In our quest to honour those laid to rest here, we dug deep into the fascinating histories of the individuals buried in the cemetery. This research has revealed a rich tapestry of creativity and energy from a dynamic era, reflecting advancements in engineering, science, medicine, and the arts, alongside the inspiring waves of migration throughout the years.

The Friends of West Norwood Cemetery is a charity fueled entirely by the dedication of our volunteers. Every piece of research and every campaign has been driven by the hard work and passion of our committed team. It fills us with pride to carry on this important mission together! 

Doulton’s Lady Artists at West Norwood

Our Chair, Jane Jordan, is working on a major research project focusing on the first generation of women ceramic artists employed at Doulton’s Lambeth Art Pottery from the 1870s onwards.

It has long been known that the Barlow sisters – Hannah and Florence – were buried at West Norwood, but Jane has discovered the graves of 20 more Doulton women artists and assistants from that same pioneering generation. A new display in the Visitor Centre includes some of Jane’s research. A selection of the 20 Doulton Lady artists will feature in a special tour of the cemetery in September 2026. Jane will also be curating an exhibition devoted to the Doulton Lady artists at the Lambeth Archives in September 2027.

Great War Connections 

This section lists extra material associated with our publication Norwood and the Great War (for further details see our publications page). It comprises 25 PDF albums containing photographs of all the surviving Great War graves and family graves bearing commemorations in the cemetery as well as web links to photographs of some of the individuals. Click on the link above to see further details of these albums.

Newsletters

See our separate page giving further details of our newsletters.

Norwood and the Boer War

Peter Hodgkinson and John Clarke have researched commemorations of soldiers and others who died during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). See the separate page which gives further details of this project. 

Norwood and the Crimean War

Peter Hodgkinson and John Clarke are now moving their attention to commemorations of soldiers and others associated with the Crimean War (1853-1856). Further details will be posted here in due course.

Norwood and the Dictionary of National Biography

We have now published a full list of the names of individuals buried in the cemetery and recorded in the pages of the original Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) and the newer Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB). Links to the completed pages can be found by clicking on the link above. Please contact us if you notice any name(s) we may have overlooked.

Norwood and the Second World War

John Clarke and Peter Hodgkinson’s second volume on West Norwood Cemetery’s military heritage focuses on the Second World War. See the separate page which gives further details of this project.

Publications  

See our separate page giving further details of our publications.