British Cemetery and Cremation Records from Deceased Online

Deceased Online has upgraded the advance search facility specifically for Memorial/Monumental Inscriptions. Below I look in detail at the new changes and how you can better use the database to find your ancestors. The team at Deceased Online has been working hard to improve the Deceased Online search page . You should find searches (simple and advanced) of Monumental Inscriptions (MIs) present more accurate results, making it easier to find your ancestor. At present, the largest collection is that of Scottish MIs (SMIs) , and features around 300,000 individual names in over 200 cemeteries and kirkyards across Scotland. For those with English ancestors, look out for further additions coming soon of more than 100,000 MIs, many of which are from England. There are two major improvements in the new upgrade:- (i) Easier and more accurate searches of Monumental Inscriptions (MIs) (ii) Searching with Inscriptions/Headstone Collections. I look at them both in detail here and illust...

D eceased Online is excited to launch an important collection for the significant English Midlands city of Nottingham. The city has a rich history stretching from the legendary Robin Hood to lacemakers and a pioneering chain of pharmacies.  View across the city from Nottingham's Southern Cemetery, Wilford Hill This latest collection of burial and cremation records, dating back to the 19th century, has been digitized in partnership with Nottingham City Council. This week, the first phase of the collection sees records from the following cemeteries and crematorium uploaded to the database : Northern Cemetery (Bulwell), opened 1903   Southern Cemetery (Wilford Hill), opened 1919   Wilford Hill Crematorium, opened 1931   High Wood Cemetery, opened 2006  The collection covers a wide range of records, such as details of those in each grave , cemetery section/ ashes scattering maps , and, of course, scans of the burial and cremation regis...

This week saw the 100th episode of the ever popular BBC television show, Who Do You Think You Are? This special episode featured model and actor Twiggy (Lesley Lawson, née Hornby) and her Victorian ancestors' lives of hard times in e ast and n orth London. But did you know that some of Twiggy's family can be found in the Deceased Online database ? Twiggy in the 100th episode of Who Do You Think You Are? (credit: BBC) Twiggy was born in Neasden, north London, in 1949. Although her father was from Lancashire, this episode focused on Twiggy's maternal ancestors who lived in the capital. This had particular resonance for her, as, she said, " I feel, heart and soul, a Londoner, and I’m very proud of it." I had a personal interest in the programme as not only do I live in north London but I have ancestor s from the capital - including Hackney, where Twiggy's great grandmother, Grace Gillies, met her tragic end. There were also many familiar sights for those ...

This week's post focuses on the history of Darwen Cemetery, and is the last in my series of posts on the Blackburn and Darwen Collection. Also below are details of an Open Day for Blackburn Cemeteries and Crematorium which takes place this weekend. View towards Darwen Tower (Copyright Clementslinda @Wikimedia Commons) Darwen Cemetery opened in 1861, with a second section added in 1876 . A need for a spacious cemetery had emerged in the 1850s as Darwen's churchyards became full. As with Blackburn Cemetery, Darwen had three chapels, one each for Anglicans, Nonconformists and Roman Catholics. There are dozens of fascinating people buried in Darwen Cemetery. The lives of many are explored in more detail on the History page in the Research section of the website of the Friends of Darwen Cemetery . Below I have highlighted some of the most celebrated in Darwen's history. Darwen's India Mill with its grand chimney Nineteenth century Darwen was dominated by the co...