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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Aberdeenshire => Topic started by: osprey28 on Saturday 09 August 25 11:39 BST (UK)
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Hello - Haven't posted here for a long time but back in research since I've retired.
I have GGG Grandfather John Allan (died 1837) buried in Peterhead Old Churchyard - lair A229.
I'm going there in 2 weeks to try find more. Anyone know how I can locate the lair? It might not even have a headstone.
Thanks
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Contact the archives dept in their local Council Offices or library. Our local council were a mine of knowledge and help when I was seraching for an unmarked communal grave in 1941, without any headstones or markers on the ground. One phone call while I was in the graveyard, they talked me from Headstones nearby and found the spot within minutes of my enquiry.
Good luck with your visit, I hope you locate and find the information for which you are seeking.
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Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire archives
Or Aberdeen & NE Scotland Family History Society are very helpful
Rosie
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Many thanks Rosie and Doreen for your prompt responses. I've booked a place at Aberdeen City Archives for the day after I'm at Peterhead (I've got lots other research to do there). I'll try their on line catalogues before I go to Peterhead.
Rgds
Osprey
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Good luck with your research hope you find what you are looking for
Rosie :)
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Visited Peterhead on 20th August - got a lot of new info to continue researching and broke down a brick wall or two :)
I have a line in an OPR death from 1820 in Peterhead I would like some help with - line 8 on the attached image shows death of Alexander Allan (2 words ) then what looks like a signature of minister or clerk 32 6
Any suggestions what the 2 words are? I suspect a location or street.
Thanks lots
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sorry - the attachment function doesn't seem to be working just now
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but working now
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I hazard a guess that Brod is an abbreviation for Broadsea.
It would probably be helpful if we could see more than just 3 lines.
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Thanks for your suggestion Forfarian. I've attached the full page here.
Osprey
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Hmmm.
I see several lines contain 'Longat'. This could be Longate, which is a street in the town centre. It's followed by a hieroglyphic that I read as 'Phd', in other words an abbreviation for Peterhead.
Others look like Kirktown (which would be close to the kirk), Damhead, Meikle Cocklaw and several that I can't make sense of.
So I think you are right that it is a street or location rather than a signature.
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It says "Brod Geat Phd" - in other words "Broadgate, Perterhead". Broadgate is now Broad Street and has its own Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_Street_(Peterhead).
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Brilliant - thank you both.
My ancestor (Alexander Allan is my GGG Grandfather) did have family who lived in Broad Street, Peterhead for most of the 1800s. I was there last Wednesday and most of the buildings there now don't look as if they would date that far back.
I'm very grateful for your help and you have solved part of my puzzle.
Osprey
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oh one last favour - any idea what the 6 at the end of the line means ? could it be years married?
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The headings at the top of those three columns are Y, M and D so I think it means he was aged 32 years and 6 months.
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Ok thank you - much appreciated
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Maybe it's 'Brod geat' meaning Broadgate, for Broad Street.
And of course Broadsea is in Fraserburgh not in Peterhead .... !
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Thank you - I did look up Broadsea and found it as an area in Fraserburgh. I agree that it’s probably a old version of Broad Gate
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Hello again. I was fortunate to receive a site plan of the churchyard with all the lairs numbered and with family surname of those interred. I would be happy to share that by PM is anyone wants it.
Unfortunately don't have burial records -which I believe were held by the church. The Church in the Old Churchyard was closed in the 1890s and a new one built in King Street near to the Drill Hall (demolished in 1970s and the site is now a roundabout near the Aldi shop). Would the new church possibly be the current Baptist Church at 54 King Street?
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Unfortunately don't have burial records -which I believe were held by the church.
I'll eat my hat if the burial records of a historic Church of Scotland parish kirk have been handed on to a different denomination in a different building.
Have you definitely been told that Aberdeenshire Council don't hold them? (The burials department rather than the Archives)
Many of the Aberdeenshire burial records held by Aberdeenshire Council are available at DeceasedOnline.
According to DeceasedOnline https://www.deceasedonline.com/servlet/GSDOSearch they have the burial records of Peterhead Old Kirk (St Peter's).
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Hi - Aberdeenshire Council (Landscapes & Burials Dept) are based in Banff - they definately don't have the burial records for that graveyard - it was them who provided the site plan with lairs etc marked. Also their suggestion that the burial records would be held at the church. I didn't know if st peters old kirk was CoS or one of the breakaway denominations. Google told me that when the Old Kirk was closed they moved a new build near to the Drill Hall. The CoS Building is a fair bit away from that - but thanks for advice and will try that too.
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Forfarian - that was sound advice. I hadn't been on Deceased Online - so registered and paid to view. Got confirmation that 12 of my ancestors are buried in lair A229. Verified it all by cross referencing with other data I have. That's a few brick walls in tatters now.
Thanks lots for your help.
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Google told me that when the Old Kirk was closed they moved a new build near to the Drill Hall.
I think that in this case Google is talking arrant nonsense.
Peterhead Parish Kirk was built in 1803. See https://www.trove.scot/designation/LB39671 and https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=214738092 - this is not the 'Old Kirk' where the burial ground is, and which it replaced.
This kirk was closed in 2016*, and the congregation merged with that of Trinity Church, which was renamed Peterhead New Parish Kirk and is now the kirk in use. See https://www.peterheadnew.org/ which states, "Peterhead New Parish Church is located on the corner of Prince and St Peter Streets in Peterhead". This is the former Trinity Kirk.
Trinity Kirk was built in 1842 as the West Associate Church. See https://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=214738097 and https://www.trove.scot/designation/LB39819 - so it is certainly not a 'new build'.
There were no such things as Drill Halls in 1842, let alone in 1803. They were mostly built in the second half of the 19th century. See https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=b276b5fa-b4f2-41b2-9d0f-a75c00f54148
*2016 is two decades after the creation of the present Aberdeenshire Council, and four decades after its previous incarnations, which included Banff and Buchan District Council, which replaced Peterhead Town Council. I'd expect that the old burial records were in the care of the latter long before the closure of the kirk which in 1803 replaced the older kirk in the burial ground.
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Well done Forarian great history there. I have the details I need - thanks for your help.
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Fantastic investigations on this one. Well Done everyone involved. What an improvement from the old snail mail, and waiting for any responses.
ONCE AGAIN. I AM MOST IMPRESSED by the skill and tenacity of the super sleuths attached to RootsChat.Com and their generosity of time given to the Searchers. You are worth your weight in Gold. No price can be attached to the satisfaction given... of locating the missing links or finding lost contacts.
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Hi Doreen - I fully agree - great help from everyone here has helped me enormously in my research. Especially recently searching on location in an area I had never been before. Fantastic help from all involved supported me in breaking down a brick wall that’s been haunting me for over 20 years.
Thanks to you all