Willesden Cemetery unveils heritage plaque scheme
Retail pioneer Isaac Moses Marsden (1808–1884), poet Alice Julia Lucas (1851-1935) and her barrister husband Henry Lucas (1842 -1910) the first to be championed by initiative
Willesden Jewish Cemetery has launched a new heritage plaque scheme to tell the stories of individuals buried there and celebrate their contributions to Jewish life.
The new initiative, which is not connected to the official English Heritage scheme which maintains more than 1,000 iconic blue plaques around the country, is set to bring together history and storytelling for visitors and will also support vital conservation and heritage work at the 150-year old Jewish burial site in Brent.
The first blue plaques will honour retail pioneer Isaac Moses Marsden (1808–1884), Alice Julia Lucas nee Montefiore (1851-1935), poet, translator of medieval Hebrew and Talmudic scripts, and her husband Henry Lucas (1842 -1910), a barrister and one of the first Jews to join Lincoln’s Inn.
Miriam Marson, head of heritage at the United Synagogue, told Jewish News: “Willesden Jewish Cemetery tells the story of the Jewish community through the lives of the people buried here. This new scheme brings those stories to life for visitors while helping protect and preserve this remarkable heritage for future generations. The initiative also offers families and supporters the opportunity to commemorate relatives and help preserve the cemetery’s heritage.”
The team at Willesden are now working on a plaque for Victorian era Rabbi Nathan Marcus Adler, who was Chief Rabbi when Willesden Jewish Cemetery opened in 1873.
Marson adds: “Recognising him helps visitors connect with one of the leaders who guided the community as it grew and built the institutions of Jewish life in Britain.”
More than 50 people buried at Willesden are remembered in the cemetery’s Heritage Centre, through touch screen displays, information panels in the grounds and marked on the cemetery map.
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