Cross Bones

Cross Bones
Cross Bones
	Internal view of the Cross Bones gate
Details
Established	Earliest mention 1598
Closed	1853
Location	Redcross Way, Southwark, south London, SE1
Country	England
Type	Prostitutes and paupers
Owned by	Transport for London (as of 2014)
No. of graves	Up to 15,000
Website	crossbones.org.uk

Last updated April 09, 2024

Cross Bones is a disused post-medieval burial ground on Redcross Way in Southwark, south London.^[2] Up to 15,000 people are believed to have been buried there. It was closed in 1853.

Cross Bones is thought to have been established originally as an unconsecrated graveyard for prostitutes, or "single women", who were known locally as "Winchester Geese" because they were licensed by the Bishop of Winchester to work within the Liberty of the Clink.^[1]^[3] The area lay outside the jurisdiction of the City of London and as a consequence became known for its brothels and theatres, as well as bull and bear baiting, activities not permitted within the City itself.^[4]^[5] By 1769 it had become a pauper's cemetery servicing St. Saviour's parish.

History

Origins

John Stow, in his A Survey of London (1598), made mention of a "Single Woman's churchyard" in Southwark, near the Clink:

Next on this [west bank of the Thames] was sometimes the Bordello, or Stewes, a place so called of certain stew-houses privileged there, for the repair of incontinent men to the like women ... I have heard of ancient men, of good credit, report, that these single women were forbidden the rites of the church, so long as they continued that sinful life, and were excluded from Christian burial, if they were not reconciled before their death. And therefore there was a plot of ground called the Single Woman's churchyard, appointed for them far from the parish church.^[6]

It was mentioned again in 1795 in a history of St. Saviour's, Southwark:

Our readers will remember that, in the account we have given of the Stews on Bank-side, mention is made of a piece of ground, called the Single Woman’s Burying Ground, set apart as the burial place of those unfortunate females; we are very much inclined to believe this was the spot, for in early times the ceremony of consecration would certainly not have been omitted; and if it had been performed, it would doubtless have appeared by some register, either in the possession of the Bishop of Winchester, or in the proper ecclesiastical court. We find no other place answering the description given of a ground appropriated as a burial place for these women, circumstances, therefore, justify the supposition of this being the place; for it was said, the ground was not consecrated; and the ordination was that they should not be buried in any spot so sanctified.^[7]

The antiquarian William Taylor wrote in 1833: “There is an unconsecrated burial ground known as the Cross Bones at the corner of Redcross Street, formerly called the Single Woman's burial ground, which is said to have been used for this purpose."^[1] By 1769 it was being used as a cemetery for the poor of St. Saviour's parish. Up to 15,000 people are believed to have been buried there.^[8]

Closure and sale

The graveyard was closed in 1853 because it was "completely overcharged with dead", and further burials were deemed "inconsistent with a due regard for the public health and public decency".^[9] According to Southwark writer John Constable, the land was sold as a building site in 1883, prompting an objection from Lord Brabazon in November that year in a letter to The Times, asking that it be saved from "such desecration".^[10] Constable writes that the sale was declared null and void the following year under the Disused Burial Grounds Act 1884, and that subsequent attempts to develop the site were opposed by local people, as was its brief use as a fairground. After removal of remains to the parish facilities in Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey, the site was covered in warehousing and other commercial buildings.^[11]

Plaque

In 2006 Southwark Council funded the erection of a brass plaque reading as follows:

Cross Bones Graveyard
In medieval times this was an unconsecrated graveyard for prostitutes or 'Winchester Geese'
By the 18th century it had become a paupers' burial ground, which closed in 1853.
Here, local people have created a memorial shrine.
The Outcast Dead
RIP

Excavation

Excavations were conducted on the land by the Museum of London Archaeology Service between 1991 and 1998 in connection with the construction of London Underground's Jubilee line. Southwark Council reports that the archaeologists found a highly overcrowded graveyard with bodies piled on top of one another. Tests showed those buried had suffered from smallpox, tuberculosis, Paget's disease, osteoarthritis, and vitamin D deficiency.^[12]

