The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association (also known as the MPGA) is a charity in London for the purposes of the preservation of public parks and gardens, established in 1882. It facilitated the creation of new public open spaces, including from philanthropic landowners within its membership. The MPGA was involved in the formation and development of other amenity organisations. The charity still exists; in recent decades its emphasis has changed to smaller parcels of land and smaller projects within larger spaces, as well as to themed projects. The MPGA was the starting point for the careers of the ground-breaking female landscape gardeners Fanny Wilkinson and Madeline Agar.

History

The Irish philanthropist Lord Brabazon (who, from 1887, was the 12th Earl of Meath) wanted to make more effort than the Kyrle Society (of which he was a member) was able to do to capitalise on the Metropolitan Open Spaces Act 1881. The Kyrle Society had been formed in 1876. The 1881 Act, which had been prompted by lobbying from Octavia Hill and the Kyrle Society, enabled disused burial grounds to be transferred to local authorities, together with the power to use public funds to maintain them as public gardens. In 1884 the Kyrle Society cleared and restored as public open space the derelict burial ground of St George's, Bloomsbury, north of Coram's Fields. The MPGA contributed £100 to the cost, but was not informed of the opening of St George's Gardens.

The MPGA was initially formed as the Metropolitan Public Gardens, Boulevard and Playground Association in 1882, before changing its name in 1885. The principal objects were stated to be the protection, preservation, safeguarding and acquiring for permanent preservation for public use, of gardens, disused burial grounds, churchyards, open spaces, or any land within the Metropolitan Police District, as well as the provision of seats and the planting of trees.

The creation of the MPGA was a direct consequence of the closure of London churchyards in the 1850s. In 1848-49 a cholera epidemic had killed 14,601 people in London and completely overwhelmed the existing burial system. The result was a series of Burial Acts (1852, 1853, 1855, 1857 and 1859) and the establishment of a second wave of publicly-run cemeteries in outer London, to complement the privately-run Magnificent Seven cemeteries that had been established after 1832. Nevertheless, only limited official use could be given to the closed burial grounds, until the Metropolitan Open Spaces Acts of 1877 and 1881, which made provisions for public use of burial grounds for exercise and recreation. It was this statutory provision that the MPGA stepped in to employ. The burial grounds remained consecrated, and the Open Spaces Act 1887, promoted by the MPGA, permitted the playing of sports and games on consecrated land with the consent of the bishop. The MPGA worked closely with the London County Council (established in 1889), which led to the London County Council (General Powers) Act 1910. The 1910 Act extended the LCC's powers in respect of burial grounds.

After the initial focus on converting burial grounds to public gardens and recreation grounds, the MPGA turned its attention to the preservation of London squares. The result was the London Squares and Enclosures (Preservation) Act 1906, which protected 64 named squares, the London Squares Preservation Act 1931, which protected 461 named squares, and provisions in the Civic Amenities Act 1967, which introduced the concept of conservation areas, relevant for the impact on underground development beneath the squares.

Fanny Wilkinson was appointed the landscape gardener of the MPGA in 1884, and in 20 years laid out 75 public gardens for the MGPA. Two key features were the provision of drinking fountains and seats. The purpose of both of these was to dissuade people from public houses. Wilkinson left the MPGA in 1904. Her successor was Madeline Agar, who held the position for almost 25 years.

