Cemetery Search in Grantown Area - Drawing A Blank!

[leemcm]

I wonder if anyone could help me...?  I have been searching for the burial site(s) of two of my ancestors but I am having no luck.

I'm looking for William McMillan (11/07/1853 - 06/06/1914) and his wife, Myra nee Kirton (17/05/1858 - 11/07/1921).  William died in Aberchirder and Myra died in Longside.  Neither of their deaths are registered in those areas but they are known to have lived in Grantown on Spey towards the end of their lives.  Indeed, Myra's father is buried in Inverallan Cemetery (Edwin Kirton) and William's name is on the stone, but purely to mention that he erected it.  There are no other details.

Are there any other graveyards in that area that people could recommend searching (apart from new and old cemeteries in Grantown - checked already)?  Or could anyone either advise of a better way of searching?  Or (albeit doubtful), so either of the above names ring a bell with anyone out there who may have already researched this?

Would be grateful for any advice to help complete this search.  Many thanks!

[GR2]

There is a Moray Council website called Libindx. It allows you to carry out searches for people from the Moray area. It includes references to gravestones and newspaper articles too.

[Forfarian]

LIBINDX contains an index to all MIs recorded in 1978/9 in the present version of Moray. This does not include the parish of Cromdale, Inverallan and Advie, which became part of Badenoch and Strathspey District in 1975 and is now part of Highland Council, who will have any burial records.

Also, LIBINDX contains only details of gravestone inscriptions, not of burials, so even if LIBINDX had covered Cromdale Inverallan and Advie it would only have found them if there was a headstone.

You say that they died in Aberchirder and Longside, but that their deaths were not registered in those areas. It was obligatory to register a death in the district where the death occurred. Have you actually got the death certificates? If not, then that is your first step. You can download images of both death certificates at modest cost at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

If they did die, and you think they might have been buried, in Aberchirder and Longside, you can try the MI index at http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/databank/miindex/miindex.php

If that draws a blank, you will have to throw yourself on the tender mercies of Aberdeenshire Council, who will charge you £10 an hour to look at the books yourself, and probably a lot more for them to look. If you can wait a little longer, there is a rumour that they are going to be on Deceased Online 'soon', whatever that means.

Another thing you could try is to see if there were death notices in the Aberdeen Press and Journal which might say where the funeral went to.

[leemcm]

Thanks very much for the replies.

I have checked Libindx before and found details of William on there, but not of his burial. I have death certificates for both, which is why I am confused as to where they could be buried. I know where they died and where they lived up until their deaths but the last piece of the puzzle isn't immediately clear!

>>> You say that they died in Aberchirder and Longside, but that their deaths were not registered in those areas. It was obligatory to register a death in the district where the death occurred.

I have spoken to the local registrars as well as the family history society in Aberdeen, who have confirmed that the deaths are confirmed in those areas but the burials are not. My message here may not have been clear - sorry.

>>> If they did die, and you think they might have been buried, in Aberchirder and Longside, you can try the MI index at http://www.anesfhs.org.uk/databank/miindex/miindex.php

Yeah, I have tried this one already too. No such luck :-(

>>> Another thing you could try is to see if there were death notices in the Aberdeen Press and Journal which might say where the funeral went to.

This might be a good (or only) option. I will check online to see if there is an online search tool. Otherwise I assume I would have to contact them to ask for a search to be undertaken around the time of their I deaths.

Thanks for replies. It's nice to know that there are people out there who are willing to help :-)

[runmerry]

 
You could try

 https://sites.google.com/site/highlandmemorialinscriptions/home

 under Badenoch & Strathspey for burial grounds around Grantown.

 I also googled Myra Kirkton/McMillan and found them in a couple of trees, Trail Family & Bisset, but no mention where they're buried.

Regards

Jen

[Forfarian]

leemcm

I'm still not clear whether you have checked the burial records for Grantown as opposed to the various suggestions for finding inscriptions which you already know don't exist.

[leemcm]

You could try https://sites.google.com/site/highlandmemorialinscriptions/home
 under Badenoch & Strathspey for burial grounds around Grantown.

What a great site!  I hadn't seen this one before.  I did not find William and Myra on it but this will definitely help with some of the other research that I am doing.

I also googled Myra Kirkton/McMillan and found them in a couple of trees, Trail Family & Bisset, but no mention where they're buried.

I have done the same thing and have been in touch with the people mentioned already.  Good tip though - thanks for taking the time!

Regards

Jen

[leemcm]

I'm still not clear whether you have checked the burial records for Grantown as opposed to the various suggestions for finding inscriptions which you already know don't exist.

OK, since your initial post (thanks again), I checked the online newspaper archives and actually found William's obituary.  It mentioned that, when he gave up his business in Aberchirder, he moved to Grantown on Spey but, apparently, that was only for a short period of time.  He then returned to Aberchirder to start up a new business before he died.  Having checked the burial records for Aberdeen using the link that was previously provided, I cannot locate them - yet.  But I have made some progress with the help on this page, so hopefully I am getting closer  :-)

[Forfarian]

Having checked the burial records for Aberdeen using the link that was previously provided, I cannot locate them - yet. 

There is a difference between 'Aberdeen' and 'Aberdeenshire'. The burial records of (the city of) Aberdeen are on Deceased Online, but I don't think the Aberdeenshire ones have been added yet.