A history of Fulham Cemetery

The creation of Burial Boards

For centuries burials in Fulham took place at the ancient parish church of All Saints’, close to the River Thames. However, by 1852 most of the churches in London, including All Saints’, were unable to cope with the demand from an ever-increasing population. The result was shallow and over-occupied graves which posed a risk to both health and sanitation. 

To meet this need, Parliament passed ‘An Act to amend the Laws concerning the Burial of the Dead in the Metropolis’. The Act established a framework for the closure of the churchyards and the introduction of local ‘Burial Boards’. Each Board was given the power to raise funds through the local rates to establish a new cemetery.

Fulham Cemetery opened

Fulham was very slow to react; it was over eleven years’ later, in 1863, that its Burial Board started to advertise for land for a new cemetery. An initial offer was made of land opposite the workhouse (now the site of Charing Cross Hospital) but at £8 an acre that was considered too expensive.

Instead, a deal was done with the Bishop of London, Archibald Campbell Tait, who resided at Fulham Palace. The diocese owned a vast tract of land in the parish and a field of lettuces off Fulham Palace Road was identified as a suitable site for the new burial ground. In 1864, Arthur Blomfield, the son of a former Bishop of London, was appointed as the architect (see our article: A question of attribution) and the cemetery finally opened on 3 August 1865.  

The early years

In its early years the individuals interred in the cemetery tended to be paupers and from the lower classes (see our article: 1865 burials) with the more fortunate choosing to be buried in the nearby ‘private’ cemetery at West Brompton. 

By the 1880s, however, the cemetery had expanded and was attracting more prominent residents of Fulham, which is reflected in the monuments near to the Church of England chapel (see our article: The Elliot family and Fulham’s Market Gardens).

The 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century it was estimated that there were over 80,000 burials. The cemetery was running out of space and the bereaved were forced to seek alternative resting places. In 1909 Fulham New Cemetery opened in North Sheen and Fulham Cemetery became known as “Fulham Old Cemetery”.  

Interments did continue though, most notably casualties of World War One, many of whom came from local families (see our article: WW1 victims of U-Boats) and whose graves can be found next to the War Memorial as well as scattered throughout the cemetery.  In 1931, approximately 400 new plots were opened up, but by the 1940s it would appear that the only burials taking place were those in existing private family plots.

A garden of rest

In 1958, the Council were granted leave from Parliament to knock down the existing Non-conformist chapel and use the remaining Church of England chapel for all funeral services. Ten years later, in 1968, the Council decided to make specific sections of the cemetery ‘a garden of rest’.  

This process, which lasted well into the 1980s, involved removing memorials and headstones, burying them below ground level and laying grass lawns.  Before removal, the owners of the graves were approached and, where they objected, the graves were left untouched.  As a result, large sections of the 13 acre site now have only a few graves visible.  (See our article: Looking for a grave?)

The cemetery today

Today, the Cemetery is a one of the most beautiful green spaces in Southwest London, with both local residents and visitors alike its rich heritage, various species of trees and diversity of wildlife. Fulham Cemetery Friends was founded in 2024 by those who love and want to maintain this oasis of calm.  

Every week volunteers are to be found watering trees, gardening, investigating graves, and researching the cemetery’s history.  If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch.  

Further reading

• The Cemetery Research Group: The First Burial Acts