Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground in central London, in the

London Borough of Islington The London Borough of Islington ( ) is a London borough, borough in North London, England. Forming part of Inner London, Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalg ...

, just north of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

. What remains is about in extent and the bulk of the site is a public garden maintained by the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...

. It was first in devoted use as a burial ground from 1665 until 1854, in which period approximately 123,000 interments were estimated to have taken place. Over 2,000 monuments remain, for the most part in concentrated blocks. It was a prototype of land-use protected, nondenominational grounds, and was particularly favoured by nonconformists who passed their final years in the region. It contains the graves of many notable people, including

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; 1628 – 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher. He is best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress'', which also became an influential literary model. In addition to ''The Pilgrim' ...

(died 1688), author of ''

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...

'';

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

(died 1731), author of ''

Robinson Crusoe ''Robinson Crusoe'' ( ) is an English adventure novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. Written with a combination of Epistolary novel, epistolary, Confessional writing, confessional, and Didacticism, didactic forms, the ...

'';

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

(died 1827), artist, poet, and mystic; Susanna Wesley (died 1742), known as the "Mother of Methodism" through her education of sons

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

;

Thomas Bayes Thomas Bayes ( , ; 7 April 1761) was an English statistician, philosopher and Presbyterian minister who is known for formulating a specific case of the theorem that bears his name: Bayes' theorem. Bayes never published what would become his m ...

(died 1761), statistician and philosopher;

Isaac Watts Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include " When I Survey th ...

(died 1748), the "Father of English

Hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

ody"; and

Thomas Newcomen Thomas Newcomen (; February 1664 – 5 August 1729) was an English inventor, creator of the Newcomen atmospheric engine, atmospheric engine in 1712, Baptist lay preacher, preacher by calling and ironmonger by trade. He was born in Dart ...

(died 1729), steam engine pioneer. Bunhill Fields Burial Ground is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It is now maintained by the Friends of City Gardens. Nearby, on the west side of Bunhill Row and behind the residential tower Braithwaite House, is a former

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

burial ground, in use from 1661 to 1855, at times also known as Bunhill Fields.

George Fox George Fox (July 1624 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 13 January 1691 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S.) was an English Dissenters, English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Quakers, Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as t ...

(died 1691), one of the founders of the movement, is among those buried there. Its remains are also a public garden, Quaker Gardens, managed by the London Borough of Islington.

Historical background

Bunhill Fields was part of the Manor of

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the southeastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manorialism, Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man c ...

(originally Fensbury), which has its origins as the

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

of Halliwell and Finsbury, belonging to

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

and established in 1104. In 1315 the prebendary manor was granted by Archdeacon Robert Baldock to the Mayor and Commonalty of London. This enabled more general public access to the semi-

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetland along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires ...

or moor stretching from the City of London's boundary (

London Wall The London Wall is a defensive wall first built by the Ancient Rome, Romans around the strategically important port town of Londinium in AD 200, as well as the name of a #modern, modern street in the City of London, England. Roman London was ...

), to the village of

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. It was Historic counties of England, historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. Hoxton lies north-east of the City of London, is considered to be a part of London's East End ...

. In 1498 part of the otherwise unenclosed landscape was set aside to form a large field for military exercises of archers and others. This part of the manor has sports and occasional military use:

Artillery Ground The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is an open space originally set aside for archery and later known also as a cricket venue. Today it is used for military exercises, cricket, rugby and football matches. It belongs to the Honourable Artillery Comp ...

. Next to this lies Bunhill Fields. The name derives from "Bone hill", likely linked to occasional burials from at least

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

times, but more probably derives from the use for mass-deposit for human bones—amounting to over 1,000 cartloads—brought from St Paul's

charnel house A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves. The term can also be used more generally as a description of a plac ...

in 1549 (when that building was demolished). The dried bones were deposited on the moor and capped with a thin layer of soil. This built up a hill across the otherwise damp, flat fens, such that three windmills could safely be erected in a spot that came to be one of the many windmill hills.

Opening as a burial ground

In keeping with this tradition, in 1665 the City of London Corporation decided to use some of the land as a common burial ground for the interment of bodies of inhabitants who had died of the plague and could not be accommodated in the churchyards. Outer walls were completed but Church of England officials never consecrated the ground nor used it for burials. A Mr. Tindal took over the lease. He allowed extramural graveyard burials in what was unconsecrated soil, thus popular with nonconformists—those

Protestant Christians Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

who practised their faiths outside the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

; unlike Anglican churchyards it was open for interment to anyone who could afford the fees. It appears on Rocque's Map of London of 1746, and elsewhere, as "Tindal's Burying Ground". An inscription at the eastern entrance gate to the burial ground reads: The present gates and inscription date from 1868, but the wording follows that of an original 17th-century inscription at the western entrance, now lost. The earliest recorded monumental inscription was that to "Grace, daughter of T. Cloudesly, of Leeds. February 1666". The earliest surviving monument is believed to be the

headstone A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The u ...

Theophilus Gale Theophilus Gale (1628–1678) was an English educationalist, nonconformist and theologian of dissent. Early life Gale was born at Kingsteignton, Devon, the son of Bridget Gale (née Walrond) and Theophilus Gale D. D. (died 1639), vicar of Kingst ...

