Searching for Graves of Andrew & Sarah McKnight of West Calder

[AndrewMcK]

Hello - I know that my 2G grandparents Andrew McKnight and Sarah (Milliken) moved to West Calder in the 1880s sometime, and she died there in 1901 and he in 1915. I've seen West Calder referred to in both West Lothian and Midlothian, so I hope I'm posting to the correct board! I know they have Death Certificates of some sort for each of them indexed at Scotland's People, but no idea if the burial information would be included.

I've never been to Scotland but that will change soon and it would be nice to find their graves if possible. Any advice/help is most welcome and deeply appreciated!

With warm regards from northern Virginia's Blue Ridge,
Andrew
--
Andrew McKnight
Singer Writer Guitarist - Lincoln VA
http://andrewmcknight.net

[ThrelfallYorky]

There's a a lovely graveyard in Linlithgow, St Michaels, and there's a lovely free site called "Talking Scot" that has people with comprehensive knowledge of local cemeteries. If you join that, and put your question on there, you'll almost certainly get really helpful answers.
If you do go there, Linlithgow is a lovely helpful, friendly place, and there's a "Helpdesk" at the local library, on the High Street, with very informative volunteers. The local Library - further down the main street, on the other side. beyond the Church area - has super staff, too.
Enjoy your visit, and I wish you well with your quest!

[Skoosh]

Andrew, try this,

   memento-mori-Scotland.co.uk

Skoosh.

[carlineric]

Hi Andrew

West Lothian Family History Society have transcribed the burial registers for the cemeteries in  West Lothian.

Andrew and Sarah are buried in Section F, lair 70 together with a child of a William McKnight.

Andrew died on 21 March 1915 age 80 of chronic bronchitis, dilated heart and heart failure. He was buried on 24 March 1915. Residence given as 48 Gavieside (a mining village which no longer exists). There is a note to say he was born in Scotland and was the father of William McKnight.

Sarah died on 10 October 1901 aged 66, there is no cause of death shown. She was buried on 14 October 1901. Residence given as Woodend Cottage, West Calder. There is a note to say she was born in Scotland and was the wife of Andrew McKnight.

The child in the same gave has no date of death and was buried on 29 November 1901 and is recorded as stillborn. There is a note to say was born in Scotland and was the child of William McKnight. Residence is given as Old Briech, Blackburn.

There is a John McKnight a labourer buried in F 71 who died of an accident on 5 January 1891 aged 15. He was buried on 9 January 1891. He was living at Woodend Cottage, West Calder. There is a note to say he was born in Scotland, was the son of Andrew McKnight and the funeral was arranged by William McKnight.

The only other McKnight buried in West Calder is Margaret Acroft McKnight who died on 31 July 1903 of convulsions aged 1. She was buried on 1 August 1903 in BC 225. Residence in given as 52 Gavieside. There is note to say she was boorn in Ireland, was the daughter of George McKnight and was 1 year 10 months old.

If you are visiting, section F is at the extreme left end of the original cemetery entering from the main entrance (there is an access to an extension through section F) and BC is large area immediately on your right on entering the cemetery. Sorry, the plan I have does not show the lair numbers but, if there is a headstone, there may be a label with the lair number on it on the base of the headstone.

Eric

[Forfarian]

Andrew and Sarah are buried in Section F, lair 70 together with a child of a William McKnight.

If you are visiting, section F is at the extreme left end of the original cemetery entering from the main entrance (there is an access to an extension through section F) and BC is large area immediately on your right on entering the cemetery.

Eric, for the avoidance of doubt, is this West Calder Cemetery? You didn't actually say 

[Forfarian]

I know they have Death Certificates of some sort for each of them indexed at Scotland's People, but no idea if the burial information would be included.

They are not 'Death Certificates of some sort'. They are the official government records of deaths in Scotland. See http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0

However Scottish death certificates (other than from 1855 to 1860-ish) do not tell you where the person was buried. They tell you the person's name, occupation, age and sex, and the name(s) of any spouse(s), including wives' maiden surnames; date and time of death and where the death occurred; full names of parents including mother's maiden surname, and father's occupation; cause of death and who certified it; name of informant, informant's relationship to the deceased and sometimes the informant's address; date and place of registration and name of Registrar. There are variations over the years; 1855 has additional information, 1859-1860 does not name the spouse(s), and from the 1960s you also get date of birth, country or place of birth, spouse's occupation and some other stuff not relevant to your query.  Full details of what is on which certificates in which years is on the Scotland's People web site.

I've seen West Calder referred to in both West Lothian and Midlothian

. According to Fullarton's Gazetteer (1842), West Calder is in Midlothian. Genuki http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/MLN also lists the parish in Midlothian.

Unfortunately local government in Scotland was reorganised in the 1970s, and various places in Scotland were 'moved' into areas which use the same names as the counties but cover different geographical areas. For purposes of historical research, assume that West Calder (and indeed Mid Calder and East Calder, are in Midlothian, which was also, for a time, officially called Edinburghshire.

[AndrewMcK]

For whatever reason, I never got a notification about these extremely helpful replies! Thank you so very much! I don't know if the historical facts about these two people is of interest to anyone else, but  in case someone stumbles across this in their own research. I'm not surprised that it lists Scotland as their birthplace, but in fact that's likely inaccurate according to my research.

Andrew McKnight was born in 1831 to a George McNeight and unknown mother in Newtonards, County Down. He married Sarah Milliken (b. 1831 also apparently in Newtonards, daughter of Hamilton Milliken and Jane Malcolmson) in the Bangor Presby. Church in 1854. They brought the family to Dalry, Ayrshire after the 1861 Scotland census. Hamilton Milliken was apparently already there. They were there in 1871, in Auchinleck in 1881, and at the Woodend Cottage location in 1891 and 1901. I've never found Andrew in the 1911 census oddly enough.

I'm so grateful, thank y'all for the wonderful assistance and information!

With warm regards,
Andrew