Woolwich cemetery

Woolwich cemetery is a cemetery in southeast London, situated south-east of Woolwich, in Kings Highway, Plumstead,^[1] on land that was formerly part of Plumstead Common. The first cemetery (sometimes now called Woolwich Old Cemetery) was opened in 1856 by the Woolwich Burial Board^[2] and the 12-acre site was almost full within 30 years; in 1885, a new cemetery was established on adjacent land to the east. The latter site is still in use, and contains graves of those who died in explosions at the Royal Arsenal,^[3] plus a World War I memorial with the names of 14 casualties; in total the cemetery has 175 WW1 burials and memorials.^[4][5]

The cemetery has been used as a film location for The Krays (1990) and Harry Brown (2009).^[6]

Memorials

Memorial to those killed in the Princess Alice steamer disaster

Woolwich Old Cemetery was the burial place for 120 people lost in the Princess Alice disaster on the River Thames on 3 September 1878 when the pleasure steamer was struck by the collier steamer Bywell Castle. A commemorative cross was erected by a National Sixpenny Subscription to which over 23,000 people contributed.^[2]

Other notable burials include:

• Hubert Bland (3 January 1855 – 14 April 1914) - journalist, socialist and co-founder of the Fabians
• Thomas Monaghan VC (18 April 1833 – 10 November 1895)^[7]
• John Taylor VC (1822 – 25 February 1857)^[2][8]
• Temple Leighton Phipson-Wybrants (died 29 November 1880) - explorer who died near the Sabi River in East Africa; his body was brought back at his mother's instigation and buried in Woolwich on 7 October 1881.^[2]

References

Coordinates: 51°28′35″N 0°05′49″E / 51.4763°N 0.0970°E / 51.4763; 0.0970