London's Magnificent Seven Cemeteries
The "Magnificent Seven" is an informal term applied to seven large cemeteries in London. They were established in the 19th century to alleviate overcrowding in existing parish burial grounds
In the first 50 years of the 19th century the population of London more than doubled from 1 million to 2.3 million. At this time all London's dead were buried in small parish churchyards, which quickly became dangerously overcrowded, leading to decaying matter getting into the water supply and causing epidemics. There were stories of graves being dug that already contained bodies, and bodies being flushed directly into the newly-built sewer system.
In 1832 Parliament passed a bill encouraging the establishment of private cemeteries outside London, and later passed a bill to close all inner London churchyards to new deposits. Over the next decade seven cemeteries were established:
- Abney Park Cemetery 1840
- Brompton Cemetery 1840
- Kensal Green Cemetery 1832
- Highgate Cemetery 1839
- Nunhead Cemetery 1840
- Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park 1841
- West Norwood Cemetery 1837