East Sheen Cemetery, originally known as Barnes Cemetery, 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 ...

on Sheen Road in

East Sheen East Sheen, also known as Sheen, is a suburb in south-west London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its long high street has shops, offices, restaurants, cafés, pubs and suburban supermarkets and is also the economic hub for Mort ...

in the

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames () in southwest London forms part of Outer London and is the only London borough on both sides of the River Thames. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas amalgamated under the London ...

, England. The cemetery opened in 1906 on what was previously woodland in a rural area of

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

. Originally, only half the site was given over for burials while the other half was maintained as a nursery before it was converted in the 1930s and the whole site was renamed East Sheen Cemetery. It is today contiguous with

Richmond Cemetery Richmond Cemetery is a cemetery on Lower Grove Road in Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. The cemetery opened in 1786 on a plot of land granted by an Act of Parliament the previous year. The cemetery has been expande ...

, though the original boundary is marked by a hedge. The cemetery's chapel is used for services by both sites, as Richmond Cemetery's chapel is no longer in use as such. The chapel was built in 1906 in the

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

style by local architect Reginald Rowell, who was himself later buried in the cemetery. Many prominent people are buried in the cemetery, which contains several significant memorials. The most important monument in the cemetery is the memorial to George William Lancaster and his partner (who lived as his wife) by Sydney March — a bronze sculpture of an angel weeping over a stone

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

dating from the 1920s, which is considered to be one of the most important sculptures of its type from the 20th century. Also significant are the memorial to Markham Buxton, a bronze relief on a stone

stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...

by his son Alfred; a miniature walled garden commemorating

Edouard Espinosa Edouard Espinosa (1871–1950) was a British ballet dancer and teacher. He was also the co-founder of the Royal Academy of Dancing and established the British Ballet Organization. Personal life Espinosa was born in Moscow in 1872 to Spanish Je ...

and his wife

Eve Louise Kelland Eve Louise Kelland (1889-1943) was an actress and singer. Eve Kelland started her theatrical career as an actress and singer. She became organiser and administrator of the British Ballet Organization founded in England in 1930, and in 1928 she ...

; and several other sculptures, both Christian-themed and secular. The cemetery also contains over 70 war graves, cared for by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations mil ...

History and setting

The cemetery, on a 16-acre (6.5-hectare) site, was first opened as Barnes Cemetery in 1905 or 1906, prior to which the area was woodland. The land in the area was historically owned by

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

. Only the northern half of the site was originally for burials, with the southern half used as a nursery. The southern area was converted into a cemetery in the 1930s and the whole site was renamed East Sheen Cemetery. It was originally administered by the

Municipal Borough of Barnes Barnes was a local government district in north west Surrey from 1894 to 1965, when its former area was absorbed into the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. History Barnes was formed as an urban district in 1894 and became a municipal bor ...

, with the adjacent

being administered by the

Municipal Borough of Richmond (Surrey) The Municipal Borough of Richmond or Richmond Municipal Borough was a municipal borough in Surrey, England from 1890 to 1965.

. Since 1965, when both boroughs joined the

Municipal Borough of Twickenham Twickenham was a local government district in Middlesex, England from 1868 to 1965. History Twickenham Local Government District was formed in 1868, when the civil parish of Twickenham adopted the Local Government Act 1858. The district was gove ...

to form the

, the two cemeteries have been administered by

Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London, the United Kingdom capital. Richmond upon Thames is ...

. The entrance to the cemetery is set back from the road along an avenue flanked by trees and behind a pair of brick gate piers; an entrance described at resembling the entrance to a country house. An

air-raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but many ...

was built near the entrance during the Second World War. Although East Sheen and Richmond cemeteries are today contiguous, the original boundary is still clearly visible and is marked by a holly hedge. The cemetery contains a chapel, available for people of all faiths and beliefs, which is used for services by both East Sheen and Richmond cemeteries as the latter's is no longer in use. It was designed by Reginald Rowell, a local architect who is buried in the cemetery. The chapel, which is listed Grade II by

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 wit ...

, was constructed in 1906, but was designed in 13th-century

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

with a slender

flèche Flèche or Fleche may refer to: *Flèche (architecture), a type of church spire *Flèche (cycling), a team cycling competition *Flèche (fencing), an aggressive offensive fencing technique *Flèche (fortification) A flèche ( Fr. for "arrow") is ...

. East Sheen Cemetery enjoys protected status as a result of designation as

Metropolitan Open Land "Metropolitan Open Land" or "MOL" is a term or designation used only within London. Land designated MOL is afforded the same level of protection as the Metropolitan Green Belt. Designation is intended to protect areas of landscape, recreation, natu ...

and (jointly with Richmond Cemetery and Pesthouse Common) as a conservation area.

