Established in 1713, St Georges Gardens was the very
first burial ground established away from a church. It was at the time two burial grounds, just over a hectare in size,
divided by a wall serving the churches of St George the Martyr, Queens Square and St George's, Bloomsbury.
As so often happened it's popularity was slow to
begin with until a influential churchman named Robert Nelson lead the way by being the first internment. By 1725 there were
around twenty burials a month and in 1726 Anna Gibson, the sixth and favorite daughter of Richard Cromwell and granddaughter
of Oliver Cromwell was intered beneath an impressive ornate chest tomb.
By the early 1800s overcrowding caused a decline in conditions
until eventually in 1855 the grounds were closed for burials. After being left to nature for 30 years St Georges burial ground
was re-opened in 1885 as a public garden, often being described as an open air living room for the poor and homeless.
Since then little has changed although in 1997 the Garden
was one of a number of historic parks to recieve lottery funding under the new Urban Parks Programme. After restoration St
Georges Gardens was re-opened once again in Spring 2001.
Photos taken on a beautiful autumn day October 2014.
