The Tomb of Sir Richard Burton, Lady Isabel Burton and her sister Elizabeth Fitzgerald
The most interesting tomb in St. Mary Magdalen's churchyard is the mausoleum in the shape of an Arab tent where the coffins of Sir Richard Burton and his wife Lady Isabel Burton (née Arundell) can be seen through a window at the back. Lady Isabel's sister, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, is buried
in the ground between them, as the Burtons wished to be in coffins above ground and opposite one another. Elizabeth Fitzgerald was Lady Isabel's literary executrix and died on 18 January 1902, 12 years after
Sir Richard's death and six years after her sister Isabel's.
Sir Richard Burton lived from 1821-1890, at a time in history when exploration and scientific knowledge were advancing at a gallop. Full of the spirit of the age, Burton possessed a passionate curiosity about life in the little known Arab world and he persuaded the Royal Geographical Society in London to fund a series of adventures. He was a brilliant linguist, utterly fearless and a master of disguise, and so was able to penetrate the cities of Medina and Mecca. He secretly drew plans of the Great Mosque and its sacred inner shrine, the Kaaba, at Mecca.
Inspired by his part as an Arab pilgrim he then went to Harar, which was totally forbidden to non-Moslems, and made notes about the East African slave trade.
His notebooks were crammed with information, geographical, commercial and anthropological. His travel books were a literary success in London and the Royal Geographical Society agreed to fund the next expedition - to find the source of the White Nile. He set of with John Hanning Speke but the two explorers fell out at Lake Tanganyika. Their dispute over the source caused a furore at the Royal Geographical Society which only ended with the sudden death of Speke in 1864.
Being the British Consul in Fernando Po, West Africa, Santos, Brazil, Damascus and Trieste gave him time to explore and write. He married his Catholic wife, Isabel Arundell, in 1861. She was completely devoted to him, and tried to keep up with his rackety life, obeying his instructions to "pay, pack and follow", as he moved around the world. The Burtons were happy in Damascus, where they mixed easily with Arabs and Christians, but were eventually expelled for their over-enthusiastic involvement in local politics.
His last Consulate was at Trieste, where he spent his last years quietly with Isabel. It was at this time that he privately published his translations from Arabic of the Karma Sutra and The Arabian Nights. He published 27 books in his lifetime.
When he died in 1890, Isabel built this mausoleum and paid for the
stained glass Memorial Window in the church. If you look closely,
the face of St Joseph and the face of St Agnes can be seen to bear a striking resemblance to pictures of Sir Richard and Lady Isabel, even down to a scar on his cheek (seen top centre in the window).
The Cemetery is open daily
from 9am to 3pm, 365 days a year
Please note: during the lighter evenings
of Spring and Summer our churchyard cemetery will be open until 6pm.
Conservation of the Burton Mausoleum with Cliveden Conservation is near to the end. For future generations
to come, this project preserves its historical significance and beauty. Click HERE for details of the conservation.
Lady Isabel Burton
(20 March 1831 – 22 March 1896)
Isabel, Lady Burton (20 March 1831 – 22 March 1896) — née Isabel Arundell — was a writer and the wife and partner of explorer, adventurer, and writer Sir Richard Burton. She was the daughter of Hon. Henry Raymond Arundell (1799–1886), Warwickshire, nephew of James Everard Arundell (1785–1834), 10th Baron Arundell of Wardour. Her mother, Eliza, was the sister of Robert Tolver Gerard (1808–1887), 13th Baronet of Bryn, Lancashire, and 1st Baron Gerard of Bryn.
Based on previously unavailable archives, Mary Lovell has written a compelling joint biography that sets Isabel in her proper place as Burton's equal in daring and endurance, a fascinating figure in her own right.
Habitats & Heritage have worked together with
St Mary Magdalen church to raise funds for the conservation of Sir Richard and Lady Isabel Burton’s mausoleum, designed to resemble the tent they had made for their travels across the desert in Syria.
Sir Richard Burton was a famed Victorian explorer, author and linguist, whose accomplishments include leading an expedition to find the source of the river Nile and mastering over twenty languages. Burton is also credited for translating a number of works from Arabic into English.
To coincide with the bicentenary of his birth in March 2021, Habitats and Heritage gained permission to reopen the mausoleum by reinstating the door after it was sealed from the public almost fifty years ago. The project further intends to repair the deteriorating stonework and to conserve it by replacing the lime-wash finish.
By May 2026 most of the restoration is complete
and pre-booked tours of the Mausoleum can be arranged by contacting Habitats & Heritage. Work to conserve
the paintings from the Mausoleum and moisture damage to Sir Richard's coffin still needs to be complete
and further funds are needed.
For more information on this project please click below.