TOWER HAMLETS CEMETERY

Registers reveal details of many interred at this ’Magnificent Seven’ burial ground

Tower Hamlets was the last of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries to open its gates in 1841. It was open for over 120 years, during which time a staggering 350,000 people were buried there. Those who had enough money could be laid to rest in a private plot with a headstone, but as many from London’s East End could not afford this, they were often interred in large public plots, where as many as 30 bodies could be buried next to each other.

The Tower Hamlets records cover the entire duration the cemetery was open and are taken from the register of burials or daybook of burials. They show just how these cemeteries were run. The registers include details of whether the person was buried in consecrated or unconsecrated ground, depending on whether or not they were a member of the Church of England; if it was in a private or public grave; and also the location of the grave.

Though you won’t be able to find all the graves, especially the early ones, this information will help you track down an ancestor’s final resting place in this huge Victorian cemetery.

Among the records, you can find John Buckley – who won a Victoria Cross during the 1857 Indian Rebellion – buried in plot c502 at 4.30pm on 19 July 1876. You will also find singer Alec Hurley, whose burial entry on 11 December 1913 (above) shows he was buried alongside family members, with details of the grave’s location and that it was “11 feet deep” ( bit.ly/alechurley).