Although possibly viewed by some as a bit of a macabre topic, this week’s London Shoes took me off to one of London’s lesser known public cemetery’s – but one which holds a whole wealth of significant connections to London and particularly the East End’s history – This visit also, and quite unintentionally on my part, brought my attention to a particular event in the City’s history that I wasn’t fully aware of – and could well be a blog in its own right at some in the future.
The destination for this week’s topic is the “East London Cemetery” in Plaistow, London E13 !!!
The East London Cemetery is situated in the London Borough of Newham, and was founded in 1871 for the specific purpose of meeting the increasing demand for burying folks from the City and the surrounding east end of London.
The cemetery covers approximately 33 acres and has two ‘Gothic’ styled 19th century chapels where services are conducted.
The East London Cemetery is noted locally for its ‘family/community’ values, and it is not unusual for generations of families to be buried there close by each other.
Notable memorials include:-
>“The Princess Alice” disaster <
There is a commemorative plaque to those killed in the SS Princess Alice, of 1878.
The Princess Alice was a passenger paddle steamer, which was sunk as a result of a collision with a coal transportation barge on the Thames, nearby to North Greenwich pier– a tragedy that resulted in the loss of over 650 lives, which today still stands as the greatest loss of life in any Thames shipping disaster.
It is claimed that ‘Elizabeth Stride’ (keep a mental note of that name), one of the victims of Jack the Ripper, survived the disaster, though her husband and children were killed.
>“The HMS Albion” tradegy <
There is a large ship’s anchor on the memorial to those tragically killed at the launch of HMS Albion in 1898.
The ship itself was built at the ‘Thames Iron Works’ – where my beloved West Ham United was founded and formed (e.g. hence the battle cry …‘Come on You Irons’). The claret and blue of the ‘Hammers’ kit is actually the colours of the shipyard and the crossed riveting hammers on the club crest indicate the link to the shipyard.
When the ‘Albion’ was launched on 21 June 1898; a wave created by Albion’s entry into the Thames caused a viewing platform from which 200 people were watching, to collapse into a side creek, and 34 people, mostly women and children, drowned in another one of the worst disasters in Thames history
>The “Silvertown explosion” <
A commemorative grave represents the disastrous ‘Silvertown’ explosion of 1917 where a TNT plant exploded damaging up to 70,000 properties in the area, killing 73 people and causing over 400 casualties.
>Commonwealth Service Personnel<
A total of 244 Commonwealth service casualties from WWI WW2 are buried in this cemetery
There is a Screen Wall memorial, close to main drive listing all Commonwealth servicemen & women whose graves could not be marked by headstones
>WW2 Civilians<
There is a ‘Collective Grave’ memorial panel listing civilian victims of World War II air raids buried within the grave – which includes some victims of the Bethnal Green Tube tragedy.
As well as the above, the East London Cemetery is also the resting place of loads of tv and stage actors – who people of my generation will remember with fondness – for example:-
>Jack Warner –who played the legendary ‘Dixon of Dock Green’
>Queenie Watts –who starred in many Carry On films and tv dramas
>Michael Barrington – who played the hapless Governor of Slade Prison in ‘Porridge’
>Leslie Dwyer – who played the child hating ‘punch & judy’ children’s entertainer in Hi Di Hi
>Tony Steedman – a renowned actor who played major roles in programmes such as The Sweeney, The Professionals, Minder, Coronation Street…and many more – and who had a starring role the film ‘Bill & Teds Amazing Adventure’.
As well as numerous ‘actors’ – the East London Cemetery is also the resting place of:-
Elizabeth Stride – a survivor of the ‘Princess Alice’ disaster mentioned earlier – but in historical terms, better known as the 3rd victim of “Jack the Ripper”.
Maurice Wragg – a Londoner and the only Englishman to be awarded the US ‘Medal of Honour’ for bravery, for his exploits in the American Civil War.
Terry Spinks – a ‘local’ boy and the youngest Briton ever to win an Olympic boxing gold medal when he took the flyweight title at the 1956 games in Melbourne at the age of 18.
However – there is one grave I found, that opened up a whole aspect of London’s history that I knew very little about.
Everyone is aware that throughout past centuries the “Tower of London” has acquired a gruesome historic past in terms of it being a place of torture and executions, particularly in relation to Royalty and Nobility – however, what is not so well known is that it was also the execution site in more recent times, of “11” German spies in WW1 during the years of 1914 to 1916.
These 11 executions were all done by a ‘firing squad’ and were conducted in a small firing range located on the perimeter of the Tower walls between Constable Tower and Martin Tower. This firing range was known as the ‘death shed’,– where the victims were strapped to the ‘killing chair’ before facing the firing squad. The ‘death shed’ was eventually torn down in 1969.
The most significant of these specific executions was probably that of “Carl Hans Lody” who, on the 5th November 1914, became the first person for more than 167 years to be executed in the Tower of London.
