Monument record 1160/358/6 - Former burial ground, Northampton General Hospital

Former burial ground depicted on late 19th and early 20th century Ordnance Survey maps. Three skulls and several complete skeletons were found while digging foundations of Nissen Ward of Northampton General Hospital. Although the remains were originally dated to the medieval period, they are more likely to originate from this burial ground and therefore date from the founding of the hospital in 1790 until the burial ground was disused at the end of the 19th century.

{1} SP 7621 6048 Three skulls and several complete skeletons were found while digging foundations of Nissen Ward of Northampton General Hospital. At the time the burials were identified as medieval or earlier and not in their original resting place; doubt as to their antiquity is cast by discovery of set of false teeth.

{2} Three skulls and several complete skeletons found when digging foundations for Nissen Ward; a surprising find was a full set of false teeth. W.N.Terry identified the skulls as being medieval or earlier and thought that the burials were not in their original location; it is possible that when another earlier ward was being built the remains were redeposited in other consecrated ground.

{3} Human remains from General Hospital found in 1963 were reported in Chronicle & Echo 5/7/63; a set of false teeth were also found; the remains were thought to be medieval or possibly earlier.

{4} Medieval human remains found at General Hospital in 1963.

{5-8} The OS town plan clearly shows the location of a burial ground. Presumably the burial ground was created when the hospital was first built in 1790. By 1901 it is shown as disused, unmarked by 1925 and partially built on by 1947.

<1> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1985, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.383 (checked) (Series). SNN77383.

<2> 1963, The Chronicle and Echo, (unchecked) (Article). SNN372.

<3> Shaw M.; Williams J., 1971-1981, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Record Cards, M69 (checked) (Index). SNN133.

<4> Williams J.H.; Shaw M.; Hardy S., 1978-1984, Northampton Development Corporation SMR Secondary Record Sheets, M69 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN108.

<5> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 1:500 town plan/1885 (Map). SNN112944.

<6> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 25"/1901 (Map). SNN112944.

<7> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 25"/1925 (Map). SNN112944.

<8> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 25"/1947 (Map). SNN112944.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 3:30PM