A dig in 1992 uncovered 148 graves, dating from between 1800 and 1853. Over one third of the bodies were perinatal (between 22 weeks gestation and seven days after birth), and a further 11 percent were under one year old. The adults were mostly women aged 36 and older.^[4]

Depictions in media

Beginning in 1996, John Constable began writing The Southwark Mysteries, an epic cycle of poems and mystery plays together with a 'glossolalia' of esoteric lore.^[3] Constable claimed the work was directly transmitted to his alter ego John Crow by The Goose, the spirit of a medieval sex worker licensed by the Bishop of Winchester yet buried in the unconsecrated Cross Bones burial ground.^[13] The work was performed in Shakespeare's Globe and in Southwark Cathedral in 2000 ^[14] and again in 2010 ^[15] Interest generated by The Southwark Mysteries inspired the Halloween of Cross Bones Halloween festival, celebrated every year since 1998 with a performance of the "Goose and Crow" poems followed by a procession to the graveyard shrine where candles are lit, songs sung and mementoes tied to the gates.^[11]The Southwark Mysteries was published in 1999.

The burial ground and Constable's work there has been featured in many books including 'The Spirits of Cross Bones Graveyard' by Sondra Hausner,^[16] 'Watling Street' by John Higgs ^[17] and Cross Bones by Paul Slade ^[18]

In 2004, London writer and poet Frank Molloy wrote the verse "Big Daves Gusset" about the burial plot. The title refers to a piece of graffiti on the adjacent wall of a burnt-out shed. The poem was included in his 2020 book Soul City Wandering.

In August 2019, English singer-songwriter Frank Turner included a song about Cross Bones, called "The Graveyard of the Outcast Dead", on his album No Man's Land. Additionally, his podcast, Frank Turner's Tales From No Man's Land, includes an episode about the history of Cross Bones. Also in 2019 another English singer-songwriter, Reg Meuross, included the song "The Crossbones Graveyard" on his album "RAW".^[19]

An informal local group, Friends of Cross Bones, has campaigned for a permanent memorial garden.^[20] The network liaised with Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) during 2013–18 to create and maintain a community garden of remembrance dedicated to the 'outcast dead'. In 2019 the site owners Transport for London and the developer of the adjacent site granted BOST a 30-year lease to protect and maintain the graveyard. The current garden is a result of work of the Friends of Cross Bones over 25 years.^[21] The shrine at the graveyard gates in Redcross Way is permanently decorated by a changing array of messages, ribbons, flowers and other tokens; a short memorial ceremony is held at the gates at 7pm on the 23rd of each month. This Vigil, initiated on 23 June 2004 by John Constable in his John Crow persona, was conducted by him until 23 November 2019. Since then other Friends of Crossbones have held the ceremony.

Related Research Articles

Southwark is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed due to its position at the southern end of the early versions of London Bridge, for centuries the only dry crossing on the river. Around 43 AD, engineers of the Roman Empire found the geographic features of the south bank here suitable for the placement and construction of the first bridge.

A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park, is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word cemetery implies that the land is specifically designated as a burial ground and originally applied to the Roman catacombs. The term graveyard is often used interchangeably with cemetery, but a graveyard primarily refers to a burial ground within a churchyard.

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 Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies near the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Southwark. It has been a place of Christian worship for more than 1,000 years, but the church was only raised to cathedral status with the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905.

The Metropolitan Borough of Southwark was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was created to cover the western section of the ancient borough of Southwark and the parish of Newington. In common with the rest of inner London, the borough experienced a steady decline in population throughout its existence. The borough council made an unsuccessful attempt to gain city status in 1955. Its former area is now the northwestern part of the current London Borough of Southwark.

Winchester Palace was a 12th-century bishop's palace that served as the London townhouse of the Bishops of Winchester. It was located in the parish of Southwark in Surrey, on the south bank of the River Thames on what is now Clink Street in the London Borough of Southwark, near St Saviour's Church. Grade II listed remains of the demolished palace survive on the site today, designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument, under the care of English Heritage.

West Norwood Cemetery is a 40-acre (16 ha) rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and ecological interest.