Lody, who spoke perfect English, had been conducting his spying activities in Edinburgh in August 1914 with instructions to monitor the Firth of Forth, a crucial anchoring place for loads of Royal Navy ships. He became a wanted man when his letters were seized by the mail interception service, which was set up by MI5 at the outbreak of World War 1.
Apart from being the first person to be executed at the Tower for over a century and a half, the other distinctive aspect about this event, (that has been documented in historic archives) – is the gentlemanly and dignified way in which ‘Lody’ conducted himself throughout his imprisonment and in particular the day of his execution.
The evening before his execution Lody wrote a letter to the commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards offering “sincere thanks and appreciation” for the care and “good fellowship” shown to him by his men – his granted ‘last wish’ was to shake the hands of his firing squad, and when he reached the military officer in charge of the execution party, he said “I suppose you will not shake hands with a German spy?” – “No,” the officer replied, “but I will shake hands with a brave man.”
The other 10 spies who were executed at the Tower and who were also laid to rest at the East London Cemetery were:-
Carl Frederick Muller – Executed 23 June 1915
Haicke Petrus Marinus Janssen Executed 30 July 1915
Willem Johannes Roos – Executed 30 July 1915
Ernst Waldemar Melin – Executed 10 September 1915
Augusto Alfredo Roggen – Executed 17 September 1915
Fernando Buschman – Executed 19 October 1915
Georg Traugott Breeckow – Executed 26 October 1915
Irving Guy Ries – Executed 27 October 1915
Albert Meyer – Executed 2 December 1915
Ludovico Hurwitz-y-Zender – Executed 11 April 1916
All these spies were buried in the East London Cemetery, Plaistow – where Carl Hans Lody’s grave is marked by a headstone placed by friends of the family.
The 10 other spies were interred in common graves that, over the subsequent years, have been reused several times over. A common headstone at the Cemetery, now commemorates their final resting place – although it has deteriorated considerably.
Having spent a peaceful day mingling with the departed – I popped in for the customary ‘cheeky ‘one – at one of the east end’s oldest hostelries ‘The Black Lion’, which is literally a 5min walk from the Cemetery. The pub is one of the oldest standing buildings in Plaistow, and was built back in the late 1700’s – and it has the historic reputation of being a regular haunt of the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin.
Anyway – hope you enjoyed this piece and its accompanying photos.
The main entrance to the East London Cemetery situated in the London Borough of Newham, and founded in 1871 for the specific purpose of meeting the increasing demand for burying folks from the City and the surrounding east end of London.
The main entrance gates to the East London Cemetery – Plaistow – London E13
The two ‘Gothic’ styled 19th century chapels where services are conducted
There is a large ship’s anchor on the memorial to those tragically killed at the launch of “HMS Albion” in 1898
One of the many WW1 war memorials erected in the East London Cemetery
The plaque of dedication displayed on the War Memorial
References to the Armed Forces – displayed on the WW1 Memorial
References to the Armed Forces – displayed on the WW1 Memorial
A ‘Screen Wall’ memorial, close to main drive listing all Commonwealth servicemen & women whose graves could not be marked by headstones
Me – and a Cemetery view
A memorial to all the children killed during the WW2 Blitz
A commemorative grave that represents the disastrous ‘Silvertown’ explosion of 1917 where a TNT plant exploded damaging up to 70,000 properties in the area, killing 73 people and causing over 400 casualties.
A memorial to those locals killed by air raids during WW2
A view of the hundreds of rose trees and their respective plaques – where the deceased ashes are scattered
A Cemetery view
‘Queenie Watts’ – the celebrated east end actress – and star of theatre, TV and Film – particularly the ‘Carry On’ films
The memorial plot where ‘Queenie Watts’ ashes are interred
A close up of renowned actress ‘Queenie Watts’ plaque
Terry Spinks – a ‘local’ boy and the youngest Briton ever to win an Olympic boxing gold medal when he took the flyweight title at the 1956 games in Melbourne at the age of 18
Terry Spinks grave – with the gravestone adorned with the Olympic Rings
The grave of ‘Maurice Wragg’ – a Londoner and the only Englishman to be awarded the US ‘Medal of Honour’ for bravery, for his exploits in the American Civil War
A close-up of Maurice Wragg’s headstone – a grave whose upkeep is financed by the American Military
Me – next to Maurice Wragg’s grave
Another photo of me – next to Maurice Wragg’s grave
A Cemetery view
Me – and a Cemetery view
This gravestone marks the spot where a vast collection of bones were deposited, having been removed from their original resting place in the City. These were the remains of those that perished in the great ‘cholera’ outbreaks in the early 1800’s
A commemorative plaque to those killed in the SS Princess Alice disaster on the Thames, back in 1878
The grave of Elizabeth Stride – a survivor of the ‘Princess Alice’ disaster mentioned earlier – but in historical terms, better known as the 3rd victim of “Jack the Ripper”
A close-up of Elizabeth Stride’s headstone
