THE RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION OF

“El Panteón de los Ingleses”

Real del Monte, a town with a population today of no more than 15,000, is nevertheless considered one of the most important of Mexico’s great mining centres having contributed significantly to the vast silver resources that were mined in this country since pre-Columbian times.
The municipality is situated 96 kilometres (60 miles) north-east of Mexico City and 14 kilometres (some 9 miles) from Pachuca, the capital of the state of Hidalgo and, at 2,800 meters (9,180 feet) above sea level, it is the highest town in the Republic.
In 1824, following the formation in London of “The Company of Gentlemen Adventurers in the Mines of Real del Monte”, the first group of British –primarily Cornish– miners arrived in this little community to repair and re-activate the mines that had flooded and stood idle since the time of Mexico’s Independence a few years earlier. As part of this first venture, the Cornish brought with them 1,500 tons of equipment, including one of the famous steam pumps designed by the Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick that had helped to revolutionize mining around the world. The machinery was landed on the coast of Veracruz in 1825 and it took a year of appalling hardship and gruelling conditions to transport the equipment the 400 kms. (250 miles) up to Real del Monte, building the road as they went.
Although this first venture finally ended in 1848 without having produced the expected results for the Gentlemen Adventurers, a second wave of Cornish miners, engineers and other workers came to the area from 1850 through to the turn of the 19th century, hired to man and manage the same mines that were now producing a bonanza of silver and copper. In total, it is estimated some 250 families must have made the journey from Britain.
These mining communities brought with them important technological, cultural and social influences: the safety fuse and the mining lamp, Methodism, football, tennis and the ubiquitous Cornish pasty, amongst others. The pasty is still sold in endless varieties throughout the region, albeit in a Mexicanized version

The Cemetery

On a hilltop above Real del Monte stands the cemetery where many of these miners, their families and descendants now lie. First established in 1852 on land assigned for the purpose, the Cornish and their compatriots sought to bury their dead in a separate location from the rest of the town where a record of their place of origin, their journeys, their experiences and their families could be kept for posterity. The walled cemetery, with its simple stone tombs marking the passing of successive generations, has become known throughout Mexico as El Panteón de los Ingleses (the English cemetery) and because of its unique history and beautiful location, is a much-visited and admired spot.

Today unfortunately, the cemetery with its 750 graves is in danger of disappearing through lack of maintenance, general neglect and acts of vandalism. Preserving and restoring the site has become an imperative for the township as part of the regeneration of the area as a tourist destination, along with the re-opening of the local mines and the newly-restored English miners’ hospital as important historical attractions.

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In this task, the present British community –through the charitable auspices of the British Society– has joined forces with the community and authorities of Real del Monte to launch the present initiative.

 

The Objective

At the suggestion of the British Ambassador to Mexico Giles Paxman and with the enthusiastic collaboration of the local Mayor and town council, a company has been formed –Patronato por el Rescate y Conservación del Panteón Inglés y otros Monumentos Históricos de Real del Monte, Hidalgo– (Trust for the Rescue and Preservation of the English Cemetery and other Historic Monuments of Real del Monte, Hidalgo) of which the Honorary President is the Ambassador in-being. The President is the Chairman of the British Society, the Vice President is the Mayor of Real del Monte, members of the British Society and citizens of Real del Monte comprise the board.
The objective is to raise the necessary funds and implement appropriate works to both protect and preserve the cemetery and provide a basis for its secure future. To this end, funds are being sought from both the UK and Mexico. It is recognized that the municipality of Real del Monte, being a relatively modest community, is unlikely to have funds available after meeting its annual social and municipal programmes.

 

Progress to date

Subsequent to the formation of the Trust, the British Society commissioned and funded the following works, deemed essential to guarantee the immediate safety of the cemetery as well as to be able to determine the next stages of the programme:

These works were approved by the competent authorities, specifically the National Institute for the Protection of Historical Monuments (INAH).

Next stages

A programme for the next stages of the project has now been prepared and approved:

 

The cost

It is estimated that the cost of this additional work is:

The purpose of this brochure is to encourage its readers to participate in this project with a donation which will help to preserve not only the memory of those British men, women and children whose lives became so entwined with the fate of this corner of Mexico and in many instances, whose descendants bear testimony to this passage of history, but more especially will contribute to the development of this small town as a tourist destination, thus ensuring the economic future of the entire community whilst serving as a reminder to visitors of the town’s important Anglo-Mexican heritage.

For further information or to make a tax efficient donation, please contact us at The British Society, A.C. Address: Campos Eliseos 385 Torre A Piso 7 Co. Polanco, Mexico, D.F. C.P. 11560 ( (+52 55) 52816451 email: mexico@british-society.org