Projects Historic projects The number of parks and gardens and other public spaces that the MPGA funded and developed is so extensive that a complete list would be almost impossible to compile.See the map of London showing work of the MPGA from 1882 to 1900. Many remain extant. The list of notable projects below is set out in chronological order of the MPGA's involvement, rather than the date of the open space itself. St John's Churchyard Garden, LB Lambeth, 1883. A Commissioners' Church built in 1824 to a design by Francis Bedford, St John's, Waterloo was built to commemorate the victory at Waterloo. The churchyard was converted into a garden in 1877. In 1883 Lord Brabazon gave a swing and giant stride as part of a children's playground; the MPGA itself provided parallel bars, a seesaw and six seats. In more recent years the garden had become neglected, but has since been restored. The playground equipment is no longer present. Ebury Square Garden, City of Westminster, 1884. Originally a private garden, the square was the first to be leased by the MPGA and was opened to the public in 1884. Although the records are sparse, it is likely that Fanny Wilkinson was responsible for the layout as she obtained funding from the MPGA for asphalt paths, costlier but more hard-wearing than gravel. Carlton Square, LB Tower Hamlets, 1885. Carlton Square was built as part of the Globe Fields Estate, which was developed between 1848 and 1855. The garden square was re-ordered by the MPGA as a garden with lawns, flower beds, walks, seats and a fountain, and was opened to the public in 1885 by Princess Louise. It was leased on an annual tenancy to the MPGA and maintained by the London County Council. Holy Trinity Churchyard, LB Southwark, 1885. Holy Trinity, Rotherhithe, was built between 1837-39 on land provided by the Surrey Commercial Dock Company. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1858, and was converted by the MPGA into a small public garden in 1885. Northampton Square Gardens, LB Islington, 1885. Northampton Square Gardens were opened to the public in 1885, with funding from the MPGA. Fanny Wilkinson designed the gardens, and included a drinking fountain and bandstand, both of which remain, as does a circle of London plane trees. Red Lion Square, LB Camden, 1885. Red Lion Square was laid out in the late 17th century as a speculative venture, taking its name from an inn. The square was 'beautified' pursuant to a 1737 Act of Parliament. Fanny Wilkinson laid it out as a public garden in 1885. In 1894 the trustees of the square passed the freehold to the MPGA, which, in turn, passed it to the London County Council free of cost. St Bartholomew's Gardens, LB Tower Hamlets, 1885. St Bartholomew the Less, Bethnal Green, was built in 1843-44 to a design by William Railton. After the churchyard was closed to burials, it was re-ordered by Fanny Wilkinson on behalf of the MPGA. In 1884 Wilkinson obtained a contractor’s estimate for either gravel paths or asphalt paths, the latter being more expensive. Gravel paths were initially provided, but two years later they were asphalted due to the number of visitors, estimated at 1,500 a day. Wilkinson retained one obelisk monument. The gardens were opened to the public by Princess Louise in 1885. Some of Wilkinson's iron railings remain in place. St Bartholomew-the-Great Churchyard, City of London, 1885. The priory church of St Bartholomew-the Great was established in 1123. At the Dissolution the nave was demolished, and the churchyard created in its place. The principal remaining area of the churchyard is a raised garden, which was laid out by Fanny Wilkinson in 1885. West Hackney Recreation Ground, LB Hackney, 1885. St James the Great, West Hackney, was built in 1825 to a design by Robert Smirke. After the closure of the churchyard, Fanny Wilkinson laid out a garden in 1885. Some of the London plane trees from the original layout remain. Paddington Street Gardens, City of Westminster, 1886. Two burial grounds (either side of Paddington Street) were closed to burials in 1814. The Association arranged for the burial grounds to be opened as a public recreation ground in 1885, and Fanny Wilkinson laid out the garden. It was opened by Princess Louise in 1886. The original lime trees and London plane trees survive. St James's Churchyard, LB Southwark, 1886. The most expensive of the churches built by the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches, St James's was designed by James Savage and built in 1827-29. The churchyard was closed to burials in 1855, and was then used for communal drying. It was converted to gardens by the MPGA, and opened to the public in 1886. An obelisk memorial and some chest-tombs were retained. St Paul's Churchyard, Shadwell, LB Tower Hamlets, 1886. St Paul's, Shadwell’s origins are as a chapel of ease to St Dunstan's, Stepney. After the churchyard closed to burials, it was laid out as a garden by Fanny Wilkinson on behalf of the MPGA in 1886. The design included a partially flagged area in front for recreation. Some London plane trees survive from the original design. Burgess Park, LB Southwark, 1887. Burgess Park was laid out after WWII pursuant to the principles of the Abercrombie Plan. In so doing, it incorporated the North Camberwell Open Space in 1965. That open space included the churchyard of St George's, Camberwell, which had been designed by Francis Bedford in 1824. The churchyard ceased to be used for burials in 1856. In 1886 it was acquired as a public open space by the MPGA and laid out as a public garden with funds provided by Viscountess Ossington. Mrs Gladstone opened the garden in 1887. After the churchyard was incorporated into the North Camberwell Open Space, it was re-landscaped in 1966. However, the church closed in 1970 and was allowed to become derelict. When the church was adapted to private housing in 1994, the garden was allowed to become a private garden. St Anne's Churchyard, Limehouse, LB Tower Hamlets, 1887. St Anne's, Limehouse, was built 1714-24 to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor. After the churchyard closed to burials, it was converted to public gardens with the assistance of the MPGA. The garden was laid out by Fanny Wilkinson. She retained a notable stone pyramid by Hawksmoor. St Dunstan's Churchyard, Stepney, LB Tower Hamlets, 1887. Of Saxon origins, the church was rebuilt in the 15th century. The churchyard was extended in 1626 after an outbreak of plague caused 4,000 bodies to fill the ancient burial ground. Some 6,500 plague victims were buried in 1665-66. The churchyard closed to burials in 1854. Between 1885 and 1887 high ground around the church was dug away, and the MPGA converted it to a public garden, designed by Fanny Wilkinson. The MPGA bore the cost of conversion at £3,000. The garden was opened by the Duchess of Leeds in 1887. St Martin-in-the-Fields Churchyard, City of Westminster, 1887. Most of the former churchyard of St Martin-in-the-Fields has been lost to development, but two small parcels survived, to the north and east of the church. Unusually for the MPGA, it paved them with flagstones as well as planted them with trees. The churchyard was then opened to the public in 1887. For many years covered in market stalls, the churchyard has been restored including with the provision of seating. Holy Trinity churchyard, Mile End, LB Tower Hamlets, 1887. The churchyard closed to burials in 1853, and was converted to a public garden by the MPGA in 1887.Brown, Tom, "The making of urban 'healtheries': the transformation of cemeteries and burial grounds in late-Victorian East London", Journal of Historical Geography 42 (2013) 12-23 at 19.