The Memorial Garden of Rest - Marylebone High Street, London, UK
N 51° 31.310 W 000° 09.107
30U E 697589 N 5711703
The Memorial Garden of Rest is located on the north west side of Marylebone High Street in central London. It stands where the old Marylebone church used to be. Gravestones are set in the ground and those around the garden's perimeter.
Waymark Code: WMHWPH
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 08/20/2013
Views: 4
An information board, just at the entrance to the garden, tells us:
The Memorial Garden of Rest
This garden commemorates the site of the old parish church and was created
in 1951 by the St Marylebone Society. After the present parish church on
Marylebone Road was consecrated in 1817 the church on this site became known
as the parish chapel, finally closing as a place of worship in 1926. It was
damaged in air-raids during the war and the structure deteriorated so much
that it became dangerous. Since means were not available at the time to
restore it, and it was not in use, the church was demolished in 1949.
The history of the old parish church is summarised on the stone plaques
mounted in the wall of the garden. Some of the well known people connected
with this church and its predecessor are also listed there.
The principal species of tree in this garden include the Red Indian Bean
Tree (Catalpa Bignonioides), Judas Tree (Cercis siliquastrum), Voss's
Laburnum (Laburnum x watererii) and Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra). The Wych Elm is
one of a handful of mature Elm trees left in Westminster and is actually
located in the street outside the garden. The Elms were devastated by the
Dutch Elm disease outbreak in the 1960's which killed millions of Elm trees.
Legend has it, that the Judas Tree is the tree upon which Judas hung
himself. However, it could also have gained its name as the fruit pods
resemble 'bags of silver'.
The
London Gardens Online website tells us:
The Garden of Rest Marylebone is a small memorial
garden adjacent to Marylebone Parish Church, the 4th church to serve the
parish. The first was near Marble Arch but in 1400 a new church was built
nearer the village of Marylebone, replaced in 1740 by another small church,
itself replaced when the current church was built to the north in 1813-17.
The old church was closed in 1926, but not demolished until 1949, following
WWII bomb damage. Its site is now that of the Garden of Rest, created in
1951, with the foundations of the church marked. The garden is predominantly
paved with some planting and it contains a number of gravestones and
memorials, including one to Charles Wesley erected in 1858 who had been
buried here in 1788.
A stone plaque, built into the west wall of the garden, tells us of some of
the people buried here some of those on the list include:
Some Noteable People
Buried Here
Edward Forset Lord of the Manor 1630
Sir Edmund Douce Cupbearer to 2 Queens 1644
Dame Francis Howland 1668
Claudius de Crespigny and his wife 1695
Maria de Vierville French Refugees 1708
Humphrey Wanley Librarian 1726
James Figg Pugilist 1734
James Gibbs Architect 1754
Edmond Hoyle Writer on games 1769
John Rysbrack Sculptor 1770
John Allen Royal Apothecary 1774
James Ferguson Astronomer 1776
Allan Ramsay Painter 1784
Charles Wesley Divine 1788
George Stubbs Painter 1806