Union Street is a major street in the London Borough of Southwark. It runs between Blackfriars Road to the west and Borough High Street to the east. Southwark Bridge Road crosses in the middle.

Crossbones may refer to:

The Liberty of the Clink was an area in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite the City of London. Although situated in Surrey the liberty was exempt from the jurisdiction of the county's sheriff and was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Winchester who was usually either the Chancellor or Treasurer of the King.

Holy Trinity Catholic Church is a Catholic church run by the Jesuit order that is located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Holy Trinity Parish was founded in 1787 and is the oldest Roman Catholic community and house of worship in continuous operation both in Georgetown and in the larger city of Washington, D.C. The original church building was completed in 1794. It is now called the Chapel of St. Ignatius, and is used for smaller ecclesiastical celebrations and as an auxiliary space for parish activities. A larger church building, necessitated by the growing community, was dedicated in 1851, and still serves as the parish church today.

St Botolph's, Billingsgate was a Church of England parish church in London. Of medieval origin, it was located in the Billingsgate ward of the City of London and destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666.

Queen's Road Cemetery is a cemetery in Croydon, England. It opened in 1861, and was followed in 1897 by the larger Croydon Cemetery in Mitcham Road. Both cemeteries are now managed by the London Borough of Croydon.

Christ Church, Southwark, is a church of the Anglican denomination situated on the west side of Blackfriars Road, London. At the time of the foundation there was no bridge at Blackfriars and so no major road connecting the area to the south or to the City.

The Old Calton Burial Ground is a cemetery in Edinburgh, Scotland. It located at Calton Hill to the north-east of the city centre. The burial ground was opened in 1718, and is the resting place of several notable Scots, including philosopher David Hume, scientist John Playfair, rival publishers William Blackwood and Archibald Constable, and clergyman Dr Robert Candlish. It is also the site of the Political Martyrs' Monument, an obelisk erected to the memory of a number of political reformers, and Scotland's American Civil War Memorial.

Reg Meuross is an English singer and songwriter based in Somerset. He has released 15 solo albums. His song-writing contains narrative, protest and commentary.

The English coastal city of Brighton and Hove, made up of the formerly separate Boroughs of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, has a wide range of cemeteries throughout its urban area. Many were established in the mid-19th century, a time in which the Victorian "cult of death" encouraged extravagant, expensive memorials set in carefully cultivated landscapes which were even recommended as tourist attractions. Some of the largest, such as the Extra Mural Cemetery and the Brighton and Preston Cemetery, were set in particularly impressive natural landscapes. Brighton and Hove City Council, the local authority responsible for public services in the city, manages seven cemeteries, one of which also has the city's main crematorium. An eighth cemetery and a second crematorium are owned by a private company. Many cemeteries are full and no longer accept new burials. The council maintains administrative offices and a mortuary at the Woodvale Cemetery, and employs a coroner and support staff.

William Collier was an English colonist in Massachusetts. He came to Plymouth Colony in 1633 as one of the few London-based Merchant Adventurers, a colony investment group, to settle in New England. He was often elected as an Assistant Governor in the thirty-some years between 1634/5 and 1665. He was on the side of the government leaders in the historic 1645 dispute with liberal religious leader William Vassall. During his long life involved in public service, he served on the Council of War and served at times as a commissioner of the United Colonies, a New England colonies military alliance primarily for defense against Indian attack.

John Hamilton Constable is an English playwright, poet, performer and activist, author of The Southwark Mysteries. He is also known as John Crow, the urban shaman of Cross Bones.

Ash Cemetery, also known as Emery Gates Cemetery on Church Road is the burial ground for the village of Ash in Surrey, England.

