Bath and North East Somerset Collection

Deceased Online this week launches a new collection from the beautiful and historic city of Bath 

Panoramic view of the Royal Crescent in Bath ( Photo by David Iliff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0)

The underground thermal spa waters of Bath have attracted visitors across the centuries, from the Romans, who named the city Aquae Sulis, to the Georgians and thousands of tourists who continue to throng there in the 21st century. It was the Georgians we have to thank for much of the magnificent architecture in the city today. Notably, John Wood the Elder, who was responsible for streets and buildings such as the Circus, and his son, John Wood the Younger, who designed the magnificent Royal Crescent (see above), which was built between 1767 and 1774, as well as the  notorious Assembly Rooms, visited by such Regency characters as Beau Nash. The celebrated Georgian author, Jane Austen, is credited with much of the interest in the city from literary visitors.

The only UK destination to have a whole city designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bath was a key centre in the industrial revolution, not least thanks to its proximity to the international port of Bristol. Its surrounding area was home to farms, mines and quarries, from where the remarkable honey-coloured Bath stone emerged. Many of Bath's 5000 listed buildings are made from this local stone.

The cemetery and cremation registers being launched by Deceased Online thus feature individuals from across the social classes.The register scan below shows the excellent detail in entries from St James Cemetery, formerly Lyncombe, Widcombe and St James Cemetery.

The collection also includes cemetery maps.for locating precise burial plots.

The first three locations uploaded in the collection (a total of 123,00 records) are:

• St James Cemetery, formerly Lyncombe, Widcombe & St James Cemetery (1861-2011)
• Tweton/Bellots Ropad Cemetery (1882-2003)
• Haycombe Crematorium (1961-1996).

The registers of Haycombe Crematorium are very clear. The example below reveals not only the date of cremation and name of the deceased, but also each person's residence, occupation, age, date of death, and details on the informant. This last point is particularly useful for genealogists.

Later this month, Deceased Online will complete the collection with the registers of five more cemeteries:

• Locksbrook Cemetery (1864-2010)
• Bathwick Cemetery (1862-1998)
• Harptree Cemetery (1884-2011)
• Haycombe Cemetery (1937-1990
• St Michael's Cemetery (1851-2008)

Those with military ancestors should look out for the release of the Locksbrook Cemetery records. This cemetery is an amalgamation of St Saviours, Walcott and Weston cemeteries. Not only is Locksbrook the biggest set in the Bath and North East Somerset Collection, but it holds a high number of Victoria Cross awardees in its records. This historic cemetery is also a fascinating location to visit, with notable architectural features, including its listed memorials and gates.

The Cross of Sacrifice at Locksbrook Cemetery, Bath is a Grade II listed structure, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield circa 1922 (Wikimedia Commons).

Deceased Online is looking forward to uploading the Bath and North East Somerset Collection over the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you have ancestors you want to tell us about who came from Bath, or perhaps died there while attempting to be cured, please do let us know in the Comment Box below, or via our Twitter and Facebook pages. We love to hear from you!

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