The front of the building and the adjoining wall are of stone. A border of ten feet wide, immediately adjoining the interior side of the wall and surrounding the whole ground, is set apart for an arcade or colonnade, which will be roofed with slate, and railed in by ornamental iron-work, set upon a stone plinth; this border will be used for tombs; and any monumental inscription, tablet, or work of sculpture that may be erected, will be placed against the wall, at the head of the respecting tombs.    

     The centre of the ground is appropriated to vaults and graves, laid out in the regular order, and numbered according to a plan which may be seen at the registrar's office. Each corpse interred is regularly registered in the books of the institution.
     The chapel is at the service of any person who may wish to use it, and any religious funeral ceremony may be performed in it by the minister, or other person chosen by the parties who may require its use, providing such ceremony is not an outrage upon the decencies of life, or offensive to civilized society; but of the friends of the person to be interred prefer the ceremony being performed by the registrar of the cemetery, it is his duty to perform it according to a prescribed form, which may be seen on application to him, and without any charge or fee for such performance; or, if preferred, the interment may be made without any form of religious rite.
     For the purpose of greater security, a watchman is at all times of the night upon the ground. A committee have a superintending control, and will take care that nothing offensive, ludicrous, or in evident bad taste, shall appear among the monumental inscriptions, or in any other way.  
     A system of the utmost liberality pervades the entire management of this cemetery; and it is to be hoped that no religious distinction will arise to prevent its being the earthly resting place of those who, for security, of from other motives, may be disposed to adopt it."

KAYE'S 'STRANGER IN LIVERPOOL'

 

 

In the year 1790, the late James Plumpton, Esq was the owner of this locality, it being then a piece of pasture land, containing 2A 0R 22P. About five years ago, it was purchased by subscription, and was surrounded with handsome, strong, and high walls, and dedicated to the uses of a burial ground, under the appellation of "The Low-hill Cemetery:" but subsequently its name has been changed to that of "Necropolis."

     The Necropolis is, in reality, altogether within the township of Everton, at a few yards distant from West Derby of Low-hill, there being only Rake-lane between the townships; and as this repository of the dead is most conveniently accessible from Liverpool by the two main roads which lead from that populous town to Low-hill, it is probably judicious, though not strictly correct, to give it the name of "The Low-hill Necropolis."
     The design and uses of this undertaking are highly deserving of eulogy, and it is admirably adapted, in point of situation, to answer every purpose of its projectors; it lies at a properly remote distance from the crowded scenes of vitality; its high walls protect the bodies of the dead from profane disturbance; its appearance wears a quiet and solemn, yet (if the word may be used) cheerful air; in fine, it is just such a spot as the good children of mortality would select wherein to have their last bed made. The establishment is, indeed, not less a credit to its projectors and proprietors, than it is a convenience of the first magnitude to its populous neighbourhood.
     There are many excellent regulations under which the Necropolis is conducted, the particulars of which will be given in the Appendix; but there is one of great value, in a liberal and enlightened point of view, which must be mentioned here, and that is, the permission of having funeral obsequies performed by pastors of any religious persuasion, at the choice and will of the friends of the deceased. The privilege forms a strong inducement to many individuals of the community to have their remains laid amongst those of others, with whom in life, though of different sects, they commingled in amity and good fellowship. Why should we be over mindful who is our next neighbour in the grave? let not, then, even the shadow of a thought arise to instigate us to over-nicety, in the choice of a last earthly home; or if such a thought will intrude, let reason and christian charity overrule it. Before taking leave of this subject, it may not be irrelevant to notice concisely the architectural embellishments and conveniences of this cemetery.
     The whole of the principal, or south frontage of the Necropolis, is of plain, handsome white stone; in the centre of that front, are iron gates, separated by and suspended from two strong and handsome pillars, which prop and support the pediment-wall that crosses and crowns the entrance. That part of the cemetery which fronts Everton-lane is fenced in by a wall of similar stone, 13 feet high; the other parts of this extensive burial-ground are surrounded by brick walls of similar height. The entrance, or iron gates, at the south front, are flanked with two handsome buildings, in the Grecian style of architecture; that on the west is the registrar's or resident minister's house, and that on the east is dedicated to the performance of devotional and sepulchral rites and ceremonies. In the last named edifice is a large apartment, or chapelry, where funeral processions are admitted immediately on their arrival at the cemetery.
     To fix a stationary registrar, or resident minister of religion on the spot, is in perfect keeping with the general design and purposes of this institution; and serves, in a high degree, to give to the establishment a requisite air of sanctity. The Rev John Bruce is the present resident minister, who appears at all times courteously inclined to furnish any desired information relative to the ceremonies and regulations of the place.

