Vol 13 No 24; Hampton Cemeteries Part 2

[Les1949]

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 24 HAMPTON CEMETERIES Part 2
Hampton Municipal Cemetery

Following on from the previous article, the other cemetery in Hampton is under the auspices of the London Borough of Richmond.

Now, for the history bit. Parish Churchyards were becoming overcrowded during the early part of the 19th century, particularly in London. The Victorians came up with a solution. In 1832 a Bill was passed to enable the establishment of seven large cemeteries around London, starting with Kensal Green. The Metropolitan Burial Act of 1852 allowed for the establishment of government-funded municipal cemeteries across the country. John Claudius Loudon (1783-1843) was one of the first professional cemetery designers – a job that didn’t exist before 1832 (on his death, he was laid to rest in Kensal Green).

Hampton Cemetery was opened in 1879, situated between Broad Lane and Hollybush Lane. The cemetery now makes for a quiet walk connecting the two roads.


The cemetery was built on land that was formerly used for market gardening, quite likely to have been a compulsory purchase, Hampton was well known for its Nurseries and Market Gardens. The portion of Holly Bush Lane which borders the southern portion was originally called ‘Cemetery Lane’. The area is now totally unrecognisable following the massive residential building that took place in the latter years of the 19th and during the 20th century.



There are a number of graves with connections to HRBFC; Captain Christie Crawfurd, the last owner of Beveree, a former player Cyril Beeks can also be found. There may be more with connections to the club but a lot of the memorials have suffered with the ravages of time. Hampton Cemetery also has a number of Commonwealth War Graves from WW1 & WW2, as well as those of civilian casualties from the London Blitz.

My advice, take a stroll through there and stop and read the names, you might find a family connection.
You might even become a ‘Tombstone Tourist’!

The Old Historian