Description
Brady Street Cemetery opened in 1761 as the New Synagogue Burial Ground on land that was originally a brickfield. It was extended in 1795 and became the New Synagogue and the Great Synagogue Burial Ground. When the burial ground was full a portion was raised in order to create space for more burials. It eventually closed to burials in 1858, although in 1990 Nathaniel, 3rd Lord Rothschild was buried here. There are numerous monuments including those of prominent Jewish people, and the cemetery has numerous mature trees.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Jews' Burial Ground; The New Synagogue and the Great Synagogue Burial Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Brady Street |
| Postcode | E1 |
| What3Words | ///swift.final.raft |
| Type of Site | Cemetery |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | By appointment only |
| Opening Times | Please contact: 020 8950 7767 |
| Public Transport | London Overground/Tube (District, Hammersmith & City): Whitechapel |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The site was originally a brickfield adjacent to Ducking Pond Lane, which was leased to the New Synagogue, a group of Jewish traders, in 1761 for an annual rent of twelve guineas. Further land was added in 1795 when the Great Synagogue purchased the freehold and it became the New Synagogue and Great Synagogue Burial Ground. When the burial ground became full, a portion was raised by covering it with several feet of earth in order to create a further area for burials, and the headstones were placed back to back to indicate this double layer of graves. This part of the burial ground, which is noticeably hummocky, was used for those who did not belong to a particular congregation and was known as the Strangers Ground. The cemetery was maintained by a superintendent who lived on the site; in 1856 this was Philip Levy, who was also a monumental mason.
The burial ground, which is crowded with tombstones, was finally closed to burials in 1858; the New Synagogue had by that time joined with the Great Synagogue to create the new West Ham Jewish Cemetery (q.v.). Notice had been given in April 1855 for the discontinuation of burials from February 1856, but this was extended on condition that no grave was opened within 5 yards of the boundary walls and it eventually closed on 31 May 1858. However, one final burial took place in 1990 when Nathaniel Mayer Victor, 3rd Baron Rothschild, was buried here, a zoologist, government adviser, banker and oil executive. Other graves of note are those of Moses Jacob (d.1781) who founded the New Synagogue; Miriam Levy (d.1850) who opened the first soup kitchen for the poor in Whitechapel; Nathan Meyer Rothschild (d.1836), founder of the London branch of the Rothschild Bank in 1805; Hyman Hurwitz (1770-1844), Professor of Hebrew at London University and a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Solomon Herschel (1802-42), Chief Rabbi of Great Britain; and Abraham Goldsmid (d.1810). Goldsmid was a philanthropist and well-respected financier who committed suicide in the grounds of his villa, Merton Lodge, in Surrey, apparently caused by a sudden financial disaster. His villa, now demolished, was on a site which is now part of the National Trust's Merton Hall Park (q.v.) at Morden. His burial at Brady Street Cemetery on 1st October 1810 was accompanied by 13 mourning coaches, and included the high priest and elders from his synagogue but there were no funeral rites due to the nature of his death.
The burial ground, which is crowded with tombstones, was finally closed to burials in 1858; the New Synagogue had by that time joined with the Great Synagogue to create the new West Ham Jewish Cemetery (q.v.). Notice had been given in April 1855 for the discontinuation of burials from February 1856, but this was extended on condition that no grave was opened within 5 yards of the boundary walls and it eventually closed on 31 May 1858. However, one final burial took place in 1990 when Nathaniel Mayer Victor, 3rd Baron Rothschild, was buried here, a zoologist, government adviser, banker and oil executive. Other graves of note are those of Moses Jacob (d.1781) who founded the New Synagogue; Miriam Levy (d.1850) who opened the first soup kitchen for the poor in Whitechapel; Nathan Meyer Rothschild (d.1836), founder of the London branch of the Rothschild Bank in 1805; Hyman Hurwitz (1770-1844), Professor of Hebrew at London University and a friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge; Solomon Herschel (1802-42), Chief Rabbi of Great Britain; and Abraham Goldsmid (d.1810). Goldsmid was a philanthropist and well-respected financier who committed suicide in the grounds of his villa, Merton Lodge, in Surrey, apparently caused by a sudden financial disaster. His villa, now demolished, was on a site which is now part of the National Trust's Merton Hall Park (q.v.) at Morden. His burial at Brady Street Cemetery on 1st October 1810 was accompanied by 13 mourning coaches, and included the high priest and elders from his synagogue but there were no funeral rites due to the nature of his death.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ346821 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.6 |
| Site Ownership | The United Synagogue |
| Site Management | The United Synagogue |
| Dates | 1761 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The site was formerly a Quaker Burial Ground established in 1687, the last burial taking place in 1857. It was laid out as a public garden and opened in 1880, later called as Vallance Road Recreation Ground. The garden had a granite drinking fountain, grass, serpentine paths, mature plane trees, some rose beds and a children's playground, but by the late C20th was in a poor state. In 2002 new housing was built on 3 sides, much improving the setting of the garden, which was also re-landscaped. It re-opened in 2003 with new paths, seats, railings and children's playground. Tree planting included a conifer to mark the opening of the housing and gardens.
Weavers Fields commemorates the important silk and textile industry established in the area in the C17th following the arrival of the Huguenots fleeing from persecution. The area was badly bombed and the park was laid out post WWII, predominantly for sports activities but with some planting, including a wide path with hedging and a number of trees that runs east/west in the north of the park. Shrubbery is planted around the perimeter of the park, which is otherwise largely grassed.
This is the former burial ground of St Bartholomew's Church, which following its closure was re-ordered as a public garden by the MPGA. It opened to the public in 1885 and apart from one memorial there is no evidence of its former use. The garden was extended in the south in the 1970s. The church, built in 1843-4, was damaged in WWII and later restored; it was converted into flats in the 1990s.