Me – alongside Elizabeth Stride’s grave. She was the 3rd victim of ‘Jack the Ripper
A very sad grave – that commemorates the burial plot of a number of school children that were killed when a WW2 German bomb hit their classroom 🙁
Me – with the Cemetery’s 2 Gothic styles chapels in the background
With the Cemetery’s local and close association with West Ham United FC – a large number of the graves and plaques are adorned in the clubs ‘claret & blue’ colours
Another example of West Ham United’s claret & blue adorning a grave
Carl Hans Lody – sentenced to death for being a German spy in WW1 – and who, on the 5th November 1914, became the first person for more than 167 years to be executed in the Tower of London
An old photograph of the rifle range, where the WW1 spies were executed by firing squad. The rifle range was situated inside the walls of the Tower of London – very close to Tower Bridge – and was nick-named the ‘Death Shed’
An old photo of the ‘Death Chair’ that the German spies were strapped to, before facing the firing squad
The Tower of London today – and the ‘Death Shed’ was located just inside the outer walls – in between the Constable Tower and Martin Tower that are in the centre of this photo
Another view of the location where the ‘Death Shed’ rifle range was located within the Tower of London – (between the 2 visible Tower & inside the main walls)
The grave of ‘Carl Hans Lody’ – who was executed by firing squad for being a German spy in WW1 – and who, on the 5th November 1914, became the first person for more than 167 years to be executed in the Tower of London.
Me – alongside Carl Hans Lody’s grave
A close-up ofCarl Hans Lody’s grave
The common headstone at the East London Cemetery, that commemorates the final resting place of the other 10 German spies who were executed at the Tower of London between 1914-18
A close-up of the common headstone at the East London Cemetery, that commemorates the final resting place of the other 10 German spies who were executed at the Tower of London between 1914-18. All of the other 10 spies names are inscribed on this memorial, but sadly their visibility has been impacted by weather and time 🙁
‘The Black Lion’ pub – Plaistow The pub is one of the oldest standing buildings in Plaistow, and was built back in the late 1700’s – and it has the historic reputation of being a regular haunt of the legendary highwayman Dick Turpin.
Me – outside ‘The Black Lion’ pub – Plaistow
Another shot of me – outside ‘The Black Lion’ pub – Plaistow
Me – neckin down the customary ‘cheeky’ one – in The Black Lion pub in Plaistow
Me – neckin down another ‘cheeky’ one – in The Black Lion pub in Plaistow
I am reցulaг visitor to your website, how areｙou? This particular blog you’ve posted is genuinely fascinating.
Excellent blog – do you have a map of east London cemetery showing any of the graves shown – I’d like to find Jack Warner
Thank you Rod for taking the time and trouble to provide feedback – and I’m so glad you enjoyed the article.
From memory, I believe that the admin office at the cemetery have a map hand out for visitors, to help them navigate around the cemetery to identify the graves of the more famous people. Why not e-mail or phone them, as I found the staff to be extremely helpful.
The comment you raise about old Jack Warner is interesting, as all the material on the Internet, infers that he is buried there – however, when I mentioned this to the office staff at the cemetery, they told me that he most definitely isn’t – only his 2 sisters are.
Great blog. As a West Han fan I’m guessing you know that the late great Bobby Moore is laid to rest here?
A very interesting blog about a place I’ve visited for over 65 years. A lot of this information I did not know but now thanks to you, I am aware.
It was through some investigation into my families Ancestry that my daughter Kellie discovered that my Great Great grandmother ‘Mary Ann Wilson’ and her daughter Margaret Mayilda, were amongst the victims of the Albion launch in 1898.
Also that an employee of the Thames Ironworks was instructed to erect some temporary lighting in the makeshift morgue at the dockside. When he lit up the room he discovered his own mother & sister were there. He was ‘Frederick Wilson’ and was the eldest son of Mary Ann!
Now when I visit the cemetery I also go to the memorial where Mary Anne’s name along with her daughter are inscribed on the very first memorial slab. My ancestors.
Thank you for your interesting account of the East London Cemetery. The Cemetery gates were my daily view during the years of 1964-1987 as the house where I grew up was just across the road, 185 Grange Road.
Both sets of my grandparents and other family members are buried there and I’ve spent many an hour visiting and tending to the graves and enjoyed reading the many headstone tributes and viewing the memorial graves.
I didn’t know about a lot of what you have found during your research and thank you for sharing and adding to my knowledge of the cemetery.
I do remember seeing some very lavish funeral processions entering the cemetery with wonderful plumed horses and lavish carriages, classic cars and buses, and one with thousands of motorbikes, the noise from which shook our house.
The cemetery itself narrowly missed being bombed during ww11, with the bomb hitting the houses adjacent and opposite the cemetery gates.
I don’t get to go there much nowadays and thankyou for reviving some childhood memories.