Thursday 7 September 2017

Bunhill Fields

Alfred W Light wrote of Bunhill Fields
To the mere passer-by, this sacred plot in the City Road, London, is just an ordinary disused burying ground. To the tired factory girl and weary mechanic it is a place in which to rest during the dinner hour. To the builder it presents itself as a splendid site for factories and offices. To crowds of people it is a short cut from the busy City Road to the quieter Bunhill Row. To popish clerics it is almost as a plague spot that should be carefully avoided. To a lover of liberty of conscience, of freedom of thought, of an open Bible and of spiritual religion, it is, however, hallowed ground, for beneath its turf there are resting thousands of brave men and women who counted not their lives dear unto them, but who "contended earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." The principles of Scriptural Dissent are here magnified, whilst thoughts of cruel and wicked persecutions by spiritually ignorant clerics, magistrates, and evil princes crowd into the mind. Here are buried some 120,000 persons. Many of these died in poverty and distress, some even within prison walls, whilst had they been willing to comply with the regulations and to accept blindly the teachings of such popish bishops as Laud, many would have occupied positions of national distinction.
The following account is chiefly compiled from two publications of the City Corporation, viz., "Bunhill Fields Burial Ground; Proceedings in reference to its Preservation," and the Official Guide. The former, which contains very important correspondence between the City Fathers and the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, was pubhshed in 1867, and is now somewhat rare; the latter can still be obtained of the keepers at the Grounds.
The history here given is of great importance, and there is true cause for thankfulness that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, into whose hands the valuable Finsbury estate, of which Bunhill Fields is a portion, fell in 1867, had a wealthy and powerful body to contend against. Amongst the City Fathers during the critical period there were Sir Charles Reed and others who boldly championed the cause of righteousness and justice. In the old days, at the original entrance, there was a stone with the following inscription: "This churchyard was enclosed with a brick wall, at the sole charge of the City of London, in the Mayoralty of Sir John Lawrence, Kt., A.D. 1665; and afterwards the gates hereof were built and finished in the Mayoralty of Sir Thomas Bludworth, Kt., A.D. 1666." Strangely enough it has been completely lost.
This takes us back to the days of the Great Plague and Fire of London, although it is probable that centuries before there was a Saxon burying place at Bon-hill or Bone-hill Fields.
The whole district was swampy, and at various spots archers, apprentices, and the soldiers practised with their bows, staves, and other weapons. From this place many had in the past gone to fight the French at Cressy, Poitiers, and other famous battles; and here the City train bands brought themselves to a state of proficiency by zealously and constantly engaging in their more peaceful combats.
The land itself was originally part of a great church property, but in the fifteenth century the Corporation took it over at a yearly rent of twenty shillings. For this sum the Lord Mayor was granted "for himself and for his successors all his right and claim" to the property, which was considered to be a grant of the land in perpetuity. There must have been, however, some flaw in the provisions, as in 1653 the Corporation obtained a lease for ninety years at a rental of £29 13s. 4d.
In 1561 a most terrible thunderstorm and tempest burst over London, and in every quarter houses were wrecked, whilst the lightning struck and seriously damaged St. Paul's Cathedral. Indeed a portion of the Cathedral was actually destroyed whilst the terrified citizens for the most part gazed helplessly on. To repair the noble structure and to re-lead the roof was a great undertaking, towards which the Corporation provided about twenty tons of lead. In return for this two further leases of seventy years each were granted, which gave the City possession for 215 years, and this was naturally considered to be very little short of a freehold.
During the Commonwealth, when the church lands were sold, the Corporation bought the Finsbury estate and thus became Lords of the manor. As such they paid no rents, but when some ten years later the Stuart family in the person of Charles II regained the throne of England, all the properties returned to the Church. It was quite in keeping with the character of the new king and of the ecclesiastical authorities that there was no repayment of the purchase money, so the City suffered the loss of their money and property. The land was now put to some use in order to produce income, and De Foe is of opinion that the Great Plague Pit was at or near this spot. The City burying places were soon filled, for persons were dying at the rate of eight or ten thousand every week.
