For many, cemeteries are both a place of peaceful contemplation and remembrance but also a valued green space found in amongst our urban communities.
Southern Cemetery is the final resting place of some of Manchester’s most famous residents – from a legendary United manager to the first pilot to complete a transatlantic flight. Opened in 1879, It is the largest municipal cemetery in the UK and second largest in Europe. The cemetery also includes several listed buildings.
Here are some of the cemetery’s most notable figures.
1. Matt Busby (1909-1994
Matt Busby was the celebrated manager of Manchester United from 1945-1969. He began his football career aged 18 when he signed for Manchester City and later played for Liverpool. (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2. LS Lowry (1887-1996)
Lowry is one of Manchester’s most celebrated artists. He is most well known for his depictions of life in and around Salford and Pendlebury. (Photo by Frank Martin/BIPs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
3. Tony Wilson (1950-2007)
Tony Wilson was one of the most influential figures the Manchester music scene has ever seen. As the founder of Factory Records and the Hacienda, he was responsible for the success of Manchester’s most famous bands, including Joy Division, Happy Mondays and Durutti Column. His friend and business partner Rob Gretton, who was also New Order’s manager, is also buried at Southern Cemetery. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images) | Getty Images
4. Captain Sir John William Alcock (1892-1919)
John William Alcock was a Royal Navy and later Royal Air Force pilot who is famous for piloting the first ever transatlantic flight, which went from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland. He died in an accident later that year. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images