History of Ryde Cemetery Intro

Ryde Cemetery History Introduction

Ryde Cemetery contains more than 20,000 graves and vaults. Many are the last resting place of well-known Ryde families from the 19th century to the present time.

(This picture shows the cemetery gates, the Lodge, the central driveway and the two chapels with the covered porch and bell tower).

The prosperity of many of the local trades-people and businessmen can be seen from the considerable number of imposing and elaborate stone memorials that exist. Some of the wealthiest families purchased sufficient space for the construction of vaults where several members of the family could be buried together.

The oldest graves are in the southeast corner of the Cemetery on the land given by George Player in 1840. This part of the Cemetery is referred to as the

Old Parish Cemetery or OPC.

Some of the earliest graves identified so far by Ryde Social Heritage Group in the OPC include those of Charles SAUNDERS, Mary-Ann OSMOND, Lawrence BROWN, Thomas MURRAY, Harriet CHESTER, Henry GROVES, Sarah PRICE, John WAGNER, and Emma COOPER.

Also in this part of the Cemetery is an obelisk to the memory of Thomas Dashwood, a timber merchant and master builder. There are many monuments existing to his skill as a builder. He built Brigstocke Terrace, the Market House and Town Hall, St Thomas’ and Holy Trinity Churches. He was one of the wealthiest men in the town when he died in 1861.

Dashwood Obelisk

The Old Parish Cemetery soon began to fill up and by the late 1850s it became clear that more land was requried. An extension was made to the north and west in 1860/1862. The central driveway was installed at this time, the two central chapels were built and the Cemtery Lodge were built around that time also.

This extension is now known as The Old Cemetery.

1862 Cemetery Regulations
1877 Cemetery Consecration

The picture above shows the central driveway with the wide borders of shrubs and flowers and the two central chapels with the covered porch and bell tower. The small sign in the bottom right hand corner of the picture says:

NO DOGS ADMITTED

AND SMOKING

STRICTLY PROHIBITED

A further extension to the west in 1881/1882 took the boundary of the Cemetery to Pellhurst Road it has not been extended further since that date and it is now full except for a very few spaces.

This extension is now known as The New Cemetery.

Article from Isle of Wight Observer February 1882 re Cemetery Fees

Please click on the links below for more history of Ryde Cemetery