Nottingham Collection (first phase)

Deceased 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 registers. The registers of the Nottingham Collection include names, ages, places of death, date of burial, and details of the grave and by whom the ceremony was performed. This example below is taken from the Northern Cemetery (Bulwell).

Page from the burial register of the Northern Cemetery, Nottingham

The city of Nottingham has a fascinating history which is reflected today in its architecture, castle, museums and heritage centres. Locals are particularly proud of what is alleged to be the oldest inn in England - Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem - which nestles in the castle's walls. The legacy of Nottingham's industry is also notable. The city was central to the imperial lace trade in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with striking Victorian warehouses still standing in the Lace Market area of the city today. Pharmacy chain, Boots, began life in 1849 when agricultural worker, John Boot (1815-1860), moved to the city to open a herbalist shop in Goose Lane. Unable to afford the cost of doctors in this pre-NHS era, Nottingham's poor workers were quick to appreciate the cheap medicines sold by John Boot. After John's death, his younger son, Jesse, took over the business, developing the name, Boots, to the nationwide brand we know today. Another significant brand is Raleigh, whose bicycle company is no longer based in the city but whose products continue to be bought and sold across the globe.

The author, D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), was born in Eastwood, a mining district about nine miles from the city centre. He set two of his best-loved novels, The Rainbow and Sons and Lovers, in the city, depicting early twentieth century life and speech in the local Nottinghamshire dialect.

D. H. Lawrence

One of the oldest events in Nottingham is the annual Goose Fair, which dates from the 13th century. If you have ancestors who lived in the city, they are likely to have attended at some time. The Goose Fair was originally held in the centre of Nottingham, but moved to the Forest Recreation Ground in 1928. Although the fair began as a large market, it is now better known for its fairground attractions. One other notable aspect is the local food. Mushy peas with mint sauce and the sugary "cocks on sticks" have been sold at the fair for over a century.

Roundabout at Nottingham's Goose Fair in 1983

To find out more about Nottingham's history, take a look at the Nottingham Hidden History Team blog. I shall be exploring further aspects of the city's past in future blogs, when the next phases of the registers collection are uploaded to Deceased Online. 

And don't forget that Deceased Online database also contains  burial and cremation records for nearby authorities including Newark, Corby and Kettering, and Gainsborough in Lincolnshire. We also hold records of the Broad Marsh and Holy Trinity grounds of Nottingham city, which form part of The National Archives Collection. If you're researching ancestors in the East Midlands, do check back just before Christmas when we'll be adding a new collection to the database for another local city with a Robin Hood connection . . . 

 

We would love to hear from anyone who has found an ancestor in the Nottingham records. Do let us know a little about your ancestor and his or her connection to Nottingham. Get in touch with us via the Comments Box below or via our Facebook and Twitter pages!