Author Topic: who writes the headstone?  (Read 7002 times)

Offline tarnabug

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who writes the headstone?
« on: Tuesday 27 September 11 06:33 BST (UK) »
Hi from NZ
I have found a relative Professor Mary Emma Dunn who died at Aberdeen 2 Dec 1992 age 80. She was apparently the first female professor at Strathclyde university.
Her parents and brother had died at that time, and they have a common headstone at 'Abernethy Parish Churchyard' (inland from Aberdeen?)
Mary was a spinster, so I wonder who actually wrote up the details on the headstone?
Mary is the closest I have found to a living relative!  Wondered if it is possible to find who looked after her funeral arrangements etc as this person may still be alive.  :-\
Thanks for any comments or suggestions
Tarna

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Offline danuslave

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Re: WHO WRITES THE HEADSTONE?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 27 September 11 06:46 BST (UK) »
Hi Tarna & welcome to RootsChat

I would be inclined to start with Strathclyde University.  They may well have an obituary for her.

Or a newspaper report of her funeral may list attendees.

Depending on when her parents and brother died, and how well organised she was, it's possible that Mary made the arrangements herself  eg leaving instructions with her will and/or her executor(s)

Good luck with the search  :)

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Offline flst

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 27 September 11 10:43 BST (UK) »
Hi, welcome to rootschat! I imagine that a death announcement & possibly an acknowledgement as well would have been placed in "The Press & Journal".
Have you got a copy of Emma's death certificate? The informant may be a relative.
I've attached a link to the following website as you may like to add some information!

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62071648
Regards,
flst
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Offline anabanana

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 28 September 11 21:33 BST (UK) »
Aberdeen City Council should have those details in their paperwork for the burial, lair opening etc.  At the very least, they will have the name of the funeral directors (if applicable).

And come to think of it, they'll have paperwork on the headstone inscription additions too and who the requester was.


Offline tarnabug

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 02 October 11 08:52 BST (UK) »
Thanks everyone for your tips.
I have created an account with the Press and Journal to try to find an obituary but get an error message every time I try to search for that date.  Not sure whats happening with that.
I have found the online Glasgow Herald very good, but unfotunately doesn't cover 1992.
Any other ideas of online newspapers for Aberdeen/Glasgow for 1992?
Thanks

Offline alpinecottage

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 02 October 11 09:09 BST (UK) »
You could try emailing the Glasgow Herald and giving the dates of death and burial, ask if anything appeared in the paper, though Aberdeen is a long way from Glasgow.  Also it may be worth inserting a letter in the Aberdeen based Press and Journal, asking anyone who knew her or was one of her students to get in touch.  There may also be more info in a professional journal, depending on what she was a professor of.
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Offline MonicaL

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 02 October 11 10:57 BST (UK) »
A little bit here from the Glasgow Herald 11 June 1975 (top right corner)

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Monica  :)
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Offline onecat

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #7 on: Monday 19 November 12 17:16 GMT (UK) »
Hello from Scotland.
We are living relatives of Prof Mary Emma Dunn!  Her father was James, brother of Isabella, your great great grandmother we think!!!!  Just started our family history research and had no idea we had relatives in New Zealand. We are 2 sisters living in Scotland.

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Re: who writes the headstone?
« Reply #8 on: Monday 19 November 12 17:49 GMT (UK) »
'Abernethy Parish Churchyard' (inland from Aberdeen?)

I can think of two Abernethys. Neither of them is near Aberdeen.

One is a small town on the south side of the Tay estuary near Perth
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2672080

The other is a parish in Inverness-shire. The main village is Nethy Bridge
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3179196

If the family grave is in Abernethy parish kirkyard, the chances are it's the Inverness-shire one. Also, Aberdeen Council will only have details if she was actually buried or cremated in Aberdeen.

Try Highland Council - they should have the burial records for the parish of Abernethy.

(Digression: there is endless confusion each year because the Abernethy Highland Games are held in Nethy Bridge, but people turn up in Abernethy expecting to see the Games, and are generally not best please to find they are the best part of 100 miles away.)
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.