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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: flamingo66 on Wednesday 14 April 10 20:51 BST (UK)
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Hi,
I am researching the Leggats of Edinburgh, my maternal grandfather's family, and using Ancestry I have traced the line back to 1780. My ancestors had a Whipmakers shop for generations at 36 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, which had a Royal Warrant from Queen Victoria granted in 1845.
From the censuses on there I have found that the family lived at no 4 Brown Square with two servants, and also at Richmond Place,16 Chapel Street, 55 Candlemakers Row and both 2 and 59 Lauriston Place. I wondered if anyone knew of any resources available (esp online/by post - I live in Manchester!) to find out what these streets were like in the 1800s, or if there are any early photos of them? In Manchester we have the local library street Image Collection (http://www.images.manchester.gov.uk), are any similar resources available for Edinburgh?
Also, Andrew Leggat b1805, Edinburgh, d01/06/1827 in New York, (aged 22) but was buried back in Greyfriars in a family grave. On his father's death register (also buried in same plot) I am struggling to read the handwriting for where the plot is located, which I would like to see when I go to Edinburgh in June. It looks like it says '3 D.O.N Marlyan Tomb' - does this mean anything to anyone, and does anyone please have a plot map for the kirkyard? If you need me to send a copy of the Scotlands People scan to have a look let me know, I just didn't want to get in trouble for posting a copyrighted scan! ;)
Also, his two nephews George and James Leggat moved to New York too between 1861 (census) and 05/06/1866 (date of Edinburgh Gazette stating current residence), leaving their wives/children behind in Edinburgh, then moving back before 1871 (they are back on the censuses). I presume the family had another business over there. How common was it for people to travel from Edinburgh to New York and back in those days? Would it have been a very long journey by ship?
Hope I've not waffled on too much (bad habit)! If anyone else is researching Leggats I would love to hear from you. ;D
Katie
There is a family grave in old Greyfriars Kirkyard
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This is a good site for old pictures/photos of Edinburgh:
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/
And you could try here:
http://www.capitalcollections.org.uk/
As far as burial plots are concerned, the position of a plot was often described in relation to one of the more prominent tombs or plots in the kirkyard. Unfortunately I've no idea what the description you gave might mean except that perhaps you should look for the Marlyan (or whatever) tomb.
Nell
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Hi Katie
Would love to get in touch. Your gggg grandfather is my gggrandfather. I live in Ettrickbridge in Scottish Borders. Avril J.
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Welcome to Rootschat Avril J.
Unfortunately Katie has not been on here since 2011 but if she has the same email will be notified of your reply.
Trish :)
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Also, Andrew Leggat b1805, Edinburgh, d01/06/1827 in New York, (aged 22) but was buried back in Greyfriars in a family grave.
The original record of the burial on Scotland's People says that that Andrew Leggat was aged 47, of Candlemaker Row.
And if you read the death date 01/06/1827 as 1 June 1827 (which it is how it would be interpreted in most parts of the English-speaking world), the Edinburgh burial took place three months before this, on 1 March 1827
It is extremely unlikely that someone who died in America would be brought back for burial. The journey by sea would have taken the best part of a month, and longer if the weather was inauspicious. There was no means of preserving a body (other than embalming it, but it would have taken two crossings of the Atlantic for any instruction to embalm to reach New York from Edinburgh), and there were no crematoria. Seamen were superstitious and regarded it as ill luck to have a corpse on board. And the Church in Scotland took the view that once the soul had been liberated from the body, there was no religious reason to concern itself with the disposal of the remains.
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Image if memorial stone can be found https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/search?
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A transcription of the gravestone starts as follows " Andrew Leggat whip manufacturer 27.2.1827 47, wife Helen Hume 21.9.1837 63, 1st son Andrew at New York 1.6.1827 22 ...."
William