: the inscription reads "Theophilus Gale MA / Born 1628 / Died 1678". In 1769 an act of Parliament, the ( 9 Geo. 3. c. ''61'' ), gave the corporation the right to continue the lease for 99 years. The City authorities continued to let the ground to their tenant as a burial ground; in 1781 the corporation decided to take over management of the burial ground. So many historically important Protestant nonconformists chose this as their place of interment that the 19th-century poet and writer

Robert Southey Robert Southey (; 12 August 1774 – 21 March 1843) was an English poet of the Romantic poetry, Romantic school, and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate from 1813 until his death. Like the other Lake Poets, William Wordsworth an ...

characterised Bunhill Fields in 1830 as the ground "which the Dissenters regard as their Campo Santo". This term was applied to its "daughter",

Abney Park Cemetery Abney Park cemetery is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries in London, England. Abney Park in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney, D ...

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area in the northwest part of the London Borough of Hackney, England. The area is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington (parish), Stoke Newington, the ancient parish. S ...

Closure as a burial ground

The Burial Act 1852 was passed which enabled grounds to be closed once they became full. An Order for Closure for Bunhill Fields was made in December 1853, and the final burial (that of Elizabeth Howell Oliver) took place on 5 January 1854. Occasional interments continued to be permitted in existing vaults or graves: the final burial of this kind is believed to have been that of a Mrs. Gabriel of

Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...

in February 1860.Corporation of London 1991, p. 8. By this date approximately 123,000 interments had taken place in the burial ground. Two decades before, a group of City nonconformists led by

George Collison George Collison (1772–1847) was an English Congregationalist and educator associated with Hackney Academy or Hackney College, which became part of New College London—itself part of the University of London. Early life Collison was born ...

bought a site for a new landscaped alternative, at part of

Abney Park Abney Park is in Stoke Newington, London, England. It is a park dating from just before 1700, named after Lady Abney, the wife of Sir Thomas Abney, Lord Mayor of London in 1700 and one of the first directors of the Bank of England and associa ...

in Stoke Newington. This was named

and opened in 1840. All parts were available for the burial of any person, regardless of religious creed. It preceded

Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Regist ...

as the prototype of many cemeteries to come nationally with "no invidious dividing lines". It has a unique nondenominational chapel, designed by

William Hosking William Hosking (26 November 1800 – 2 August 1861) was an English writer, lecturer, and architect who had an important influence on the growth and development of London in Victorian times. He became the first Professor of Architecture at K ...

Community garden

Upon closure of the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, its future was uncertain as its lessee, the City of London Corporation, was close to expiry of its lease, scheduled for Christmas 1867. To prevent the land from being redeveloped by the

Ecclesiastical Commissioners The Ecclesiastical Commissioners were, in England and Wales, a body corporate, whose full title was Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioners for England. The commissioners were authorised to determine the distribution of revenues of the Ch ...

(who controlled the freehold) at this expiry, the Corporation formed the Special Bunhill Fields Burial Ground Committee in 1865. This became formally known as the Bunhill Fields Preservation Committee. Appointed by the corporation, it consisted of twelve advisors under the chairmanship of Charles Reed, FSA (son of the Congregational philanthropist Andrew Reed). He later rose to prominence as the first Member of Parliament (MP) for Hackney and chairman of the first School Board for London before being knighted. Along with his interest in making it into a parkland landscape, he was similarly interested in the wider educational and public benefits of

, of which he was a prominent director. To corroborate the committee's work, the corporation obtained an act of Parliament, the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground Act 1867 ( 30 & 31 Vict. c. 38), "for the Preservation of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground ... as an open space". The legislation enabled them to continue to maintain the site when possession would have otherwise reverted to the

, provided it was laid out as a public open space with seating, gardens, and some of its most worthy monuments were restored. The improvements, which included the laying out of walks and paths, cost an estimated £3,500. The new park was opened by the

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

, James Clarke Lawrence, on 14 October 1869. The ground was severely damaged by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

bombing during World War II; it is believed to have hosted an

anti-aircraft gun Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...

during the

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, several ships of the Prussian, Imperia ...

. In the 1950s, after some debate, the City ordered: to clear the northern third (the projection) of the site of most of its monuments to open it as a public garden; and to preserve and protect the rest behind railings. Legislation in 1960 gave the freehold to the city (the corporation), which continues to maintain the grounds. Landscaping was designed and overseen by the architect and landscape architect

Peter Shepheard Sir Peter Faulkner Shepheard FRTPI FILA (11 November 1913 – 11 April 2002) was a British architect and landscape architect. Biography He was born in Oxton, Birkenhead and educated at Birkenhead School. His father was an architect. He ...

in 1964–65.

Bunyan, Defoe and Blake

The best-known monuments are those to the three literary and artistic figures

and

. Their graves have long been sites of cultural pilgrimage: Isabella Holmes stated in 1896 that the "most frequented paths" in the burial ground were those leading to the monuments of Bunyan and Defoe. In their present form, all these monuments post-date the closure of the burial ground. Their settings were further radically modified by the landscaping of 1964–65, when a paved north–south "broadwalk" was created in the middle of the burial ground to display them—outside the railed-off areas, accessible to visitors, and cleared of other monuments. Bunyan's monument lies at the broadwalk's southern end, and that to Defoe at its northern end, while Blake's headstone was moved from the site of his grave and repositioned next to Defoe, alongside the headstone to the lesser-known Joseph Swain (died 1796). This arrangement survives, but in 2018 a second monument to Blake was placed on the actual site of his grave.

