Another McNab burial Dalbeth cemetery

[Forfarian]

what3words is fine if you have a suitable device and there is reception and the battery isn't flat.

On a proper map the reference is NS 6316  6272 but if that too is a mystery to you, see the attached. X marks the spot. Approximately.

[Cladhan]

Hi again,
The memorial was erected in the 1870s, but is surrounded by mysteries. That's why we're researching it. Hopefully much more will be revealed, and of course we'll publish it. Hugh is one of 85 people we're researching.

I didn't receive the story you mention. Did you send it to the email address I messaged?

Attached are two pictures homing in on the w3w tag I've placed on the memorial, which is the one nearest bottom of the images.

One of the problems with Dalbeth is the absence of lair mapping. During my recent visit, I encountered a selfless man who contributes grave data to FindAGrave, and even he has been able to retrieve only partial information on lair locations. To my knowledge, the McNab family lair you mention is not near the memorial in question.

[Cladhan]

PS The w3w tag is precise to about 3 metres. I tried GPS mapping on site, but the resolution was appalling, so I resorted to w3w. You can see the shadow of the memorial in the w3w image I posted.

[maggbill]

Hi Everyone who has contributed so far to this post,
As mentioned before, I am now eager to know if the family of my ancestory Hugh McNab ever applied for Poor Law Relief (might clarify history, and that of the "memorial") - Have emailed the Glasgow City Archives (Archives@glasgowlife .org) - more than a month ago now, but have not received any indication they have even received my email.  Does anyone know if they are still able to do this research for me (am in Australia).  Years gone past they have been very helpful - just not sure that they are still offering the service?  Anyone know?  Might re-send email with a "receipt" requiest.   Cheers everyone - Hope all is well with the wild weather happening in Scotland!

[maggbill]

Hi again everyone,

My initial request to Glasgow City Archives seemed to have got lost in the system, but having chased them up, they were again most helpful in researching for Hugh and Mary McNab' poor law relief info.  Received it a couple of days ago. And it did confirm that my great grandfather is in fact the "Hugh McNab" named on the Dalbeth cemetery memorial.  Just goes to show that family history is never "finished" - even if you work at it for years, with time and input from Rootschatters, there is so often something new to be discovered.  Mary applied for Poor Law relief on 2nd November 1883, records state "Paupers husband has for some time been suffering from Brain Disease, but was able to work a little till Wednesday 24th, when he went out along with his wife to purchase some goods and while she was in the shop he moved on and has not been heard of since."...  A further application she made many years later in 1915 stated "Her husband was missing for about 6 months.  She went to Greenock where she identified his remains.  Death entered in the Edinburch Search Book.  Body found in the West Harbour 3/3/1884.."   A couple of questions there - "Brain Disease" could mean many things - he was only in his late 30's.... also  I wondered what the "Edinburgh Search Book" was - this all took place in Glasgow - so why Edinburgh. And of course what on earth happened in the intervening 6 months??  Was it a pure accident?  There was nothing of significance in his pockets, which initially could have suggested a robbery/mugging?  But on the other hand, if he had "Brain" issues, maybe his wife was in charge of the finances?? (Times not changed??) What a woman Mary McNab (Ms Martin) must have been.  All around the time of her husbands disappearance, she had multiple family deaths - her mother, two brothers aged only in their 30's, her last remaining female child aged about 18 months (had already lost one girl and another two male babies)... seems she was the mainstay of the family, and was the "informant" on all deaths.  She brought up two remaining sons, but even in her later years, though they did their best to assist her, in 1915 she had to apply for help again.   I am still eager to know if the Sacred Heart Church Bridgeton retains any old records - one question on application "If member of Church Mission" - answer "Sacred Heart Chapel".     So it will also be interesting to know how the research of the "Sacred Heart Memorial" progresses!  I notice Cladhan, that you stated the memorial was erected in the 1870s??  Should that have been the 1890s?

[Cladhan]

Great to see the account of Hugh's life corroborated through a range of records, even with a bit of science too!

Dating the Sacred Heart memorial is not easy. Its first inscription is 1874, which was one year after the foundation of that religious parish and within a few years of the city ordering that new burials move away from city centre graveyards. The inscription lettering style is uniform, until the original stonemason retired in 1896, but he could have performed all the inscribing in his own style over the 20+ years from 1874. The dates and names inscribed relate quite well to the corresponding death records, but imperfectly so, leading me to believe that the info was provided to the stonemason by the bereaved (many of whom were illiterate) or sodality around the time of interment, rather than by recourse to records many years later, when at least some of the bereaved also would have passed away. In addition, it seems likely that this important grave would have been marked by a memorial from the beginning, rather than as an afterthought two decades later.

But that's all speculation....

[maggbill]

Hi Cladhan,

Interesting to know that the Sacred Heart Parish was founded in 1874 - which was 10 years after my McNab family arrival from Co. Tyrone. The family like thousands of others, could have been doing with parish support... Most of them ended up in the "Fever hospital" within the first year.  Apart from the two brothers Hugh and Patrick, there were 4 sisters, who within 8 years of arrival, were married, gave birth, and died - very young. My own namesake Margaret McNab, like two of her sisters married a soldier (George Bagnell), went with him to Karachi, had a baby, both dying and being buried in such a far off land of 1870!   Another sister Jane McNab married a Michael Kenny, had a child Mary - Jane dies, the grandparents Francis and Mary McNab seem to take her, but not being eligible for Poor Law Relief in Glasgow, they returned to Co. Tyrone, presumably with the child, who seems to disappear into the sunset, no further records of her being found - though have found deaths of the grandparents in Omagh.  So many stories of the "Irish" - could be good script for tv series... 

[Cladhan]

Before the SH church wasa created, they were married in the St Mary church just up the road, according to the Poor Laws entry.

[maggbill]

Hi Cladhan,

In Mary McNab's Poor Law relief application in 1915 it talks about her previous application in 1883.  One thing which has mystified me is the statement "Death entered in the Edinburgh Search Book".  In all my years of Scottish records, I have never heard of "The Edinburgh Search Book".   The commennt was written in 1915 - so what does it mean?  The whole case/family has no connection to Edinburgh - only Glasgow and Greenock.  Is this "book" a national record of some type?  Did it relate to what we could call "cold cases" these days  - i.e. death notice 6 months after the initial missing person = closure of the case?  Does it relate to Police records?  Wonder if anyone with Edinburgh research experience would know - would it be worth starting a new post on Edinburgh page?