New database to help Brummies discover their roots
A digital database, containing around 1.5 million burial and cremation records, has been launched to help families trace their Birmingham ancestors.
Birmingham City Council has launched a new searchable archive – birminghamburialrecords.co.uk – that provides access to records from the city’s 12 cemeteries and crematoria, going back to 1836.
Handsworth, Lodge Hill, Quinton, Sutton Coldfield, Witton and Yardley are just some of the locations whose registers are featured in the archive.
The digitised records, spanning the 19th Century to the 21st Century, can be searched for free by first name, family name, location, year of burial / cremation, and other criteria.
Cllr Tristan Chatfield, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Equalities, said: “This new database is a great resource that will help people to explore their family history, providing details of ancestors buried or cremated in Birmingham.
“Previously these records were kept at the individual cemeteries and crematoria, so this website makes it easy for anyone researching the social history of their family to access these."
Digital downloads of individual records can also be purchased from the website for a £5 fee.
Information recorded on these records changes over time, so details included will vary but most will include the deceased’s age, gender, residence and date of death.
For more information about the service and to start your search, please visit birminghamburialrecords.co.uk
