Inverness-Shire Gravestone Photo Offer

[akthompsn]

Thank you, ghostwhisperer!!!!  And you too, Lynn!!   This had slipped my mind.  Will be sending these photos along  to the Harcombe relatives here in the States, and posting them to the Find_a_Grave database.   At least over here, gravestones aren't really "monumental" any more; just a flat slab with name, DoB & DoD.

Again, thank you very much!
Kenneth Thompson
 Moline Acres (north StLouis County) MO USA

[ghostwhisperer]

No problem. Hope they help.

[dhalaughlin]

Hi Lynn!

Many thanks for your prompt reply. You really added to an already Happy Thanksgiving for me.

"Grandpa 'Gow?' of Inverness"

He was always referred to by my mother as "Gow", but late in here life I asked her if it might be her maternal grandmother's side which was "Scott". It confused her a bit, and it did lend some pause to her certainty. More likely it is Gow and I will elucidate at the end of this email.

Edited from my notes:

He is probably buried in Tomnahurich Cemetery in Inverness.

On June 3, 1999 I spoke with my mother about "Grandpa of Inverness." She & my father drove through Inverness on their honeymoon in the fall of 1936. They visited the cemetery and "quite easily" found what they believed was Grandpa Gow's grave.  My mother said the graveyard was the "City of Inverness graveyard." It was the "old graveyard belonging to the city."

My mother's mother, nee Gow, was "very pleased" that she and my father had discovered the stone.

My mother felt that the cemetery was on the "left" as they approached the city, very close to the side of the road. The "gravesite is not far inside" (1936). "It was easy to find."

"Probably a modest stone. Maybe overgrown."

I think from my mother's descriptions that Tomnahurich is almost certainly the site of Grandpa Gow's burial. All of her descriptions fit the situation of Tomnahurich.

On September 16, 2003 I spoke to my mother again about this and mentioned the name "Tomnahurich." The name definitely rang a distinct bell in her mind. She had a clear recollection of how her aunt's Gow used to mention the name Tomnahurich.

Odds are 90% that Grandpa Gow is buried in Tomnahurich if his stone can still be found or read.

According to the government registrar's office in Inverness the name "Gow" is quite a rare name and is most familiar in Thurso, the northernmost part of mainland Scotland.

As of 5/13/04 the closest possibility for this James Gow is according to an OPR search for the birth of a son William for all Scottish parishes between 1818-1822. The only William born to a James for these dates was born in Latheron on the north coast above Inverness. There are other James' and William's of earlier dates also found around Latheron.

"James" Gow, husband of Margaret Kinnear was defintely the father of our William Gow (monument seen in Kettins) and this is evidenced on William's death certificate dd 1912.

So, if we are right Grandpa "Gow" of Inverness is a "James" though the referenced Grandpa could even be a g grandpa or gg grandpa bearing a different name. But I suspect it is just Grandpa and with the name "James". He probabaly would have been born circa 1790 or earlier. Died??

Now to throw a curve at you -  If this Grandpa of Inverness is actually from my mother's mother's maternal side then he is a "Scott". His name would be "John Scott" and born circa 1819 or before as his wife Janet Spalding was born in 1819.

It is key to understand that my mother said the cemetery was just by the side of the road as you approach the city and she remembered that the stone was easy to find and not far inside. However, that was in 1936 and the road and new burials may have changed that perspective. You would need to begin looking from a 1936 perspective and from there "not far inside".

Are there any records for Tomnahurich archived anywhere? If so, it would seem an easy matter through the records to search for the whereabouts of Gow's & Scotts buried there. I am sure the Gow's would be few. I'm sure the Scott's would be many, but perhaps not so many "not far inside and close to the road". If there is cost involved in such a search I am happy to send the necessary funds.

That's a lot of nuanced information but I want you to have as full an arsenal as possible if you really do go by and take a look. If the stone is not covered up my guess is you might find it "quite easily", just as my mother did,.