John Bunyan

, author of ''

Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is commonly regarded as one of the most significant works of Protestant devotional literature and of wider early moder ...

'', died in August 1688. He was initially buried in the "

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Corner" at the back of the burial ground, on the understanding that his remains would be moved into the

family vault A burial vault is a structural stone or brick-lined underground tomb or 'burial chamber' for the interment of a single body or multiple bodies underground. The main difference between entombment in a subterranean vault and a traditional in-groun ...

of his friend John Strudwick when that was next opened for a burial. There is no certain evidence as to when (or even if) this was done: the probability, however, is that it occurred when Strudwick himself died in 1695, and certainly Bunyan's name was inscribed on the side of the monument. The Strudwick monument took the form of a large

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

stone chest. By the 19th century, this had fallen into decay, but in the period following the closure of the burial ground a public appeal for its restoration was launched under the presidency of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. This work was completed in May 1862, and comprised a complete reconstruction of the monument, undertaken by the sculptor

Edgar George Papworth Senior Edgar George Papworth Snr (20/21 August 1809 – 20 September 1866) was an English sculptor. He studied at the Royal Academy of Arts where he later exhibited works; he created sculptures of classical themes, and of notable people of the day. Fa ...

(1809–1866). Although Papworth retained the basic form of the tomb-chest, he added a

recumbent effigy A tomb effigy ( French: ''gisant'' ("lying")) is a sculpted effigy of a deceased person usually shown lying recumbent on a rectangular slab, presented in full ceremonial dress or wrapped in a shroud, and shown either dying or shortly after deat ...

of Bunyan to the top of it, and two

relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...

panels to its sides depicting scenes from ''Pilgrim's Progress''. The monument was further restored in 1928 (the tercentenary of Bunyan's birth), and again after World War II (following serious wartime damage to the effigy's face). File:Bunyan tomb 1849.jpg, The monument to the Strudwick family and John Bunyan in its original form: an engraving of 1849 File:Monument to John Bunyan, Central Broadwalk 2013-09-04 14-21-58.jpg, John Bunyan's monument as remodelled in 1862 File:Bunyan's tomb.jpg, Effigy of John Bunyan

Daniel Defoe

, author of ''

'', died in April 1731 and was buried in Bunhill Fields: his wife, Mary, died in December 1732 and was laid to rest beside him. His daughter-in-law was also buried in the same grave. Defoe died in poverty, and the grave was marked with a simple headstone. In the winter of 1857/8 – at a time when the burial ground was closed and neglected—the grave was struck by lightning and the headstone broken. In 1869, James Clarke, editor of the ''Christian World'' children's newspaper, launched an appeal for subscriptions to place a more suitable memorial on the grave. He encouraged his readers to make donations of sixpence each; and to stimulate enthusiasm opened two lists, one for boys and one for girls, to encourage a spirit of competition between them. Many adults also made donations. In the end, some 1,700 subscriptions raised a total of about £200. A design for a marble

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

(or "Cleopatric pillar") was commissioned from C. C. Creeke; and the sculptor Samuel Horner of

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

was commissioned to execute it. In late 1869, when the foundations were being dug, skeletons were disinterred, and there was an unseemly rush for souvenirs by the crowd of onlookers: the police had to be called before calm was restored. The monument was unveiled at a ceremony attended by three of Defoe's great-granddaughters on 16 September 1870.

William Blake

died in August 1827 and was buried in the northern part of the burial ground. His wife, Catherine Sophia, died in October 1831 and was buried in a separate grave on the south side of the ground. By the 20th century, Blake's grave was in disrepair; and in 1927, for the centenary of his death and at a time when his reputation was on the rise, a new headstone was commissioned. As it had been decided to commemorate both William and Catherine, despite the fact that the headstone would stand at some distance from Catherine's grave, the inscription was phrased as "Near by lie the remains of ...". When Bunhill Fields was relandscaped in the 1960s, Blake's grave lay in the area that was to be cleared of monuments. The headstone was therefore moved approximately 20 metres (yards) to its present location, next to the monument to Daniel Defoe. It was also rotated through 90°, so that it now faces south rather than west. Joseph Swain's headstone was added to the grouping at the same time, although that faces west. Flowers, coins and other tokens are regularly left by visitors to Blake's headstone. In 2006–07, members of the group The Friends of William Blake established the original location of his grave, and proposed placing a new memorial there. In the form of a

ledger stone A ledger stone or ledgerstone is an inscribed stone slab usually laid into the floor of a church to commemorate or mark the place of the burial of an important deceased person. The term "ledger" derives from the Middle English words ''lygger'', '' ...

