The Cambridge General Cemetery Company Limited
In 1842, a group of Nonconformist local businessmen responded to the need for a new cemetery by setting up The Cambridge General Cemetery Company Ltd. Amongst them, names such as Eaden Lilley, Robert Sayle, Foster and Macintosh are likely to still be familiar to older Cambridge residents. 250 shares were issued at £10 and were quickly taken up by 94 shareholders, despite the Company Secretary’s statement that ‘shareholders should not invest their money in this undertaking in the expectation of securing a profitable return’.
The Company sought a site ‘for the purpose of a Public Cemetery for persons of all religious persuasions, without distinction as to sect or denomination’. They found ‘A piece of freehold ground, very dry and commanding an extensive view of the town, comprising between three and four acres, situate a short distance from the turnpike gate leading to Histon.’ They engaged J.C. Loudon to draw up a plan.
