Before the foundation of the cemetery in 1831, the death of a non Roman Catholic Christian in Spain presented a gruesome problem, for such an event was quite un-provided for. In Malaga local custom prohibited the interments of any non Roman Catholic during daylight hours, and specified that they be taken down to the seashore at night by torchlight and buried in an upright position in the sand and there left to the mercy of the waves and the dogs.
When William Mark, who had witnessed these scenes, was made British Consul in 1824 he set about the task of obtaining a piece of land that would serve theEnglish community as a
Over the next few years the
was .