, with lettering by Lida Cardozo Kindersley, this was finally unveiled on 12 August 2018 by

Philip Pullman Sir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman (born 19 October 1946) is an English writer. He is best known for the fantasy trilogy ''His Dark Materials''. The first volume, ''Northern Lights'' (1995), won the Carnegie Medal

, President of the Blake Society. File:Finsbury bunhill blake 1.jpg, 1927 headstone to William and Catherine Sophia Blake File:Bunhill Blake 2018.jpg, 2018 ledger stone on William Blake's grave

Records

Burial ground registers, from 1713 to 1854, are held at

The National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

. Other records, including interment order books dating from 1789 to 1854, and a list of the legible monument/headstone inscriptions in 1869, are held at

The London Archives The London Archives (previously known as the Greater London Record Office 1965–1997, and London Metropolitan Archives 1997–2024) is the principal local government archive, archive repository for the Greater London area, including the City o ...

minister

John Rippon John Rippon (29 April 1751 – 17 December 1836) was an English Baptist minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns'', commonly ...

—who was himself buried at the site in 1836—made transcripts of its monumental inscriptions in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, some copied while "laying on his side". In 1803 he issued a prospectus for a six-volume publication on Bunhill Fields, but this never came to fruition. The

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...

now holds 14 manuscript volumes of his transcripts; a further six volumes are held in the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

Notable graves

Notable burials include:

17th century

* Thomas Brand (1635–1691), nonconformist minister and divine *

(1628–1688), author of ''

'' *

Thomas Cole Thomas Cole (February 1, 1801 – February 11, 1848) was an English-born American artist and the founder of the Hudson River School art movement. Cole is widely regarded as the first significant American landscape painter. He was known for hi ...

(1628–1697), Independent minister * John Faldo (1633–1690), nonconformist minister and controversialist * Lt. Gen.

Charles Fleetwood Charles Fleetwood ( 1618 – 4 October 1692) was an English lawyer from Northamptonshire, who served with the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A close associate of Oliver Cromwell, to whom he was related by marriage ...

(c. 1618–1692), fought on the Parliamentarian side in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, served as

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

1652–55, and married Bridget, eldest daughter of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

(1628–1678), nonconformist minister, educationalist and theologian *

Thomas Goodwin Thomas Goodwin ( Rollesby, Norfolk, 5 October 160023 February 1680), known as "the Elder", was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was app ...

(1600–1680), Puritan theologian and preacher * William Hooke or Hook (1600–1677), Puritan clergyman * Francis Howell (1625–1679), Principal of

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

, from 1657 to 1660 *

William Jenkyn William Jenkyn (1613–1685) was an English clergyman, imprisoned during the Interregnum (1649–60), Interregnum for his part in the 'Presbyterian plot' of Christopher Love, ejected minister in 1662, and imprisoned at the end of his life for non ...

(1613–1685), nonconformist minister, imprisoned during the

Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of revolutionary breach of legal continuity, discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one m ...

Hanserd Knollys Hanserd Knollys (1598 – 1691) was an English Particular Baptist minister, divine (theologian), and schoolmaster. Life Hanserd Knollys was born at Cawkwell, Lincolnshire, in 1598. He was educated privately under a tutor, and later was for ...

(1599–1691), Particular Baptist minister * Nathaniel Mather (1631–1697), Independent minister * John Owen (1616–1683), Puritan divine, theologian, academic administrator and statesman *

Vavasor Powell Vavasor (or Vavasour) Powell (161727 October 1670) was a Welsh Puritan and Fifth Monarchist, imprisoned for his role in a plot to depose King Charles II. Early life Powell was born in Knucklas, Radnorshire, and may have been educated at ...

(1617–1670), Welsh Puritan preacher and vicar of

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames Estuary, is Thurrock in ...

, Kent,

Parliamentary Army The New Model Army or New Modelled Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to ...

chaplain, "church planter" sent out by the

Westminster Assembly The Westminster Assembly of Divines was a council of Divinity (academic discipline), divines (theologians) and members of the English Parliament appointed from 1643 to 1653 to restructure the Church of England. Several Scots also attended, and ...

, and writer * Thomas Rosewell (1630–1692), nonconformist minister of Rotherhithe * John Rowe (1626–1677), nonconformist minister *

Nathaniel Vincent Nathaniel Vincent (?–1697) was an English Nonconformist (Protestantism), nonconformist minister, ejected in 1662 and several times imprisoned. Life He was probably born in Cornwall about 1639, son of John Vincent (1591–1646), who was nominat ...

(–1697), nonconformist minister

18th century

James Adair James Adair may refer to: * James Makittrick Adair (1728–1802), Scottish doctor practising in Antigua *James Adair (historian) (1709–1783), Irish historian of the American Indians * James Adair (serjeant-at-law) (c. 1743–1798), English Whig M ...

(c. 1743–1798), judge and serjeant-at-law * Stephen Addington (1729–1796), dissenting clergyman and teacher *

William Aldridge William Aldridge (1737 – 28 February 1797) was an English nonconformist minister. Biography Aldridge was born at Warminster, in Wiltshire. At age 23 he decided to become a preacher of the gospel, and was admitted to Trevecca College in Sout ...

(1737–1797), nonconformist minister * Thomas Amory (1701–1774), dissenting minister, tutor and poet * John Asty (c. 1672–1730), dissenting clergyman *

Joshua Bayes Joshua Bayes (1671–1746) was an English nonconformist minister. Life Bayes was the son of Joshua Bayes, whose brother was Rev. Samuel Bayes. Samuel was ejected by the Act of Uniformity of 1662 from a living in Derbyshire, afterwards residing ...

