British Cemetery and Cremation Records from Deceased Online

Records from Streatham Cemetery in south London are now available to search on the database. Records from the   London Borough of Lambeth's   Streatham Cemetery are available to view on   www.deceasedonline.com . Streatham Cemetery opened in 1893 under the Metropolitan Burial Act of 1852, which was instigated after the cholera epidemic of 1848 to 1849. Along with a large number of Commonwealth War Grave Commission burials from World Wars I and II, Streatham Cemetery provides the final resting place for many notable people. Among them is Edward Foster VC , born in Streatham in 1886. In 1915, during the First World War, he enlisted in the British Army in the 13th Battalion (Wandsworth), East Surrey Regiment and was eventually awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the face of the enemy. In April 1917, the regiment's advance in Villers-Plouich, Nord, France was held up by enemy machine guns, strongly entrenched and covered by wire. Corporal Foster succeeding in enter...

This week, I continue the series of posts on Macclesfield Cemetery by honouring two local military heroes  George Eardley VC George Harold Eardley VC MM (6 May 1912 - 11 September 1991) was an Acting Sergeant  of the 4th battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry,   and recipient of the Military Medal, when he risked his life in the face of the enemy  in October 1944. At the time, Eardley was just  32 years old  and serving east of Overloon in the Netherlands.  His platoon was ordered to clear enemy opposition from orchards, thus clearing the way for the Allied tanks to advance. However, 80 yards from their objective, automatic machine gun fire swiftly halted their advance. Eardley dodged heavy fire to get close enough to one machine gun post to kill the enemy officer with a grenade, and then went on to destroy two more posts single-handed. His actions enabled his platoon to complete their objective and ensured the success of their whole a...

The eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 has been commemorated this week on its hundredth anniversary. This week's post takes a look at some of the most notable burials in our collection from the First World War. Silvertown Explosion 1917 (West Ham Cemetery, London E7) The  Millennium Mills  in the aftermath of the  Silvertown explosion  - Avery, John, 1917-01-25 ( By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28065575 ) One of the worst non-military disasters of the First World War took place near the cemetery in Silvertown, East London.  On 19 January 1917, the largest explosion ever to occur in the UK ripped through the former Brunner Mond factory in Silvertown. It had been turned over to munitions production near the beginning of the war, and now manufactured highly unstable TNT. The blast was heard as far away as Southampton and Norwich. A devastating firestorm spread beyond the factory into neighbour...

This week's blog marks the International Day of Peace 2018 by remembering  WWI conscientious objector, Alfred Myers (1883-1948) The United Nations International Day of Peace takes place each year on 21 September to celebrate a  peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone. The theme for  2018 is: “The Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”,  celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This  was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. Deceased Online is marking the day by honouring one peacemaker that we have discovered in the database  - Alfred Myers (1883-1948) , a miner and conscientious objector. Alfred is buried in Brotton Cemetery, North Yorkshire , not far to where he was born and raised. He risked his life for peace and has been remembered in...

New memorial unveiled in London to commemorate the 1943 Bethnal Green Tube Disaster  On 17 December 2017, a large crowd, including survivors and officials such as the Mayor of London , attended an unveiling of the Stairway to Heaven Memorial in Bethnal Green.  While this recent monument is the only official memorial to the Bethnal Gr een Tube Disaster , several of the victims are also remembered at their burial places in  Manor Park Cemetery and Crematorium , London E7 . The tube disaster is now known to be one of the worst British civilian tragedies of the war. On the night of the 3 March 1943 , at 8.15pm, an air siren rang sounded to warn the people of the East End to take shelter. Some sheltered in cages in their homes, but many thousands took the local underground station – an increasingly popular place to hide from the bombs. In the struggle to clamber down the   blackout   staircase into Bethnal Green tube, a middle-aged woman and her child f...

