Wednesday 25th February 2026. Time 6.30pm 
In person at the Spielman Centre and online 

Death historian Dr Dan O’Brien presents a talk on the unpredictable world of eighteenth-century burial grounds. Before modern cemeteries existed, these long-used community spaces were practical places for dealing with the inevitable problem of death — but they were also far from quiet. Burials, mourners, and everyday life all mixed together, and the dead didn’t always rest peacefully.

In this talk, you’ll learn about the many people connected to a burial ground and the unexpected activities that took place there — from games and animals to crime. You’ll hear stories of undertakers at work, mourners gathered by candlelight, and sextons digging graves in dangerous conditions. Drawing on evidence from many sources, Dr O’Brien reveals how burial grounds were lively public spaces that frequently brought the living close to the dead.

This hybrid talk takes place both onsite in the Spielman Centre and online. The Spielman opens at 6pm, and parking is available from 5pm until the event ends.

About our speaker

Dr Dan O’Brien is a historian of death in long-eighteenth-century England. His research primarily focuses on the development of the undertaking trade and the role of the trade in funerals of the period. His current research focuses mostly on London and Dan seeks to understand how the undertakers and their goods were perceived by society, by analysing how funerals were presented in the popular culture of the period. Drawing upon an eclectic range of source materials has enabled him to consider simple, but often overlooked, questions about how people’s knowledge about the early trade was formed. Dan also talks publicly to a wide range of audiences on different themes in mortality history such as funerary gifts, sea burial and mourning jewellery. He has recently appeared on the After Dark podcast talking about the funeral of Queen Victoria and describing a funerary crime on Killing Time with Rebecca Rideal.

Dr Dan O’Brien Social Media Links

TikTok : tiktok.com/@dr.dan.o

Instagram: Instagram.com/dr.dan.o

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/drdan.bsky.social

Accessibility

We have made our venues as accessible as possible. We have a wheelchair ramp up into the café and Spielman Centre and another lift to gain access to the accessible toilet downstairs. Please note there is a short walk from the cemetery main entrance to the Spielman Centre.  We also have designated parking outside of the café and Anglican Chapel for blue badge holders.