The “Burial Board” of Toxteth Park initially purchased thirty acres of land, from The Earl of Sefton, at a cost of around £15.000, approximately £850.000 in todays money . William Gay of Bradford was charged with the design, and Thomas Denville Barry the architecture, they were leading cemetery designers of their day. A further ten acres of land was purchased a couple of years later, as Liverpool’s population was still expanding.

”The Northern Daily Times, dated Tuesday July 6th 1855” reported “The foundation stone for the church and chapel of Toxteth Park General Cemetery was laid at 3 o’clock on July 5th 1855, for the “performance of the burial service according to the rites of the Established church and other religious denominations”. The article also stated that, “A very large number of persons attended the ceremony” and the chairman of “The Burial Board” Mr Gregson, was “presented with a silver trowel, who then buried a bottle containing journals of the day and ground plans in a place provided and covered with a plate”.

The opening ceremony was performed by the then Lord Bishop of Chester, and the first interment took place, that of an Elizabeth Watling on 17th June 1856.

TOXTETH PARK CEMETERY lies on the A562 Smithdown Road a very busy road in Liverpool. Although the Council are now laying flat headstones that they deem to be ‘unsafe’ due to the dreaded ‘Health & Safety’ (which I think is legalised vandalism) it is still quiet, peaceful and quite well maintained. Although it has its problems like all urban cemeteries, it is still used for interments today.