The Victorian Cemetery

by Sarah Rutherford

The Victorian period has been described as the 'Great Age of Death'. The customs of death, notably burial and mourning, were taken very seriously and elaborate rituals of commemoration were part of everyone's lives. As demand grew for hygienic and dignified burial places, the humble parish graveyard - unable to cope - was joined by a newcomer to the landscape, the garden cemetery. Sarah Rutherford tells the story of Victorian cemeteries in their many guises, of the variation in their size, design, planting and monuments, and how most of them survive to this day. Some, having been neglected, taking on a gloomy Gothic character, while others remain an oasis of rest and contemplation. All are tangible reminders of the Victorian approach to death, and the author helps to remind us of the importance of their visual and architectural qualities.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, Death, British Literature, Art

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2009

About the author

There is more than one Sarah Rutherford in the Goodreads catalog. This entry is for Sarah^Rutherford, conservation expert.

Sarah Rutherford is an expert in the conservation of historic parks and gardens. She was head of the English Heritage Historic Parks and Gardens Register and is now a freelance consultant, creating conservation plans.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an oddly delightful read and introduction into the origins and history of the Victorian cemetery, including how and why they developed, why they become so widespread, how they were designed and thought about, and how they declined but are making a bit of a comeback. Personally I love a wander through a cemetery (or graveyard, or churchyard) as they are so interesting on so many levels, from the history and stunning monuments to the variety of trees and shrubs and wildlife that you can find in them. And this little book endeavours to capture that and I would say largely succeeds too.

(Side note, I've been sat next to this book for an entire week and nearly resisted the urge to read it...but not quite).

[Tiny Octopus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dry, with a tendency to be repetitive. Could have been really interesting in the hands of a better skilled author. As it is, was interesting if only for the history and prevalence of pictures.

[Tristram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little guide mainly covering the decline of churchyards and the rise of cemeteries for reasons of providing burials for nonconformists as opposed to poor hygiene/space during 1820-30s period and then aesthetic developments for cemeteries later through the rest of Victoria's reign.

[funkgoddess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough, if a bit repetitive. An easy read.

[Liv Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dry but I really did learn some of the things I was wanting to. A brilliant introductions which has led me elsewhere to find out our more - can’t complain about that!

[Aileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shire book, detailing the history of the rise of the cemeteries. It lists the popular designers, building, planting etc and the subsequent fall from popularity at the start of the 20th century.

[Geof Sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick overview of Victorian cemetery building, with a focus on the landscape design and the actual use of cemeteries.

Absolutely lovely pictures throughout.

[Carole Tyrrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note that I re-read this book in 2015 for research purposes and my review did not need to be amended

This little book is a wonderful introduction to the background behind the creation of the great garden cemeteries of the 19th century. As with most Victorian institutions, from hospitals to asylums, they were introduced to bring order to death and the afterlife as they replaced the unpleasant and unsanitary churchyards. These couldn’t cope with the rapidly expanding cities and the resulting high mortality rate and had become a national scandal. So in their place came the wide open spaces, imaginative plantings, landscape design and architecture that we can still appreciate today. A vast contrast to the modern version we see now with its tombstones often arranged like upstanding teeth.
Rutherford, a project leader on English Heritage’s assessment of cemeteries across England, sets the Victorian cemetery in its context of the Industrial Revolution, commercial enterprise and a class system that lasted after death with pauper burials and ‘guinea graves.’ The planned Grand National Cemetery at Primrose Hill in North London was never realised and instead commercially owned cemeteries opening in all the major UK cities including London’s ‘Magnificent 7’.
She also discusses the styles of architecture; neo-Greek, Egyptian until Gothic was settled on as the most appropriate. The great designers of cemeteries including John Claudius Loudon are assessed as are the elements that make a successful cemetery. She also brings the reader up to date with the decline of the great burial places into neglect, abandonment by their owners and vandalism before being rescued by Friends groups.
Profusely illustrated with archive documents and modern photos featuring cemeteries from Calcutta, New Orleans, Paris, Dublin, Milan and the UK it would make a great gift for a new taphophile or as an addition to the bookshelf of an experienced graveyard rabbit.

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting and informative. Easy to read and with some beautiful and intriguing pictures.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative read, lots of interesting tidbits and lovely images of cemeteries, though some parts I found a little yawn-worthy. Still an interesting read if you’re interested in the subject!