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| East Greenwich Pleasaunce |
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This small park is the former walled burial ground of the Royal Naval pensioners from the old Greenwich hospital, which opened in 1857. Greenwich Hospital, which was founded in 1694, bought the site for this new burial ground when its two old cemeteries were full. The bodies of 3000 pensioners were brought here from the old burial ground in 1875 when a railway tunnel was cut through the site; a plaque on the wall commemorates this and the land is marked with posts in the lawn. In 1926 the Pleasaunce was sold to the Borough, the Admiralty reserving rights of further burials. Railings around the tombstones were removed and part of the ground was landscaped as a park. The west plot has seamen and the east plot has officers according to naval etiquette. Among those buried are Lieutenant James Berry (d.1930), Curator of the Royal Naval Museum for 17 years; James Shepherd (d.1907) for 18 years Queen Victoria's boatswain's mate on the Royal Yacht 'Victoria and Albert'; Anthony Sampayo, French Ambassador to England; among the graves are those who served in the Crimean War and in the Battle of Trafalgar. A new playground was installed 2001. |
