Sir Joseph Bazalgette

Sir Joseph Bazalgette (1819-1891) is credited with creating the London sewer system in response to growing pollution and disease. He created large underground tunnels which took effluent to new pumping stations at Abbey Mills and Crossness. Balzagette’s sewers are still used in much of the city and are only now being supplemented by the Thames Tideway tunnels. His designs reshaped London; he created the Thames Embankments, redesigned several prominent river crossings such as at Hammersmith, Putney and Battersea, and created new streets and parks. Bazalgette's achievements are viewed as a major contributing factor for reducing cholera outbreaks and improving the health of Londoners.

History of the Mausoleum

The mausoleum was first built for John Anthony Rucker, a banker, merchant, and slave owner, who owned extensive coffee and sugar plantations in Grenada. The original design featured a pyramid where the obelisk now stands. The lower section of the mausoleum remains to this day.

His nephew, who inherited the estates upon his uncle’s death, went bankrupt in the 1830s and much of the family's property was sold. The mausoleum was sold to the Bazalgette family in c.1886. There is no known connection between Bazalgette and Rucker, who died 20 years before Bazalgette was born. It is believed that Bazalgette bought the tomb for his family as the churchyard was at full capacity.

Conservation

Habitats & Heritage has received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to conserve, research and educate about the mausoleum, Bazalgette, and Rucker.

The mausoleum is experiencing some structural issues that need repairing to avoid further damage.

For more information please visit our website:
habitatsandheritage.org.uk/get-involved/our-projects/sir-joseph-bazalgettes-mausoleum/