Benholm Kirkyard & OPR

[alisonchristie]

Jean,
Have you any results for the names Christie/Kemlo in Benholm Churchyard? Do you know where the poor would have been buried?

[JEANP]

From the pre 1855 index:

No 76
1803 by Lieut Robt.Christie imo fa Jas Christie fr Mussle Pool of Gurdon d 22.8.1799 64 & 2 chn Belen? & Alex d inf, Eliz 17.12.1806 31 (h jas Milne fr Gourdon)

There are a couple more I've transcribed but I will post separate.

Jean

[Beckey]

Hi JEANP,

Have you any M.I. please at Benholm for a Roderick Ross, last address 51 Fore St.,Benholm aged 56 and his wife Jean nee Forsyth died before 1841.

Barry

[JEANP]

Alison, here are 2 more that I've transcribed;

1860
ERECTED
BY
MARGARET CHRISTIE
IN MEMORY OF HER HUSBAND
DAVID WILLOCKS
LATE FARMER NORTH MUIRTON
WHO DIED JUNE 15TH 1858
AGED 80 YEARS
THE ABOVE MARGARET CHRISTIE
WHO DIED 5TH AUG 1870 AGED 90 YEARS
HER SON ROBERT DIED 14TH JAN 1822
AGED 30 YEARS
THEIR DAUGHTER ANN DIED 7TH SEP 1822
AGED 23 YEARS
WILLIAM WILLOCKS DIED 19TH JULY 1825
AGED 59 YEARS


ERECTED
BY
ELIZA HUGHES
IN MEMORY OF HER HUSBAND
JOSEPH CHRISTIE BUILDER
WHO DIED AT JOHNSHAVEN 24TH DEC 1882
AGED 74 YEARS
ALSO THEIR SON THOMAS
WHO DIED AT LAURISTON 1ST SEP 1862
AGED 4 YEARS
ALSO HER SISTER SARAH
WHO DIED 1ST MARCH 1887
ALSO THE ABOVE ELIZA CHRISTIE
WHO DIED AT JOHNSHAVEN 12TH APRIL 1900
AGED 84 YEARS

Jean

[JEANP]

Alison,

There's also an entry in the Farm Horse Tax records on 26 Aug 1797;

Robert Christie - near Sillyflatt - 1 Horse - 1 horse liable to duty - Duty payable 4s.

Jean

[alisonchristie]

Thank you very much Jean,
I think Eliza and Joseph are distant relatives, I have a Joseph Christie born 1822 a month after his parent's marriage!  but he was married to Jane Falconer; however, the name Joseph seems to be related to the Kemlo side of the family who gave many children Biblical names.
I saw Robert's name in the horse tax list but again he is either a cousin of William, or just shared the same surname.

My Christie relatives started off in Bervie then moved to Benholm, I just have the last child being born in 1803.  It is very frustrating as I have been in contact with 2 other people doing the same tree and we cannot get any further back.
Thank you for your work anyway.

Do you know where poor people were buried? Loads of people lived in Johnshaven and Benholm but the Churchyard is relatively small.

[JEANP]

There isn't another burial area so I presume everyone was buried in the Kirkyard. The burial ground is relatively small now, but before the Church was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century, the burial ground covered a much larger area. Unfortunately, I don't know of any plan showing the extent of the burials, but I have heard that some still remain below the village properties and gardens.

As you probably already know it was common practice for wealthier people or those who could afford headstones to be buried near to the church, the poorer people were buried the farthest away. So after the rebuild, the burials beyond the new planned kirkyard could have been (and I don't know what happened) either reburied - which I doubt, or just built on and forgot about - so sad.

The plan I have was done when the current kirkyard was full, so it only shows the burials after the rebuild.
Jean

[JEANP]

Alison here are the Christie entries from the Communion Roll Books

1884-1890

"Widow" Christie-Beach House - Attended 1184-1889

Mr & Mrs Andrew Christie - Admitted Dec 1884 from Dunnottar - attended 1884-1889

1890-1896

Mrs Christie - Widow - Johnshaven - attended 1890-1891


Jean

[JEANP]

Barry,

Ross - Pre 1855 Gravestone Index:

No.40. 1841. imo Geo Ross formerly tent Stone of Benholm, afterwards of Kinnaird''s Mill & of w Eliz Middleton, also their chn Jannet, Eliz, Margt, David, Helen, Ann, Geo, & Jane.

No. 42. already posted on main query for Benholm Kirk.

No. 45. by Charlotte Arbuthnott 15.1.1893 82, imo her parents Jas Arbuthnott 28.3.1838 60  & Margt Ross 7.3.1865. 93, sisters Jane 21.7.1864 61, Cath 8.7.1873 80, Margt 25.3.1874 69

No. 73 1801 by John Norie mason haughs of Nether Benholm d 10.11.1825 91 imo w Jean Ross 1.2.1798 57, s Jas 5.1789 12, two chn d inf, da Jean 1.1840 74y

No 83 1851. by John, Jean & Ann Ross imo bro Wm Ross fr Whitefield of Ballandro d 1.6.1852 51, sis mary 9.6.1853 55, jean 22.5.1859, John 21.1.1869, Ann 29.1.1879, niece Jane Watson 4.10.1894 83 ( s Geo Hunter shipmaster 3.2.1896 52)

Jean