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number of bodies was buried in a grave, the Burial Board decided to do so likewise. A common
grave takes from 6 to 7 days to fill. Brick graves are seldom required.
The number of interments in 1897 was 6.57.
(132.) Putney cemetery (new)—Opened 1891.
Situated on the south-east side of Kingston-vale, towards the bottom of a small valley.
There are no houses in the immediate vicinity.
The soil consists of a dense clay. It is drained at a depth of 14 feet by open jointed pipes
laid at intervals of 50 feet in trenches which are filled up to within 6 inches of the surface with
ballast. When first opened earth graves were not connected with the drains, but it was afterwards
found necessary to do so, and it is now the practice to drain each row of graves by a drain
passing from one grave to another till that nearest a drain is reached; this one is connected by
a pipe passing into the ballast surrounding the drain. The bottom of each grave is filled in with
a layer of ballast in which the drain lies.
The total area of the cemetery is 13 acres, but only 6¼ are in use. Of the total, 12 acres
are yet unburied in. The amount of ground so far used for common graves is small in extent.
It is estimated that 40,000 interments can still take place in the cemetery.
The area of grave space is, for private and common graves, 9 feet by 4 feet.
The depth usually required in the case of private graves is 10 feet. This is also the
minimum depth dug, while a maximum of 13 feet is never exceeded. Common graves are usually
dug 13 feet deep, and generally provide for 6 coffins.
Brick graves are only occasionally constructed, burial in the earth being preferred. There
are probably not more than 20 brick graves in the cemetery, though it is stated this is a cemetery
used by persons who are well off and residing in the west-end of London. About four is the
average in each year.

(133.) Putney cemetery (old). ,
Situated at Putney Lower-common. There are no houses in close proximity.
The soil consists of river gravel.
The cemetery is now full as regards new graves, but is still used for the burial of those
who own private graves.
The total area is 2f acres. There is probably provision here for the further burial of
1,500 bodies, if all the graves are used.
(134.) St. Mary's (Roman Catholic) cemetery, Kensal-green—Opened 1858.
Situated to the west of and adjoining Kensal-green cemetery, it is bounded to the south
by the Grand Junction Canal, and on the north by a railway.
The surface of the ground has a slight fall to the west. The soil consists of tenacious
London clay, which gets harder and drier the deeper it is excavated.
The ground is drained at a depth of 12 feet. The drains discharge into the metropolitan
sewer in Scrub-lane at a depth of 35 feet. All the drains are laid underneath paths. No graves
are connected with them except brick graves. Earthen graves in proximity to brick graves are
really drained by the latter.
The total area of the cemetery in use is between 22 and 23 acres. In addition there are
between 4 and 5 acres of land in reserve. The amount of virgin ground now available is approximately
about 10 acres. In the ground already used there are probably some 9,000 private graves,
and most of these are still available for re-opening. It has been estimated that at the rate of
burial in the past the cemetery will last for 60 years.
The area of each private grave is 9 feet by 4 feet. The space allowed to each common
grave is 8 feet by 3 feet 6 inches. Formerly and till about the year 1863 the space was 9 feet
by 4 feet, and only one body was buried in a grave. The reduced space was then allowed by the
Home Secretary, but until 1869 it remained the custom not to bury more than one body in a
grave. This ground is now again available for use under the conditions laid down in the regulations.
The depth of most private graves is 12 feet, but a depth of 25 feet has been required.
Common graves vary as to their depth from 7 feet to 16 feet—that is, sufficient for from two
bodies to nine bodies. The difference in depth depends upon the requirements at different times
of the year. Children are buried in separate common graves, 6 feet by 3 feet in area, and never
more than 7 feet deep.
There are catacombs here, and also a few mausoleums and brick graves. The catacombs
are still used to a fair extent, but chiefly for the corpses of foreigners who have died in England,
the corpse being placed here temporarily with a view to transportation to the native country of
the deceased.