The full and fascinating history of York Cemetery, with a good overview of the restoration of the site and Chapel, can be found in from This Garden of Death: The History of York Cemetery 1837 – 2007 (2008) by Hugh Murray, published by The Friends of York Cemetery.

Copies can be ordered from:

The Friends of York Cemetery,
The Gatehouse, Cemetery
Road, York,
YO10 5AJ

or by emailing yorkcemeteryvolunteers@gmail.com

Price: £7.00 (£6.00 to members of the Friends of York Cemetery) plus £3.50 postage and packing

A Brief History of York Cemetery

Extracted from Murray. H., (2008) This Garden of Death: The History of York Cemetery 1837 – 2007 ISBN: 978-0-9517737-1-0

York Cemetery was opened in 1837 with the mortuary chapel, gatehouse and grounds having been designed and laid out by James Pigott Pritchett Snr.  The object of the Cemetery Company was to provide better burial facilities for the citizens of York, irrespective of their station in life, than those offered by the overcrowded parish graveyards and non-conformist burial grounds in the city.  From 1855 to 1940s the cemetery was successful and as a result it paid good dividends to its shareholders.

However, by the 1960s, with the cemetery almost full, it became clear the cemetery was no longer financially viable and the high returns previously enjoyed by the shareholders could not be sustained.  With the prospect of very little income to pay wages and cover the high maintenance costs of the site and the buildings the Cemetery Company went into voluntary liquidation in June 1966.

By 1979 nothing of any commercial value was left. With no interested parties willing to take on the responsibility of maintaining the site the cemetery devolved to the Crown: all rights of burial and access to the site were lost.  The abandoned grounds, containing 28,000 graves, 17,000 memorials, and two listed buildings in an advanced state of decay became the target of vandals.

In June 1984 roof of the mortuary chapel collapsed.  This led to the formation of Friends of York Cemetery and then subsequently in 1986 York Cemetery Trust.  In February 1987 the Trust became the owners of the whole site and so began the restoration of the Pritchett mortuary chapel with the aid of grants and donations from many sources.