(1671–1746), nonconformist minister *

(1702–1761), mathematician, clergyman, and friend of

Richard Price Richard Price (23 February 1723 – 19 April 1791) was a British moral philosopher, Nonconformist minister and mathematician. He was also a political reformer and pamphleteer, active in radical, republican, and liberal causes such as the F ...

William Blackburn William Blackburn (17501790) was an English architect and the leading prison architect of the Georgian-era. Following the principles of John Howard, his designs aimed to provide inmates with dry and airy cells. Biography Blackburn was born ...

(1750–1790), architect and surveyor * Thomas Bradbury (1677–1759), congregational minister *

John Brine John Brine (1703–1765) was an English Particular Baptist minister. Life Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, Brine was called into the ministry by the church at Kettering and after occasional preaching there for some time, he received a call ...

(1703–1765),

Particular Baptist Reformed Baptists, also called Particular Baptists, or Calvinist Baptists, are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology (salvation belief teached by John Calvin). The name "Reformed Baptist" dates from the latter part of the 20th century ...

minister * Thomas Fowell Buxton (1758–1795), father of namesake

Thomas Fowell Buxton Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Baronet Buxton of Belfield and Runton (1 April 1786Olwyn Mary Blouet, "Buxton, Sir Thomas Fowell, first baronet (1786–1845)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online ed ...

, anti-slavery philanthropist *

Samuel Chandler Samuel Chandler (1693 – 8 May 1766) was an English Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist minister and pamphleteer. He has been called the "uncrowned patriarch of English Dissenters, Dissent" in the latter part of the reign of George II ...

(1693–1766), nonconformist minister *

John Conder John Conder D.D. (3 June 1714 – 30 May 1781) was an Independent minister at Cambridge who later became President of the Independent College, Homerton in the parish of Hackney (parish), Hackney near London. John Conder was the theological tuto ...

(1714–1781), President of

Homerton College Homerton College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Its first premises were acquired in Homerton, London in 1768, by an informal gathering of English Dissenters, Protestant dissente ...

* James Coningham (1670–1716), presbyterian divine and tutor * Thomas Cotton (1653–1730), dissenting minister * Cromwell family: two tombs commemorate various 18th-century members of this family, including Hannah Cromwell ''née'' Hewling (1653–1732), widow of Major Henry Cromwell (1658–1711), the grandson of

; together with several of the couple's children and grandchildren. (Major Cromwell himself died and was buried in

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

.) *

(1661–1731), author of ''

'' *

Thomas Doolittle Thomas Doolittle (1632?–1707) was an English nonconformist minister, tutor and author. Early life Doolittle was the third son of Anthony Doolittle, a glover, and was born at Kidderminster in 1632 or the latter half of 1631. While at the gramm ...

(–1707), nonconformist minister, tutor and author *

John Eames John Eames (2 February 1686 – 29 June 1744) was an English Dissenting tutor. Life Eames was born in London on 2 February 1686. He was admitted to Merchant Taylors' School on 10 March 1696–7, and was subsequently trained for the dissenting ...

(died 1744), dissenting tutor *

Thomas Emlyn Thomas Emlyn (1663–1741) was an English nonconformist divine. Life Emlyn was born at Stamford, Lincolnshire. He later served as chaplain to the Letitia, the Presbyterian countess of Donegal, who was the daughter of Sir William Hicks, 1st Ba ...

(1663–1741), nonconformist divine *

John Evans John Evans may refer to: Academics *John Evans (archaeologist) (1823–1908), English archaeologist and geologist * John Evans (topographical writer) (1768–c. 1812), writer on Wales * John Cayo Evans (1879–1958), Welsh mathematician *John Davi ...

(c. 1680–1730), Welsh presbyterian minister and historian * John Fell (1735–1797), congregationalist minister and classical tutor * Caleb Fleming (1698–1779), dissenting minister and polemicist * Roger Flexman (1708–1795), presbyterian minister, historical scholar and bibliographer * James Foster (1697–1753), Baptist minister and author of ''Essay on Fundamentals'', one of the first nonconformist texts *

Philip Furneaux Philip Furneaux (1726–1783) was an English independent minister. Early life Furneaux was born in December 1726 at Totnes, Devon. He attended Totnes Grammar School, where he formed a lifelong friendship with Benjamin Kennicott. In 1742 or 1743 ...

(1726–1783), Independent minister * Thomas Gibbons (1720–1785), nonconformist minister, hymn writer and poet * Andrew Gifford (1700–1784), Baptist minister and numismatist * John Gill (1697–1771), Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and Calvinist theologian, author of the ''Exposition of the Bible'' and the ''Body of Divinity'' *

John Guyse John Guyse (1680-1761) was an English independent minister. Life Guyse was born in Hertford in 1680. He was educated for the ministry at the academy of the Rev. John Payne at Saffron Walden, and began to preach in his twentieth year. He sometim ...

(1680–1761), Independent minister *

Charles Hamilton Charles Hamilton may refer to: Aristocracy * Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Abercorn (died 1701), Scottish peer * Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington (1650–1685), Scottish nobleman * Charles Hamilton, 8th Earl of Haddington (1753–1828), Sco ...

