The Brookwood Cemetery was opened in November 1854, and was the largest in the world. It was originally called the London Necropolis or Woking Cemetery. Although it lies outside the London area, it was the place of burial for thousands of Londoners. The cemetery is still privately owned and trades as Brookwood Cemetery Limited. The records are kept at the cemetery and there is a charge for them to be searched, but microfilm copies are held at the Hyde Park Family History Centre and the Surrey History Centre, where the Friends of Surrey Cemeteries have been indexing them. In addition The Brookwood Cemetery Society is a voluntary organisation devoted to the cemetery.