References

1 2 3 Lovejoy, Bess (21 October 2014). "The London Graveyard That's Become a Memorial for the City’s Seedier Past", Smithsonian.com.
↑ Hausner, Sondra L. (2016). The Spirits of Crossbones Graveyard: Time, Ritual, and Sexual Commerce in London. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780253021472.
1 2 Constable, John (1999). The Southwark Mysteries. London: Oberon Books. pp. 264–265, 304–305. ISBN 9781849438537.
1 2 Mikulski, R. (28 March 2007). "Cross Bones burial ground", Museum of London Archeology Service.
↑ Kettler, Sarah Valente and Trimble, Carol. The Amateur Historian's Guide to Medieval and Tudor London, 1066-1600. London: Capital Books, p. 155.
↑ Stow, John (1842) [1598]. Thoms, William (ed.). A Survey of London. London: Whittaker and Co. p. 151.
↑ Concanen, Matthew; Morgan, Aaron (1795). The History and Antiquities of the Parish of St. Saviour's, Southwark. London: J. Parsons. p. 261.
↑ The Cross Bones Burial Ground, Redcross Way, Southwark, London. Museum of London, 1999, pp. vii, 4, 29.
↑ MoLAS monograph (1999). The Cross Bones Burial Ground, Redcross Way, Southwark, London. Museum of London, pp. vii, 4, 29; "Cross Bones Graveyard" Archived 30 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine , Southwark Council.
Walsh, John (14 March 2006). "Tales of the City: At the Cross Bones graveyard you can almost hear", The Independent.
↑ Lord Brabazon, Letter to the Editor, The Times, 10 November 1883, cited in Constable, John (2005). "Cross Bones graveyard", The Southwark Mysteries website.
1 2 Constable, John (2005). "Cross Bones graveyard". The Southwark Mysteries website.
↑ "Cross Bones Graveyard". Southwark Council. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
↑ "The Southwark Mysteries". Bloomsbury.
↑ "Shrouded in History", South London Press, 20 April 2000, p. 6; Petre, Jonathan and Sturdy, Gareth (14 May 2000). "Dean Rejects Critics Of Southwark's 'Swearing Jesus' Mystery Play" Archived 21 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine , The Sunday Telegraph.
↑ Marlowe, Sam (18 July 2023). "The Southwark Mysteries at Southwark Cathedral, SE1" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
↑ Hausner, Sondra L. (18 July 2016). "The spirits of Crossbones Graveyard : time, ritual, and sexual commerce in London". Bloomington : Indiana University Press – via Internet Archive.
↑ Hughes, Kathryn (12 August 2017). "Watling Street by John Higgs review – the myths and stories of Brexit Britain". The Guardian.
↑ "Cross Bones Graveyard | Paul Slade - journalist". www.planetslade.com.
↑ Pratt, David (3 October 2019). "Reg Meuross: Raw - Folk Radio". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
↑ Constable, John (2007). Secret Bankside: Walks In the Outlaw Borough. London: Oberon Books, pp. 28–29, 80–81, 120–121.
↑ "History". Crossbones.

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v t e Cemeteries in London
Cemeteries	Barnes Beckenham Bell's Hill Borough Brockley and Ladywell Bunhill Fields Camberwell Charlton City of London Croydon East Finchley East London East Sheen Enfield Golders Green Jewish Greenwich Gunnersbury Hampstead Hanwell (Kensington's) Hanwell (Westminster's) Hither Green Isleworth Lambeth Morden Mortlake Great Northern New Southgate North Sheen Novo Old Mortlake Plumstead Putney Vale Queen's Road Richmond St Mary's Catholic St Pancras and Islington St Patrick's Roman Catholic Southgate Streatham Streatham Park Teddington Tottenham Trent Park Twickenham Vineyard Passage West Ham Jewish Willesden Jewish (Liberal) Willesden Jewish (Orthodox) Woolwich
The Magnificent Seven	Abney Park Brompton Highgate East and West Kensal Green Burials Nunhead Tower Hamlets West Norwood
Former cemeteries	Cross Bones East Greenwich Pleasaunce Enon Chapel Quaker Gardens St Alban, Wood Street St Andrew St Antholin St Botolph's Aldgate St Dionis Backchurch St Matthew Friday Street St Helen's Bishopsgate St John Zachary St Katherine St Leonard, Eastcheap St Martin Outwich St Martin Pomary St Mary Aldermanbury St Mary Somerset St Mary Woolnoth St Mildred, Poultry St Olave, Old Jewry St Peter, Paul's Wharf St Sepulchre
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