The Surprising History Of Bunhill Fields Burial Ground

Just North of the City of London is a spot with a fascinating history. From macabre origins to the burial place of some of Britain’s greatest thinkers, Bunhill Fields Burial Ground is packed with stories.

As is often the case with London’s history, a good place to start is with the name.

A Hill Of Bones

The name Bunhill is thought to derive from ‘Bone Hill’.

In 1549 the charnel house of St Paul’s Cathedral was demolished and all the bones were removed. Since the 13th century the charnel house had been used to store old and loose bones disturbed by other burials or from exhumations. Charnel houses fell out of use after the Reformation, as they were seen as a Catholic practice.

The bones were taken in over 1000 cartloads just to the North of the City walls to where Bunhill Fields now is.

They were piled up and covered with a thin layer of soil, creating what must have been a pretty grisly landmark: a literal hill of bones. It was so high that 3 windmills were built there to make the most of its elevated position.

The Great Plague

In 1665 the Great Plague killed around 100,000 Londoners, which was around 20% of the whole population of the city.

Graveyards rapidly filled up and new ones were urgently needed. This is when Bunhill Fields opened as a burial ground under private hands. There is however no evidence that plague victims were buried here.

There are no records of what happened to the hill, presumably the bones were exhumed and the hill eventually levelled.

A Dissenter’s Burial Ground

Due to its location outside the city walls and the fact it was not attached to any particular place of worship, it became predominantly a non-conformist burial ground. There are thought to be around 123,000 bodies buried here, including many radicals, intellectuals and writers.

It was also a hotspot for body-snatchers, who in the late 18th and early 19th centuries stole bodies from London’s graveyards to sell to physicians for medical research. You can find out more about this in my self-guided body-snatchers walk here.

It closed as a burial ground in 1854 when inner city graveyards became too full and were closed by law.

In 1867 it opened as a public space and has been maintained by the City of London Corporation ever since.

William Blake’s Two Gravestones

One of the most well known people buried here is the poet, artist and visionary William Blake.

Unappreciated in his lifetime, Blake died in 1827 and was buried in Bunhill Fields where his parents also lay.

The graveyard suffered bomb damage during World War Two and headstones were moved around when the gardens were laid out in the 1960s. They therefore did not know where Blake was exactly buried and a headstone was erected ‘near’ the spot.

After 14 years of investigative work from a couple called Carol and Luís Garrido, a plaque was installed where it is now thought his remains lie, funded by the Blake Society.

I talk about William Blake and his fascinating life in London on my Lambeth’s Legendary Trailblazers tour.

Daniel Defoe’s Obelisk

Daniel Defoe, best known of course for writing Robinson Crusoe, died in 1731.

It is thought he was on the run from his creditors when he died and was buried in Bunhill Fields.

Defoe’s fame increased steadily after his death and the headstone of the Defoe family tomb was not considered adequate. A large marble obelisk was erected in 1870, funded by readers of the children’s magazine Christian World. The unveiling was attended by three of his great Granddaughters.

The Stoic Dame Mary Page

Look out for the tomb of Dame Mary Page. She was the wife of Sir Gregory Page and died on 4th March 1728 at the age of 56.

The other side of the tombstone reads ‘In 67 months she was tap’d 66 times, had taken away 240 gallons of water without ever repining her case or ever fearing the operation’.

It is thought she probably had a rare form of dropsy, or potentially Meig’s syndrome, causing an excess build up of fluid around the lungs. The ‘tapping’ was therefore draining the fluid away. 240 gallons is the equivalent of 1920 pints, so quite an ordeal!

John Bunyan’s Effigy

John Bunyan, the writer and Puritan preacher who spent 12 years in prison after the Restoration of King Charles II for refusing to give up his preaching, is also buried here.

He is best known for writing the Pilgrim’s Progress and died in 1688. Similar to Blake and Defoe however, the current, more impressive, tomb you see dates from 1862 after a public appeal.

It is by the sculptor Edgar George Papworth and features an effigy of Bunyan on the top.

Other burials

Most gravestones are protected behind railings, however you can speak to the wardens and they can take you to any specific graves you may want to see.

Others buried here include descendants of Oliver Cromwell, Susanne Wesley (1669-1742); mother of John Wesley (founder of Methodism) and mathematician Thomas Bayes (1702-1761).

Thank you for reading, more of London’s amazing historical spots below…