Dalbeth Cemetery Lair Costs

[maggbill]

With lots of help, I have been able to find  full details (even photo) of the Dalbeth Cemetery Lair of my great grandfather Hugh McNab.  I am not attaching this question to old posts, because it is more of a general question re Dalbeth Cemetery and burial costs in general.

My question is - would a large lair (which eventually had 6 adults and 4 children buried in it) be very expensive?  The time frame of use of the grave was between 1872 and 1919.  There are just some things which don't seem to add up.  Hugh who is named as "Owner" of grave was just an illiterate Steel Foundry Worker.  He had 2 wives - first wife, being the first burial in the lair. (and no others from her family being buried in it  thereafter).  There are then various infants of Hugh's and adult burials of  relatives of his second wife!  What interests me is that the lair is not used for any of at least 3, maybe 5 of his own siblings who died/could have died within that time frame. 

I suppose I am being a bit weird - worrying about the details of who paid for/used a family lair - but just wonder if anyone knows what sort of costs would be involved for the actual purchase of a large lair (not for individual burials which are "costed" in CPR burial records.)  Interestingly Hugh may have paid for the lair, but ended up being buried in Common Ground in Greenock Cemetery... as an "unknown man" - drowning, not with his family.  That's fate for you !!  Any ideas any one?

Maggs

[gerryfarrell]

HI Maggs,

Your GGfathers lair although large compared to todays standard lair wasn't back then. Most of the lairs in old Dalbeth are what we would class a double lair today and many of them have full families in  them.
My GGfather has 3 of his 4 wives in with him and two of his own children and two of his brothers children in the standard lair.
His lair was purchased in 1861 and cost thirty shillings, he didnt seem to be a man of great wealth either so it does make you wonder if the church allowed it to be paid up?

Gerry

[maggbill]

Hi there Gerry,

Thanks for the info!  I was hoping you would come up with some words of wisdom!!  Knew you had the knowledge!

30 Shillings for a standard lair isn't really a huge amount - that info puts my Hugh's situation more in perspective... I was thinking it would have been more.. although even in those days, it would have been a fair amount - sort of gives an impression he thought enough of his first wife to make the effort!  What a pity he didn't end up being buried there himself.  He was actually buried in Greenock within about two days of his drowning... He was "missing"... and i think his second wife wasn't advised  - she registers his death about 7 days later (recognised by report of his clothing?) ... too late - he was already buried in Greenock.

I just rembered details from Hugh's parents "Poor Law Relief application" info which I manged to get  - it gave Hugh's wages as being 15 shillings a week (about 7 years before his first wife's death) - so if he bought a double lair - it would be just a couple of month's wages... ?? Still a lot when they lived basically week to week!

Re the Church allowing the lairs to be paid up?  Hmmmm wonder if they made similar arrangements for a place in heaven???!!! 

Cheers and thanks again for your input
Maggs

[angelai]

Hi Maggs
I have attached a register of death from 1921 for Dalbeath. It gives the amounts that they paid.
Ang

[gerryfarrell]

Hi Angelai,
I don't think your image has attached.
As youve called it the register of death I'm assuming its a page from the register of interments from 1921 for Dalbeth St Peter's the newer section of the cemetery as the older Dalbeth cemetery was closed for new lairs by this date.
The cost shown in these pages are the cost of opening the lair for the interment rather than the purchase of the lair. There is a number on the burial register which refers to the entry number in the register of lair owners for that lair.

Having said that, I would imagine the costs of both purchasing a lair oropening a lair would be the same in both sections.

[angelai]

Hi Gerry
I remembered afterwards that I could not post it because of copyright. I have cropped the section that you had mentioned.

[gerryfarrell]

Thanks Angelai,

That is indeed a extract from the Register of burials or daybook for St Peter's Dalbeth which is the newer section, I can tell that by the lair numbers.
I've attached a Old Dalbeth one from 1886, to try and help anyone who gets mixed up with Old Dalbeth and Dalbeth St Peters Cemetery.
1 - The heading for the old part only says Dalbeth - newer ones state St Peter's
2 - Columns as folllows - Date / Name of deceased / Years (Age) / Disease (Cause of death) (the small number next to this is the entry number in the Lair owners register of that Lair) / Lair No & location - Old Dalbeth only has WS (West side), ES (East side), WW (West Wall), EW (East wall), SW (South Wall) / Cost of opening the lair.

St Peters which is massive has divisional then numbered sections.

[maggbill]

HI Angelai and Gerry,

Again - lots of great info contributing to the knowledge of Dalbeth/St. Peters - i have many known and definitely lots of unknown relatives and ancestors therein - in both the old and new.

If ever I have the money for another final trip back to the "homeland", I am going to make sure to spend as much time as possible following up lots of info supplied by great RC (and I mean Rootschatter, eve more than  the other "RC") - friends.

What would I ever have done without Rootschat? !!
Cheers everyone
Maggs