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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Angus (Forfarshire) => Topic started by: Lauraine on Thursday 28 April 16 00:20 BST (UK)
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:D In about 2 weeks my daughter & I are going to Shetland & then flying into Aberdeen & will proceed down the coast. We are stopping in Arbroath. Most of my relatives moved from the area years in the 1800's, but we are interested in this gravestone. Does anyone know WHERE in Arbroath, Angus , it might be?
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at a guess try the cemetary on the forfar road just west of town - there is also a cemetary at the Arbroath abbey, but by google your picture looks less likely there.
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Thank you so much. Funny as I thought it was the Abby one, but will try the other & then if we can't spot it go to the Abby. This will be my first trip to Scotland & my daughter will be driving us around - on the wrong side of the roads. She is from Canada too so not sure how well she will do. ;D
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Hi Lauraine,
Struggling to read........can you post the details (as much as you know) about the person(s) you are interested in please?
Names/dates/maiden names/kids etc........which will give us a better idea & a likely chance of others connected to your tree recognising names too who may be able to help.
Annie
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Most of the Herd/Hird's moved to Canada tho one returned to Scotland to marry his sweetheart & then returned. He was my G. Grandfather, David Thomson Herd/Hird. He married a Jessica Nicol who was living in Arbroath. She is the daughter of Alexander Webster Nicol & Isabel Shand. My GG Grandfather was William Duncan Herd b. 1825 in Fife & married Mary Croll b. 1824 in Farnell - her dad was a forester or labourer for the Carnegie Estate.
My 3x Great Grandfather was Archibald Herd/Hird who lived in Carnoustie & b.1800 in Kincaple m to an Elizabeth Duncan b. 1776 - have been unable to find their marriage document (have tried Scotland's Peoples) She was 15 years older than he was so probably a marriage of convenience & his Will does not show them being that close. ???
My 4x great grandfather was Archibald "David" Herd b 1765 who married a Margaret Hardie b 1776 in 1796 in Forgan, Fife.
Note: We know where Archibald Herd/Hirid & wife are buried at Invergowrie & plan on going there to see if the stone for her is still standing. We have a transcript of the site as well. Have all the children for the couples too.
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"my daughter will be driving us around - on the wrong side of the road"
If you have a choice and want to pay a bit extra hire an automatic car. Manual Transmission (or stick shift in the language south of the Canadian Border) are just that much more difficult to get used to. What I do when driving on the CORRECT SIDE of the road is in the morning I always WALK to the edge of the hotel parking lot and study the traffic for a few minutes before getting into my rental car. Then I can drive to the left or to the right according to where I want to go. It seems that Canada was the only country to decide to travel on the wrong side of the road from what the Mother Country was driving.
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We have already rented a car & it is of course an automatic. Although my daughter learned to drive a stick shift with my first car, we all have automatics now. Thank you for the tip though. All people drive on the right side of the road in Canada & the U.S. & believe they also drive on the right side in France. ;D
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Have a look at deceasedonline.com, they have information on Arbroath burials, or contact Angus Council, who may be able to provide details and who owns the lair (the grave).
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Fairly sure it's not the Abbey http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2997232
Could be the Eastern, which is on the main A92 north towards Montrose and Aberdeen http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/335184
or the Western, which is on the A933 towards Brechin and Forfar
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/65656
www.deceasedonline.com will tell you the answer.
As for driving on the left, I understand that from Roman times until Napoleon Bonaparte came on the scene and decided to change things, it was the norm to drive on the left, because the coachman normally sat on the right-hand side of the coach because more people are right-handed than left-handed and would hold their whip in their right hand, so it made sense to pass right ride to right side. So the left side is really the right side and all you folk who drive on the right side are on the wrong side ;)
It's actually no big deal. I've driven both right-hand and left-hand manual drive cars and left-hand automatic cars in various parts of Europe and North America. Just think carefully when you drive off - say out loud 'drive on the left' as you start the car, and take extra care when turning right.
And whatever you do, don't even think about considering to attempt to drive in Edinburgh. There are an awful lot of one-way streets and streets with one end closed off. It's very difficult to get moving, almost impossible to stop if you do get moving, and very expensive to park. There is an excellent bus service. Dump the car and use the buses.
