The Friends of Horton Cemetery
The Friends of Horton Cemetery is a charitable organisation whose goal is to bring dignity and respect to the memory of the many tens of thousands of mental health patients, including war heroes, who died within the Epsom Cluster of asylums.
Between 1899 and 1955, 9000 people were buried in Horton Cemetery, now neglected and inaccessible, in Epsom, Surrey, England.
Each one had been a patient at one of the five mental health hospitals which made up the Epsom Cluster. Their graves are now unmarked but they are not forgotten.
In time, the charity’s vision is to reclaim the derelict cemetery and transform it into a beautiful, calming garden-arboretum. There we will create a fitting memorial to all of the patients, each of whom forms part of the history of Epsom.
The following film provides a summary of the work of our charity.
Our Research Work
Volunteer researchers are committed to writing the life histories of the 9000 individuals. By doing so, they are bringing the stories back, one by one, into current memory, telling us how ordinary people came to be in the asylums and end their lives in Epsom. Each story is unique, often highlighting the plight of those afflicted with mental illness in the early 20th century.
We are always looking for people to join the research team. Please contact us if this is something you would like to be involved with
Thank you to the Surrey History Centre, and in particular Julian Pooley, for allowing us access to the archives.
Your collection has been an invaluable resource.
‘Show me the manner in which a nation cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals’.
Sir William Gladstone
The First Story- Infant Child Hellicar
In April 2020, during the first lockdown, one of our research team started to look into the patients whose names appear in the Horton Chapel Baptism Register. One of the first people he worked on was Edith Hellicar.
He shared the research with fellow like-minded people, who were also interested in the cemetery. Together, they realised the potential of researching the families of the patients buried in the Horton Cemetery. That is where this project began. Read the story here:
HELLICAR, Infant Child – Friends of Horton Cemetery
MP for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire
The Friends of Horton Cemetery were delighted that the MP for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire MP has added her voice to the call for the cemetery to be restored to public ownership.
She states that, ‘This matters because it is about restoring dignity to those who have lost their lives.’
Please take time to listen to her message. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DieFVG13j
The Lost Souls Investigation
In 2025, Horton Cemetery was profiled by a journalist/ radio broadcaster, Mick Coyle. He visited the site and was fortunate to speak to a great granddaughter of Hilda Nicholls, who was buried there in 1928.
You can listen to the full programme with the following link. https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/uk/news/mental-asylum-grave-at-horton-sold-off
You can read Hilda’s Story here: NICHOLLS, Hilda – Friends of Horton Cemetery
As Francesca stated, “Her whole life she was made to feel ashamed of, she was hidden away, and that’s how she died and now she’s been buried in a place like this. It’s like she’s being disrespected in death as she was in life.”
The Friends of Horton Cemetery are grateful to Francesca for contributing in this way. Thank you, Francesca, for being the voice for Hilda.
