Logan Lee

[dipsys dad]

Can anyone shed light on an English Gypsy who is buried in Cathcart Old Parish Churchyard in Glasgow? His name was Logan Lee, and he died on 25.09.1873 aged 12 years old. According to his gravestone, he was the son of John and Lavithon Lee, and grandson of Elizabeth Smith (whose death is recorded on the stone, so is she in there as well)? I noticed the grave as a child and was curious as to what happened to him, as well as the fact that he was buried in a Church of Scotland kirkyard. My curiosity is still unfulfilled,so hopefully someone out there can help close the case after quite a few years. Thanks.

[An65]

I can tell you some of his family history, but not how he died, Im afraid.

He was indeed the son of John Lee and Leviathon Heron. He was on the document written by the Revd George Hall and stored in the Journals Of The Gypsy Lore Society called the Heron Pedigree.
His grandmothers name on there was given as Emmanaia Smith who married Big Frank" Heron. (not a big a jump from Emmanaia to Elizabeth really in Romany terms, especially not if they anglicised her name). According to that document his brother was Nathan Lee.

Here they are on the 1861 census (list of persons not in houses) Nth Woolwich Road,  East Ham, Ex

John Lee 35 Horse Dealer Wisbeach Lin
Leviathan Lee 29 Lynn Nfk
Nathan Lee 7 b.Wanstead Flats, Ex
Logan Lee 1 b.Norwich Nfk

Leviathan was also briefly married to Bui Boss, s/o Ambrose and Penny and he (Bui) was also married to Eldorai Jane Boswell.

[An65]

I could add, that Emmanaia Smiths mother was reputedly Sibella Smith, from a liason with a man who was always known as "No Name" Heron. In adulthood he was baptised with the name Edward. The reason behind this oddity was recorded as follows:
The parents took him to church to be baptised, and the vicar asked them what name he was to give the baby, and they said they wanted him to be called Jehovah. The vicar refused to give the child the name of God himself, and so the parents walked out of the church saying "very well, he shall be called No-Name". It is possible God got the last laugh. On the 5th August 1831, the family and that of his relative Tiso Boswells, were camped at Tetford, Lincs, during a bad storm. Tiso and No Name went into a barn to find straw to keep their tents dry, and the barn itsself, and the poor men inside it, were struck by lightening. Both Tiso and No Name were killed outright. They are buried together, with a gravestone bearing their names (Edward Heron not No Name I might add), at Tetford Churchyard.

[dipsys dad]

Thanks indeed for the information. You are right about his brother being Nathan;
I had forgotten about that. I did not think such a good record existed, after all it was a long time ago!
  Anyway, you have shed light on a 40 year old personal mystery, and for that I thank you. Perhaps, in time, we will find out the story behind his death. Cheers!

[An65]

My pleasure to help!

You wouldnt happen to have any details on the dates of Emmanaia (Elizabeth) Smith or Nathan etc deaths would you??

[dipsys dad]

Elizabeth's dates are on the gravestone, but apart from Logan that's it. It is not a conventional grave marker in that it is the length and breadth of the plot, and is a smoothed off triangle in shape, about 12-15" high. Unfortunately, I very seldom get to that part of the world these days, so I can't help just now, but I will bear it in mind.
 Given that the kirkyard is close to Hampden Park, a visit is a possibility, but we'll need to see.

[An65]

Thank you anyway, and if you do happen to visit, Id be very grateful for those dates.

[CitizenSmith]

Logan Lee belongs to the same East Anglian Smith family group that I'm descended from so I've done some work on family members over the years.

I've seen a drawing of Logan Lee's monument in a book called In Gipsy Tents by Francis Hindes Groome - which was published in 1880 - and so was interested to read that it's still in existence.

In the illustration, the tomb appears to be like a large open book. Another member of the same family - John Cooper - also has a gravestone nearby. The text accompanying the illustration says that Logan was "the beloved son of John and Levithan Lee and brother of Nathan Lee and grandson of Elijah Smith" - which reads like the inscription although it's not identified as such.

The following description is also included, apparently written by the artist in 1874:

"..the burial ground is very neatly laid out. ornamented with the traditional cypress and yew. The tombstones are executed in an excellent style, and the ground is enclosed with an exceedingly handsome cast-iron railing - the design vine-leaves and gilt clusters of grapes; the whole giving one the idea of a burial place of some substantial and well-to-do citizen of the neighbouring town of Glasgow."

Does it look anything like that now?

Can't help on the cause of death for Logan. I've had several attempts at finding his death certificate both in the death certs for Scotland and for England but haven't tracked him down yet. 

Logan's grandmother Elizabeth Smith isn't buried with him at Cathcart but in Flaybrick Cemetery, Birkenhead. She has a large monument there (...or 'had': my reference comes from 1909) which states that she died 5 January 1883 aged 76 years. The burial records for Flaybrick state she was brought to Birkenhead from Huddersfield for burial. Two other Smith grandsons share her tomb - one of whom was brought there from the Isle of Man.

Logan's mother, Leviathan Smith or Buckley, died 23 December 1881 at Bothwell Park, Bellahill (?), Bothwell, Lanarkshire, aged 52, of apoplexy. Her Scottish death cert gives her parents' names as Elijah Buckley and Elizabeth Smith. Her husband John Lee is still alive at that time.

Nathan Lee, Logan's brother, also died in Scotland. His death cert records that he died in the Public Park, Denny, Stirlingshire, on 29 April 1909 of Phthisis Pulmonaris (think that's TB). He's described as a Travelling Horse Dealer, married to Ada Whatnell, son of John Lee (deceased) and Levithan Lee (born Smith) (deceased).

Hope this clarifies a few things.

Sharon

[dipsys dad]

Thanks for your message, but it's bad news on the churchyard, though! As far as I know it was always surrounded by a white sandstone wall about 7 feet high. There are steel railings on the farthest side from the road, but they were built in the 70's when the original wall collapsed. There is also a small stone watch house
(against grave robbers) made of the same material as the walls, so they have been there a while! The church itself was closed and demolished in the 1930's, (a new, bigger building being built across the road) and the churchyard was more or less left to get on with it.
 Now, to Logan's grave. I am looking at a photo of it as I write (taken about 5 years ago) and it is a ground marker being about 6 feet long, and is about 2-3 feet high, in a 'hogback' style. (That is, curved sides coming to a slight ridge running the length of the stone.) I can't remember what kind of stone it is, but it's grey, and pretty solid. The inscription, running from east to west on the northern side is as you say, except for Grandma, who is named as Elizabeth Smith. There is also a corrected error on the stone, but I can't remember where. The other side of the stone has Elizabeth Smith's dates, but that's all.
 Unfortunately, today, the stone is sinking into the ground and is covered in moss, with a lot of humus and other detritus helping the process along. However, there is a young tree (about 45 years old now) growing from under the stone which I always thought was rather nice.
 As for the cemetery itself, It has been vandalised to the ground, and is now an eyesore. I am new to this computer thing, and can't yet do attachments, so I'll go just now, and continue on a new post. More to come!