Living less than half a mile from Willesden New Cemetery for nearly a decade, I’d strolled through it maybe three times, never feeling particularly drawn to this place. Well, that was until I researched its history… What started as a casual exploration, ended up being a deep dive into the dark past of my neighbourhood, and completely changed my perspective on this seemingly ordinary area! Trust me, you won’t believe the stories that I uncovered…

Despite its name, Willesden New isn’t exactly ‘new’ – it opened in 1891. For centuries, locals were buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, which had already been extended in the 1860s to accommodate the area’s booming population (from just 3,000 people in 1841 to over 100,000 by 1905!). But, as space ran out once again, Willesden New Cemetery was created, leaving St Mary’s to become Willesden Old Cemetery.

The burial ground holds some gruesome secrets from the area’s past. Firstly, these three shocking murders committed between 1903 and 1906 were an absolute sensation, widely covered in press:

• A bigamist killed wife #5 (he had 7) and embedded her in cement.
• A chemist poisoned his wife and toddler twins, then kept them in a trunk.
• A man arguing with his brother ended up slashing entire family with a razor.

All the victims – and one murderer – were buried here. And if that wasn’t enough, in 1925 Willesden New became the final resting place of a victim of the infamous CHICKEN RUN MURDER. (Don’t worry, there will be details…)

Among Willesden’s many graves are those of 130 First World War casualties and 121 from the Second World War. There’s also a War Memorial dedicated to civilians of Willesden who tragically lost their lives during enemy air raids.

Air raids? Here???

Yup, during the Second World War, Willesden with its munitions factories, power station, canal and major railway facilities, became a prime target for German bombers. By the war’s end, the toll was devastating – 230 houses were completely demolished, 1,785 seriously damaged, 12,561 suffered minor damage, and 2,000 more were affected by nearby blasts (Bayswater Chronicle, Friday 13/10/1944).

In total, almost 450 local civilians lost their lives in the rubble of their own homes. The War Memorial listing their names is a heartbreaking reminder of the entire families who perished together…

These two moving wartime stories offer a glimpse into life in Harlesden and Willesden during the war: A YOUNG PERSON’S WAR by Ben Sacks, and NO EVACUATION FROM HARLESDEN by Derek Sebbage.

Oh, you’re probably wondering what’s Harlesden doing here. So, it’s a small village right next to Willesden, historically part of the Borough of Willesden, even sharing Willesden’s post code – but Willesden Junction train station is actually in Harlesden. Anyway…

In 2016, Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, visited the cemetery as part of the Living Memory initiative – a project aimed to shine a light on local war graves, encouraging communities to rediscover and honour the history on their doorstep.

Willesden New keeps it simple – straight paths and rows of graves. Rather boring and painfully functional. But here’s a quirky twist: even though it’s a working cemetery, there’s no burial chapel. The original pair (yes, two!) were demolished back in 1986. So, in the end, it’s not even that functional!

It’s clean and tidy though, no rubbish at all. I guess being closely surrounded with houses keeps the vandals away. (It didn’t help poor Wembley’s St John the Evangelist, though…)

Nothing extravagant or overly elaborate. A larger monument with elegant columns stands out, and there are few smaller ones with lovely details, but the most unique design belongs to ERNEST SCHWARZ (d. 1928), a geologist.

One thing I really appreciate here is how newer graves are thoughtfully arranged, and kept in separate sections rather than randomly mixed in. Plus, their uniform style – sleek black stone with gold finishes – creates a surprisingly harmonious look. I must admit, the modern section on the left side of the entrance looks… well, good! Wow, who knew that new graves, when designed with consistency, wouldn’t be such an eyesore? Honestly, I’m impressed.

Along the cemetery wall, hundreds of tiny headstones from the 1930s and earlier have been carefully lined up. I assume they were once where the newer graves now stand. It’s not the best solution, but at least they’re not piled in the corner!

Ok, there are trees, but scattered around randomly, with no plan and effort to create a nice landscape. Not a single shrub in a sight – just grass between the graves, with a sprinkle of wildflowers during warmer months. On plus – the cemetery organised ‘Biodiversity and planting day’ last autumn, activating locals willing to help the nature find its way here.

