Toxteth Park Cemetery Liverpol

CONSECRATION OF THE TOXTETH PARK CEMETERY - Yesterday being the day appointed by, the Lord Bishop of Chester for consecrating the chapel and cemetery belonging to the Burial Board of Toxteth Park, that ceremony was performed with the usages, religious and secular, customarily observed on such occasions. The cemetery itself is a spacious quadrangular piece of ground, thirty acres in extent, situated on the south side of Smithdown lane, and just exterior to the borough boundary. It is enclosed by a substantial and well built wall on three sides; the front or side next Smithdown Lane being protected by a handsome iron pallisade, broken at intervals by elegant pillars of rustic masonry, and crammed in the centre by a handsome gateway, with two commodious lodges, and at either side of the gate.

The cemetery is tastefully laid out in level terraces and sloping banks, intersected by broad and winding walks, bordered by flower plots, patches of shrubbery, and rows of trees. Conspicuous among these latter are fine specimens of the weeping elm and weeping ash; graceful birches, fine thorns, mountain ashes, and many varieties of pines, including the silver pine of the Himalayas, and several well grown auracarius. Among the shrubs there are some beeautiful rhododendrons, Irish yews, azalias, and dwarf pines. The general design of the ground is marked out by well-defined oval walk, which, occupying the centre, is intersected by a broad walk in the line of longitudinal axis, crowned by a narrower one marking the transverse axis of the ellipses. At each of the extreme ends of this transverse walk in a chapel of small dimensions; that on the left or right side, along with the whole of the ground on the same side of the longitudinal centre walk, being devoted to the burials of those connected with the Established Church; while the ground and chapel on the opposite, or west side of the same walk, are appropriated to the funeral of Dissidents.

As already stated the area of this cemetery is thirty acres, which have been converted from their original state into the present ceremonial condition of the burying ground at an expense of about £26,000, the sum ,15,000 having been paid for the land, and the remainder having been devoted to the enclosing, levelling, laying out, and planting the ground, and building the two chapels and lodges. Of the thirty acres it is estimated that a forty eight are occupied as walks and shrubberies, and remaing 22 being set apart for the purpose of sculpture. Internally and externally, each of the chapels is a counterpart of the other, with the exception that the one belonging to the Established Church has a spiruette in the north east angle, formed by the junction of the porch with the main wall of the edifice. Both the chapels are in the Norman ecclesiastical style, of good proportion, and well varied outline; and both are furnished with only a few rows of benches and a reading desk. Internally, the roofs of each are of light open timber framing of varnished pine plain, beautiful, and unpretending. Both of thes structures, as well as the lodges, have been, erected from designs by T.D Barry, Esq, archtect; and the ground has been laid out in accordance with the plans, and under the supervision of Mr, Gay, of the Bradford Cemetery; the whole of the contracts being executed by Mr Ladd of Edge Hill.  [Liverpool Daily Post Tuesday 10th June 1856]

CONSECRATION OF THE NEW CEMETERY IN TOXTETH PARK,   The newly laid out burial ground in Toxteth Park was formally opened on Monday. That portion set apart for interments according to the rites of the Established Church was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Chester. The morning was unfavourable, a thick heavy rain descending during the entire time occupied by the performance of the ceremonies. A large number of ladies and gentlemen were in attendance. At eleven o'clock a procession was formed to meet his lordship, the Bishop, at the lodge entrance in Smithdown lane. The procession consisted of the architect and contractors, the members of the burial board, amongst whom were Messrs Alpass, Harrison, Mountfield, and others; the members of the Town Council, among whom were Alderman J H Turner, who represented his Worship the Mayor; Messrs Gregson, Fernihough, Wagstaff, and others; the Archdeacon, and a large number of the local Clergy. The service of the day was then performed by his lordship ther Bishop in the chapel, after which the procession went upon the ground, the petition for consecration was presented, the sentence of consecration read, and the usual prayer delivered by the Bishop. The ceremonials closed with the customary blessing. The opening service of the chapel in the unconsecrated portion of the cemetery took place at one o'clock.The devotional excercises appropriated to the occasion were performed, and addresses were delivered by the Rev. F.A.West and the Rev. C.M Birrell. The whole of the cemetery occupies thirty acres of ground, of which eight acres are laid out in walks, The cost of the land was about £15,000, and the amount of building expenses, etc, about ,11,000. Mr T.D Barry is the architect of the chapels and the entrance. Mr J Ladd, of Edge hill, is the contractor for the buildings, walls, and excavation. [Liverpool Courier Wednesday 11th June 1856]

Reference    The Liverpool Daily Post Tuesday 10th June 1856
Reference    The Liverpool Courier Wednesday 11th June 1856