War memorial in Streatham Park Cemetery, Rowan Road

South London Crematorium and Streatham Park Cemetery is a cemetery 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 ...

on Rowan Road in Streatham Vale. It has always been privately owned and managed and is now part of the Dignity plc 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 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 opposing ...

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 m ...

(CWGC) and has a Cross of Sacrifice 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 South London Liberal Synagogue is a synagogue at Prentis Road in Streatham in the London Borough of Lambeth. The community is currently served by Rabbi Nathan Godleman. The synagogue, which is affiliated to Liberal Judaism, was established in ...

. 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 Sir Brian Leon Barder (20 June 1934 – 19 September 2017) was a British diplomat, author, blogger and civil liberties advocate. Life and career Barder was born in Bristol, the son of Harry and Vivien Barder. He was educated at Sherborne School ...

Wilfrid Brambell Henry Wilfrid Brambell (22 March 1912 – 18 January 1985) was an Irish television and film actor, best remembered for playing the grubby rag-and-bone man Albert Steptoe alongside Harry H. Corbett in the long-running BBC television sitcom '' ...

* 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 Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earlie ...

* Daisy Dormer *

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 ''Oh ...

* William Jex * Frank Howard Kirby 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 Henry William George Lupino (16 June 1892 – 10 November 1959) professionally Lupino Lane, was an English actor and theatre manager, and a member of the famous Lupino family, which eventually included his cousin, the screenwriter/director/actr ...

* Tom Leamore * Olive Morris *

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

* Dan Rolyat * Jack Spurling (1870 - 1933) Marine Artist *

Dorothy Squires Dorothy Squires (born Edna May Squires, 25 March 1915 – 14 April 1998) was a Welsh singer. Her early successes were achieved with " The Gypsy", " A Tree in the Meadow" and " I'm Walking Behind You" by her partner Billy Reid, and " Say It w ...

* Hal Swain * Joseph Tabrar *

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 Find a Grave {{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