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| Cross Bones | |
|---|---|
 Internal view of the Cross Bones gate | |
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| Details | |
| Established | 1598 (Earliest mention) |
| Closed | 1853 |
| Location | Redcross Way, Southwark, south London, SE1 |
| Country | England |
| Type | Sex workers and paupers |
| Owned by | Transport for London (as of 2014)[1] |
| No. of graves | Up to 15,000 |
| Website | crossbones.org.uk |
Cross Bones (also known as Crossbones) is a disused post-medieval burial ground on Redcross Way in Southwark, South London.[2]
Excavation reports state that "the ground is thought to have originally been established at least as early as the 17th century, as a single women’s (prostitutes’) cemetery. By 1769, it had become a paupers cemetery and remained so until its closure in 1853."[3] These women were also known locally as "Winchester Geese" because they were licensed by the Bishop of Winchester to work within the Liberty of the Clink, an area outside the jurisdiction of the City of London where brothels, theatres, bull baiting, bear baiting, and other activities not permitted within the city could be found.[1][4]
As many as 15,000 people are believed to have been buried there before its closure in 1853.
- ^ a b Lovejoy, Bess (21 October 2014). "The London Graveyard That's Become a Memorial for the City’s Seedier Past", Smithsonian.com.
- ^ Hausner, Sondra L. (2016). The Spirits of Crossbones Graveyard: Time, Ritual, and Sexual Commerce in London. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. p. 9. ISBN 9780253021472.
- ^ Mikulski, R. (28 March 2007). "Cross Bones burial ground", Museum of London Archeology Service.
- ^ Kettler, Sarah Valente and Trimble, Carol. The Amateur Historian's Guide to Medieval and Tudor London, 1066-1600. London: Capital Books, p. 155.