THE bell from a submarine has been used in a baptism at a Haddington church.

Little Eva Gardner, who is six months old, was recently baptised at St Mary’s Parish Church – with the bell from her dad’s submarine playing a central role in the ceremony.

The church’s traditional silver gilt baptismal bowl was swapped for the bell from HMS Talent, where Eva’s dad, Louis, is a Royal Navy officer.

He told the Courier: “It is something that everyone that is on a serving ship or submarine has the option to do.

“It is a personal thing.”

Often, the baptism is done on board the ship or submarine, but Louis and his wife Jill, who is from the town’s Long Cram, decided to maintain a link to the Haddington church.

Four generations of Jill’s family have now been baptised at the Sidegate church.

Louis added: “Eva’s name and the date of her baptism is now engraved on the inside of the bell.

“When the ship or submarine finishes its active service, the person with the last name on it gets to keep the bell.

“She is only the second name on it, though.”

Lieutenant Commander Louis, from Middlesbrough, met former Knox Academy pupil Jill when he was based at Faslane, on Scotland’s west coast.

The couple now live in Cornwall and were married in Plymouth but decided to keep the family’s connection with St Mary’s Parish Church alive.

Jill’s mum Joyce Blair was a PE teacher at Knox Academy for 14 years and has been involved in the Additional Support Needs department at Ross High School, Tranent, since 2004.

Jill, 33, said: “There is potentially more than four generations but certainly my grandfather, my mum, myself and now Eva have been baptised there.”

The Rev Jennifer Macrae, who has been at St Mary’s Parish Church for eight years, was happy to be involved in the unusual ceremony.

She said: “It’s the first one I have done like this.

“It is a Royal Navy tradition apparently but that is the first one I have done.”