Author Topic: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner  (Read 4293 times)

Offline Graeme Kirkwood

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Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« on: Thursday 14 January 16 06:03 GMT (UK) »
These 2 lived and had many children in Cambusnethan in the latter part of 17th century. I have traced their daughter  Lilias Seton, Elizabeth, Isobel and son James and probably John. Where are Thomas and Mary buried?  Thomas was a master joiner. Lilias is buried in the Cambusnethan Cemetery in the Cairns lair although she married William Dalziel. Can anyone shed any light on the parents? I am particularly interested in daughter Margaret and whether she married a John Yule?

Offline DonM

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 14 January 16 17:24 GMT (UK) »
I see a Betty, Elisabeth (1781), Elisabeth (1786), Isobel, James, Janet, John, Lillias Seton, Margaret (1777), Margaret (1790), Mary and Thomas. 

There is only one marriage of a Marg Burns/John Yule in Hamilton in 1779 so I bit early I think.  There is a William Yule and Marg Burns in 1832 that was in Lochwinnoch and Gorbals.  There may be a marriage of Marg to a John Yule but it might have been a nonconformist union. 

I see in the 1841 Census a John/Marg Yule, East Haddington both 50 but no other entries within the 50-55 age range.

Don
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Offline Lodger

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #2 on: Friday 15 January 16 02:19 GMT (UK) »
Thomas and Mary will most probably have been buried in the old churchyard at Cambusnethan. There is a very large family plot with three separate headstones on it. I believe this is where they are. 2 of the stones are identical and I think the easiest way to do this is to give you the transcriptions from each stone. The relationship is usually to the first name on the stone unless otherwise stated.

"1868 Erected by the Rev James Burns, minister at Nairn in memory of his father John who died 28th March 1866 aged 86 years. His mother Sarah Smith died 31st January 1853 aged 68 years. His brother William died 25th March 1867 aged 57 years. His brother John died 10th October 1836 aged 19 years. His sister Janet died 30th December 1836 aged 24 years. His nephew Archibald Bell died 3rd October 1843 aged 4 years & 6 months. His sister Sarah died 29th July 1895 aged 75 years. His sister Marion died 28th January 1896 aged 73 years. The above Rev James Burns died 17th May 1897 aged 72 years and is interred at Nairn".

next stone -

"1891 Martin Bell died 26th October 1874 aged 68 years. His wife Mary Burns died 7th August 1888 aged 73 years. Their son Archibald died 3rd October 1843 aged 4 years & 6 months. Their daughter Marion died 26th November 19(. . ) aged 73 years (wife of Matthew Cleland, Cambusnethan)".
These two headstones match exactly in design.

next stone -

"Erected by William Burns in memory of his wife Janet Yetts who died 5th December 1808 aged 27 years".  On the reverse of this stone is inscribed -
"Thomas Burns died 17th November 1830 aged 36 years, husband of Marion Russell. Their daughter Susan died 1828. Their daughter Jean died 1838. Their daughter Marion died 1845".

OK, proof that this is the right family.
Extracts from the gravediggers Day Book -

JOHN BURNS, joiner proprietor, Bonkle, aged 86 years, widower.
Parents - Thomas Burns & Mary Gardener.
Buried in the old churchyard on 3rd April 1866.
(These details match with the John Burns on the first headstone).

WILLIAM SMITH, proprietor, Bonkle, aged 57 years, unmarried.
Parents - John Burns & Sarah Smith.
Interred in the old churchyard on 29th March 1867.

The Plot Book for the churchyard only begins about 1876, this is the information for the above plot, which seems to have been sub-divided over the years -
Owners (in Victorian times) Thomas Burns & Rev James Burns.
In the south lair -
Marion Cleland, aged 73 years, interred 28th November 1918.
In the centre lair -
Marion Bell, aged 74 years, 10th August 1888.
In the north lair -
Sarah Burns, aged 75 years, 31st July 1895.

For the William burns & Janet Yetts stone -
Owner - Marion Russell.
In the centre plot -
Catherine Burns, aged 70 years, 3rd September 1894.

Other extracts from the Day Book -

ISABELLA BURNS, Blair's Orchard, aged 74 years, widow.
Parents - Thomas Burns & Mary Gardener.
Old churchyard on 3rd January 1861.
(Do you know if she married James Martin?)

JAMES BURNS, joiner, Newmains, aged 81 years, unmarried.
Parents - Thomas Burns & (. . . . . ) Gardner.
Old churchyard on 17th January 1877.

JANET SMITH, housewife, Cocket Hat, aged 85 years, widow.
Parents - Thomas Burns & Mary Gardner.
Old churchyard on 8th March 1879.

LILIAS DALZIEL, Wishaw, aged 91 years, widow.
Parents - Thomas Burns & Mary Gardner.
Old churchyard on 2nd July 1879.

MARION BURNS, housewife, Glasgow, aged 80 years, widow.
Parents - Thomas Burns & Marion Russell.
Old churchyard on 7th June 1869.

SARAH SMITH MARSHALL, Newmains, aged 74 years, widow.
Parents - Martin Bell & Mary Burns.
Old churchyard on 21st February 1911.