Thanks so much for your kind and generous offer of help on this Lyn. I have no timeline expectations. Our extended family has been waiting decades to unravel the mystery of Grandpa of Inverness.

Cheers & All the Best to You & Yours!

David 

[Maia261]

OK David,

I'll answer you piece by piece. Inverness has one or two graveyards, a couple of which could have been beside a main road into Inverness in 1936 (and still are actually).

Tomnahurich being one of them, Chapel Yard being another, both on the left as you approach the city, which, by the way, wasn't a city until 2000. As for being referenced as the "old graveyard belonging to the city", although Tomnahurich has a lot of old stones, the ones beside the main road through Tomnahurich are very imposing stones and tend to be from "important" families in Inverness. (Could well be your family though as we haven't checked yet).

Both cemeteries contain old stones and could both be referenced as the "old graveyard belonging to the city", although I feel this would more likely be the Chapel Yard than Tomnahurich. I could well be wrong though.

Nonetheless I will begin searching Tomnahurich as soon as I can find the time, in the next couple of weeks most probably, I will write down all the names you have given me and search for both couples. Chapel Yard will have to wait a wee while though as it is only open Monday to Friday, office hours, as I work full time this will have to wait until I have some time off, which isn't until January I'm afraid. 

The Cemetery Office at Kilvean may be able to help you, contact details below. Not sure if they can do much without a lair number or such like but always worth a try as they are very helpful. Let me know if they can provide extra detail as every little helps.

Cemeteries and Crematorium Section
Transport, Environmental and Community Services
Administration Office
Kilvean Road
Inverness
IV3 8JN
Tel: 01463-717849
Fax: 01463-717850
E-mail:fiona.morrison@highland.gov.uk

As an aside, we do have some "famous" Gow's here in Inverness, in the shape of Harry Gow, Baker. Harry started in Burnett's Bakery in the 1950's, started his own bakery in Smithton, Inverness in the late 70's and has several very successful shops dotted around Inverness, Ross & Cromarty and Sutherland now, with the main bakery still in Smithton. I grew up in Smithton and, boy, were we spoilt when Harry Gow's opened up. (They are actually in what we would class as Culloden but they obviously think Smithton was more upmarket so we''ll let them have that one, only because it's where I grew up mind).

Anyway, let me know how you get on with Kilvean and meanwhile I will start my search. No cost involved, I do it for fun (Oh dear that doesn't sound very good, does it). I have had so much help in my search for my ancestors that I really enjoy returning the favour for some-one else that needs help.

Happy Thanksgiving and also all the best to you and yours
Lynn

[Martin Briscoe]

The distinctive feature about Tomnahurich which I would have expected to be in the description is that there is a large hill in the middle.  Most of the burials are around the hill with the older and more imposing ones around the base of the hill and on the top.  I would say that the side nearest to the gates by the A82 main road has the oldest ones on the level part of the cemetery.

There are a couple of aerial views on Scotland's Places - search for Tomnahurich.  Also some pictures around the cemetery on the HER.

Also a few pictures of Chapel Yard on the HER.  It is more conventional old cemetery with wall around it.

MB

[dhalaughlin]

Hi again Lynn! Also to Martin:

Thanks so much to both of you for the information. Especially to you Lynn for the detailed reading, thoughtfulness, and future exploration.

