Brookwood Cemetery - History

History

Brookwood Cemetery was established by the London Necropolis Company in 1849 to house London's deceased, since the capital was finding it difficult to accommodate its increasing population, both of living and dead. The cemetery is said to have been landscaped by architect William Tite, but this is disputed. By 1854, Brookwood was the largest cemetery in the world (it is no longer). Incorporation by Royal Act of Parliament in 1852, Brookwood Cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester on 7 November 1854 and opened to the public on 13 November 1854. Over 235,000 people have been buried there.

Brookwood originally was accessible by rail from a special station – the London Necropolis railway station – next to Waterloo station in London. Trains ran right into the cemetery on a branch from the South Western Main Line – the junction was situated just to the west of Brookwood station. The original London Necropolis station (near Waterloo) was relocated in 1902, but its successor was demolished after suffering bomb damage during World War II. There were two stations in the cemetery itself: North for non-conformists and South for Anglicans. Their platforms still exist. It is still possible to enter the cemetery directly from Brookwood station.

A military cemetery was added to Brookwood in 1917 and contains some of the dead from World War I and World War II. A military memorial was built in 1958. Memorialised here too is Edward the Martyr, King of England, whose relics are kept nearby in St Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church.

The London Necropolis Company relinquished its interest in the cemetery around 1975, but the cemetery remains privately owned. In 1985, Ramadan Güney acquired Brookwood Cemetery, and was buried there in 2006. The purchase evolved from Güney's role as Chairman of the UK Turkish Islamic Trust, which wanted suitable burial facilities for its members.