Stoney Royd Cemetery

General Notes

Stoney Royd Cemetery – aka Halifax Corporation Cemetery and the Borough cemetery – was built by Halifax Corporation on the site of Stoney Royd House.

It was begun on 7th June 1860. Opened in 1863.

In May 1863, the Cemetery Committee recommended that a part of the Cemetery be set aside for use by the Roman Catholics. A deputation of Nonconformists and Dissenters – including

• Rev Bryan Dale
• Rev Russell Lant Carpenter
• Rev James Comper Gray
• Rev Thomas Michael

- objected to this on the grounds that, if this were to happen, any and every other religious denomination might claim similar concessions, to the detriment of the Cemetery, and that Catholics already had use of the Halifax General Cemetery.

There were 3 chapels: Anglican, Catholic and Nonconformist.

Stoney Royd Hospital was opened here in 1872.

There is a War Memorial here.

As the graveyards of some other churches and chapels in the district have closed, the remains were reinterred at Stoney Road. These include:

• The graves from South Parade Methodist Chapel were reinterred [1883].

  The stones in the new burial ground were laid out in the prescribed manner, side by side in rows. These are mainly flat slabs, very uneven and treacherous to walk on. The area was once fenced with wrought iron railings, and gates at the left-hand corner

• The graves from Ebenezer Primitive Methodist Chapel were reinterred beneath 2 stone slabs which are engraved with the names [1907]
• 1587 remains from St James's Church were reinterred in a single vault – with brick walls and a concrete top – [1961]
• 1725 remains from Sion Congregational Church were reinterred in a single vault, under the commemoration stone and stones which make up a series of steps [1963]
• The graves from Salem Methodist New Connexion Chapel, North Parade [1970]
• Graves from Square Independent Graveyard, Halifax [2016] – see the Foldout

  Later, 115 of these headstones were destined to be broken up for hardcore, before being rescued and taken from Stoney Royd to Lister Lane Cemetery - see the Foldout

The small Gothic Lodge is listed, and has been used as Council Offices for the Parks Department.

It was boarded-up [2003] and then converted into a private house [2008].