An Acton burial!

[originQuest]

Hello there,

An ancestor of mine was buried in Acton Churchyard in 1877!  However, I was led to beleive that all of the London churchyards were not in use after the 1830s due to overcrowding, and that was the birth of the large council cemeteries we know today.

Although my ancestor was a resident of Acton, can anyone explain why he was buried in the churchyard and not in one of the larger cemeteries, as I would of expected.

Thank you

[PrueM]

I think the London churchyards that were closed were the ones further in towards the 'centre' of the city.  Acton was then (and I suppose still is) a fair way out of town, so probably didn't come under the same Act of Parliament that led to the closure to burials of the city churchyards.

[PrueM]

P.S.  This thread on Rootschat is talking about the burial ground for St Mary's at Acton - is that the place you're looking at?  If so, it is not a churchyard as such, but was rather purchased for burials by the church in the 1860s:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,449861.msg3120808.html#msg3120808

Cheers
Prue

[originQuest]

Hi Prue,

Yes that is correct!  It is St. Mary's in Acton!  My ancestor worked at Acton Station and was sadly hit by a train there in the 1870s; it was an accident and he survived for three weeks, and he died after his foot was amputated.  He worked for the North London Railway Company and I'd love to find out more about his career!  Certain documents do surivive in the National Archives but the ledger is HUGE and not indexed, and I am not sure if my ancestor would be included as he was a Engine Cleaner Foreman and so technically, not station staff!  Perhaps one day I'll find out mroe.  Wow, thank you for this ... very insightful!

originQuest

[Valda]

Hi

It is as Prue says nearly all the churchyards in the central London area had been closed by 1853

http://www.agfhs.org.uk/articles/article-1819.html

Acton was in Middlesex some way away from the area that was fast being engulfed by the City of London in one continuous urban area spreading out from the what is termed now as the square mile of the city.

http://www.british-towns.net/en/level_3_display.asp?GetL2=331

'Despite some infilling, there was still much open space in the old town in the early 1890s. On the north side of High Street, Lichfield House, Suffolk House, and Grove House retained their grounds, as did the houses on the east side of Horn Lane from Churchfield Road as far north as the Lodge and around the Rectory on the west side. Land north and west of the Steyne around Steyne mills was not yet built over, nor, on the south side of Acton hill, were the large grounds of Woodlands and adjoining land behind the High Street shops'.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22546

Acton only officially became part of London in 1965 when it was included in the newly formed London borough of Ealing- so not really London until C20th - way past 1877. The urban build up of Acton is reflected in the later opening date of Acton cemetery.

Acton Cemetery, Park Royal Road, W3 (1895)


http://www.actonhistory.co.uk/acton/page1.html

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/maps/london_map.htm


Regards

Valda

[originQuest]

Hi Valda,

This is information is really useful to me!  Thank you so much; I'll read through and have a reflect!  Thank you for this!