Southampton Old Cemetery

On 9 November 1841, Southampton Town Council resolved "that the Town Clerk be directed to give notice of an application to parliament at the next session for establishing a cemetery or burial ground on part of Southampton Common". The town council approached John Claudius Loudon. He was a well known landscaper, designer of arboretums and cemeteries including Histon Road Cemetery at Cambridge and Bath Abbey Cemetery. Loudon, normally based in London, had been staying on the Isle of Wight whilst his wife was writing a book. The damp sea air had a debilitating effect on his health and he moved to take temporary lodgings in Southampton. Southampton Town council had no previous experience of…

The cemetery was opened on 7 May 1846 when the Bishop of Winchester consecrated part of the grounds. In 1856, the Roman Catholics were given ground within the cemetery for their use. The Southampton Cemetery Act 1843 allowed for up to 15 acre to be taken from the common but it was initially laid out as a 10 acre site with the remaining 5 acre being added in 1863. In 1884 a further act of parliament was obtained to transfer another 12 acre to the cemetery.