Forgotten Asylum Burials Honored

A historic cemetery in Epsom, Surrey, known as Horton Cemetery, has received a national recognition nomination. The site is shortlisted for the Everyday History Heroes award for its dedicated work in researching and revealing the lives of over 9,000 patients buried there. These individuals passed away in Epsom's psychiatric hospitals, with many interred in unmarked graves, their personal histories largely unacknowledged for many years.

This initiative is part of a public vote organized by Findmypast, Heritage Open Days, and historian David Olusoga. Olusoga described Horton Cemetery as a poignant example of everyday history, emphasizing the forgotten narratives of individuals who were patients in what has been termed "Britain's largest forgotten asylums." The nomination underscores the cemetery's role in bringing these overlooked stories to light.