British Cemetery and Cremation Records from Deceased Online

As Easter is almost upon us, I look for the name EASTER in the Deceased Online database . . . with some surprising results. The origins of the word Easter used as a forename are unclear. Some etymologists believe the name comes from an Anglo-Saxon goddess, Eostre . Others associate it with the Old Testament queen, Esther , whose story is commemorated in the festival of Purim that precedes the Jewish spring festival of Pesach, or Passover. There is also a theory that some girls were named Easter as a variant or misspelling of the more commonly used Esther. The earliest mention of an Easter in the Deceased Online database is Easter Ashcroft , who was buried at St Paul's Church, Bedford on 1 September 1696. As you can see from the scan of the burial register below , this Easter was the daughter of another Easter, the wife of Mr John Ashcroft. Later in the database there are some interesting forename and surname combinations, including Easter Penny , who was buried on

This week we explore the latest collection on the Deceased Online website: the records of the unusual, historic St Paul’s Church in Bedford Last week the database saw the addition of 14,500 burial records from the Norman St Paul's Church in St Paul’s Square at the heart of Bedford. This ancient county town of Bedfordshire, one of England’s smallest counties, has a fascinating history stretching back to ancient times. Today, St Paul’s continues to function as a parish church and also serves as the civic and county church of Bedfordshire. The site of St Paul's Church dates back to 1066, but the current building was begun in the 1200s. Two porches, the Trinity Chapel, and niches of the saints were added in the 15th century. The burial registers on Deceased Online date mainly from 1567 to 1855, but it is worth checking in case your ancestors are included amongst those who were buried there after this date. Some of the most notable burials date from thi