(c. 1753–1792), orientalist, known for his English translation of ''

Al-Hidayah ''Al-Hidayah fi Sharh Bidayat al-Mubtadi'' (d. 593 AH/1197 CE) (, ''al-Hidāyah fī Sharḥ Bidāyat al-Mubtadī''), commonly referred to as ''al-Hidayah'' (lit. "the guidance", also spelled ''Hedaya'' Charles Hamilton (trans.) ''The Hedaya: Comm ...

'' * William Harris (c. 1675–1740), presbyterian minister *

Joseph Hart Joseph Hart (1711/12 – 24 May 1768) was a Calvinist minister in London. His works include ''Hart's Hymns'', a much-loved hymn book amongst evangelical Christians throughout its lifetime of over 200 years, which includes the well-known h ...

(1712–1768), hymn writer and Calvinist minister in London *

William Kiffin William Kiffin (1616–1701), sometimes spelled William Kiffen, was a seventeenth-century English Baptist minister. He was also a successful merchant in the woollen trade. Life He was born in London early in 1616. His family appears to have b ...

(1616–1701), Baptist minister and wool-merchant *

Andrew Kippis Andrew Kippis (28 March 17258 October 1795) was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer. Life The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to Carre's Grammar School in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he pas ...

(1725–1795), nonconformist clergyman and biographer *

Nathaniel Lardner Nathaniel Lardner (6 June 1684 – 24 July 1768) was an English Presbyterian minister and theologian. Life Lardner was born in Hawkhurst, Kent in 1684. He was the elder son of Richard Lardner (1653–1740), an independent minister, and of ...

(1684–1768), theologian * Theophilus Lobb (1678–1763), physician, and medical and religious writer * John Macgowan (1726–1780), Scottish Baptist minister and author *

Paul Henry Maty Paul Henry Maty (1744 – 16 January 1787) was an English librarian. Maty was born in London, the son of the librarian Matthew Maty (1718–1786), and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. He vacated a Trinity fellowship to marry in 1775. I ...

(1744–1787), British Museum librarian *

Henry Miles Henry Miles, FRS (2 June 1698 – 10 February 1763) was an English Dissenting minister and scientific writer; a Fellow of the Royal Society known for experiments on electricity. Life He was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, on 2 June 1698. He ...

(1698–1763), dissenting minister and scientific writer *

Roger Morrice Roger Morrice (1628–1702) was an English people, English Puritan minister and political journalist. He is most noted for his ''Entring Book'', a manuscript diary which provides a description of society in the years 1677 to 1691. The manuscript i ...

(1628–1702), Puritan minister and political journalist *

Daniel Neal Portrait of Neal by William Holl the Elder Daniel Neal (14 December 16784 April 1743) was an English historian. Biography Born in London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, and at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden. In 1704 ...

(1678–1743), Independent minister and historian of Puritanism * Christopher Ness (1621–1705), Independent minister and theological author *

(1663–1729), steam engine pioneer (exact site of burial unknown) *

Joshua Oldfield Joshua Oldfield (2 December 1656 – 8 November 1729) was an English presbyterian minister. Early life He was the second son of John Oldfield or Otefield, and was born at Carsington, Derbyshire, on 2 December 1656. His father gave him his early ...

(1656–1729), presbyterian divine * William Orme (1787–1830), Scottish Congregational minister and biographer * Dame Mary Page (1672–1729), wife of

Sir Gregory Page, 1st Baronet Sir Gregory Page, 1st Baronet (c. 1669 – 25 May 1720), of Greenwich, Kent, was an English brewer, merchant and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1720. Early life Page was the eldest son of Gregory Page (died 1693) ...

* Edward Pickard (1714–1778), dissenting minister *

(1723–1791), founder of life insurance principles * Elizabeth Rayner (1714–1800), Unitarian benefactress * Benjamin Robinson (1666–1724), Presbyterian minister and theologian * Samuel Rosewell (1679–1722), Presbyterian minister *

Thomas Rowe Thomas Rowe (20 July 1829 – 14 January 1899) was a British-born architect, builder and goldminer who became one of Australia's leading architects of the Victorian era. He was also a politician, who was the first Mayor of Manly. Early life ...

(1657–1705), nonconformist minister *

Samuel Morton Savage Samuel Morton Savage (1721–1791) was an English nonconformist minister and dissenting tutor. Life He was born in London on 19 July 1721. His grandfather, John Savage, was pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist church, Mill Yard, Goodman's Fields. ...

(1721–1791), nonconformist minister and dissenting tutor *

Samuel Say Samuel Say (1676–1743) was an English dissenting minister. Life The second son of Gyles Say, an ejected minister, by his second wife, he was born in All Saints' parish, Southampton, on 23 March 1676. He was educated at schools in Southwick, H ...

(1676–1743), dissenting minister * Samuel Stennett (1727–1795),

Seventh Day Baptist Seventh Day Baptists are Baptists who observe the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as a holy day to God. They adopt a theology common to Baptists, profess the Bible as the only rule of faith and practice, perform the conscious b ...

minister and hymnwriter * Joseph Swain (1761–1796), Baptist minister, poet and hymnwriter *

(1674–1748), hymn writer ("

Joy to the World "Joy to the World" is an English hymn and Christmas carol. It was written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts. It is usually sung to the American composer Lowell Mason's 1848 arrangement of a tune attributed to George Fride ...

