150 YEARS OF HISTORY

Records show that today’s Manor Park Cemetery and Crematorium stands on a section of land that originally was owned by Hamfrith Farm which was registered under various ownerships as far back as the late 1700’s. However in 1851 the area was sold, for the sum of £17,710.00, to the philanthropist Samuel Gurney. He was already the owner of local manors Woodgrange and Ham House and had established Overend, Gurney & Co and Gurney’s Bank.

Samuel died in 1856 in Paris while travelling back to the UK due to ill health. His body was transported back to be buried in Friends Cemetery in Barking. Sadly his eldest son John also died in the same year. In 1872 the grandson, also called John, sold the Hamfrith estate to the British Land Company.

In 1874 the British Land Company sold on to the newly established Manor Park Cemetery Company Limited. The Manor Park Cemetery Company Limited then designated the eastern section of the estate (now by the railway line) for cemetery use. The remaining land was then used for the construction of residential buildings with borders on the north of Godwin Road, the west of Woodford Road, the east of the cemetery, the south of the railway line between Forest Gate and Manor Park. This layout of the land is still valid 150 years later.

As Manor Park Cemetery Company Limited celebrates its 150th Anniversary we have created a 150 Year Tour to highlight the rich diversity and historical interest within the estate. While we have focused this guide on just a few stones, it is soon realised that every stone within the cemetery tells a story and has a value.

Over the years the cemetery has survived numerous conflicts as well as two world wars. It has become the final resting place for many local characters, heroes, and people of great historical significance. With it’s beautiful green and peaceful setting the company is proud to be custodian of these memorials and to continue to offer a very special and personal service to the community