Abney Park Cemetery

Abney Park Cemetery extends over some 32 acres on a north-facing slope running down from an ancient ridgeway track-now Stoke Newington Church Street -to the course of the Hackey Brook, a stream which originally ran from two sources in Holloway to the River Lea in central Hackney. The Brook was eventually diverted underground into Joseph Bazalgette's Hackney Main Sewer (still referred to as Sir Joe). The site was for 150 years occupied by the grounds of two large 17th century houses: Fleetwood House and Abney House, both long demolished .

Amongst the prominent graves is that of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army who was buried in this cemetery with his wife.

The roar of traffic is a distant memory when you chance upon the white marble lion in Hackney's woodland haven, Abney Park. Dedicated to Frank C. Bostock, and animal trainer at the turn of the 20th century. This monument is one of many revelations in this eerie Victorian cemetery

At its zenith, the cemetery eclipsed the Royal Park at Kew , with 2,500 different species. The effect was to make Abney Park a tourist attraction from the outset.

Abney Park was unusual at the time in that it was expressly a place for non-conformists (persons who rejected the ceremonial and liturgy of the Church of England, instead worshipping in Methodist, Baptist, Congregationalists, Wesleyan and other chapels; the Quakers and Salvationists are similar groups). Many lived in the area. As one of only two key places for the burial of non-conformists in the capital, the cemetery offers a fascinating insight into the history of London's dissenting families.

An interesting detail is the Abney Park Cemetery Indexing Project, the object of which is to provide an online index of the 194'814 burials that took place in the cemetary from 1840 to 1978. There have also been a small number of burials since that time in family sites. Some of these photos were reproduced from Sue Bailey's London Cemeteries site,