"; "

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross The hymn "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" was written by Isaac Watts, and published in ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs'' in 1707. It is significant for being an innovative departure from the early English hymn style of only using paraphrased biblic ...

"), theologian and logician * Susanna Wesley (1669–1742), mother of

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

, founder of

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

and

Charles Wesley Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It ...

, hymn writer * Daniel Williams (1643–1716), theologian and founder of

Dr Williams's Library Dr Williams's Library was a small English research library located in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London, the contents have now been relocated to Manchester. Historically, it has had a strong Unitarian focus. The library has also been known as ...

19th century

Thomas Belsham Thomas Belsham (26 April 175011 November 1829) was an English Unitarian minister. Life Belsham was born in Bedford, England, and was the elder brother of William Belsham, the English political writer and historian. He was educated at the di ...

(1750–1829), Unitarian minister *

Catherine Blake Catherine Blake (née Boucher; 25 April 1762 – 18 October 1831) was the wife of the poet, painter, and engraver William Blake, and a vital presence and assistant throughout his life. Life Catherine was the last child of market gardener Will ...

(1762–1831), wife of William Blake *

(1757–1827), painter, engraver, poet, and mystic *

David Bradberry David Bradberry, sometimes called Bradbury (1736–1803), was an English nonconformist minister. Life Bradberry appears to have been resident in London in 1768, and for a time was minister of the congregation at Glovers' Hall, London, which then ...

(1736–1803), nonconformist minister *

John Bradford John Bradford (1510–1555) was an English English Reformation, Reformer, prebendary of Old St Paul's Cathedral, St. Paul's, and martyr. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for alleged crimes against Queen Mary I. He was burned at the stak ...

(1750–1805), dissenting minister * Charles Buck (1771–1815), Independent minister and theological writer, known for his ''Theological Dictionary'' *

George Burder George Burder (May 25, 1752 O.S.May 29, 1832) was an English Nonconformist divine. Biography Burder was born in London. In his early twenties he was an engraver, but in 1776 he began preaching, and was minister of the Independent church at La ...

(1752–1832), nonconformist divine *

John Clayton John Clayton may refer to: Arts and entertainment Writing *John Clayton (architect) (died 1861), English architect and writer *John Clayton (sportswriter) (1954–2022), American sportswriter and reporter *John Bell Clayton and Martha Clayton, Joh ...

(1754–1843), Independent minister *

Eleanor Coade Eleanor Coade (3 or 24 June 1733 – 18 November 1821) was a British businesswoman known for manufacturing Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments made of ''Lithodipyra'' (Coade stone) for over 50 years from 1769 ...

(1733–1821), pioneer of the artificial stone known as

Coade stone Coade stone or ''Lithodipyra'' or ''Lithodipra'' () is stoneware that was often described as an artificial stone in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was used for moulding neoclassical architecture, neoclassical statues, a ...

Thomas Dale Sir Thomas Dale ( 157019 August 1619) was an English soldier and colonial administrator who served as deputy-governor of the Colony of Virginia in 1611 and again from 1614 to 1616. Dale is best remembered for the energy and the extreme rigour ...

(1729–1816), physician * Joseph Denison (c. 1726–1806), banker * Daniel Fisher (1731–1807), dissenting minister *

Joseph Hardcastle Joseph Hardcastle may refer to: * Joseph Hardcastle (1752–1819), English merchant and a founder of The Missionary Society * Joseph Hardcastle (politician), British Liberal Party MP * Joseph Alfred Hardcastle, FRAS (1868–1917), grandson of Jo ...

(1752–1819), one of the founders of the

Missionary Society A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

(1752–1832), political reformer and founder of the

London Corresponding Society The London Corresponding Society (LCS) was a federation of local reading and debating clubs that in the decade following the French Revolution agitated for the democratic reform of the British Parliament. In contrast to other reform associatio ...

* Thomas Heaphy the elder (1775–1835), watercolourist and portrait-painter *

Jabez Carter Hornblower Jabez Carter Hornblower (21 May 1744 – 14 July 1814) was an English pioneer of steam power, and the son of Jonathan Hornblower (1717), Jonathan Hornblower. Early life Hornblower was born in Broseley, Shropshire, England. He was the eldest chi ...

(1744–1814), steam engine pioneer * Henry Hunter (1741–1802), Scottish minister and translator * John Hyatt (1767–1826), one of the founding preachers of Calvinist Methodism at

Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road The American International Church, currently located at the Whitefield Memorial Church on Tottenham Court Road in London, was established to cater for American expatriates resident in London. Organised in the American denominational tradition, t ...

1806–1828. *

Joseph Ivimey Joseph Ivimey (1773–1834) was an English Particular Baptist minister and historian. Life He was the eldest of eight children of Charles Ivimey (died 24 October 1820), a tailor, by his wife Sarah Tilly (died 1830), and was born at Ringwood, H ...

(1773–1834), Particular Baptist minister and historian * William Jones (1762–1846), Welsh Baptist religious writer and bookseller *

John Le Keux John Le Keux (4 June 1783 – 2 April 1846) was a British engraver. Life Born in Sun Street, Bishopsgate, London, on 4 June 1783, and baptised at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, in September of that year, he was son of Peter Le Keux and Anne Dyer ...

