View of Huguenot Burial Ground, Wandsworth, London

The Huguenot Burial Site (also known as Mount Nod Cemetery) is a former burial ground for

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. It was in use from 1687 to 1854. The burial site is located between East Hill and Huguenot Place in the

London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth () is a London boroughs, London borough in southwest London; it forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main named areas are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth, Wandsworth ...

. It is located next to St Mary Magdalen Roman Catholic Church.

History

The walled burial ground, which covers just under half an acre, lies at the top of East Hill and was opened in 1687 as a burial ground for Huguenot refugees - people who fled religious persecution in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

after embracing the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

faith. Many of these refugees from across the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

settled in Wandsworth, attracted by the cloth and

textile mills Textile Manufacturing or Textile Engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful goods s ...

which lined the banks of the

River Wandle The River Wandle is a right-bank tributary of the River Thames in south London, England. With a total length of about , the river passes through the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Sutton, Sutton, Londo ...

- bringing their skills as

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

and

dressmaker A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and gown, evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua (clothing), mantua-makers, and are also known as a mod ...

s, helping to establish 17th and 18th century Wandsworth as a famed centre of fashion and clothes making. Church services in French were performed at the old Presbyterian Chapel in Wandsworth for over a century after the first Huguenots arrived. Victorian social commentator James Thorne, writing in 1876, stated that “gradually the French element became absorbed in the surrounding population, but Wandsworth was long famous for hat making.” The burial ground closed in 1854 and today is mainly grass with trees and shrubs around the perimeter. It has been given local historic park and garden status as part of the council's recently held consultation on local listing. There are a few

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

s left. On the north side of the cemetery is a

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

ed memorial with an explanation of the burial site, although it has become practically illegible. In 1911 a memorial was erected to the memory of the Wandsworth Huguenots. The text on this memorial reads: On the

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In c ...

are inscribed the following names of Huguenots buried either in Mount Nod itself or in the older graveyard surrounding 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, ...

. The council was awarded title deeds in 2019 and is now able to carry out work to improve and conserve this historic green space. The refurbishment project will take around six months to complete.Work to begin this month bringing important part of Wandsworth’s history back to life
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References

External links

Pictures of Mount Nod in the Huguenot Library

Wandsworth on the British History Online website
* {{coord, 51.458148, -0.18343, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title Huguenot cemeteries History of the London Borough of Wandsworth 1687 establishments in England Huguenot history in the United Kingdom Cemeteries in London

History

Further reading

References

External links