Mary Henderson (Stevenson) Garden

[Chalfont]

Thanks for all this assistance. Chalmers Hospital is indeed in Banff, not Aberdeen - my error. Checking the marriage cert. I can now see that James Garden was from "Nethermills[,] Parish of Ordiquhill."  So nw_whiskers, you have found the right place. (Another error of mine.)

 I live in Ontario, Canada, and won't be in Scotland again for some time. Is the Banffshire Journal viewable online through the ANESFHS? This is an intriguing story. I appreciate al your help in trying to get to the bottom of it. 

[MonicaL]

Hi Chalfont

You could try an email and accompanying photo/full details etc to www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/bereavement/bb_burialgrounds.asp

Worth a try 

Monica

[nw_whiskers]

Dear Chalfont,  If you use the link I gave for the Aberdeen Family History Society the "most helpful" ladies there may look it up for you as they have the news papers on micro film on the LHS of the reception desk or the link that Monica gave but they are a bit expensive if I remember correctly.  Yes, it is a bit of a pain that these papers are not up on-line so that you could search them for yourself (frustration!).

If you can get a better scan (200 or 300 dpi) of the photograph that would help as the background is difficult to determine.  It could "even" be the Banff Cemetry in 1926 looking East to West with the ground rising to the North where I normally come in.  The problem is what is in the background?  It looks like trees which is fair enough but no wall and the lack of detail in the background makes it difficult.  Another part to the North looks like "perhaps hay" as it is June time frame but again?  The Whitehills Cemetries are to the West of Banff so they are possible but they are nearer the sea as I understand them.  It is interesting that she was born in Portsoy so it could be there but I would expect a different background if we are looking from East to West around there.
It looks like the link to the FHS is a fair choice for you as they have the material on hand - the "Banffshire Journal" , "Deaths 2nd June 1926" and her name should be enough for them.  The alternative is the link that Monica gave as the should be able to pin point that Headstone.

Keep us posted on the progress as my wife has her Stevensons going into Portsoy in the 1800s so you never know.

Keep going forward,  nw_whiskers.


   

[MonicaL]

...or the link that Monica gave but they are a bit expensive if I remember correctly. 
 

Do they charge for this? Some do for sure  The Glasgow Council search is now over £60 per query...

Monica

[nw_whiskers]

Dear MonicaL,  I think that the Aberdeen Council make a charge for even a "wee look" at their records and the Aberdeen Family History Society will want a membership out of it plus a small fee for the research.  I hardly think that it will be anything like the £60 you mention for Glasgow.

The reason I have asked for a better scan of the photograph for the "Headstone plus the background" is that we could get a clue as to the where it is if we can see the hill etc., in the distance.  The back of the Stone is likely to be something like North facing.  If it is near the NE Scotland Coast we should see the hills across the Moray Firth if we are lucky.  Even if she has to send it as a "personal message" it will be less costly than 1 or 2 above but it carries the risk that we still don't recognise the site.  Banff, Portsoy or Fordyce are kind of my favourites at the moment but I am open to a surprise result.

Chalfont will need to make a choice from what we have posted for her or help us with more info from her end.  You and I are scratching our heads and doing our best from what has been posted so far.  If it was easy it would NOT be a worth while challenge!

Best wishes to all,  nw_whiskers.


 

[nw_whiskers]

Dear Chalfont,  Can you post the section of the Death Certificate showing her place of residence as I see a Cornhill Farm to the "East of MacDuff" and a Cemetary on the outskirts of town near there.  Was the Death Certificate made out at Portsoy or Banff or somewhere else?

You say that they were married in Banff in 1924 which is a bit strange if the lived at Cornhill in the parish of Ordiquhill but it does make sense if they were in fact at Cornhill Farm near MacDuff.  Who was the witness for the Death Certificate as this may help.  Is his or her occupation mentioned on the marriage certificate or the Death Certificate as this could be helpful and relevant information.

These two Cornhill references are many miles apart and possibly confusing everybody.  Remember to post  "small but relevant sections" of the Death and Marriage Certificates for Copyright reasons. 

nw_whiskers. 

[Chalfont]

Small details: b. 29.09.1892, Aird Grue (?), Portsoy, Informant: father.

m. 26.12.1924, St. Andrews Hall, Castle Street, Banff, Minister: William Potter, Ordiquhill, Witnesses: Robert Gray, 26 Garden St., Macduff; Mary Ann Wilson, "Rothen (?), Cornhill.

d. 02.06.1926, Chalmers Hospital, Banff, usual residence: Cornhill Village, Informant: James Garden.

Nothing here to suggest burial is somewhere other than local area. Still working on picture.

Thanks

[Chalfont]

One related piece of info. The LDS-transcribed 1901 Census on Ancestry shows George Stevenson, wife Mary and three children at Broadley (farm) in Boyndie. Wrongly states 8 year-old Mary as born in Fordyce. Pretty sure this is authentic family as my great grandparents William Murray/Elizabeth Runcie and their family lived on Broadley farm for 40 years, and the Murrays are the common link between my family and Mary (Stevenson) Garden.

Broadley is in Boyndie but close to Alvah parish church and cemetery. The Murray children were christened at Alvah. Elizabeth Runcie erected a family monument there. I've visited the cemetery. Outside the church walls as I remember, it's not flat as in the picture, but slopes to the east. But I don't think we can entirely discard Broadley as a possibility until we have a more definitive solution.  Thanks

[Chalfont]

Could be she was born at Aird Street, Portsoy - on Google Maps I see there is one there. First word is definitely Aird, so I'd say this was a good possibility. No street number supplied.