RootsChat.Com

This is in the Old Churchyard section of the cemetery.

Burial Book started in 1829

Name: John Stuart Esq of Birkenburn. Section Number on Plan 91.

Extent of Ground 13 feet 0 inches.

Date of Burial

Jun 21st 1839 Miss Elizabeth Stuart

Mar 4th 1844 John Stuart Esq're

Nov 27th 1856 Miss Jane Stuart

Apr 25th 1864 Miss Ann Stuart

Oct 23rd 1867 Alexander Kynoch

Jun 30th 1868 Miss Catherine Stuart

Aug 21st 1875 Magdalene Stephen or Kynoch

Feb 5th 1937 Jessie Mc G Clifford or Kynoch 84

Feb 10th 1937 George Kynoch 82

Looking at the map there are three different sets of stairs in to this part.
Section 91 is in front of one of these so should be quite easy to find.
The map is too big to attach here, I'll try to snip a section for you and post it later.

Steven

Hi Steven,

Wow. Thanks so much for going to that effort and very much appreciated. I did read in the Chronicles of Keith book about the family being buried in the area of the Old Kirk but this will help greatly even if there is nothing much to see now.  Thanks once again for this and the map.

Gary

Hi,

I wonder if I could jump in and ask about the burial records for Old Keith Cemetery. I am visiting Keith this weekend and am looking for the burial site of John Stuart of Birkenburn. He died in 1842 in Keith, Banffshire and I beleive that there will be several other family members buried in the Cemetery from various times. John was the last Laird of Birkenburn.

I have tried to find a copy of the burial records online but with no success. If you could assist I would be most obliged and it would probably save me many hours searching round the cemetery this weekend.

With thanks,

Gary Lawrie
Heart of Scotland Ancestry

Hi,

I was really interested to see these various posts about Birkenburn, Keith.  I have been researching this for some time although there was some information I was not aware particularly relating to the death of William Stuart in Madras.  Not sure I can help about Robert but I would agree with what seems to be the conclusion that the Robert being sought is not the one from Birkenburn.

I am a direct descendant of John Stuart Esq of Birkenburn who died in 1844 as previously mentioned. I am also at a loss as to why his death was recorded in various sources as 1837.  The will is very clear.  He appears in the 1841 Census living in Keith with his half-sisters. 

I am descended from him via the illegitimate son mentioned in the will who was left £500, his shirts and other clothes.  I doubt I have seen a better worded will for help prove someone was the father of an illegitimate child!   Its wording described the name, location and occupation of James at the time of the 1841 Census a year before the will was written.  James was born to John Stuart Esq and an Isobel Dey from Keith and I have found the records from Keith Kirk Session Records when they were summoned to appear before the Session in 1793 to answer for their "sin".  He was referred to as "Young Birkenburn" and his father paid a nice amount into the Poor Relief to atone for his sins!

In terms of Birkenburn Estate, the National Records of Scotland hold two plans of the estate.  One was produced for John Stuart and the other for the Earl of Seafield when he purchased it.  I managed to obtain these a few weeks ago when visiting NRS and for some reason the cartographer has flipped the layout of plans so they initially appear different but are definitely the same estate.  It appears that the Stuarts were not great with money and, as was common at that time, had to sell off the estate.  I think there was perhaps a tax levied to help pay for the Napoleonic War that caused a lot of estates to be sold off.  There is a story which was in one of the books mentioned that one member of the Gordon family was not happy when the Stuarts sold the estate to Seafield instead of selling to him to keep it in the Gordon family.  He was apparently willing to pay more!!

I am delivering a talk on this family later in the year and will be doing more research this summer, hopefully including a trip up to Keith to look at the site and the kirkyard etc.  If anyone has any more information or wishes to exchange more information please let me know.  I know that there is nothing left of the house but hopefully, equipped with the estate plans I may be able to make some sense of its scale and location.

Thanks again and it is amazing how sharing of information on a site such as this can help people cover gaps in research.

Gary Lawrie