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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) => Topic started by: kmp789 on Sunday 16 December 18 12:04 GMT (UK)
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Hi Everyone
I have a ancestor Margaret McKeich nee Smith who was buried at Bo'ness Old Churchyard on the 10th January 1855 according to her death certificate. We are having trouble locating the burial of her husband John Smellie McKeich and wondered if he might be buried with her.
Not knowing the area at all, can someone please tell me where this Churchyard would be and if there might be lair information somewhere
Many thanks for to anyone who can help
Kim
Australia
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Hi Kim and welcome to Rootschat...perhaps you could make and enquiry here:
https://canmore.org.uk/site/49598/boness-carriden-brae-carriden-old-church-churchyard
Carol
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Hi Kim and welcome to Rootschat...perhaps you could make and enquiry here:
https://canmore.org.uk/site/49598/boness-carriden-brae-carriden-old-church-churchyard
I don't think Canmore would be able to help with a burial record. They maintain an inventory of historic buildings and monuments, but they don't manage burial grounds or burial records.
Did her husband die before or after she did? Have you looked for his burial in the church records or his death in the statutory death records at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk?
If he died before 1855, your best hope is probably monumental inscriptions. There is a booklet of pre-1855 inscriptions in West Lothian. Someone may have a copy handy and be willing to look and see if John Smellie McKeich is listed.
Other than that, you could ask Falkirk Council, who look after the burial grounds in Falkirk District and may have a record of his burial. http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/places/cemeteries-crematorium/
Failing this, it is possible that there might be something in the Carriden Kirk Session records, for example payment for a mortcloth. I believe the Carriden Kirk Session records are held by Falkirk Council Archives, but they may be accessible in digital form at some other archives including the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. See http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/heritage/archives/ - but I have failed to find my way through the rather impenetrable search system so you might need just to contact them direct and ask.
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Hi Forfarian, Many thanks for your wonderful reply and links. I will certainly contact Falkirk Council. There is quiet a story to John Smellie McKeich. All his children have listed there father as John Keith on all there death certs. So for the last 37 years we have searched high and low for a marriage of a John Keith to a Margaret Smith, always coming up empty handed. But my cousin found an Elizabeth Keith living near her brother Thomas in Glasgow and finally searched for her death and found she was Thomas's sister. We then searched for census for her which told us where she was born. So we only put her given name in the search field and up came her baptism in Abacorn West Lothian. It also told us her father was John Smellie McKeich and Margaret Smith, which enabled us to find here marriage in Edinburgh. Only goes to show never give up when faced with a brick wall. After 37 years of searching we are thrilled to have finally found John and his wife Margaret.
John pre deceased Margaret but again we have searched Scotlands People with every know spelling of McKeich,McKeith,Keich & Keith but no luck. But we will not give up, we are determined to find his burial and baptism info.
Once again many thanks for all your help, it is so wonderful to know that there are others out there willing to give a helping hand. Cheers Kim
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Hi Carol, Many thanks for your suggestion, I will give it a try.
Cheers Kim
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Just in case it causes trouble farther along, the Church name is Abercorn, not Abacorn. It lies between Blackness & Queensferry overlooking the River Forth and is an ancient Parish, I have photos on the hard drive somewhere.
James.
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Kim, publications by the Central Scotland Family History Society which includes Bo'ness Old Kirk & Carriden,
www.csfhs.uk/publications.htm
Skoosh.
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I'm thinking Bo'ness Old Churchyard is the one that was divided into Upper and Lower when The Wynd was created to join the lower town centre to the land on higher ground, and The Wynd runs through the centre of the graveyard.