press release
Published: 15 May 2024

Surrey’s rich Victorian history of death and mourning explored in free local event series 

A family-friendly event series exploring the Victorian culture of death and memorialisation in Surrey is on offer from researchers at the University of Surrey and the Surrey Arts and Humanities Network (SAHN).

Credit: Getty IMages

The series – which includes an exploration of the legacy of the London Necropolis Railway and craft afternoon at the Watts Gallery – will help the public discover the stories behind Victorian gravestones, mourning traditions and even spiritualist experiments in art and writing. 

 

Memorialisation is a cornerstone of how we engage with the past, understand the present, and shape the future.

This series offers a unique opportunity to explore our county's and, indeed, our country's rich variety of Victorian memorials, from traditional gravestones and grand statues to mourning attire and the artistic expressions of grief. Dr Lucy Ella Rose, Lecturer in Victorian Literature

The programme involves three free, family-friendly events held at key sites across Surrey, a county with a deep-rooted history of memorialisation. Locations and activities include:

  • Brookwood Cemetery (Saturday 11 May): Embark on a walking tour and discover the stories etched in stone, exploring the legacy of London's Necropolis Railway.
  • Surrey History Centre (Saturday 8 June): Immerse yourself in informative talks and delve into the archives that unveil the lives commemorated in Victorian memorials.
  • Watts Gallery – Artists' Village (Saturday 29 June): Participate in a "crafternoon" session, drawing inspiration from Victorian mourning practices and artistic expressions of remembrance.
Not many people realise this, but Surrey boasts a rich history of memorialisation, having served as the destination for London's Necropolis Railway, a transportation line dedicated to carrying bodies for burial.

The London Necropolis Railway was opened in 1854 by the London Necropolis Company (LNC) to carry corpses and mourners between London and the LNC's newly opened Brookwood Cemetery in Surrey. At the time, Brookwood Cemetry was the largest cemetery in the world, designed to be large enough to accommodate all the deaths in London for centuries to come.

These gothic but fascinating stories should not be forgotten, and that is why we are delighted to launch this series. Dr Lucy Ella Rose, Lecturer in Victorian Literature


For further information and the full event schedule, please visit the "Victorian Memorials" website: https://victorianmemorials.wordpress.com/

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Note to editors:  

  • Dr Lucy Ella Rose is available for interviews upon request.    
  • For more information, please contact the University of Surrey's press office via mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk

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Dr Lucy Ella Rose

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