A Brief History of the Bone House and Graveyard
A Brief History of the Bone House & Graveyard (Spa Fields Park)
During the 1780s the land was leased as a burial ground and provided space for 2,722 interments. Eventually housing was built all around the site leaving an enclosed space. This helped to create the conditions for the burial ground 'Abomination' as activities could go on without disturbance. During 50 years 80,000 interments took place, many more than the 2,722 originally provided for. Each night bodies were exhumed and burnt in the Bone House with their coffins to make room for fresh burials. Local residents got ill from the fumes and suspected that Mr Bird the manager and Steve Bishop the watchman of the burial site were burning bodies after having buried them. A few times they thought the Bone House was on fire and forced entry to find Mr Bird drying out coffin wood with burning coffins and body remnants up the chimney. The Bone House stood where the park building now stands.
Submitted by Eli Anders (@elioanders)