Burial grounds for St. Mary's RC Church in Edinburgh

[Flowerdoll]

On a 1871 census Patrick and his kids are listed as being born in St. Cuthberts and the census Edinburgh Midlothian. The last info I have on Patrick is a 1901 census listing him living in Edinburgh Midlothian with a new woman and 3 more kids. I lost track of Patrick's wife Margaret and one of their children died at 1 1/2 and the other 2 came to Nova Scotia as home children with Emma Sterling.

I got the names of Margaret's parents Hugh Hillis and Elizabeth(Finnigan) from her marriage record and that is all I have on them, the connection with St. Mary's with their children being baptized there and them being married at St. Patrick's Church.

Patrick's parents James and Susan (McClusky), both were born in Antrim Co.  Ireland also have ties to St. Mary's with their children being baptized there so I am thinking they lived and died in the same area.

[mulvenna]

Hi Flowerdoll

I realise a few months have passed since your original post, so you have probably been and gone on your Edinburgh trip.

I've been doing a bit of research on folk living in the Cowgate in Edinburgh who were often baptised and married either at their local church (St Patrick's) or the RC cathedral (St. Mary's) which was referred to simply as St Mary's Church, Broughton Street. It can be found at the junction of York Place and Broughton Street, but as has been mentioned neither church has a burial ground.

The death registrations c1860 seem to include a burial place so I'll just go through a few i have to see where RC folk buried their dead in 1850s, 1860s

[Just had 3 death regs with burial places]

1859 West Church burying grounds
1860 West Church yard
1860 New Calton burying ground

Gerry

[Forfarian]

the RC cathedral (St. Mary's) which was referred to simply as St Mary's Church, Broughton Street.

According to 'The Buildings of Scotland' it was made into a Cathedral rather than a chapel or church in 1878.

[Flowerdoll]

Gerry, we have not made the trip yet We are going in May 2017.  Our hopes were to do the searching before we go since we do not have a lot of time to look while we are in Edinburgh.  I realize they could be buried in anywhere but I though since they were RC looking at those burial grounds first would be a start.

No luck with Ancestry to find death certificates so that leaves us looking at Scotspeople  when we get there. That should show where they were buried, again cutting into the time we have to find the right burial place.

[Forfarian]

No luck with Ancestry to find death certificates

Don't waste your time. See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0

SP .... That should show where they were buried, again cutting into the time we have to find the right burial place.

The burial place is only listed on death certificates until about 1860, so looking up later certificates will not help to find where anyone was buried.

Burial records for most cemeteries in Edinburgh are in the care of the City of Edinburgh Council. See http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20019/burials_and_cremations/316/burial_records. What the web site says is not exactly encouraging; I think you can be pretty certain that if you start trying to contact them after you arrive in Edinburgh you will not get the information in time.

You are obviously in touch with St Mary's Cathedral. Have you thought of asking them where they think members of their congregation would have been buried in the mid-19th century? That's a slightly different question from what you have already asked, and you might get a more useful answer.

[Flowerdoll]

I am sure the church gets a great many requests about people looking for their ancestors. I understand them saying they do not know where people might be buried. Just because they are RC does not mean they are buried in an RC graveyard. I did read that when you do find a burial record you have to apply for more info so yes, not enough time for us to do that.

I think when we go to Scotspeople and do more searching it will fill in some blanks in my research and correct anything not right. At the very least we can find the streets where our ancestors might have lived, the church where they attended and see the beautiful city.

I had hoped by asking on a site such as this one I might hit on someone looking for the same family lines

[Forfarian]

At the very least we can find the streets where our ancestors might have lived, the church where they attended and see the beautiful city.

If I may, I will offer one piece of advice. Don't even think about trying to drive in Edinburgh. It is difficult to move around, and even more difficult (and very expensive) to park. Most of the places you have mentioned are within walking distance of one another, and there is an excellent bus service.

[Flowerdoll]

  No driving for us!  We will be staying in Leith and taking public transport around the city.

[mulvenna]

Good to hear this is an active thread.

I gather now that "West Church burial grounds" refers to the graveyard at St Cuthbert's (at the bottom of Lothian Road).

As a general query, how were the burial arrangements handled by poor RC folk in Edinburgh mid 19th century?

The people I'm researching were all illiterate and death was an all too frequent visitor on their households (round about the Cowgate). I'm guessing that there were unmarked sections of the graveyards at St Cuthbert's and Calton Hill for those who couldn't afford headstones etc and weren't in the Church of Scotland.

The St Cuthbert's website http://www.st-cuthberts.net/famhist.php#graves refers us to the Recorder of District Burial Grounds at Mortonhall Cremetorium who hold the chronological register of burials at St Cuthbert's from 1804 to the present day. It is just a diary, so you need to make an appointment armed with exact dates by the sound of it.

Gerry