It is stated in "Maitland's Survey" (1739) concerning this land that "Part whereof at present denominated Tindal's or the Dissenters' burial-ground, was by the Mayor and Corporation of London, in the year 1665, set apart and consecrated as a common cemetery for the interment of such corpses as could not have room in the burial-grounds in the dreadful year of the pestilence. However, it not being made use of on that occasion, the said Tindal took a lease thereof, and converted it into a burial-ground."
The ground is marked for a time on the maps by the name of Tindal instead of the Bon-hill Fields. As the books of the City were destroyed by fire there is no record of it earlier than 1698, but a stone was found on which was the name of Debora Warr, the date being November 10th, 1623. It is thought probable that this is the date of the woman's death, but that the body was re-interred. There was another, however, of "Joannes Seaman, natus 6 Feb. 1665, ob Jul. 23, 1665," and this is most likely to be the more ancient. In turn, Bunhill Fields was in the possession of a James Browne, and a certain Elizabeth Fetherstonhaugh, but about 1741 the Corporation took sole charge once again, and by this time the revenue was very considerable.
Special attention was drawn to the Finsbury Estate in the Parliament of 1766, and there were proposals to make some use of the lands "now the resort of idle and disorderly persons." These arrangements were far reaching, but in all the plans it is clearly shown that the burying-ground was to remain untouched. Merchants' houses and homes for professional men were to be erected, and the City authorities entered without delay into negotiations with Prebendary Wilson. The official committee reported to the Common Council that they had "agreed with the Prebendary to join in an application to Parliament for an Act to enable the Prebendary and his successors to grant a lease to the City of the Prebendal Estate, from Christmas last, for a term of ninety-nine years, renewable at the expiration of seventy -three years by adding fourteen years, to make up a term of forty years, and afterwards every fourteen years in like manner for ever." In some extraordinary way a clause to this effect (although in the Bill) was omitted from the Act, but it has not been discovered how this unfortunate accident occurred. It is obvious that the renewal of the lease every fourteen years for ever was to be a vital point in the agreement, but at the appointed time no renewal did take place or was ever allowed to do so. The result ultimately was that an immense and most valuable property fell into the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and thus from henceforth the enormous income was to be used for Church of England purposes. The spirit of the voluntary agreement was absolutely ignored by the clerical party, and the Corporation had to suffer this second great loss by the absolute letter of the Act being maintained. 
There is ample evidence that in addition to the City authorities, the public and also the church party believed that the property was to be held in public trust practically Bunhill Fields, 5 till the end of time, and that because of this there was a conviction that the stones and resting-places of the noble dead in Bunhill Fields would never be disturbed. Any other supposition is impossible, for certainly Dissenters would not have purchased graves and erected monuments if these afterwards were to be placed at the mercy of a priestly caste. When it became known to the public that Bunhill had changed hands, a Committee made application that the burial-ground should be held sacred for ever. Considering that hitherto this portion of the estate had been always omitted for valuation purposes the reply of the Commissioners was very strange. They stated that the ground was considered to be worth £100,000 - presumably for building purposes - but that they were willing under the circumstances to receive £10,000 by way of compensation. This led to a memorial being presented to the Corporation, at which ah appeal was made that authority should be obtained from Parliament to prevent secular use being made of this sacred spot.
On the 16th November, 1865, at the Court of Common Council, the following special resolution was passed: — 
"Resolved unanimously - That this Court learns with regret that in the communications with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the Committee have not found any disposition to concur in an arrangement for the preservation of the Bunhill Fields' Burial Ground, except upon the terms of sale and purchase
"That having regard to the antiquity of this spot as a place of extramural sepulture, that it has been held by this Corporation for more than five hundred years, that it has been set apart and used for centuries as a place of interment ; that a public pledge has been given by the conjoint authorization of the Ecclesiastical authorities and the Corporation - 'That the ground should at all times hereafter remain for the purposes of burials only,' and that up to the year 1832, upon these conditions and assurances, vaults have been sold: this Court protests against this ground or any part thereof being applied to secular uses. That, considering the high historic interest attaching to the Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, in consequence of the interment of so many distinguished and honoured men of all creeds and parties, this Court is willing to accept 6 Bunhill Fields, the care and preservation of the ground on behalf of the public, and to assist in promoting any well-advised scheme for securing against molestation and disturbance the final resting place of so many thousands of their fellow-citizens.
