War memorial in Streatham Park Cemetery, Rowan Road

South London Crematorium and Streatham Park Cemetery is a cemetery and crematorium on Rowan Road in Streatham Vale. It has always been privately owned and managed and is now part of the

Dignity plc Dignity plc () is a funeral-related service provider in the United Kingdom, and the only publicly-listed company within the country's funeral sector. It provides funeral services, cremations and pre-arranged funeral plans and is made up of the f ...

group . The South London Crematorium is situated within the cemetery grounds and opened in 1936.

History

Streatham Park Cemetery is laid out in a grid pattern and opened as the Great Southern Cemetery in 1909 but was originally planned in 1890 to match the Great Northern Cemetery that opened in 1861 in Southgate. The cemetery buildings included a lodge, an Anglican Chapel and a small Roman Catholic chapel designed by John Bannen who also designed the Crematorium. The Crematorium had been planned from 1913 but was not built until 1936, the delay owing to the start of

World War I 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 ...

. The cemetery lodge and Roman Catholic chapel have since been demolished while the original Anglican chapel later re-opened as the cemetery office. The cemetery has various gardens of remembrance, including rose gardens. Frederick Field (died 1923), a founder of the cemetery, is buried here.Streatham Park Cemetery and South London Crematorium - London Gardens Online
/ref> The cemetery has a long connection with the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund (VABF), with about 200 variety artistes and

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

performers buried here between 1921 and 1944. A Chapel of Remembrance was added in 1958 at the request of the VABF. Up to

World War II 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 cemetery accounted for one fifth of all burials in South London. The cemetery has a large number of burials from

(118) and

(290) which are maintained 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 ...

(CWGC) and 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 Screen Wall Memorial, the latter commemorating casualties of both wars who are buried in this cemetery in graves which could not be marked by headstones. After

another wing was added to the memorial on which are commemorated the names of 123 personnel who died during that conflict and were cremated at the South London Crematorium, which is situated within the cemetery.Streatham Park Cemetery
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database

South London Crematorium

South London Crematorium was opened in 1936 on the site of Streatham Park Cemetery. Chapel can accommodate larger funerals and offers a service time of 45 minutes, which is longer than many other crematoria. Gardens of remembrance feature a variety of personalised memorials and mausoleum burials.

Streatham Park Cemetery

Famous names to have been buried here include the internationally renowned singer, Dorothy Squires, and comedian Tom Costello.

Streatham Jewish Cemetery

Streatham Jewish Cemetery opened in 1915 as a section of Streatham Park Cemetery. The majority of burials here are those of

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

of eastern European origin who settled in the Soho area of London working as tailors, cabinetmakers, shopkeepers, etc. A small section of Streatham Park Cemetery is reserved for members of the South London Liberal Synagogue. This cemetery contains the Commonwealth war graves of 13 service personnel from World War II.https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead/results/?cemetery=STREATHAM PARK JEWISH CEMETERY

Notable burials

* Brian Barder * Wilfrid Brambell * Norman Clapham, variety artist and radio comedian * Tom Costello *

Arthur Henry Cross Arthur Henry Cross (13 December 1884 – 23 November 1965) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Early life He was ...

VC * Desmond Dekker *

Daisy Dormer Daisy Dormer (born Kezia Beatrice Stockwell, 16 January 1883 – 13 September 1947) was a British music hall performer. Early life Kezia Beatrice Stockwell was born on 16 January 1883 in Southsea to Mary and Henry John Stockwell. Her fathe ...

June Duprez June Ada Rose Duprez (14 May 1918 – 30 October 1984) was an English film actress. Early life The daughter of American comedian Fred Duprez and Australian Florence Isabelle Matthews, she was born in Teddington, Middlesex, England, during ...

Gus Elen Ernest Augustus Elen (22 July 1862 – 17 February 1940) was an English music hall singer and comedian. He achieved success from 1891, performing cockney songs including "Arf a Pint of Ale", "It's a Great Big Shame", "Down the Road" and "If It ...

Florrie Forde Flora May Augusta Flannagan ( Flannagan; 16 August 187518 April 1940), known professionally as Florrie Forde, was an Australian popular singer and music hall entertainer. From 1897 she lived and worked in the United Kingdom. She was one of the ...

Will Hay William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film '' O ...

* William Jex *

Frank Howard Kirby Group Captain Frank Howard Kirby, (12 November 1871 – 8 July 1956) was a British military officer and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonweal ...

VC, CBE, DCM *

Charlie Kunz Charles Leonard Kunz (August 18, 1896 – March 16, 1958) was an American-born British musician popular during the British dance band era, and who became a pianist. Life and career Kunz was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States, the on ...

* Lupino Lane * Tom Leamore *

Olive Morris Olive Elaine Morris (26 June 1952 – 12 July 1979) was a Jamaican-born British-based community leader and activist in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns of the 1970s. At the age of 17, she claimed she was assaul ...

Nellie Navette Nellie Navette (1865–3 August 1936) was a well-known British music hall serio-comic performer of the late Victorian era. Famous as a pantomime Principal boy, comedienne, dancer and singer, she made frequent appearances at such venues as the ...

Dan Rolyat Dan Rolyat, born Herbert Taylor (11 November 1872 – 10 December 1927), was an English actor and singer. After an apprenticeship with a touring company he was engaged by the impresarios George Edwardes and Robert Courtneidge to play comic roles i ...

Jack Spurling John Robert Charles Spurling (1870 – 1933) was an English painter noted for nautical themes, particularly sailing ships of the 19th and 20th centuries. History Spurling was born on 12 December 1870. He was the son of an importer and grew up ne ...

(1870 - 1933) Marine Artist * Dorothy Squires * Hal Swain *

Joseph Tabrar Joseph Tabrar (5 November 1857 – 22 August 1931) was a prolific English writer of popular music hall songs. His song "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow" (1892) became Vesta Victoria's first major popular success.Ben Warriss Ben Holden Driver Warriss (29 May 1909 – 14 January 1993) was an English comedian and the first cousin of fellow comedy actor Jimmy Jewel. Allegedly the two cousins were born in the same bed (at different times) and brought up in the same hou ...

References

External links

Streatham Park Cemetery
on

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Streatham Park Cemetery Crematoria in England Cemeteries in London 1909 establishments in England Anglican cemeteries in the United Kingdom Burials at Streatham Park Cemetery 1894 establishments in England Gothic Revival architecture in London History of the London Borough of Lambeth Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in England Streatham