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Monday 11 Jun 2012

FUNERAL OF ‘UNKNOWN PARISHIONER’ HELD AT SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL

Region & Route:

| Southern

The funeral service of the ‘unknown parishioner’ took place at Southwark Cathedral last Friday (8 June) to represent the remains found during excavations by Network Rail as part of Thameslink rail improvements around London Bridge.

The remains of over 330 people, mostly dating from the early 19^th century, were removed from the site of the former St. Saviour's Almshouse burial ground and were reburied in a special plot in the new Kemnal Park Cemetery near Chislehurst.

The cathedral worked with Network Rail and F A Albin & Sons, funeral directors, to ensure the funeral and burials were respectful and echoed how funerals were conducted at the time of the original burials. The body of the ‘unknown parishioner’ was placed under a monument in the plot which will commemorate all those reburied there.

The Dean of Southwark, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, said: “The former Parish Church of St Saviour Southwark had burial grounds around the immediate area. We have an ongoing duty of care for parishioners, past and present, and were therefore pleased to be working with Network Rail and Albins to see that these remains were treated with the respect they deserve and re-buried in their new, and we hope, permanent resting place.”

Jim Crawford, Thameslink programme director, said: “During the construction period for the Borough viaduct, Network Rail has been working closely with the community and statutory bodies so that the Thameslink works in the area are sensitive to the heritage of this historical conservation area. We wanted the Cathedral service to support this commitment and provide a fitting reburial to those remains we found during our archaeological investigations. We are also working with the Museum of London Archaeology to share the archaeological finds with the community.”

Barry Albin Dyer, F A Albin & Sons chairman, said: “We are extremely proud to have partnered Southwark Cathedral and Network Rail on this prestigious and historic burial. The burial ceremony and design of coffin closely follow the traditions that existed in the early 19th century. The ceremonial coffin was handmade using high quality materials. Albins have also donated and engraved an original 19th century coffin plate from its museum archive. The Obelisk memorial will prove to be a fitting historical tribute to the people whose remains have been buried."