R SYERS - 'HISTORY OF EVERTON' (1830)

 

ENGLISH CEMETERIES
 

PROVINCIAL CEMETERIES
 
     The beautiful cemeteries which have been formed in the vicinity of some of our large towns and cities must not, in this brief account, be passed unnoticed.
     First, in priority of date, I believe, and also in degree of success, stands the "Necropolis" Cemetery at Liverpool.
     This successful project was started in the year 1825; and within its first year, two hundred and four interments were received. During the same period the Kensal Green Cemetery received only twenty interments, inclusive of vaults and catacombs. The Liverpool Necropolis has gone on gradually and increasingly, and the general average for the last few years has been 1,800 interments. Upwards of 1,8000 bodies have been deposited in this interesting cemetery since its formation, fifteen years ago. The amount of annual profits has of course varied with the fluctuation of receipts, and these would be governed by the number of interments made, or of vaults or graves sold. The returns to the shareholders have, however, never been less, I believe, than 6 per cent. - have occasionally reached 20 per cent - and generally averaged 12� per cent interest upon the capital expended. The capital is 7,000l divided into 700 shares of 10l each. The shares have repeatedly been sold at 100l per cent premium.
     This flourishing cemetery has never been consecrated and pays no fees to parochial clergy; hence its success. Within its well-ordered precincts the dead, of all religious persuasions, calmly repose; and may they so continue to do, until the general call of "the last Trumpet" shall be sounded!
     The site is well chosen, being conveniently situated on an adjacent suburb of the town of Liverpool, on the summit of Low Hill; the soil is rocky and dry, and the chief disadvantage is the limited extent of the ground. In a very few years the company must purchase additional land, as the present quantity will become completely occupied.
     The Rev Mr Bruce is the general chaplain. [To this gentleman the proprietors of Cemeteries in general are much indebted, for his zealous and intelligent exertions in opposing the illegal assessment of the proceeds of cemeteries to the poor-rates.] One chapel only, but of good dimensions, has been erected; and within its walls the burial office of the Church of England, as well as that of Dissenters and other communions, is performed. Clergymen of the Church of England, not fettered by the iron bonds of bigotry, officiate at the funerals of members of their own congregations, and a Romish priest may occasionally be seen with his missal performing "the offices of the dead."
     There is also a cemetery in Liverpool, which is wholly consecrated, so that no clergy except those of the established church may officiate within it.
     This cemetery is well worthy of a visit from the traveller. It occupies the site of an ancient stone quarry, near Duke Street. Earth has been brought in for the purpose of forming beds for the shrubs which are planted in profusion.
     The catacombs are excavated in the solid rock, round the sides of the basin which forms the outline of the cemetery. The effect of this arrangement is more pleasing that that of any other cemetery catacombs which I have seen, and the visitor is forcibly reminded of the tomb of Joseph of Arimetha, "which was hewn out of a rock;" or of that still older sepulchre found in the "Cave of Hebron."
     If, however, cemeteries are to be defended principally on the ground of the undeniable necessity which exists for no longer inhuming the dead in the midst of the living, to contaminate the atmosphere they breathe, and thus injuring the public health, then the situation of the Quarry Cemetery of Liverpool is to be reprehended; and if multitudes of bodies should be here deposited, the low sunk basin which holds them, by confining the atmosphere, and preventing its free circulation through and over the graves, will form, as it were, a plague-spot, almost in the midst of the dense population of that mighty town.
     The success of this cemetery offers a sad contrast with that we have just described; it has been opened about ten years - has been, as before stated, consecrated by the bishop of the diocese, and pays enormous fees to the Liverpool clergy. I have not seen a copy of the Act of Parliament under which it is constituted; but I am credibly informed that, in consequence of the clerical fees absorbing a large portion of the profits upon the interments, no return has ever been made to the shareholders; and, that there is no appearance of pecuniary advantage for the future.
     In this cemetery the lamented Mr Huskisson lies interred, and a handsome marble cenotaph has been erected to his memory.
     There is sufficient reason for concluding that the want of success, in point of renumeration to shareholders, is wholly and solely attributable to the incumbrances consequent upon consecration. The number of interments amounts to about two-thirds of those received by its unconsecrated and unfettered competitor, and yet the charges do not greatly exceed those of the latter.

G COLLINSON - 'CEMETERY INTERMENT' (1840)