I couldn’t find any official info on the wildlife at Willesden New Cemetery, but during my last visit, I’ve spotted two foxes, squirrels, few crows and lots of bright green parakeets.  Roundwood Park, just a fence away, hosts birdwatching events – so it’s safe to bet that there’s many species of feathered friends here as well!

This Australian cricketer, once hailed as the best bowler in the world, etched his name into history with a legendary feat: he’s the only batsman ever to hit a ball over the Lord’s Pavilion during a match. That hit was, and still is, the ultimate power play – and no one has managed to replicate it since! It’s even more impressive knowing how primitive was his bat according to modern standards. But behind this towering achievement lies a tragic story. Unable to play because of declining health, Albert shot himself at the age of 41 in his lodgings on Denbigh Road, Harlesden…

This geologist, geographer and visionary famously proposed the ‘Kalahari Thirstland Redemption Scheme’ – a grand plan to divert two rivers into the Kalahari Desert’s ancient lakes’ basins and turn arid South Africa into a lush paradise. It promised prosperity, water, and greenery – but was dismissed by officials and scientists as wildly impractical, absurdly expensive, and riddled with dodgy science. However, Schwarz won the hearts of the public (aka the white settlers) who pressured the government into launching THREE expeditions to investigate the idea. Spoiler alert: the plan never materialized.

Of course, no one stopped to question whether white settlers had the right to reroute rivers and flood lands they didn’t own – all for their benefit. But if you’re curious about how climate change, white nationalism, and environmental ideas collided in this settler society, you can dive into Green Lands for White Men for the full story.

A legend with fists of steel, Jem started throwing punches at 18 and didn’t stop until he claimed the title of England’s heavyweight champion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2010, over 70 years after his final bout, he earned a spot in the Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame.

Born near Plymouth, Charles traded the seaside for construction work in London, eventually co-founding a business that made its mark on local history – one brick at a time – including gems like Clifford Gardens in Kensal Rise. A tireless public servant, he chaired the Willesden Local Board and served on Middlesex County Council. During WWI, he stayed busy at the Local War Tribunal – mostly refusing exemption from service claims. Pinkham was knighted in 1928 and later also added ‘High Sheriff of Middlesex’ to his ever-growing resume – because why not?

During a critical World War I battle, when the officer in charge was shot, Blore stepped up to lead a group of 22 men to neutralize a Turkish machine gun crew, capturing the position and saving countless lives. He was the only man awarded with a special medal for petty officers, which is now displayed in Royal Museum Greenwich, in Forgotten Fighters section.

Well, as I mentioned before, Willesden New Cemetery is a real treat for true crime lovers! Here we go:

Oh, he was a character – and a bigamist with seven wives. January 1903 was a busy month for George – on 10^th he married Edith (wife #4), and on 15^th he married Ellen (wife #5) only to cut her throat the next day. He put her body in a trunk (belonging to wife #1), pour cement on top, closed it, and kept under the stairs in the house he lived in with Edith (#4). It was all good until his housemates, complaining about the foul smell, decided to open the trunk 14 months later… Seeing the police approaching, George cut his throat.    

Beatrice Devereux had what seemed like a happy family – a loving husband, Arthur, son Stanley (6), and twin boys, Evelyn and Laurence (2). Unfortunately for her, Arthur found the twins annoying and decided to get rid of them – along with their mother.

A chemist by trade, he poisoned Beatrice and the twins, ensuring his beloved Stanley was safely out playing in the street. Inspired by George Crossman, but determined to be smarter, Arthur put all three bodies in a trunk, sealed it hermetically and left in a furniture storage warehouse. He then vanished from London with Stanley, ready to start a new life as a widower.

