London Borough of Southwark

London Borough of Southwark
Camberwell New Cemetery
Brenchley Gardens
SE23 3RD
https://www.southwark.gov.uk/births-deaths-marriage-and-citizenship/deaths-funerals-and-cremations

The London Borough of Southwark is located in South East London. They manage Nunhead Cemetery, Camberwell Old Cemetery, Camberwell New Cemetery, and Honor Oak Crematorium.

All of the records for these sites from the time they opened are available to search on Deceased Online. There are records for 600,000 people from 1840 to 2011.

The records comprise:
- Scans of the original burial registers
- Details of other occupants in the grave
- Section maps showing the approximate location of the grave
- Headstone image where available.

Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, Southwark, London, SE15 3LP
Located between Peckham and Lewisham in South East London, Nunhead Cemetery is one of the capital's most treasured early Victorian cemeteries and within the select group of the 'Magnificent Seven' of historic cemeteries. Consecrated in 1840, the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery describe this special place as "Perhaps the least known, but most attractive" of the Magnificent Seven.

Managed by the London Borough of Southwark, their website states: "Nunhead Cemetery's history, architecture and stunning views make it a fascinating and beautiful place to visit. While much of the cemetery is mysterious and overgrown, many of its features have recently been restored to their former glory." It has grandiose monuments of the most important and well respected people of the day sitting alongside smaller headstones, which mark some of the common or public graves.

Whilst much of the cemetery is designated a nature reserve and is largely overgrown, many of its features have and are being restored to their former glory by Southwark Council and the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery. The Nature reserve and wooded areas have managed paths but safe access to all parts of the cemetery is no longer possible. Please do not attempt to enter woodland areas due to the danger from unstable monuments, uneven ground, unsafe trees and thick undergrowth.

The first burial was of Charles Abbott, a 101 year old Ipswich grocer; with the first grave dug in October 1840. It was reopened in May 2001 after an extensive restoration project funded by Southwark Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Fifty memorials were restored along with the beautiful Anglican Chapel, designed by Thomas Little.

Most of the 52 acre cemetery is closed to new burials but some burials do still take place. There are nearly 300,000 burials in around 46,000 graves, records for all of which are available on Deceased Online. There are many memorials and a number of notable burials as well as 580 war graves from both World Wars including many for service personnel from Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Camberwell New Cemetery, Brenchley Gardens, Southwark, London, SE23 3RD
Covering all burials since opening in 1927 until August 2011, there are a total of 80,000 records. There are a number of unmarked public graves in the cemetery with a lovely memorial erected to them by the rose walk.

The cemetery is well kept and can be accessed through the magnificent main gates off Brenchley Gardens or on foot from the bottom corner just up the hill from Honor Oak Park station.

Notable burials include:
George Cornell (real name Myers) - East End gangster famously shot by the Kray twins in 1966 - 19th April 1966
Freddie Mills - World Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1948 to 1950 - 30th July 1965
William Pullum - world weight lifting champion - 30th Sept 1960

Camberwell Old Cemetery, Forest Hill Road, Honor Oak, London, SE23 0NQ
Covering all the burials from opening in 1856 there are a total of 220,000 records. The top half of the cemetery is mown and the bottom half is a nature reserve. There are many notable burials and magnificent memorials.

Notable burials include:
James John Berkeley (Berkley) - chief engineer of the Great Indian Railway - 1st Sept 1862
Frederick John Horniman - founder of the Horniman Museum - 9th March 1906
Albert Edward McKenzie VC - On 22/23 April 1918 at Zeebrugge, Belgium, Able Seaman McKenzie was a member of a storming party on the night of the operation. He landed with his machine-gun in the face of great difficulties, advancing down the Mole with his commanding officer (Arthur Leyland Harrison) who with most of his party was killed. The seaman accounted for several of the enemy running for shelter to a destroyer alongside the Mole, and was severely wounded whilst working his gun in an exposed position. - 9th November 1918
William Stanlake VC - On 26 October 1854 near Inkerman, Crimea, Private Stanlake, when employed as a sharpshooter, volunteered to reconnoitre, and although warned of the dangers he would encounter, crawled to within six yards of a Russian sentry and brought back such information that the officer in charge of the party was able to make a surprise attack. - 30 April 1904

Records for Honor Oak Crematorium, Brenchley Gardens, Southwark, London, SE23 3RD
Honor Oak Crematorium is located next to Camberwell New Cemetery and is one of the busiest crematoria in London. Many of the older records feature excellent detail including full names, addresses of both the deceased and the applicant (who may be a spouse or other relative, friend or associated), age, marital status and even occupations.

Note: to comply with UK data protection and GDPR, addresses of the deceased are masked in register scans for the last 15 years.