Beneath these stones lie stories of French lives in London. The French graves are silent witnesses to history. Imagine Victorian London. Overcrowded churchyards posed serious problems. Graves were reused. Bodies were buried only three feet deep.
The Magnificent Seven cemeteries emerged. They addressed London’s burial crisis. Highgate Cemetery was part of this solution. Parliament encouraged private cemeteries outside London. This offered a dignified alternative.
Highgate Cemetery opened in 1839. It was designed to reflect the Parisian Père Lachaise Cemetery. The design included a French garden feel. It provides a Rococo space. Wild flowers and rambling grasses are gently constrained. This offers a unique resting place.
Many sought work in London. The population boomed. More bodies needed burial. Existing sites became unsanitary. People feared miasma or poisonous vapours. Body snatchers added to the unease.
The London Cemetery Company purchased 17.5 acres for Highgate. This included part of Ashurst Manor House grounds. Stephen Geary designed the cemetery. He included serpentine roads and broad gravel paths.
Highgate Cemetery accommodated various religions. Strict rules governed burials. Two acres were set aside for other faiths. Anglicans and Dissenters had separate chapels. These were separated by cast-iron gates.
The West Cemetery has impressive architecture. The Colonnade was designed by Bunning. It leads to the Egyptian Avenue. Burial plots here were costly. They ranged from 20 to 150 pounds. This would be between 14500 and 109000 pounds today. Status was shown by monument type and ornamentation. This includes obelisks and sarcophagi.
The Egyptian Avenue has two obelisks. It is a gateway to the Circle of Lebanon. The archway features lotus columns. This shows Victorian interest in Egyptology. The Circle of Lebanon has a huge cedar tree. It was over a hundred years old when Geary designed the cemetery.
Angels appear throughout the cemetery. They symbolize resurrection. They also represent the departure of the soul to heaven. Some angels mourn. This represents a sense of loss.
Highgate Cemetery offered respite from the city’s smoke and grime. Visitors promenaded on a terrace. They enjoyed the quiet and pure air. The Terrace Catacombs has recesses with lead-lined coffins.
The most famous monument is that of Karl Marx. He was originally buried in his wife’s grave. Later, the Communist Party moved the grave. A bronze bust of Marx sits pouting over his beard.
Among the Victorians buried here is George Wombwell. He lies beneath a statue of Nero the lion. Nero was part of Wombwell’s travelling menagerie. Elizabeth Siddal lies in the West Cemetery. She died after a turbulent relationship with Rossetti and laudanum.
Thomas Sayers was a bare-knuckle fighter. A huge crowd watched his funeral. His loyal mastiff guards his tomb. George Eliot is also buried here. You can find her in the unconsecrated East Cemetery.
Consider the lives and times. These French graves are part of London’s rich tapestry. They remind us of lives lived and stories untold. They reflect a changing city. The graves offer peace and reflection.