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According to deceasedonline Emily Donaldson Hird ( who appears on the stone) is buried in the western cemetery. Easiest way to find the entry is to put in just Hird and 1941 as date of death as Emily is mistranscribed. Date of death 8th August 1941 ( death notice in Arbroath Herald).
Isobel
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Hi Lauraine,
You've got William Duncan Hird born in Fife? If his father was Archibald was this not his birth:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYJV-125
It's just on the 1871 census (transcription ONLY) William's place of birth is given as Lochee, Forfarshire which was part of Liff and Benvie parish?
Jen
PS when in Arbroath you MUST eat smokies straight from the smoke house....
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Thanks to all of you who have replied. Okay will try to find the gravesite on-line so we should be able to find it without too many problems. We do NOT plan on driving in Edinburgh but to take the bus about - believe we are spending a couple of nights there & going from Edinburgh by either bus or train back to Glasgow where we also plan to take the bus about. My daughter has found good hotels which are handy to the bus stops.
We are spending the lst 6 days in Shetland visiting with my cousin & hope we get to see lots of various things; That is where my G G. Gradfather Laurence Smith came from. as well as his Grandfather. My GGGG Grandfather Herd came from ? but married in Forgan. Believe he came from Fife. Knoe the most of the ancestors came to Canada or New Zealand & perhaps Australia with one lot going to South Africa. This family did chose a wide range of places.
Thank you so much for replying to each & every one of you. :D :D
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A few years back my cousin visited Arbroath and was taken to this gravesite where he took a photo:
http://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/6/6b/Herd-240.jpg
He sent the photo to me, but unfortunately cannot read what it says. Although we were in Arbroath this past May did not manage to get to this graveyard tho we did get to see David's son Archibald grave in Invergowrie Scotland and took pictures of the stone.
Is there anyone on the site who could go and copy down what the gravestone says for me in Arbroath? I live in Canada and would really appreciate it
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I can do this for you, which cemetery is it in?
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I am not sure which cemetery it is in but don't think it is the oldest one. It may be one on the outskirts of Arbroath?? Unsure.
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It's already been posted here that Emily Donaldson Hird who is on the gravestone was buried (according to deceasedonline) in Western Cemetery so presumably this is where the gravestone is??
Annette
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Have been investigating Emily Donaldson Hird who died in 1941 - she was a spinster born 20/8/1869 Dunnichen, Angus to Alexander Hird and Elizabeth Donaldson (married 3/12/1861 Dunnichen).
Alexander Hird was born 1840 Dunnichen, son of George Hird and Elizabeth Weir (married 15/6/1832 Dunnichen).
George Hird shown on census as born circa 1799 Forfar and familysearch shows George Hird b.16/100/1798 Forfar, Angus, son of George Hird and Mary Laurence (married 29/10/1797 Dunnichen).
1841 census shows George senior bc.1773 Angus and that's as far as I can go.
It doesn't sound like this gravestone relates to your particular branch of the Hird family.
Findagrave lists 10 Hird's buried in Western Cemetery, Arbroath including aforementioned Emily Donaldson Hird whose name is clearly read on your photo. As detailed above, her line goes back to a George Hird married to a Mary Laurence in 1797 Dunnichen. All of the 10 Hird listings on findagrave are descended from this couple.
It certainly looks like the gravestone is in Western Cemetery (viewing other photos online the grounds look the same) but the gravestone itself does not appear to relate to your particular family line.
Annette
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Thank you so much. Can see that they are probably not related to my family. This branch of the Hird/Herd's seemed to emigrate to either New Zealand or Canada. My group came to Canada in 1871-1872 with my great grandfather returning to Scotland to marry his sweetheart in Arbroath. After the marriage they returned to Canada. I have records for the New Zealand lot as well. This lot is probably cousins but cannot connect them readily. Appreciate your help and will forward this information to my cousin who probably thinks they was a relationship. I did get pictures for Archibald Hird wife's gravesite - he is also buried in same grave but not identified on the stone. They are buried in Invergowrie, Scotland.
I could not readily read the stone as it was submitted to me. My eyes are getting on in years so appreciate all who helped out.