The Sussex Asylums Burial Grounds Project is based on the model that has been tried and tested for Horton Cemetery in Epsom, Surrey. The Horton Cemetery Research project, operated by volunteers all over the UK and even overseas, resulted in the creation of The Friends of Horton Cemetery charity (Reg. No. 1190518). This work has been done to bring the parlous state of this cemetery to the attention of the public and to help prevent the new owner destroying the cemetery, the largest (by body count) cemetery of its kind in the UK. This cemetery was used by the five London County Asylums that functioned in Epsom from 1899 to the late 20^th century. The unclaimed mental health dead from these hospitals were buried in Horton Cemetery from 1899 to 1955, almost 9,000 patients are buried here. In 1983 the NHS sold the 4.5 acre cemetery to a local developer in a disgraceful transaction that should never have happened. Up until its sale the cemetery had been well maintained by staff from these Epsom hospitals. The maintenance continued even after the cemetery was closed and no longer being used for patient burials. But from the time of its sale the purchaser has allowed (encouraged?) the cemetery to become completely overgrown and covered in trees, shrubbery and undergrowth. The ground has been dug up by badgers and foxes, bringing human bones to the surface, builders have dumped rubble on the ground and white goods have also been dumped there. The land has been used as a camp by rough sleepers. No attempt has been made by the current owner to show any respect for the cemetery occupants or concern for the relatives of the 9,000 mental health patients buried there unnamed, now unmarked and lost, as no map of the cemetery has been found.

The Horton Cemetery genealogical research project volunteers have so far researched, written, reviewed and published almost 500 stories of mental health patients buried in Horton Cemetery. You can read these stories here https://hortoncemetery.org/the-people/horton-cemetery-stories/

Our Sussex Asylum’ Burial Grounds Project will do the same service for the thousands buried in the Sussex Asylum (later named St. Francis Hospital) burial grounds which are today in front of the Princess Royal Hospital.

At the moment there is no reason to prepare a campaign to protect the burials grounds of St. Francis holding 4,000 unclaimed mental health patients buried there between 1860 and 1953. But if we look at the location of the burial grounds, right in front of the Princess Royal Hospital, there may come a time when protection will be needed, for example if a potential expansion of Princess Royal buildings threatened the burial grounds. But I suggest what is badly needed is a respectful physical monument to memorialise the thousands of mental health patients buried here, currently unnamed and unmarked. The patients, staff and visitors who sit on the beautiful grassy area in front of The Princess Royal Hospital chatting, having coffee and eating their lunch during the sunny months should know who is beneath them.