Churches in Musselburgh - COMPLETED

[K44ENF]

My 4x gt grandfather, James Hay (1750-1810), was a baker in Market Street in Musselburgh. His burial record states where in the churchyard he is buried. I would like to try to identify which church this would have been. I have done a little poking about on Google to try to identify which churches would have been there at the time, but wondered whether anybody knows of a resource where I could take this research a little bit further.

I would be grateful for any help.

Karen

[tidybooks]

Hi Karen,

Inveresk Churchyard was the biggest in Musselburgh, it is still used today. I will post this link,

http://www.ancestor.abel.co.uk/Inveresk.html#mi

but I think you may need to contact East Lothian Council at the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh for more recent records.

Tom

[suzilad]

Hi Karen,
            The most likely church would be Inveresk Parish Church which was built in 1806 and is next to Inveresk Cemetery,
Between Market Street and the graveyard were the High Kirk , which amalgamated with St. Andrews and is now known as St. Andrews High. The High Kirk is now a doll museum and the other one would be North Esk Parish which was not built until 1838.

suzilad

[Forfarian]

Fullarton's Gazetteer mentions the Parish Church; the Relief Congregation Chapel, built some time after the formation of that congregation in 1783; United Secession Church, rebuilt in 1820; Scottish Episcopal church, built 'about 42 years ago' (the gazetteer is the 1842 edition, but one can't be sure that this detail was updated with every new edition) so would have been in existence in 1810. All the other churches are later than 1810.

I think the likelihood is that it was the Parish Kirk.

See http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT3472

[K44ENF]

Very many thanks to everyone for replying.

It had looked to me as though Inveresk Parish Church was a distinct possibility. I took lots of photos when I was in Musselburgh last week, just in case. I'm reasonably sure that the records I have for James Hay and family are Church of Scotland records. I think I will try an email the Council to see whether I can get a definite answer on it.

Karen

[K44ENF]

East Lothian Council have confirmed to me that my 4x gt grandparents, James Hay and Ann Gray, were buried in the same lair in Inveresk Cemetery, but they do not have records of exactly where the plot is.

James actually has two separate records on ScotlandsPeople recording his burial. One of them says that he is buried "on the south side of the church yard", so I have a rough idea of where they were buried. Another little snippet of information for the old tree.

Very grateful for everyone's help.

Karen