Stephen Geary


Stephen Geary was a British architect, inventor, entrepreneur, and, from 1850, Temperance activist.

Early Life

Geary was born in Dean's Yard, Westminster, London, on 31 August 1797. At the age of 13 he was apprenticed to the architect Thomas Leverton. In 1817 he joined the Royal Academy architecture schools. He exhibited drawings and models at the Royal Academy on six occasions.

Cemetery work

His best known work was Highgate Cemetery, opened in 1839, and later to be his resting place, where he designed the Egyptian Avenue and the Terrace Catacombs: he was also founder of the London Cemetery Company, established by Act of Parliament in 1836, which owned Highgate Cemetery and Nunhead Cemetery.
He is also associated with Gravesend, Nunhead and Brompton Cemeteries and produced a design for a Brighton cemetery that was never built.

Inventor

Between 1838 and 1847, Geary registered seven patents.
He displayed several of his inventions at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

Other works

Geary's grave in Highgate Cemetery, is located to the east of the main path between Comforts Corner and the Egyptian Avenue. The small headstone is a Grade II listed object.