Graves in Gartsherrie Church Yard

[mariac]

Hi there,
   Would anyone know if there is anyway of getting info on the Church Yard at Gartsherrie where according to a death record my GGgrandmother is buried.
  Her name is Elizabeth Sneddon and she died 21/10/1860. I cant make out the name of the place she died. It looks like Whitchurchland Sunnyside?? and she is buried in the churchyard at Gartsherrie.
 Any help would be much appreciated
Thank you
Mariac
 

[apanderson]

Hi Mariac,

The best bet is to drop the Minister (Fiona Nicolson) a wee e-mail. Gartsherrie is now called St. Andrews and they have a web site:  http://www.saintandrewscoatbridge.org  The main gates are open a few times a week for various organisations holding meetings or whatever in the hall and obviously on Sunday mornings.

During the summer I attempted to transcribe and photograph the existing stones in Gartsherrie Churchyard but unfortunately didn't come across any Sneddons. There are quite a lot of fallen stones and a lot of these are typically face down or have sunk down into the ground and are covered by grass.

I checked the MI's I've got to see if perhaps there were any Elizabeths listed by another name (you didn't say whether Sneddon was her maiden or married name) but they're all 'accounted for'.

Anne

[mariac]

Hi Ann,
  Thank you for your reply. Your information is very much appreciated. I might wait til after Xmas to email the Minister as she is probably busy at this time of year.
  Sneddon was Elizabeth's married name her single name was Wyper/Whyper/Wiper.  Elizabeth died in 1860 so perhaps her grave may be covered by grass.
  Thanks again for your help
Regard Mariac

May you have a very Happy Christmas
 

[Lodger]

Hi Mariac, I may be wrong but I think there are burial records for this churchyard at the North Lanarkshire Council Archives in Cumbernauld, if not burial, then baptisms that wont be on the IGI. A google search should bring up the web site. North Lanarkshire Council Cemeteries Department (at Bellshill) also has a Day Book for Gartsherrie 1844 - 1885. I have no idea what information that has but I would think it would be quite basic.

Lodger.

[monklandsonline]

During the summer I attempted to transcribe and photograph the existing stones in Gartsherrie Churchyard but unfortunately didn't come across any Sneddons. There are quite a lot of fallen stones and a lot of these are typically face down or have sunk down into the ground and are covered by grass.
Anne

Hi Anne

I have been searching the Gartsherrie Churchyard for a headstone for Thomas Gilchrist without success - I wonder if you chanced to find it when transcribing?

I have an article about him on my website www.monklands.co.uk/CoatbridgeCo-operative/chapter2.htm

An extract:
He died 25 September 1892. The remains of the late dean of Guild Gilchrist were interred on Wednesday in Gartsherrie Churchyard. The funeral was perhaps the largest and most influentially attended that has ever been witnessed in Coatbridge. There was as befitted the character of the deceased, an absence of  "Pomp and circumstance" in the obsequies, there being simply a hearse followed by the mourners and public on foot, the distance from Colt Terrace to the graveyard being short.

A funeral service was conducted at the residence of the deceased by Rev, Alex Ogilvy. Free Middle Church, of whose congregation the late Dean was a member.


Can you help?

John

[apanderson]

Hello John,

Sorry, but I didn't have any more luck than you did.

As Lodger suggested earlier on this thread, it might be worthwhile e-mailing North Lanarkshire Archives and see if they've got anything. If they had lair/burial records, you might (with a bit of luck) be able to locate where he's buried and by a process of elimination, find a stone. It would be sods law of course if his was one of the ones buried or lying face down.

Anne.

P.S. Welcome to Rootschat! 

[mariac]

Hi,
  I did email the Minister at Gartsherrie just after Christmas and had a reply email saying she would get back to me but as yet I have not heard anymore.
 I have not written to  North Lanarkshire Archives as yet but it might be time for me to do that.
Regards
Mariac

[monklandsonline]

Hi Ann
Many thanks for the welcome and the information.

I have asked a few people concerned with Gartsherrie, including the Minister and Session Clerk - aparently all the cemetry records were transferred to North Lanarkshire Cemetries a few years ago.  I contacted them (NLC) and was informed that their Gartsherrie records start in 1905.

No luck so far - wouldnt it be nice if someone could restore the headstones that are currently lying face down.  (I wish I had a small crane)?

In the meantime I will continue my search for the grave of Thomas Gilchrist - he was a very influential person in the Coatbridge area in the late 1800s - he was one of the prime movers in the formation of the Coatbridge Co-operative Society and Coatbridge Burgh.  I would normally expect that such a person would have a special headstone.

As you may have guessed I am interested in both Genealogy and Local History.  It was genealogy that got me started in Local History!!

I am still researching the History of the Co-op and now Thomas!

John at www.monklands.co.uk 

[apanderson]

I'm not surprised that NLC only have reasonably recent stuff.

There are two stones in the Churchyard mentioning Gilchrists and I was having a wee think (after having read through the article on your site John), saying Thomas Gilchrist didn't want any fuss or ceremony. He might not have wanted his name to be added?

The following MIs are from the 'Gilchrist' stones but obviously might not be connected.

1. (This inscription is very difficult to read - please remember this is only my best guess as to what it says)
Andrew Gilchrist and Jane Gray in memory of their son who died in infancy            
NELLIE died 26th  September 1880 aged ..? years                     
MAGGIE died ………….? Aged 3? Years
The above JANE GRAY  ……………?   
The above ANDREW GILCHRIST ……………?  (Remainder of inscription illegible)

2.
Erected to the memory of JOHN FLEMING, Farmer, Faskine died April 1885 aged 51 years      
And MARY SHAW GILCHRIST his wife died September 1924 aged 86 years
Also HELEN FLEMING their daughter died December 1926 aged 52 years
And ANN SHAW FLEMING their daughter died October 1959 aged 65 years

No. 2 (above) seems to be the most recent date amongst all the existing stones. The people mentioned may or may not actually be buried there - who knows!

I have photos (albeit not very good) of both stones and you're more than welcome to copies of them.

Anne