find a grave

[pathas66]

My great grandfather James Duncan (born 1850 in Rothsay) died in 1883 in Newbattle near Dalkieth. He was from Glasgow but was nursed through TB by his pregnant wife and her family.
My question is why can't I find his grave?
Cremation did not come in in Scotland until 1890. The death notice is in the Glasgow Herald but does not mention a funeral or burial.
There is no record of probate either....Any ideas?

[CaroleW]

Were the family in a financial position to buy a private grave?

[pathas66]

he is listed in the Glasgow trade directory for 1883 as "Duncan, James, master saddler and harness maker" and in the 1881 census he is listed as employing 2 men and a boy. So ye he probably was

[River Tyne Lass]

I have come across quite a few reasonably well off people who did not have a purchased grave or who had a purchased grave with no memorial - which makes it harder to find. 
I think it might have depended on his family's needs.  If his widow had children to support she may have decided (understandably) to not spend money on a grave and memorial.
Find out what cemeteries were closest to where he was living when he died.  Then try to find out where the registers are kept.  Where I live quite a few registers can be viewed for free at the local studies when it is open.
You may end up having to contact the local bereavement services if local cemetery registers can't be viewed elsewhere for free.
You could try putting a request at a possible local cemetery on Find A Grave with a message on saying that he might be buried there but you are not certain.  Then if someone comes across this they might take a photo for you if there is a memorial.

[Enumerated]

You could try putting a request at a possible local cemetery on Find A Grave with a message on saying that he might be buried there but you are not certain.

Sorry, but this would be against the rules of the Findagrave website. You are only supposed to make memorials on Findagrave for known dispositions. Taking a guess and making a memorial in a likely cemetery without any definite knowledge is called "plopping".

[rosie17]

There is a tree on Ancestry that has him buried at Newbattle Grave Yard
Interred 18 September 1883
Plot 25/11
Nothing showing on deceased on line or other sites
Might be best to contact Midlothian Council Archives to see if they can help

Rosie

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Sorry, but this would be against the rules of the Findagrave website. You are only supposed to make memorials on Findagrave for known dispositions. Taking a guess and making a memorial in a likely cemetery without any definite knowledge is called "plopping".

It doesn't seem to stop a number from posting memorials based on obits barely 24 hours after a death and days before a funeral has taken place.