"Ordered: That a copy of the foregoing Kesolutions be transmitted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners."
In a remarkably short time a Bill was prepared and became an Act, one of the clauses being:— "The Burial Ground shall from time to time and at all times ... be held, used, and enjoyed, as an open space, accessible to the public at such times and under such regulations as the Corporation shall from time to time think proper and expedient ... and no house or other building, whether for the purpose of residence or trade, or for any other purpose, shall, from henceforth and for ever hereafter, be built or erected upon the burial ground or any part thereof."
Immediately after the Act was obtained a special Committee was appointed by the City authorities to make alterations and to restore and improve the ground generally, the place being opened to the public in October, 1869, after two years labour. A statement was made to the Corporation by the Chairman of the Committee in the following words: — 
"In the presence of representatives of families whose dead were buried here, and of the delegates of churches and societies whose pastors and founders rest in this ground, I desire to say that in all the reparations and alterations carried on within this enclosure, not a fragment of stone has been taken away, nor has any portion of the soil been removed. Tombs have been raised from beneath the ground, stones have been set straight, illegible inscriptions have been deciphered and re-cut, hundreds of decayed tombs have been restored, paths have been laid and avenues planted : and in all the sacred rights of sepulture scrupulously respected. An accurate copy of all the principal inscriptions exists ; a complete register of all interments is preserved ; an exact plan of the entire ground has been taken ; and it is now hoped that the Corporation of London having voluntarily done so much, the families owning graves here may come forward to do the rest. Within a few weeks the Committee will have discharged a trust readily undertaken in the public interest. They have considered themselves as fulfilling a sacred duty while renewing to posterity the emblems of the zeal and the suffering of their forefathers, and thereby, in the language of one buried here, 'trimming, as it were, the beacon-light left to warn future generations to defend their religion, even unto their blood.' It only remains that I should ask your lordship (The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, Sir James Clarke Lawrence, Bart., M.P.) to declare this ground open, under the conditions of the Act of Parliament which gives to the people this their prized and rightful inheritance."
The appeal that "the families owning graves here may come forward and do the rest" met with some response, and certain monuments were erected by public subscription. It is full time, however, that more interest and love should be shown for the tombs of such noble men and women. The decaying hand of time is to be seen upon almost every stone; some are broken in two, others have sunk into the ground, and many more are now practically unreadable. Unless something is done it will be quite impossible to locate the stones of some of the most famous and godly persons, and this will be a disgrace to the public in general, but to Dissenters in particular. At different times since the opening various alterations have been made. There is now a new entrance and a path running through from the City Eoad to Bunhill Eow, but the old gateway may still be seen with its row of fierce, cruel-looking spikes which were placed there to prevent the body-snatchers doing their gruesome work. Trees have also been planted, especially the planes with their strange " moulting " trunks, and the ground has been re-turfed, flowers planted and seats provided. In addition to the official keeper there is also a gardener employed, so that for the most part this " God's Acre" is in a fair condition. But one look at the stones in their decaying state is a sad, sad sight, and the expense of preserving the main ones would be but a small matter to the great Dissenting bodies, whilst in addition, surely there are many others who love the honour of these men and the truth of God sufficiently to subscribe in order that the last resting-places of some of England's noblest children may not sink entirely into obscurity.
The writer of the Official Guide makes a most moving appeal in the following words: "Shall no friendly hand clear away those dank weeds which hide the lowly stones? Shall none appear to cleanse the soiled and weather-worn slab, so that its record may be traced? Shall none be found to lift up the headstone fallen slantwise to the earth, or to renew the masonry of the altar tombs, lying now in shapeless and pitiable ruin? Is there none to chisel out the faded inscription, and with pious hand to grave still more deeply the time-honoured memorials? Nonconformists! is there no 'Old Mortality ' amongst you, who, out of love for these sainted ones and for their Lord and Master, would live awhile amongst the tombs, and make it impossible that the names of our illustrious dead - confessors, historians, pastors, poets - and their dying witness to His love, shauld evermore be hidden from our view?"

No comments: