Abney Unearthed project update - November 2023
The Abney Unearthed project was developed to re-map Abney Park - to create an online searchable map, to add missing information to the burial records, to research the various residents of Abney Park and to bring their stories to light.
Volunteers work (in teams) on site and check the position of each grave against the plot maps, they also note the type of headstone and any names on the headstone that aren’t in the existing burial records. This information is then added to the re-formatted database and is also used to create a new site wide digital map.
A dedicated volunteer group means that attendance has remained steady at the average attendance of 11 – 14 per week throughout the project. Volunteers continue to enjoy participating in the project and express this when discussing the project and they prove this through their continued dedication to the project.
Ivy and vegetation covering the headstones in Abney.
Access to some plots is made extremely difficult (and at times, impossible) by fallen trees, thick brambles, subsidence and generally uneven ground under foot. As far as possible the Abney Unearthed teams make every effort to account for each plot on the map. Occasionally a stone is found which seems to be at the right location but recording the wrong person. This information is noted by volunteers, along with the type of headstone, and the condition, for each grave plot.
The mapping of the common graves has always been extremely important to both the Abney Unearthed officer and the project volunteers. A system has now been developed to map the path side common graves of Abney Park. These graves have never been mapped before – the maps are being individually created for each path / section. The number of these graves and the number of people within them is currently unknown. The common graves near Church Street were recently mapped, with further mapping to continue elsewhere on site.
A previously unmapped common grave, from the 1930s.
The Abney Unearthed volunteers continue to make progress with the on-site mapping. On site work is getting more difficult as the least overgrown sections have been completed in the previous years. Project achievements throughout the project until Nov 2023 include:
894 people added to the burial records database
394 people added from the 1970’s (particularly important as the burial records from the 1970s are missing due to damage)
the total number of people checked on the burial records is 81,337
the details of just over 3000 people have been corrected
592 graves (not including common graves) have been added to the maps, meaning that 1250 people in those graves can now be located without having to search a whole section
the number of common graves newly mapped by AU (throughout the project) is approximately 175
the number of people in common graves noted to have a headstone is 809
the information gathered by Abney Unearthed volunteers has enabled 8 successful grave searches in formerly unmapped areas and 13 grave searches for those in common graves (in total)
Putting back together to get information from a damaged headstone.
Volunteers also research those whose graves have been noted. Research by volunteers continues, with many interesting stories being revealed. The people who are researched is partly governed by the on-site volunteer’s own interest in a particular grave. Subject-specific databases from the records to tailor the research have also been created.
Those researched include:
A large headstone is placed on the common grave where William Bithray (d.1855) is buried. William was the maker and seller of optical and scientific instruments.
A memorial for Fanny Palamountain. She was married to Bennet Palamountain (c.1829-1901), a printer and compositor, working for Eyre & Spottiswoode, printers to the Queen.
Frederick Arthur Woodland Foster, killed on the Western Front in France in 1916 is commemorated on the headstone of the family grave. He is also remembered on the Thiepval Memorial in France as he has no known grave. Frederick was documented as being an architects’ clerk, and Gerald, his father, as an architect. The grave no. and section were incorrectly listed.
William McDonough - Born in St John’s, Antigua West Indies. Began work in London at the Bank of England in July 1806, at the age of 20; rose to the level of Principal of the Power of Attorney Office retiring in October 1859.
Isaac Bousquet A Fancy Paper Maker, manufacturing gold, silver and foil papers; born in Southwark, moving to Barbican, City of London. Twice-married, with eight children, two of whom are buried here.
William Orme (1771-1854) the “landscape and transparency painter” who has some of his work held at the British Museum. His pedestal monument is almost illegible.
Adolphus Hahnemann Allshorn LRCS, LRCP, MD - this family grave has several members who are closely linked to Homeopathic Medicine, with several practices and chemists in Dalston and Edgeware.
Abney Unearthed delivered 4 tours throughout the last year, enabling us to provide information within the context of Abney Park and also interact with those showing interest in the project. Planning for the delivery of tours for 2024 is underway. Due to its popularity, and the ability to change the content as further information is found, the common graves tour will be re-run in early 2024. Further topics are to be confirmed, but are likely to include ‘the stonemasons of Abney’ and ‘the first 20 burials’.
Abney Unearthed looks forward to continuing for a further year as funded by the NLHF restoration project for Abney Park. Future plans include liaising with Hackney Archives to teach the volunteers archiving skills and research techniques and discussions are underway with the Archives and Museum about potential exhibitions.