The Leeds General Cemetery (also known as Woodhouse Cemetery, Woodhouse Lane Cemetery and, since its closure in 1969, St George's Fields) is a former cemetery in

Woodhouse, Leeds Woodhouse is a largely residential area just north of the city centre of Leeds and close to the University of Leeds. It is in the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward of City of Leeds metropolitan district. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census ...

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 ...

, England. It is now within the campus of the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

and has been landscaped and kept as an open space. Some original monuments and the cemetery chapel remain.

History

The Leeds General Cemetery Company Limited was set up in 1833 to create a new cemetery as that of the

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

was full. The cemetery opened in 1835, and a total of 93,569 interments took place in it. In 1956 the University of Leeds acquired a majority shareholding in the company and in 1965 the University of Leeds Act was passed which allowed the university to remove monuments and create a public open space. The company went into voluntary liquidation in 1967 and the last burial took place in October 1969. From March to November 1968 contractors removed the headstones and memorials, some of which were subsequently collected by

Leeds City Museum Leeds City Museum, originally established in 1819, reopened in 2008 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is housed in the former Mechanics' Institute built by Cuthbert Brodrick, in Cookridge Street (now Millennium Square). It is one of nine ...

, some retained and the rest covered with soil which was then grassed over and landscaped. There were no exhumations. The space re-opened to the public in 1969 as St George's Fields (the name of the area before the cemetery was created). It is valued as a quiet space within the busy campus.

Monuments and burials

Notable surviving monuments include those of circus proprietor

Pablo Fanque Pablo Fanque (born William Darby; 30 March 1810 – 4 May 1871) was a British equestrian performer and circus proprietor, becoming the first recorded Black circus owner in Britain. His circus was popular in Victorian Britain for 30 years, a p ...

(1796-1871), who was mentioned in the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

song "

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles for their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written and composed primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. ...

" from the LP '' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' and his wife Susannah Darby, and the 1892 Leeds Fire Brigade Memorial. Other notable people who were buried in the cemetery include Leeds artist

Atkinson Grimshaw John Atkinson Grimshaw (6 September 1836 – 13 October 1893) was an English Victorian-era artist best known for his nocturnal scenes of urban landscapes.Alexander Robertson, ''Atkinson Grimshaw'', London, Phaidon Press, 1996 H. J. Dyos and ...

(1836-1893),

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 ...

holder

Charles Hull Charles Hull VC (24 July 1890 – 13 February 1953) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces during ...

(1890-1953) and

Ann Carr Ann Carr may refer to: * Ann Carr (gymnast) * Ann Carr (evangelist) See also * Ann Carr-Boyd, Australian classical composer and musicologist * Anne Carr Sister Anne Carr (11 November 1934 – 11 February 2008) was a Catholic nun, a Sister of Ch ...

(1783-1841) who led the

Female Revivalist Society Ann Carr (4 March 1783 – 1841) was a British evangelist who founded the Female Revivalist Society. An offshoot of the Primitive Methodists, the Society used female and male preachers. Life Carr was born in Market Rasen in 1783 to a poor family. ...

. A total of 105 Commonwealth service personnel of both World Wars were buried in this cemetery. Because their graves could no longer be 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 ...

, they are commemorated by name on a Screen Wall memorial in Lawnswood Cemetery in the same city.
CWGC Cemetery Report (under Leeds (Lawns Wood) Cemetery).

Listed buildings

The cemetery chapel, built in 1835, is grade II listed building, listed along with a statue of Michael Sadler. The cemetery lodge, the Leeds Fire Brigade Memorial and several groups of monuments are also grade II listed.

Burial records

Leeds University Library holds an archive of the Leeds General Cemetery Company and the indexed burial registers, which have been digitised and can be searched and viewed freely online.

History

Monuments and burials

Listed buildings

Burial records

See also

References

Further reading