Crossbones Graveyard, Part 1: The Outcast Dead of London

Who lies beneath Crossbones Graveyard?

In the first of two episodes, Trina and Steph travel into the history of Southwark’s Crossbones burial ground. They explore its use for pauper burials, its closure in 1853, and what archaeology has revealed about some of the people laid to rest there.

They also examine the story of the Winchester Geese and John Stow’s account of the Single Women’s Churchyard, asking how much we can establish about its connection to Crossbones. Along the way, the conversation turns to the Liberty of the Clink, the rules imposed on women working in Southwark, and the importance of remembering the people behind the legends.

Part Two will explore the stories of possible sightings and those who may still linger around the graveyard.

Content note: This episode discusses sex work, child deaths, burial conditions, and historical mistreatment.

Links & Further Reading:

John Stow, A Survey of London, Southwark passage (1598 text in Folger edition) — https://stsaviour.folger.edu/Stow1618.html 

Museum of London Archaeology, The Cross Bones burial ground, Redcross Way, report abstract — https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/issue.xhtml?recordId=1085518 

Crossbones Garden, History — https://crossbones.org.uk/history/ 

Bankside Open Spaces Trust, Crossbones Graveyard — https://bost.org.uk/crossbones-graveyard 

: https://crossbones.org.uk/history/

How You Can Help:

Have a thought or a question about Crossbones? Write to us at shackpackinbox@gmail.com. If you enjoy spending time at the Shack, following the show or sharing this episode is a lovely way to help others find us.

Keep your minds open and your lamps lit.

© The Freakin’ Shack. All rights reserved. This episode, including its original script, recording, and presentation, may not be reproduced or reused without permission. Our voices, including those of Trina, Steph, and Steve as Mortimer, may not be sampled, cloned, synthesized, or used to train or generate AI audio without our express written consent.