Janet Smith who lived at the Cocket Hat (an area in Wishaw at the corner of Kirk Road & Coltness Road) who was buried 8th March 1879, is in a Smith family plot. The Plot Book gives the following information -
In the centre lair -
Janet Smith, aged 85 years, 8th March 1879.
Mary Smith, aged 64 years, 1st February 1892.
In the North lair -
William Smith, aged 37 years, 14th July 1892.

I hope you can make sense of all this?
Here is a picture of the Burns, Yetts and Russell stone, I only have the one side. If the weather is clear at the weekend I'll try and take another picture.







Paterson, Torrance, Gilchrist - Hamilton Lanarkshire. 
McCallum - Oban, McKechnie - Ross of Mull Argyll.
Scrim - Perthshire. 
Liddell - Polmont,
Binnie - Muiravonside Stirlingshire.
Curran, McCafferty, Stevenson, McCue - Co Donegal
Gibbons, Weldon - Co Mayo.
Devlin - Co Tyrone.
Leonard - County Donegal & Glasgow.

Offline Graeme Kirkwood

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #3 on: Friday 15 January 16 05:56 GMT (UK) »
Great. Thanks so much. Lodger, you have them all. I am so grateful to you. When I discovered your entries I knew you were thorough. Coming to Scotland from Australia this year. I think I am connected to both daughters Elizabeth and Margaret. You have just proven the Elizabeth connection. Elizabeth Burns (daughter of Thomas and Mary) married Alexander Douglas and had 2 daughters, Christina and Joanna who married Yules (2 brothers) from Haddington. I am trying to see whether the daughter Margaret of Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner married a John Yule in Haddington and was the mother of the 2 Yule boys who married Elizabeth's daughters. This would make them first cousins! I believe this Margaret married a Wilson first and then John Yule. I am descended from this union.
John Yule was a blacksmith and he and Margaret Burns lived in Haddington until at least 1851. After that - nothing! No deaths, wills - nothing. Their daughter Janet (Jessie) married John Frier and came to Australia n the 1850s.
You have no idea how thankful I am to find some new verifiable information on this family of mine!. My dad is 91 and the great, great grandson of Margaret Burns and John Yule. At the very least I have found his great great grandaunt. If I can prove my Margaret Burns was Elizabeth Burns' sister, I have won the lottery.


Offline Graeme Kirkwood

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #4 on: Friday 15 January 16 10:51 GMT (UK) »
In answer to the question: yes, my research shows Isabella Burns (died at Blairs Orchard) , daughter of Thomas Burns and Mary Gardienr did marry James Martin (Marten).

Offline Lodger

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #5 on: Friday 15 January 16 12:55 GMT (UK) »
Hi Graeme, I have sent a reply by PM.
Paterson, Torrance, Gilchrist - Hamilton Lanarkshire. 
McCallum - Oban, McKechnie - Ross of Mull Argyll.
Scrim - Perthshire. 
Liddell - Polmont,
Binnie - Muiravonside Stirlingshire.
Curran, McCafferty, Stevenson, McCue - Co Donegal
Gibbons, Weldon - Co Mayo.
Devlin - Co Tyrone.
Leonard - County Donegal & Glasgow.

Offline AztecLime

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #6 on: Monday 18 January 16 11:21 GMT (UK) »
Hi Graeme,

After reading your posts it seems that we have some ancestors in common.  John Yule and Margaret Burns, and Alexander Douglass and Elisabeth Burns are my 4th Great Grandparents.  My family line comes from John and Margaret's son John Yule (b.1824) who married Alexander and Elisabeth's daughter Christina Douglas (b.1827). 
Until I saw your post I had always wondered if Margaret and Elisabeth were sisters - and it seems it was likely judging by the records on familysearch.org and the information from you.
Like you, I have been unable to find any information about John and Margaret in regards to their deaths - it's like they just ceased to be!
Until a couple of days ago I had no idea that John (b.1824) had any siblings until I put together that Jessie and Janet were the same person - I must check the passenger lists to see if they came to Australia together.
If you would like to compare family trees I'm more than happy to.  :)

Offline Graeme Kirkwood

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #7 on: Monday 18 January 16 13:10 GMT (UK) »
Hi Azteclime
John Yule came to Queensland Australia and Janet (Jessie) Yule married John Frier in Haddington and came to Tasmania. I have still not been able to establish whether Margaret Burns and Elizabeth Burns were sisters. I am descended from Janet (Jessie) and John Frier and I live in Tasmania. Are you in Queensland. I would like to compare trees.

Offline Lodger

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Re: Thomas Burns and Mary Gardiner
« Reply #8 on: Monday 18 January 16 14:53 GMT (UK) »
It VERY clearly states in the 1851 census that Margaret Burns was born in the town of Berwick, Berwickshire. It is Berwick - not Lanark. I have checked the original document and there is no way round it.
In my opinion Margaret and Elizabeth were not sisters. It would work out nicely if they had been but, that's not what doing a family tree is all about, sorry!
Paterson, Torrance, Gilchrist - Hamilton Lanarkshire. 
McCallum - Oban, McKechnie - Ross of Mull Argyll.
Scrim - Perthshire. 
Liddell - Polmont,
Binnie - Muiravonside Stirlingshire.
Curran, McCafferty, Stevenson, McCue - Co Donegal
Gibbons, Weldon - Co Mayo.
Devlin - Co Tyrone.
Leonard - County Donegal & Glasgow.