Granny's resting place

[islay 1]

   I wonder if anyone could help me solve where my grandmother is buried?

   She lived with us in London, but after her death I remember Mum and Dad taking her coffin on the train for burial in Scotland where she was born. I was a young child at the time and the exact place of interment was not told to me.

   She was born in 1884 in Tarbolton, Ayrshire, and lived there until she married. Her name was Mary Sproat Cameron McCracken, and she married Charles Harvey, so her final resting place may be recorded as Mary Harvey. She died in September/October 1962.

     The family has other burials in the St Quivox churchyard, so maybe she was put there? There is a mention of visits to Auchincruive to see relatives. Is that a possibility?

    I would so appreciate any help that rootschat could give me in locating where Granny was buried. Both my parents have now passed away and there is no one left to ask in the family. Any help would be very gratefully received. Thanknyou, Islay

[RJ_Paton]

I have had a quick look at the MI book for St Quivox but there is nothing as recent as 1962 listed in it although possibly of some interest and an indicator that you are in the right area there is one stone (which you may already know of) which reads as

In loving memory of Catherine Cameron McCracken beloved wife of Alexander Hamilton Kay b 24.Jul 1888 d. 11 Jan 1923;
also the above Alexander H Kay d at Sydney 21 Oct 1925 aged 36;
Also Thomas Sproat McCracken beloved husband of Mary Cameron d 5 feb 1937;
Also the above Mary Cameron d 14 Jun 1937 aged 84.
To the memory of Thomas Sproat McCracken from friends in Australia and to his wife Mary Cameron

South Ayrshire Council may be able to assist you further
http://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/registrationandbereavement/burials-cremations/

PS Auchencruive is less than a mle from St Quivox

[islay 1]

Dear Falkryn,
    Thank you so much for taking the time to look for me. The monument stone you found is for Granny's sister and her parents, my g.grandparents.  I had hoped that she would be in the same churchyard  too.

    I will try the link you suggested to south Ayrshire gov. I know that Granny was buried and not cremated, for sure.

   My sister has the receipt for the services of Messrs Affleck (sp?) of Ayr in dealing with the coffin after its arrival in Scotland. Would there be any way of knowing if they dealt with one particular cemetery only? I have the policy number for them, but I'm sure they will have no records from so far back even if they still operate as a business!

    Many thanks again for your interest and time, Islay

[RJ_Paton]

It's extremely doubtful that any single firm of undertakers would deal with only one burial ground/cemetery or Churchyard.

The difficulty is that your Gran died in 1962 by which time older burial grounds such as St Quivox would no longer have been in regular use unless there was a pre existing family lair (scots term for a burial plot). Given the existence of other family members in the Churchyard your family probably did have a lair there.

Good luck with your search.

[islay 1]

  Thank you, Falkryn, is there any way of searching the St Quivox records from a distance?Islay, x

[islay 1]

    Is there any way for me to search the church records or monument inscriptions? I live quite far away so unable to come in person, Islay, x

[RJ_Paton]

I'm not aware of any records online for the Churchyard and the book I have (from Troon & Ayrshire FHS) only has one other entry for McCracken (Peter B. Dunlop and his wife Isabel McCracken) and only one entry for Harvey and that is in respect of a Marion Harvey and her husband William McKergow.

This company http://www.scottish-monumental-inscriptions.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=408 claims to have photographed and transcribed all stones in the churchyard but unfortunately as they are a commercial site you need to pay to access the information. I have used them in the past and the photographs are generall of a very high standard - but it may be a waste of money if there is nothing there to be found.
It is possible that your gran was buried there but no alteration was made to the stone ( I have several instances of that happening) or there was no stone raised. I believe your best bet would be the Council contact and then take it from there.