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John Clarke

Historian of Brookwood Cemetery

Welcome to John Clarke’s Website

New Publications


Brookwoods Mausolea by John Clarke

My new booNorwood Cemetery and the Great War by Peter Hodgkinson and John Clarkeklet on the Brookwood Military Cemeteries is now available. Further details are posted here.


My 400 page book (co-authored with Peter Hodgkinson) on Norwood and the Great War, has been published by the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery and is now available.


It covers the lives of 595 service personnel who died either during, or after the war of service-related conditions, 27 who served and died well after the war, and 16 civilians with WW1 connections. Additional information has been made available via the Friends of West Norwood Cemetery website.



Forthcoming & Recent Lectures


“The History of Brookwood Cemetery” 24th September 2023, 7.30pm, for the Farnham Humanists.


For further information on lectures I have undertaken in 2023 and earlier, please follow this link.



Current Research


* WW2 burials at West Norwood Cemetery


*More on the Brookwood Cemetery railway (for a new edition)


* Pauper Burials at Brookwood Cemetery

John ClarkeHello, and welcome to my website


I'm a freelance writer, former administrator and medical librarian based in London.


My writing and research has mainly focused on Brookwood Cemetery and West Norwood Cemetery, but I have also written on various railway-related subjects.


Over the years I have presented many lectures on Brookwood Cemetery and its railway funeral service. If you are interested in booking me for a local (or national) group then please feel free to contact me via the contact page on this website or email me at info at john-clarke dot co dot uk.


I have also authored some websites which explore the rich content of some of the part-works issued by the Amalgamated Press in the mid to late 1930s. These cover railways, ships and engineering subjects - see the panel below for examples of covers from each of these series.


Information about all of these areas are incorporated into my website.

London Cemeteries 6Latest News:


London Cemeteries


The new 6th edition of this classic guide is now available.


It is published by The History Press and was published at the end of August 2023.


You can read my book review here.









Saint Edward the Martyr


The Saint Edward Brotherhood has recently published a new book on Saint Edward the Martyr. This incorporates the text of John Wilson-Claridge’s The Recorded Miracles of Saint Edward the Martyr, which has been unavailable for many years. The book also includes a section on the life of St Edward the Martyr, historical notes on his death, his relics, their loss during the Reformation, and their rediscovery in 1931 by John Wilson-Claridge. Read my book review here.


King and Martyr Edward’s reign was brief, ended by his martyrdom in 978 when he was still only a young man. He quickly became one of the most venerated saints of Anglo-Saxon England; pilgrims came from all over England and from continental Europe to venerate his relics enshrined at Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset.


Copies may be ordered direct from the Saint Edward Brotherhood using this link.



The Corpses at The Corpses at WaterlooWaterloo


Is the title of Lynne Brittney’s latest murder mystery novel in her Mayfair 100 Series.


The book was published in July 2022 by Iris Books.


You can read my book review here.













Charles Bradlaugh’s Monument Restored


I was fortunate to be invited to the official unveiling of the fully restored authentic replica bust & wreath on the memorial to Charles Bradlaugh in the North Cemetery. This event took place on 17 October 2021. The project was jointly supported by the National Secular Society, the Brookwood Cemetery Society and Brookwood Cemetery. We owe them a great debt for making sure this iconoclastic Victorian politician’s grave was restored so magnificently. It should be admired and appreciated for years to come - as was the intention when the original bust was placed in 1893.






































You can read more news here