Memorials

Lancaster Memorial

East Sheen Cemetery contains several particularly noticeable memorials, the best-known of which is the Lancaster Memorial, dedicated to George William Lancaster, who died in January 1920, and his partner Louisa Mary, who was not married to Lancaster but took his surname and who died in 1922. Originally from the north of England, the Lancasters were industrialists who made their fortune in coal mining. The memorial is described by historian Hugh Meller as "arguably the most dramatic sculpture in any of London's cemeteries", eclipsing all other monuments in the cemetery. The Lancaster Memorial was designated a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 1992, and according to

is "considered one of the most significant 20th-century examples of funerary sculpture". It consists of a bronze sculpture of an angel mourning over a rectangular

, which rests on a coved base and a rectangular plinth, all of which are constructed of

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

. The fluidity of the figure and the drooping of the angel's wings over the sarcophagus are singled out by Historic England as particularly memorable features. The angel was sculpted by Sydney March, who was later renowned for the National War Memorial of Canada—also consisting of bronze and stone sculpture. The work is thought to be inspired by funerary sculptures by

Leonardo Bistolfi Leonardo Bistolfi (14 March 1859 – 2 September 1933) was an Italian sculptor and an important exponent of Italian Symbolism (arts), Symbolism. Biography Bistolfi was born in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont, north-west Italy, to Giovanni Bistol ...

in northern Italy.

Buxton Memorial

Also listed (at Grade II) is the memorial to Markham Buxton (1852–1927), a bronze relief on a stone

; the memorial was built by Buxton's son, Alfred Buxton, a sculptor who exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. The stele is of granite construction, topped with five

antefix An antefix (from Latin ', to fasten before) is a vertical block which terminates and conceals the covering tiles of a tiled roof (see imbrex and tegula, monk and nun). It also serves to protect the join from the elements. In grand buildings, the ...

ae and standing on a granite base, which bears an inscription. The relief features a woman in classical dress playing a

lyre The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...

; it is inscribed with the verse "". Alfred exhibited a relief by the name of "Chanson Triste" at the Royal Academy in 1927, which is likely to be the same work that features on his father's grave.

War memorial

The cemetery contains a war memorial to 79 Commonwealth soldiers who died in the two world wars, 71 of whom have individual headstones—33 from the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and 38 from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The graves are maintained by the

Other memorials

Other significant memorials in the cemetery include a marble sculpture of a soldier commemorating William Rennie O'Mahony (d. 1928), a silver-painted wooden dolphin,a glass circular disc memorial and a sculpture of Jesus as the

Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd ( el, ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 ...

and three lambs, and a mosaic of St Francis and Mary Magdalene on an illegible headstone. Secular memorials include a carving of an aircraft on the grave of

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

Pilot Officer Denis Power (d. 1931), a maritime-themed memorial on the Hervey grave (1917), and a miniature walled garden commemorating Louise Espinosa and her husband Edouard.

Notable burials

Notable people buried in East Sheen Cemetery include: *

Clementina Black Clementina Maria Black (27 July 1853 – 19 December 1922) was an English writer, feminist and pioneering trade unionist, closely connected with Marxist and Fabian socialists. She worked for women's rights at work and for women's suffrage. Ear ...

(1853–1922), writer, feminist and pioneering trade unionist *

Stephen Andrew Boyd Stephen or Steven is a common English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Ac ...

, associate editor of ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'' and compiler of the ''

Sunday Times Rich List The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday news ...

'' *

Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers, (18 August 1858 – 17 November 1938) was a British civil servant, and a Pali and Buddhist scholar. In later life, he served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge. Background and education Chalmers was b ...

(1858–1938), civil servant and a

Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...

and Buddhist scholar who, in later life, served as the Master of

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite ...

William Gilbert Chaloner William Gilbert Chaloner FRS (22 November 1928 – 13 October 2016) was a British palaeobotanist. He was Professor of Botany in the Earth Sciences Department at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Visiting Professor in Earth Sciences ...

(1928–2016),

palaeobotanist Paleobotany, which is also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeogr ...

, who was Professor of Botany in the Earth Sciences Department at

Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departm ...

, and Visiting Professor in Earth Sciences at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

* Husband and wife

(1871–1950) and

(1889–1943), founders of the British Ballet Organization, now bbodance *Sir Alec Martin, businessman *Sir

Ralph Moor Sir Ralph Denham Rayment Moor, (31 July 1860 – 14 September 1909) was the first high commissioner of the British Southern Nigeria Protectorate. Life Ralph Moor was born on 31 July 1860 at The Lodge, Furneux Pelham, Buntingford, Hertfordshir ...

, diplomat *Sir

Benjamin Morgan Benjamin ( he, ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the last of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel (Jacob's thir ...