This week's post explores the life and family of First World War Victoria Cross hero, Walter Napleton Stone (1891-1917), who was commemorated recently at a special ceremony in Lewisham  Politicians, relatives and local residents gathered in Lewisham High Street on 30 November 2017 to mark the unveiling of a paving stone in the name of former Blackheath resident, Captain Walter Napleton Stone VC .   The paving stone is one of 628 specially commissioned stones which are being laid in the home areas of each of the Victoria Cross recipients of the Great War. The date of 30 November commemorates the day Walter Stone was killed on the Western Front, at the Battle of Cambrai . Like many killed in action between 1914 and 1918, the grave of Walter Stone has not been found. He is remembered on a number of memorials, including the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing, the parish war memorial Shrewsbury's St Mary's Church, and on the Lewisham Shopping Centre mural.  Althoug...

Last week, the life of a Camberwell war hero, firefighter and community activist was celebrated with the unveiling of a blue plaque. Deceased Online is proud to hold the cremation record of George A. Roberts as part of its Southwark Collection. The new plaque dedicated to George A. Roberts. (credit: @heritagemonster on Twitter) In 2015, the  Southwark Heritage Association  asked for members of the public to vote on who should win that year's  Southwark Blue Plaque  for their contribution to the London borough. Sergeant George Arthur Roberts was the first nominee in the contest. Having won the award, George's plaque was unveiled at at a ceremony on Sunday 11 September 2016 at his former home in Warner Road, Camberwell under the watchful eyes of a guard of honour from London Fire Brigade. Also present was Tedwin Herbert, the Acting High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago. Portrait of George A. Roberts by Norman Hepple Described by renowned historian Steph...

Thanks to all of you who have responded to our regular requests to get in touch. We really value all the comments, Facebook posts, tweets and emails that you send to Deceased Online. In this week's post I look at some of the most recent comments that readers have contributed. The spectacular War Memorial at Greenwich Cemetery dominates the London skyline Four years ago I blogged about Deceased Online 's burial  records of  Greenwich Cemetery in south east London. Jackie Wealthall got in touch to say that she had visited the cemetery, and that although she had her ancestors' grave numbers, "it was impossible to find their actual graves". Thanks to Jackie for letting us know.  I have visited many churchyards and cemeteries over the years and have also been disappointed when my ancestors' graves are either unmarked or covered by brambles. One of my ancestors was remembered with a grand headstone, but unfortunately I discovered on my visit that the stone...

This week everyone at Deceased Online has been delighted to learn that First World War boy hero, Jack Cornwell's grave in London's Manor Park Cemetery has been awarded Grade II listed status. John Travers Cornwell, Boy 1st class (1900–1916)  by  Ambrose McEvoy 2016 marks the centenary of the Battle of Jutland , the devastating Great War naval conflict of 31st May-1st June 1916, that led to loss of  6,094 British and 2,551 German personnel. One of those lost souls was John "Jack" Travers Cornwell (1900-1916) , who had enlisted as a young teenager in 1915. Jack Cornwell was just 16 years old when he was fatally wounded during the Battle of Jutland aboard the HMS Chester . He died two days later at hospital in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.  On the day of the 31st May, HMS Chester came under heavy fire from four German ships. Despite being hit by shrapnel, Cornwell remained at his post awaiting orders. As a result of his bravery, Cornwell became celebrated acro...

This week, Deceased Online expands its Nottingham Collection with the addition of records from the early Victorian cemetery, Nottingham General. Enter Nottingham's General Cemetery from Canning Terrace and be prepared to step back in time to the late 19th century. Like many of the Victorian cemeteries in the Deceased Online collections, Nottingham General was designed to take the burden from parish churches whose graveyards had become overcrowded. Also, like many other Victorian cemeteries, this was administered by a newly-formed body, the Nottingham General Cemetery Company (1836) . The Grade II listed gatehouse , the chapel and the adjacent almshouses were built between 1836 and 1838 by S. S. Rawlinson . Burial registers were kept from the opening date of cemetery in 1838. Concerns were raised in the 1920s that this municipal cemetery was now overcrowded and from 1929 the cemetery was closed to new burials other than those who owned burial rights. Headstones in ...