The Funerary Chapels which stand at the entrance to Hinckley Cemetery were built by Mr Orchard of Banbury and cost about £900. On Wednesday 31st March 1858 the consecration of the chapels and the Cemetery, which occupied three and a half acres, was conducted by the Bishop of Peterborough.
The two gothic chapels were built to serve the needs of Anglicans and Nonconformists, the Anglican chapel being nearest to the town centre. Iron pallisading and entry gates to Hinckley Cemetery were constructed by Messrs H. Tyler and Co of Dudley Port.
Mr Marriott of Nuneaton was responsible for the landscaping of the Cemetery which was described by Mr Baxter in the Hinckley Parish Magazine of 1874 as 'one of the most beautiful places of resort in the town'.
The first interment on 4th April 1858 was Maria Bedford, the three-month old daughter of a framework knitter. Hinckley Mineral Baths, only a few yards beyond the Cemetery, did not profit from the new 'beautiful place of resort' nearby!
More details on the Cemetery may be found in Tim Parry's 'Buildings of Hinckley'
My thanks to Tim for providing most of the information in this article.
The Editor
Author: Tim Parry
Written for: Hinckley Historian Magazine
