Thomas Musgrave. Death help please. Pennsylvania.

[johnnyboy]

Hi Ben: Christmas might have come early for you. Have you been a good boy?

John 

[johnnyboy]

Ben: You do know what the Marx brothers said, don't you? "There is no Sanity Claus."

So...I took a trip to Pennsylvania a week and half ago. And I made to North Fayette Township, and South Fayette Township, and McDonald, and the city of Washington. I even took some pictures.

 

[johnnyboy]

You wanna see some pictures, Ben?

Here are a shot from Robinson Run Cemetery: The grave of Elizabeth Sutherland and second husband Robert Sutherland in close up.

There is no gravestone, only this marble planter with metal markers. But a maintenance worker at the cemetery told me that the dried flowers in the planter mean that someone has been caring for the grave.

 

[johnnyboy]

Here's a second shot of their grave, Ben. A long shot to give it some context.  Ben, I think you are looking at the grave of your 3x great grandfather. See the next post for explanation.

[johnnyboy]

Ben: You'll notice that there are plenty of empty spaces all around. Those are graves without grave markers. Keep that in mind. Here is the cemetery's record card for Elizabeth and Robert Sutherland.

The plot was purchased in 1886 by Mrs. E. Wilson--that is, Elizabeth Musgrave when she was still married to her first husband, Thomas Wilson.

You will notice that while the register has only two names listed, there is a notation that the plot, which contains six graves, is full. That's I believe this is where Thomas Musgrave is buried. There are four other people buried with Elizabeth and Robert. Her first husband and her father are two of them. I have no way of confirming that, but I think it is a logical assumption. I believe the burial plot was bought by Elizabeth for Thomas Wilson, who must have died in 1886. The plot was available when Thomas Musgrave died. Where else would a daughter bury her father?

Here, incidentally, is the burial permit for Elizabeth Sutherland. This was used in lieu of a death certificate to allow Elizabeth to be buried. The cause of death, in case you can't read it, is mitral insufficiency. She had heart problems.

 

[johnnyboy]

Here is a picture of the grave of Mary Ellen Wilson Saix, her husband John Saix, her brother James Sutherland, and her son and daughter in law Harry and Mathilda Saix, as well Raymond Saix, who, I think, is the grandson of Elizabeth Sutherland and great grandson of Thomas Musgrave.

The large stone marks the graves of Mary Ellen and John Saix. James Sutherland is buried behind the grave of Raymond Saix.


 

[johnnyboy]

Here's the grave register of Margaret Sutherland (daughter of Elizabeth and Robert Sutherland?) and three females from the Saix family. I'm not sure of how these Saix females are related to Mary Ellen Wilson Saix and John Saix. They are buried a good distance away from the Saix grave.

Note that two of the Saix females were infants--indicated by "B" after their names. They are buried in a single grave. And the plot has five empty graves. That means Thomas Musgrave is not buried in this plot.

 

[johnnyboy]

Two more photos. Here is the (substitute) burial permit for Robert Sutherland. It gives the cause of death and tells you where Robt. and Elizabeth Sutherland were living in Bulger (Washington County, a few miles west of McDonald).

 

[johnnyboy]

Final photo, but only the next to the last post.

Here's a photo of Robinson Run. Everything to the left of the middle of the creek is in North Fayette Township, Allegheny. Everything to the right is in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County. Directly south, i.e., behind the camera, about five hundred yards is Washington County and McDonald.

Five jurisdictions border on one another here, each with its own annoying way of making the search for Thomas Musgrave very difficult.