified serial killer known as Jack the Ripper, who is believed to have murdered and mutilated at least five women i ...

(1845-1888), victim of Jack the Ripper * Sir James Roll, Lord Mayor of London * John Joseph Sims, VC (died 1881), British foot Soldier *Rev

Thomas Bowman Stephenson Thomas Bowman Stephenson ( 22 December 1839 – 6 July 1912) was a Methodist minister. He founded what was to become the National Children's Home in 1869. He later founded the Wesleyan Deaconesses in 1890. In 1891 he was elected President of t ...

, founder of the National Children's Homes *

Edith Thompson Edith Jessie Thompson (25 December 1893 – 9 January 1923) and Frederick Edward Francis Bywaters (27 June 1902 – 9 January 1923) were a British couple executed for the murder of Thompson's husband Percy. Their case became a ''cause c ...

(1893-1923), hanged for the murder of her husband (see below). Exhumed from

Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Regi ...

in 2018 and reburied with her parents.Adam Lusher
Laid to rest at last: Edith Thompson, victim of a 'barbarous, misogynistic death penalty'
- ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' 22 November 2018 *Percy Thompson (died 1922), murder victim; see

Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters Edith Jessie Thompson (25 December 1893 – 9 January 1923) and Frederick Edward Francis Bywaters (27 June 1902 – 9 January 1923) were a British couple executed for the murder of Thompson's husband Percy. Their case became a ''cause c ...

Christopher Wicking Christopher Wicking (10 January 1943 – 13 October 2008), also known as Chris Wicking, was a British screenwriter, often in the horror and fantasy genres, notably for the British arm of American International Pictures and with Hammer Film Pro ...

, screenwriter *

, a British film director and producer of films such as ''

The Courtneys of Curzon Street ''The Courtneys of Curzon Street'' (also titled ''The Courtney Affair'' or Kathy's Love Affair, in the U.S.) is a 1947 British drama film starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding. It is a study of class division and snobbery in Britain in the la ...

'' and '' Odette'' * Sir Walter Wilkin (1842–1922),

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...

1895–96 People reputed to have been reinterred here: *

Claude Duval Claude Du Vall (or Duval) (164321 January 1670) was a French highwayman in Restoration England. He came from a family of decayed nobility, and worked in the service of exiled royalists who returned to England under King Charles II. Little els ...

(1643–1670), highwayman, although he was originally buried in St Paul's, Covent Garden * Robert Hooke (1635–1703), scientist, although was originally buried in

Size

It is the third largest such municipal facility in the United Kingdom. Roselawn Cemetery in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, with approximately 280 acres in surface area, is considered the largest.

, which was privately owned until purchased by

Woking Borough Council Woking Borough Council is the local authority for the borough of Woking in the county of Surrey, England. The council consists of 30 councillors, three for each of the 10 wards in the town. It is currently controlled by the Liberal Democrat Pa ...

in 2014 is larger by surface area.

Gallery

File:City of london cemetery gate.jpg, Cemetery gates File:City of London Cemetery and Crematorium Anglican Church chapel east facade.jpg, Anglican Chapel File:Dissenters' Chapel at City of London Cemetery and Crematorium 1.jpg, Dissenters Chapel File:City of London Cemetery - Traditional crematorium East Chapel.jpg, Traditional crematorium East Chapel File:Catacomb - geograph.org.uk - 518918.jpg, Columbarium and catacombs File:Catacomb columbarium interior - City of London Cemetery, Newham, London England 01.jpg, Catacomb interior File:A view of foral tributes and crematorium at City of London Cemetery.jpg, New Crematorium File:City of London Cemetery and Crematorium ~ grave monuments lining Central Avenue.jpg, Central Avenue File:William Haywood tomb at City of London Cemetery and Crematorium 1.jpg, William J. Haywood mausoleum File:City of London Cemetery - St Dionis Backchurch reburials monument - Newham, London England 2.jpg, St Dionis Backchurch reburials monument File:Vigiland memorial monument at the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium 1.jpg, Vigiland monument File:City of London Cemetery - WWI memorial and graves of combatants - Newham, London England 01.jpg, First World War

memorial and war graves File:Mary Ann Nichols grave marker at City of London Cemetery and Crematorium 1.jpg, Mary Ann Nichols' grave marker File:City of London Cemetery - Bobby Moore grave plaque in the Memorial Gardens.jpg, Bobby Moore grave plaque File:Christopher Wicking grave stone - City of London Cemetery, Newham, London England.jpg, Christopher Wicking grave File:City of London Cemetery and Crematorium ~ Café patio garden red umbrellas 01.jpg, Café File:City of London Cemetery - flowering shrubs 06.jpg, Cemetery rhododendron

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Cemeteries in London 1856 establishments in England Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Newham Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Newham Grade II listed monuments and memorials Grade I listed parks and gardens in London Parks and open spaces of the City of London Corporation Crematoria in England Crematoria in London Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in England