(1783–1846), English engraver *

Theophilus Lindsey Theophilus Lindsey (20 June 1723 O.S.3 November 1808) was an English theologian and clergyman who founded the first avowedly Unitarian congregation in the country, at Essex Street Chapel. Lindsey's 1774 revised prayer book based on Samuel C ...

(1723–1808), a founder of Unitarianism * John Martin (1741–1820), Particular Baptist minister *

David Nasmith David Nasmith (March 1799 – 17 November 1839) founded The City Mission, City Mission Movement in the UK, the US and in Europe. Biography Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Nasmith began life in manufacturing as an apprentice. He set up The Young Men' ...

(1799–1839), founder of the City Mission Movement *

Joseph Nightingale Joseph Nightingale (26 October 1775 – 9 August 1824) was a prolific English writer and preacher. He was particularly noted for his topographic writing and his interest in shorthand. Life He was born at Chowbent in Atherton, Lancashire and bec ...

(1775–1824), writer and preacher * William Orme (1787–1830), Scottish Congregational minister and biographer *

Apsley Pellatt (1763–1826) Apsley Pellatt (1763 – 21 January 1826) was an English glass manufacturer. Apsley Pellatt (junior) was the son of Apsley Pellatt (senior) (1736–1798), of Lewes, Sussex, and of St Margaret's, Westminster, and Sarah, daughter of Thomas Meriton ...

, glass manufacturer * Timothy Priestley (1734–1814), Independent minister, and scientific collaborator with his brother

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...

Thomas Pringle Thomas Pringle (5 January 1789 – 5 December 1834) was a Scottish writer, poet and abolitionist. Known as the father of South African poetry, he was the first successful English language poet and author to describe South Africa's scenery, nati ...

(1789–1834), Scottish poet and author, and Secretary to the

Anti-Slavery Society Anti-Slavery Society was a name used by various abolitionist groups including: United Kingdom * Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (1787–1807?), also referred to as the Abolition Society * Anti-Slavery Society (1823–1838) ...

(re-interred 1970, Eildon Church, Baviaans valley, South Africa) *

Abraham Rees Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of '' Rees's Cyclopædia'' (in 45 volumes). Life He was the second son of Esther, daughter of Abraham Penry, and her husband Lewis Rees, and was born i ...

(1743–1825), Welsh nonconformist minister and compiler of ''

Rees's Cyclopædia Rees's ''Cyclopædia'', in full ''The Cyclopædia; or, Universal Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Literature'', was an important 19th-century British people, British encyclopaedia edited by Rev. Abraham Rees (1743–1825), a Presbyterian minis ...

'' *

(1750–1836),

clergyman, composer of many well known hymns * Richard "Conversation" Sharp (1759–1835), prominent among the Dissenters' "Deputies", critic, merchant and MP *

William Shrubsole William Shrubsole (1760–1806) was an English musician and composer. Life The youngest son of Thomas Shrubsole, a farrier, he was born at Canterbury, and baptised on 13 January 1760. He was a chorister in Canterbury Cathedral from 1770 to 177 ...

(1760–1806), singer and composer *

Thomas Stothard Thomas Stothard (17 August 1755 – 27 April 1834) was a British painter, illustrator and engraver. His son, Robert T. Stothard was a painter (floruit, fl. 1810): he painted the proclamation outside York Minster of Queen Victoria's accession to ...

(1755–1834), painter, illustrator and engraver * Charles Taylor (1756–1823), engraver and biblical scholar * John Towers (c. 1747–1804), Independent minister *

George Walker George Walker may refer to: Arts and letters *George Walker (chess player) (1803–1879), English chess player and writer * George Walker (musician), English musician *George Walker (composer) (1922–2018), American composer * George Walker (il ...

(c. 1734–1807), dissenter, mathematician, theologian, and

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

* James Ware (1756–1815), eye surgeon and Fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

* Rev.

Alexander Waugh Alexander Evelyn Michael Waugh (30 December 1963 – 22 July 2024) was an English writer, critic, and journalist. Among other books, he wrote ''Fathers and Sons: The Autobiography of a Family'' (2004), about five generations of his own family, ...

(1754–1827), co-founder of the

London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed tradition, Reformed in outlook, with ...

and forebear of

Alec Waugh Alexander Raban Waugh (8 July 1898 – 3 September 1981) was a British novelist, the elder brother of the better-known Evelyn Waugh, uncle of Auberon Waugh and son of Arthur Waugh, author, literary critic and publisher. His first wife was Ba ...

and

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...

* Hugh Worthington (1752–1813), dissenting minister

References

External links

* *
Aerial view from 1947
from the English Heritage "Britain from Above" archive {{authority control 1665 establishments in England * Cemeteries in London Congregationalism Grade I listed parks and gardens in London Honourable Artillery Company Nonconformism Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Islington Parks and open spaces of the City of London Corporation Protestant Reformed cemeteries

Historical background

Opening as a burial ground

Closure as a burial ground

Community garden

Bunyan, Defoe and Blake

John Bunyan

Daniel Defoe

William Blake

Records

Notable graves

17th century

18th century

19th century

References

Further reading

External links