History

Willesden Cemetery was opened as a burial ground for the Jews by permission of the Home Office in 1873 under Queen Victoria. There were about 40,000 Jews in London, mostly living in the City of London and nearby in places like Islington. They were involved in business and trade, areas where they did not face restrictions as in the law and medicine. It was the beginning of an era of Emancipation for Jews.

The United Synagogue was founded by an Act of Parliament in 1870 which brought together five synagogues dating back to the 18th century.

A cemetery two miles from the metropolis was the first joint project of the new United Synagogue. Willesden Cemetery today is one of the few open spaces in Brent. Its 21 acres with 26,000 graves make it one of the largest historic Jewish cemeteries in the UK.

It literally charts the fortunes and development of the Jewish community in London. Its heyday spanned the Victorian and Edwardian eras, two world wars and the post-war suburban boom from the 1940s to the 1970s.

Why is it unique?

Willesden offers an incredibly rich presentation of Jewish and English sensibilities which makes it unique among British burial grounds and more English than other Jewish cemeteries.

In heritage terms, aspects of the architecture, landscape and memorials are rated as of exceptional significance. Funerary buildings, three tombs and the war memorial were listed Grade II in 2017 and the site added to the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

The 1873 central buildings complex is preserved almost completely in its original state, and the sheer architectural variety of memorials with their extensive epitaphs tell us much about the individuals and their community, making a very rich setting for historical research.

Uncovering the significance and sharing stories

We know there are at least 735 people buried in the cemetery who were notable in their time, including the scientist Rosalind Franklin whose work provided a key to the discovery of the structure of DNA and members of the Rothschild family.

The recently NLHF-supported heritage conservation and public engagement project, encourages people from all walks of life to visit, learn and volunteer. It aims to delve into the history of the interred and uncover more stories to build a collective memory of the place and its community.

Willesden spotlights the history of the organisation of the Jewish community as well as people who contributed to British and world societies. Willesden also has the graves of many ordinary local families and many stories we don’t yet know, or which have been forgotten and are in danger of being lost forever.