But Beatrice’s mother wasn’t fooled… Suspicious and relentless, she launched her own investigation, eventually leading her to the warehouse. Nearly three months after the murders, it was finally opened – revealing the horrifying truth inside…

It was the piercing screams that first alerted the neighbours. Rushing into the Rogers’ home, they were met with a scene of pure horror… Inside, they found Jessie Louisa Rogers (36), her daughters May (14), Florence (9) and Ether (3), along with Albert Rogers (33), Mr Rogers’ brother, slashed badly. Only Willie (11) managed to escape through the garden.

Alfred Rogers, the man behind this gruesome carnage, had attempted to take his own life after attacking his family – but he was arrested instead.

Against all odds, Jessie and Ether survived, despite horrific wounds. Unfortunately, May, Florence and uncle Albert weren’t so lucky – they are all buried here.

Before she became the tragic victim of the ‘Chicken Run Murder’, Elsie was a 26-year-old typist and Sunday school teacher, living with her parents in the area. She was engaged to Norman Thorne, a local man who had moved to Sussex to start a poultry farm. For a while, they enjoyed weekend romance, and their engagement at Christmas 1922 promised a bright future… But the wedding never happened.

By 1924, Norman had lost interest in it, as he fell for a new girl, Bessie. But breaking things off wasn’t easy! Elsie, determined to make the wedding happen, claimed that she was pregnant and insisted they marry before Christmas.

Norman couldn’t care less, so furious Elsie stormed down to the farm to settle things once and for all… She never came back – Norman beat her to death, dismembered her with a hacksaw, and buried beneath the chicken run.

Yes… He was hanged on the day Elsie would have turned 27.

Another tragic story, but this time with no crime involved – Georgie was killed in a road accident in France while returning from honeymoon, on 4^th September 1965.

TWO WEEKS BEFORE THIS DAY OF SADNESS
WE’D STOOD TOGETHER IN JOY AND GLADNESS
OUR LIFE TOGETHER WAS AT THE START
TOO SOON CAME TRUE ‘TILL DEATH DO US PART’
– YOUR LOVING HUSBAND, MAURICE

I haven’t watched neither ‘The Last Detective’ nor ‘White Teeth’ series, so I’m not sure, but they’re both set and filmed around Willesden, so maybe…? Anyone here who can confirm???

• Did you know that Pete Doherty, frontman of The Libertines, once worked as a grave filler at Willesden New Cemetery? After finishing A-levels, he moved into his grandmother’s London flat and took the job – but spent more time reading and writing while sitting on gravestones, apparently.
• Honestly, I just can’t get over how many local people buried here met the most tragic and horrific ends – fighting in the war, bombed in their own houses together with families, or being murdered by their own husbands and fathers! Anyway, the murder victims deserve a separate article – and I’m already working on it!
• Also, while this isn’t exactly about the cemetery itself, Willesden has another fascinating connection to World War 2. The local community raised money to buy a Spitfire fighter plane, which they named Borough of Willesden. At the request of the residents, it was given to Polish Squadron No. 302 City of Poznan. On 30 December 1941, pilot Czeslaw Głowczynski shot down a Messerschmitt in it. Sadly, the aircraft was lost in June 1942 while escorting bombers to Le Havre. Its pilot, Antoni Lysek, was never found.

Despite the cemetery’s tragic war casualties and gruesome murder victims, I haven’t come across any eerie tales linked to it – YET! If you’re a Willesden local with a spooky story or strange anecdote to share, I’m all ears…

Willesden New Cemetery may not be the most charming Victorian burial ground and taphophiles‘ favourite, but let’s be honest – it’s public. If you want a beautifully designed outdoor sculpture gallery, go check nearby Kensal Green! Before my research, I was also fooled by its ‘meh’ appearance, but I couldn’t be more wrong!

This place is a vast, haunting memorial to local people who met the most tragic and horrific ends. After digging through wartime records and archival newspapers, I just can’t walk these streets the same way – every corner feels like it holds a secret, and every house whispers quietly of the past… The echoes of entire families wiped out in their own homes are deeply unsettling. Is that why there’s such a weird, dark energy in here???

Let me know what you think!

MAIN SOURCES:

The British Newspaper Archive
Brent Museum and Archives