tion in the process of decomposition is from a few months to half a century—although it should be observed that the calculations of the Committee above referred to seem to imply that under reasonable conditions of soil, atmosphere, &c., a disturbance of the ground in which the dead are interred may with safety to the living be effected every tenth year. For well nigh ten years the field of death must be suffered to lie fallow—upon the tenth it may be sowed anew.
Still following the figures of the Committee, which may be easily corrected for the intermediate increase of population, it would appear that in 1858 the deaths registered in the metropolis were nearly 52,000. Let these be taken, says Mr. Chadwick, at 50,000 annually (they are now about 60,000), and London would require a space equal to that of St. James’s Park—say 48 acres—for its burial-ground. Again assume the burials to be renewable in decennial periods, and the space required would be equal to the areas of Hyde Park, of St. James’s Park, and of the Green Park taken together.
The question, then, is to find a Hyde Park, a St. James’ Park, and a Green Park at safe distances from the metropolis,—let us say, about 500 acres. We want something less than Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens taken together. The various cemetery companies profess to have solved this question, and to have supplied this want. Let us see how the matter stands.
Amongst the companies in existence, until a very recent period, the London Necropolis, or Woking Cemetery Company, appears to have borno away the palm. 2000 acres of land at Woking Common were purchased by the company, under an Act of Parliament, and of these they have inclosed and planted 400 acres for the purpose of a cemetery. It would be difficult to exaggerate the improvements which have been introduced into the system of burials in consequence of the operations of this company. Their practice has been to assign a separate grave for each interment, and the grave is not afterwards disturbed, except at the desire of surviving friends for the reception of other members of the family. The soil is a dry sand, and the graves and walks are ornamented with trees, plants, and flowers in a very beautiful way. There is a space allotted to members of the Church of England; another to Dissenters; another to Roman Catholics. The chief objection is the distance from town; but, on the other hand, it must be remembered that the journey is accomplished by the Funeral Trains, which start from the terminus at Westminster Bridge, in about three-quarters of an hour. Until the recent establishment of the Great London Northern Company at Colney Hatch, the Woking Cemetery Company stood facile princeps amongst its rivals.
Of the Kensall Green Cemetery little need be said, as it has served its turn, and been overtaken by the town. It is already thickly thronged with the dead, and the same reasons which led to the passing of the Acts of 1852-53, will cause the Legislature to refuse any extension of its limits. The same thing may be said of the Highgate Cemetery, where so many Londoners of mark have found their last resting-place. Kensall Green and Highgate then may be dismissed from our calculations as to the future.
With regard to the other suburban cemeteries, the official reports received do not appear to be favourable. Dr Sutherland, in his Report to the Secretary of State, 23rd January, 1855, says of the Victoria Park Company: “It is situated in Bethnal Green, near St. James’ Church. The company to which it belongs contracts with parishes, and they carry on their trade with the usual neglect of health and decency.” This cemetery is exempt from the operations of the Metropolis Burials Act. Mr. Holland, in his Report of 26th November, 1855, speaks in similar terms of the Victoria Park Cemetery.
Dr. Sutherland, under date as above, reports of the Abney Park Cemetery, for the information of the Secretary of State: “The surface is tolerably well kept, but underneath it is a mass of corruption in the used part.”
Of the companies named, it appears reasonable to conclude that the cemeteries at Woking and at Colney Hatch are the two which possess the highest claims upon our attention. The one is upon the south, the other on the northern side of the river. Of the Woking Cemetery we have already spoken: it is in connection with the South-Western Railway. The Colney Hatch Cemetery is situated on the Great Northern Line, a quarter of a mile beyond the station of that name—at a distance calculated by time of fifteen minutes from London. The London terminus is at King’s Cross, in Maiden Lane, close to the principal station of the Great Northern.
The arrangements for the separate reception of different parties of mourners are very complete, and are calculated for the benefit of the humblest mourners, as well as of those who could, under ordinary circumstances, have afforded to pay for the luxury of retirement and seclusion.
The Colney Hatch Company have endeavoured to grapple with the monstrous evil which arises—chiefly amongst the labouring classes—from the keeping of a corpse for an indefinite number of days in the single room inhabited by a family. That the great bulk of the labouring classes do inhabit single rooms, will appear from the following table, which records the result of inquiries made in the inner ward of St. George’s, Hanover Square, at the time the Committee upon Interments in Towns were pursuing their labours. There is, unfortunately, little reason to suppose that the state of things is improved to any considerable degree since that date.
| Dwellings. | No. of Families. |
Beds. | No. of Families. | |||
| Single room to each family | 929 | One bed to each family | 623 | |||
| Two rooms to ditto | 408 | Two beds to ditto | 638 | |||
| Three | rooms to ditto„ | 94 | Three | beds to ditto„ | 154 | |
| Four | rooms to ditto„ | 17 | Four | beds to ditto„ | 21 | |
| Five | rooms to ditto„ | 8 | Five | beds to ditto„ | 8 | |
| Six | rooms to ditto„ | 4 | Six | beds to ditto„ | 3 | |
| Seven | rooms to ditto„ | 1 | Seven | beds to ditto„ | 1 | |
| Eight | rooms to ditto„ | 1 | Dwellings without a bed | 7 | ||
| Not ascertained | 3 | Not ascertained | 10 | |||
| ——— | ——— | |||||
| 1,465 | 1,465 | |||||
