RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: Alexander123 on Friday 19 November 10 15:17 GMT (UK)
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Can any one help me with information on my g. grandfather William Dickson. He married a Jane Anderson and lived in Dickson Cottage. I believe he was the church beadle for about 30 years. I also believe that he and Jane may be buried in Johnstonebridge near the front door of the church.
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Welcome to Rootschat. To get the best response from your query you really need to give us an idea of dates and exactly what sort of information you are looking for.
Have you found him in any census records? do you have birth, marriage and death certificates? are you trying to find information just about his life or trace his family further back throught records?
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Alexander, a second welcome to Rootschat.
My family also come from Johnstonebridge and whenever I am heading up or down the M74 I usually stop at the churchyard, which is now very quiet and undisturbed down by the river. The churchyard's position is uncertain as the church building has been deconsecrated and is for sale. A couple of years ago I met a young man there who was thinking of buying it to convert to a family home - he said families would always be welcome to visit the graves, but it looks as if that never happened and each time I visit it just looks a little more sad and overgrown. Many of the gravestone inscriptions are very clear though and I can't imagine access will ever be denied.
As agdhadowey says, you need to give us a clue around timings to start with - with the variety of ages and people on this board, 'great grandfathers' can vary from appearing in the records in the 1840s to being born in 1920s!
If you have nothing specific on Wiliam and Jane, then what do you know about your grandparents ages, even roughly? Identifying the birth of William and Jane's child, whether your grandfather or grandmother, will help take us back to William and Jane themselves. Just be careful not to post details of anyone who is still alive.
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Hello,
William and Jane are my gg grand parents. You are right that they are buried in Johnstone graveyard. I will send you a pm with my email and i can let you have any info that i have.
Kama
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Alexander123 only has 1 post at the moment so will not be able to use PM system. Members usually need 3 posts to send and receive them.
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so does that mean he will not be able to recieve any messages sent or that he will not be able to reply?
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ALexander might be able to get 1 message but probably not able to reply.
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lets hope he puts up another couple of posts then - just in case
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lets hope he puts up another couple of posts then - just in case
Hi Kama. I hope you don't mind but I have given your e-mail to my daughter, she has been doing most of the work on this and she can type better than me
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hi guys i have just joined this site and me and my partner are now the proud owners of johnstonebridge church, we got the keys in february. i will answer any queries the best i can and also will have a look to see if i can find your gg grandpaernts headstones. we are going to convert it into a family home and eventually live there, we are from the local area we have strimmed the grass and its looking alot better already
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Vixenvon, welcome to rootschat and even more importantly (for me anyway) my very best wishes for your new family home.
I was heading home up the M.74 2 or 3 years ago and stopped by as I normally do. I met a young man who was hoping to buy for his family, but since then on the last couple of visits there's been no change so I presume that isn't your purchase? On my last trip I met a couple of ladies who said they were local and 'just looking'.
In common with many on this board I have a fair few family members in the Churchyard and I have worried about what would happen to their graves. From what I know of my great great grandmother in particular being surrounded by a family and the noise and laughter of normal children would please her no end. I do hope all works out for you.
As an occasional visitor I hope we can still sneak in and lay the odd flower on graves occasionally, but I do realise that it will be your garden. I'd far rather their graves were in a lovingly tended family home than in the abandoned run down state the churchyard has looked lately.
Best wishes for the future, Maggie 1895
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Hi Maggie 1895 thank you! Yes you are more than welcome, the local council still own the graveyard we have a bit of land opposite for our garden but it would be lovely to see some flowers. We are hoping at some point to restore the graves to there former glory as some are broken just with old age but the council say that is not there responsibilty it's down to family members, I need to look into that but we are thinking about planting some flowering bulbs, and keeping ontop of the grass cutting helps the look of it, I'm not sure what happened with the guy you met who was going to buy it originally all I know is he pulled out at the last minute and it went back on the market( but that benefited us)we looked at in last summer and fell in love with it .we have two boys 16 & 14 so definatley a busy family home:) when you are next down feel free to knock on the door and you can see how things are coming along x
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How absolutely wonderful to know that the beautiful quiet spot down by the river is not going to continue to fall into disrepair, but will be a family home. If only all our ancestor's graveyards could be that lucky. It's lovely to know that if I sneak in to see my family (you'll know me, I'm the idiot who sits down beside them and tells them all about the new arrivals) I won't feel I'm trespassing.
And a Rootschatter to boot - how cool is that, it just gets better and better!
I do hope now you have joined the board you post your own questions, brick walls etc because I'm sure everyone here will be as helpful and friendly to you as they all have been to me. This is a great board.
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hi maggie did you get my private message :)
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I just logged on today and got this, and see I have a message as well. I was driving north after a long weekend down south when I called into the churchyard on Monday.
It's different already! The sun was shining between the clouds, there was life, the old church door was open, it no longer felt abandoned and sad. It was so nice to see the difference made just by your being around and getting on with restoration - I can't wait to see how much it will improve when you are finished.
I just looked at your message - thank you. I'll reply to that separately, but have to dash now. Glad you got the card, it's a bit of a challenge to find a 'welcome to your new church and graveyard' range!