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Sutton and Merton Cemeteries

This week I look further into the latest South London additions to the database

A few days ago, all the burial records for the two cemeteries of the London Borough of Sutton were added to the Deceased Online database. These are for Sutton Cemetery and Cuddington Cemetery. The borough of Sutton is a leafy suburban area on the southernmost edge of Outer London. Bordering the London boroughs of Kingston, Merton and Croydon, Sutton was formerly part of the historic county of Surrey. Research into ancestors who lived in area can be followed up at Sutton Archives and Local Studies.

The Chapel at Sutton Cemetery

Sutton Cemetery lies off Oldfields Road SM3 9PX and is the larger of the two. The issue of whether there should be a municipal cemetery in Sutton was controversial as recently as the 1880s. The Local Government Board discussed the matter heatedly in 1886. One concern was that graves would be dug into chalk that lay at a higher level than the wells of the South Metropolitan Schools and there were fears of water contamination. However, the church burial grounds had closed and with a population exceeding 10,000, Sutton urgently needed somewhere to bury its dead. Further administrative gripes continued to slow progress. John Morgan, the Chairman of the Local Board of Sutton, for example, was particularly keen to avoid the common practice in other cemeteries "where one clergyman performs the service and another takes the fees."

The first entry in the burial register is of 48 year old Mrs Lydia Hay. Her burial took place on 3rd December 1889 in unconsecrated ground.
The detailed first page of the burial register for Sutton Cemetery (1899)

Cuddington Cemetery (also known as Sutton & Cheam Cemetery) opened just over a decade later in 1902. and is situated next to St Phillip's Churchyard in Lindsay Road, Worcester Park KT4 8LF. Many of the burials there were preceded by a service in St Phillips's Church on Cheam Common. The church was later closed due to structural problems and was demolished in 1978.

The database now holds over 120,000 records for South London, including those of the Borough of Merton. These cover Merton & Sutton Joint Cemetery, which is also known as Garth Road Cemetery, in Morden SM4 4NT. The Joint Cemetery opened in 1947. All burial register scans and grave details, including the names of those in the same plot, are available to search now. Section maps for the Sutton cemeteries will be added soon.

The records of Bandon Hill Joint Cemetery in Wallington SM6 8JQ, which is co-managed by Sutton and Croydon, will be added shortly. Bandon Hill opened in 1900.

Do let us know if you have found an ancestor in any of Merton or Sutton's cemeteries. We love to hear from you via the Comment Box below or on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Sources:
'The Sutton Cemetery Question', The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Dec 01, 1886; pg. 6; Issue 31931. 
'The Consecration Of Cemeteries And Its Legal Consequences', The Times (London, England), Wednesday,  Mar 26, 1890; pg. 3; Issue 32969.

Comments

  1. Grace Alice Burgum was buried at Garth Road Cemetery 30 October 1981.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am trying to locate a Titanic grave site of Amelia Mary Barrow died 30th June 1976 a 2nd class passenger on Titanic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment. Have you searched for Amelia on the Deceased Online website at www.deceasedonline.com?
      Emma.

      Delete
  3. John William Alpheous White, my great-grandfather, was buried there in March 1951.

    ReplyDelete

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