Ancestry adds Aberdeenshire burial registers

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added the following new collection:

Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Burial Registers, 1769-1983
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62691/
Source: Burial Registers, 1769-present. Aberdeen, Scotland: Aberdeen City Council.

About the Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Burial Registers, 1766-1983

This collection contains over two hundred years of records for cemeteries and churchyards across Aberdeenshire from between the years 1769 and 1983. The burial registers list all those interred in a certain burial ground, along with identifying information about them (age, address, etc.). In addition to the registers, this collection also has the sales papers for "lairs" (or burial plots) which include the owner's name, the date of purchase, and the amount paid. The contents of the burial registers and sales papers may vary based on year and location. The records are compiled by burial space and then arranged chronologically.

Using this collection

This collection can hold a wealth of information for those buried in Aberdeenshire. You may discover the following information about your ancestor:

• Name
• Age
• Date of death
• Name of spouse
• Names of parents
• Occupation
• Address

The following cemetery registers are included:

• Allenvale Cemetery
• Cairnie Cemetery
• Drumblade Cemetery
• Essie Cemetery
• Fettercairn Churchyard
• Fordoun Churchyard
• Forgue Cemetery
• Gartly Cemetery
• Garvock Churchyard
• Glass Cemetery
• Grove Cemetery
• John Knox Churchyard
• Marykirk
• Nellfield Cemetery
• Nigg Cemetery
• Old Machar Churchyard
• Rhynie Cemetery Cemetery
• Ruthven and Cairnie
• St. Clements Kirkyard
• St. Nicholas Kirkyard
• St. Peter's Cemetery
• Trinity Cemetery 
• Ythanwells Cemetery

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Unmarked graves at Glasgow Necropolis indexed

I have been informed by Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society that Morag Fyfe and the Friends of the Glasgow Necropolis (www.glasgownecropolis.org) have completed an index to the 26,856 individuals buried in unmarked common graves at this cemetery in Glasgow. 

For a background to the project visit https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/the-unmarked-graves-in-the-glasgow-necropolis/. From what I can see, the database is not freely available, but there is a research service, details of which are at https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/research-assistance/. 

Some stories from the unmarked graves have been included in the group's journal, Grave Matters, available via https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/grave-matters/. 

(With thanks to Murray Archer at GWSFHS)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Who Do You Think You Are? magazine Jan 2024

I've just received the latest Who Do You Think You Are? magazine edition, issue 213, January 2024, which includes an "Around Britain" series article by yours truly on Northern Ireland research and PRONI, the country's national archive (don't worry, I've addressed the geographical elephant in the room in the opening paragraph!).

Another interesting article, for Scots research, is that by Rosemary Collins, who talks to Loraine Duncan and Rhona Barr about their Friends of Hartwood Paupers Cemetery project at https://www.fohpc.com, focussed on the stories of those who were buried in the graveyard at Hartwood Hospital (Lanark District Asylum) near Shotts in Lanarkshire.

Also in the magazine are articles on 50 website to watch next year, finding trade union membership records, and Metropolitan Police records.  

For more on the latest edition, visit https://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/magazine (currently still advertising the Christmas edition at the time of writing, but will be updated soon!)

Chris  

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Friends of Glasgow Necropolis tours in 2023

From The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/glasgownecropolis): 

The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis are delighted to announce that our 2023 tours programme is now available on our website. Throughout 2023, we will be undertaking friendly, informative tours of the magnificent Glasgow Necropolis. 

The first tour kicks off on January 7th - further details at https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/tours-events/#tour2023 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Moray Council resumes headstone stabilisation work in its cemeteries

Moray Council (www.moray.gov.uk) is resuming its inspection of headstones in cemeteries across the region from this month. From the Council's website, the following nformation has been made available:

The work ensures that cemeteries are safe places for visitors, staff and anyone working in them, following a pause in inspections during the covid-19 pandemic.

While responsibility for the overall safety within a cemetery lies with the Burial Authority (Moray Council), the owner of the memorial is responsible for maintaining the memorial in a safe condition.

Inspections should not prevent public access or use of the cemeteries, which will remain open throughout, and will be carried out with the greatest of respect and sensitivity.

Initial inspection assesses the condition of the memorial by carrying out a gentle ‘hand test’ to check for any movement. If the memorial headstone shows no signs of instability a record is made of the inspection having been carried out and the headstone recorded as safe.

If the memorial headstone is found to be unstable and imminently dangerous it will be made safe by the trained memorial safety team. The Council will try to notify the lair holder so they can decide to either leave the stone in its made safe position or to have it repaired at their cost by a suitably trained memorial mason.

Where a memorial is found to be unstable but not imminently dangerous, the Council will try to notify the lair holder by writing to them at the last known address.  In these cases it may be necessary to place a discreet cordon in the area around the headstone for safety reasons. If no action is taken after a maximum period of 12 months, arrangements will be made to make the headstone safe. In the event that the Council cannot make contact with the lair holder every effort will be made to make the memorial safe, usually by trenching the headstone up to one third of its height if it is feasible to do so.

For the full news release, including comments from Moray Council Open Spaces Manager, James Hunter, and information on how to contact the council, visit https://newsroom.moray.gov.uk/news/headstone-stabilisation-programme-resumes-in-moray.

A video demonstrating the inspection process is available at https://youtu.be/FwJXpaFin0I and is reproduced below for convenience:

(With grateful thanks to Doug Stewart at Moray and Nairn Family History Society, http://www.morayandnairnfhs.co.uk)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Council's new free burials database

Thanks to Claire Santry for flagging up that the new free burials database from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is finally now live (in test phase) at https://antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/residents/cemeteries/. I tweeted just over a month ago that I was looking forward to this being released, following an article in the Newtownabbey Times published on February 5th (See https://www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/online-burial-search-initiative-antrim-and-newtownabbey-council-3125265).

The cemeteries included are in the following areas:

• Antrim
• Ballyclare
• Belmont         
• Carnmoney (Main and East)
• Crumlin
• Mallusk
• Sixmile
• Rashee Cemetery
• Umgall

Burial grounds not included:

• Cranfield
• Drummaul
• Kilbride
• Milltown
• Muckamore
• Templepatrick

Let's just say I may not get a lot of work done today! (I have lots of folk in Carnmoney!)

(With thanks to Claire Santry at https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2021/04/new-free-burials-database-for-antrim.html)

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.