York Cemetery is a cemetery located in the city of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Founded in 1837, it now encompasses 24 acres (97,000 m²) and is owned and administered by The York Cemetery Trust with support of the Friends of York Cemetery. It is situated on Cemetery Road in the

Fishergate Fishergate is a street and surrounding area of York, England. History Fishergate runs along a strip of slightly raised ground, east of the River Ouse. Archaeological investigations have found evidence of prehistoric occupation, before the ...

area of York. It has approximately 28,000 graves and over 17,000 monuments, six of which are Grade II-listed. The chapel is a Grade II* listed building, while the gatehouse, gate and railings are Grade II. The cemetery as a whole is a Grade II* listed park and garden. The architect of the buildings and designer of the grounds was James Pigott Pritchett.

History

The York Public Cemetery Company was formed in 1837 to provide better burial facilities for the citizens of York – whatever their station in life – than those offered by the overcrowded parish and non-conformist graveyards in the city. Initially, it had to compete with the existing graveyards, but, because of their unsatisfactory condition, these were all closed by an

Order in Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

in December 1854. From 1855 to the 1940s, the cemetery expanded to its present size of by buying all the adjacent land that was available. It prospered, and paid good dividends to its shareholders. By the 1960s, with the cemetery nearly full, it became increasingly clear that it was no longer financially viable. The company went into

voluntary liquidation Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a Company (law), company is brought to an end. The assets and property of the business are redistributed. When a firm has been liquidated, it is sometimes referred to as :wikt:wind up#Noun, w ...

in June 1966. The process was completed in 1979, by which date there was nothing of commercial value left, other than the land containing over 28,000 graves, 17,000 monuments and two listed buildings in an advanced state of disrepair. The abandoned site devolved to

the Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

, and became an overgrown and derelict wilderness. In June 1984, the roof of the chapel collapsed, bringing down part of the rear wall with it. This stimulated a group of local people to take action, which led to the formation of York Cemetery Trust, a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

. In February 1987, the Crown Commissioners sold the freehold of the cemetery to the Trust for a nominal sum, giving the Trust responsibility for continuing the burial business, using the site for educational purposes, and restoring the chapel and gatehouse. A small staff of permanent employees, assisted by volunteers, now help maintain and develop the site as a heritage and environmental asset, while also allowing it to continue its original purpose as a burial place.

Notable interments

* Thomas Cooke (1807–1868), optical instrument manufacturer * John Phillips (1800–1874), geologist * John Kenrick (1788–1877), classical historian * William Hewson (1806–1870), theological writer * James Pigott Pritchett (1789–1868), architect * Joseph Terry (1828–1898), confectioner * John Petty (1807–1868), Primitive Methodist minister * Lord Roy Sutcliffe (1929–2001). * Lady Elizabeth Sutcliffe (1933–1998). The cemetery contains the graves of 236 Commonwealth service personnel from both

world war A world war is an international War, conflict that involves most or all of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World War I ...

References

External links

*
York Cemetery Genealogy Website
{{Cemeteries in England Cemeteries in North Yorkshire Geography of York 1837 establishments in England Grade II listed buildings in York Grade II* listed buildings in York Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in England