, engineer and economist * Sir Frederick Wigan, 1st Baronet (1827–1907), merchant and

High Sheriff of Surrey The list of known High Sheriffs of Surrey extends back to 1066. At various times the High Sheriff of Surrey was also High Sheriff of Sussex (1229–1231, 1232–1240, 1242–1567, 1571–1635). 1066–1228 (High Sheriffs of Surrey only) 1229– ...

. There is a monument to him at

Southwark Cathedral Southwark Cathedral ( ) or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. It is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark. ...

. The cemetery also has a grave containing remains of victims of the

2002 Bali bombings The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 23 Britons, and people of more than 20 other nationalit ...

Actors and entertainers

Roy Kinnear Roy Mitchell Kinnear (8 January 1934 – 20 September 1988) was a British character actor. He was known for his roles in films such as The Beatles' ''Help!'' (1965), Clapper in ''How I Won the War'' (1967) and Planchet in ''The Three Musketeers ...

(1934–1988), actor * Husband and wife

Fulton Mackay William Fulton Beith Mackay (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s television sitcom ''Porridge''. Early life Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfr ...

(1922–1987), Scottish actor, best known for his role as

prison officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

Mr Mackay ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' is a British sitcom, starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and broadcast on BBC One, BBC1 from 1974 to 1977. The programme ran for three series, and includ ...

in the 1970s television

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...

Porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...

'', and

Sheila Manahan Sheila Manahan (1 January 1924 – 29 March 1988) was an Irish actress. Career Among her film roles were Ann Willingdon in ''Seven Days to Noon'' (1950), Esther's mother in ''The Story of Esther Costello'' (1957), and Mrs. Jenkins in ''Only Tw ...

(1924–1988), Irish actress, whose film roles were Ann Willingdon in ''

Seven Days to Noon ''Seven Days to Noon'' is a 1950 British drama/thriller film directed by John and Roy Boulting. Paul Dehn and James Bernard won the Academy Award for Best Story for their work on the film. Plot In 1950, the British Prime Minister receives a l ...

'' (1950), Esther's mother in ''

The Story of Esther Costello ''The Story of Esther Costello'' is a 1957 British drama film starring Joan Crawford, Rossano Brazzi, and Heather Sears. The film is an exposé of large-scale fundraising. ''The Story of Esther Costello'' was produced by David Miller and Jack ...

'' (1957), and Mrs Jenkins in ''

Only Two Can Play ''Only Two Can Play'' is a 1962 British comedy film starring Peter Sellers, based on the 1955 novel ''That Uncertain Feeling (novel), That Uncertain Feeling'' by Kingsley Amis. Sidney Gilliat directed the film from a screenplay by Bryan Forbes. ...

'' (1962) *Sir

John Martin-Harvey Sir John Martin-Harvey (22 June 1863 – 14 May 1944), known before his knighthood in 1921 as John Martin Harvey, was an English stage actor-manager. Born in Bath Street, Wivenhoe, Essex, he was the son of John Harvey, a yacht-designer an ...

(1863–1944), actor *William Ellsworth Robinson (stage name

Chung Ling Soo William Ellsworth Robinson (April 2, 1861 – March 24, 1918) was an American magician who went by the stage name Chung Ling Soo (). He is mostly remembered today for his accidental death due to a failed bullet catch trick. Early years Robinson ...

), magician

Artists and sculptors

* Sir Miles de Montmorency, painter and art historian *

Ian Walters Ian Homer Walters (9 April 1930 – 6 August 2006) was an English sculptor. Biography Born in Solihull, Walters was educated at Yardley Grammar school and under William Bloye at the Birmingham School of Art. After National Service in the Royal ...

(1930–2006), sculptor, whose work included the statue in

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

of Prime Minister

Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...

and a large head of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

, now outside the

Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I l ...

, London

Soldiers

*Sir

O'Moore Creagh General (United Kingdom), General Sir Garrett O'Moore Creagh, (2 April 1848 – 9 August 1923), known as Sir O'Moore Creagh, was a senior British Army officer and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the ...

, general and

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipient * Arthur Donaldson, fighter pilot * William Officer, major general and army doctor * Hamilton Reed, major general and VC recipient * Douglas Scott, major general and engineer *Sir Michael Tighe, lieutenant-general

Gallery

File:East Sheen Cemetery 20170927 141733 (49431250467).jpg, Chapel File:East Sheen Cemetery, The Angel of Death, George William Lancaster Memorial by Sydney March (2).jpg, ''The Angel of Death'', George William Lancaster Memorial by Sydney March File:East Sheen Cemetery, Markham Buxton d1927 memorial.jpg, Markham Buxton memorial File:Kinnear.jpg, Grave of actor

File:Futon Mackay's grave.jpg, Grave of actor