Hmmm... perhaps it could be Chapel Yard. But my gut still leans towards Tomnahurich. Why? I believe my parents would have approached the city from the south on their honeymoon and have passed Tomnahurich more naturally. I am not sure where they were approaching from but they began the original part of their trip in Coopar Angus. Very possibly they drove up through the scenic west. The area of Chapel Yard does not look like a natural southern approach to the city if you are coming from the south either east or west. The key word is "approach". Once again I referred to the notes of my conversation with my mother.  "On the left as they approached the city" and "Very close to the side of the road." "Approach" I do not think meant "as you enter the city." Also, taking a 60 year old memory from an 85 year old woman I do not think a hill would have been all that siginificant. They would have seen lots of hills along the way. What was important to her memory was: "approach" to the city, "left hand side", "very close to the side of the road", "not far inside", "easily found". And of course "cemetary belonging to the city." Which is another key point. I presume Tomnahurich is and is perceived as a more secular burial ground. Am I right? I presume Chapel Yard may be less so secular, although perhaps more so in modern times. I believe my Gow's or Scott's were strong Church of Scotland people. That would lead me to conjecture "Grandpa 'Gow' or 'Scott'" preferring either a more secular burial ground or one more associated with the Church of Scotland. I do not know anything of associated perceptions with respect to these graveyards in times past. But my sense of my mother saying "belonging to the city" is more that her perception was that this was more of a public burial ground than a parochial one. She was very religiously established and that would have been an important feature to her. She also referreed to it as "The City of Inverness graveyard".

Having said all this I may still be off base, but thought it important to express my instinct. Most of my hunches in my searches have been correct. But perhaps not this time. "The old graveyard belonging to the city" could also be Chapel Yard if you think my explanations are naive and not well informed. I agree with Martin's notion of where to look first at Tomnahurich. If the gate area of Tomnahurich along the A82 (Glenurquart Rd/Tomnahurich St) would have been unchanged since 1936 then that area may be the best place for a serious first look. That is, "on the level part of the cemetery." Or perhaps just where the hill begins to rise.

Don't confuse yourself with too many names. All the information is given as background. I think the stone will be James GOW. Any other "GOW" will also almost certainly be it. If it is SCOTT, it MUST be JOHN SCOTT only, and probably no other. I suggest you take copies of both detailed posts with you

I will wait patiently yet with great expectation. Happiness and health to you as you "approach" the Holidays!

David Laughlin
McLean, Virginia - USA

[Martin Briscoe]

The hill in Tomnahurich has a level area on the top with burials (older ones).

There are also burials on part of one side of the hill and around the base of the hill.  Then there is a level area around the hill which is where most of the burials are.  I think it has been extended on one side since the 1930s but I would think it have been of very similar appearance. 

It is quite a big place so you will lucky to find a grave without getting guidance from the office - it took me ages to find the last few war graves there and I had to get some notes from the CWGC to find them! 

I am not sure when the cemetery opened but I would guess the second half of the 19th Century.

Last time that I asked, the archive did not have a plan or index to the cemetery (the new archive is not far from  Tomnahurich).  You have to go to the cemetery office, I went there when looking for the grave of a holder of the VC and I think they were able to photocopy a card with a photograph of the headstone.

MB

[dhalaughlin]

Many thanks Martin! That is valuable hands on knowledge. I hope with guidance from both of us that Lynn may have some success. I will keep your comments in case I must wait until I return one day. With the complications of life that could be a long time or never. But I do love Scotland and I hope to see her, my motherland, again one day. All the best, David

[Martin Briscoe]

Many thanks Martin! That is valuable hands on knowledge. I hope with guidance from both of us that Lynn may have some success. I will keep your comments in case I must wait until I return one day. With the complications of life that could be a long time or never. But I do love Scotland and I hope to see her, my motherland, again one day. All the best, David

I was up in Inverness today so I went around taking a few photos before heading home.  I have posted these on PICASA.  The light was not good so nothing fancy, just pointed the camera in various directions and took pictures!  If you look at the map on the right hand side it shows where the picture was taken (click "+" to zoom in).

I took a single shot of the churchyard at the Old High Church (I think that is the name),  a few around Greyfriars and Chapel Yard before going out to Tomnahurich.  As you will see Chapel Yard is also right by the roadside which would have been the A9 from the North in those days.  There would have been proper iron railings on top of the wall rather the present scruffy fence. 

INVERNESS

MB