Author Topic: Burial Lair Information  (Read 662 times)

Offline WeeFram

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Burial Lair Information
« on: Wednesday 17 August 22 00:09 BST (UK) »
Hi,

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this but don't see anywhere for burials to ask.

I recently found lair documents for some of my relatives however there are a few things I don't understand so hoping someone could shed some light.

What are the numbers in the 'Remarks' section of the Register of Interments in Lairs & Vaults referring to? Depth of opening, is that an indication as to how many people the lair is for or? If the person who bought the lair has died and is buried, who does it transfer to? another family member I assume? registered somewhere?

Sorry for the questions. This is for burials in Scotland.

Thanks
Gillies + MacDonald & Gibb + Frame
McMeekin + Dewar & Brown + Donoghue
McDonald & Hardie/Hargie + Roberston
Pilling + Beattie & Graham + Marshall

Offline Rosinish

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 06:05 BST (UK) »
What are the numbers in the 'Remarks' section of the Register of Interments in Lairs & Vaults referring to? Depth of opening, is that an indication as to how many people the lair is for or? If the person who bought the lair has died and is buried, who does it transfer to? another family member I assume? registered somewhere?

This is for burials in Scotland.
It would be an idea to give the Date / Parish / Reg. District / County & post a snip of the doc. you refer to as each Church / Cemetery would have their own way of keeping accounts i.e. without seeing the info. it's unlikely anyone could guess.

If there are headings, please include those too to help identify possible references/abbreviations.

Annie
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Offline Guy Etchells

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 07:34 BST (UK) »
I can't be specific about the numbers without seeing the document but Depth of opening would depend on the grave (lair) if it was unused it would refer to the authorised maximum depth, if the grave had been opened before it refers to the depth of the last opening to enable the grave to be reopened with sufficient covering not to disturb the remains.
With regards to the lair owner dying, a lair is heritable property meaning that it could be left in a will to whoever the owner wished to leave it to. If it is not specifically mentioned in the will it would be treated as residual goods or chattels and go to whoever they go to, this may cause a problem as residual goods are split between dependants and this often causes friction and argument between beneficiaries
Cheers
Guy
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Offline RJ_Paton

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 08:58 BST (UK) »
With regards to the lair owner dying, a lair is heritable property meaning that it could be left in a will to whoever the owner wished to leave it to. If it is not specifically mentioned in the will it would be treated as residual goods or chattels and go to whoever they go to, this may cause a problem as residual goods are split between dependants and this often causes friction and argument between beneficiaries
Cheers
Guy

In Scotland where a lair owner dies without leaving the lair to a specific person there is a designated order by law of the inheritance and right of burial (if there's room)
Quote
If a lair holder dies and has made no valid bequest of the lair, the exclusive right of burial in the lair shall transfer to the lair holder's successor using the order of ranking detailed in rule 12.

12. The order of ranking is

    the lair holder's spouse
    the lair holder's children
    the lair holder's grandchildren
    remoter descendants in order of descent
    ascendants in order of ascent
    brothers and sisters and their ascendants and descendants in similar fashion.

As the eldest child is the first inheritor this shows how the ownership of a lair can, over the generations, go sideways from the original owner.


Offline WeeFram

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 10:22 BST (UK) »
Ok, I have attached a photo of the register for Angus McDonald. Does anyone know what the numbers I have highlighted in the 'Remarks' section are? Or what the classes are referring to? The depth of the opening is 7 ft, I know his daughter (1960) was put in the lair before him (1965) and was at 8ft, his son went in after Angus (1977)and it was marked 5ft. I assumed Angus's wife (1972) would have been in the lair but she's not listed on the lair entries.

The order of ranking makes sense.

Thanks Annie, Guy & Falkryn.
Gillies + MacDonald & Gibb + Frame
McMeekin + Dewar & Brown + Donoghue
McDonald & Hardie/Hargie + Roberston
Pilling + Beattie & Graham + Marshall

Offline arthurk

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 11:41 BST (UK) »
A few things can be inferred from the image:

1. The numbers on the left hand page, in the columns headed No. and Remarks, appear to be numbering the entries, though they've only done the first and last on the page, plus every ten in Remarks. There are 37 entries shown, and this is consistent with the first entry being 929/99693 and the last 965/99729. My guess is that the No. relates to the entry in that particular register, and Remarks gives the number of the burial since the cemetery was opened.

2. This is a list of burials in chronological order, and the Reg. No. column on the right hand page is probably a cross-reference to the register of lairs, numbered in order since they were first used. Note that where the class is C, the deepest lairs (8ft) run in sequence down the page from 33355 to 33366; these will be the new ones. The shallower/older ones have lower numbers because they will have been used previously.

3. Did you notice that there were other people who died at the same address as Angus McDonald? It's not described as a hospital, but you might find it interesting to work out what it was, if you don't already know.

I don't know what the different classes refer to, though the numbers against A, B and D might suggest that they belong to a separate sequence of lair numbers.

Offline WeeFram

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Re: Burial Lair Information
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 17 August 22 11:55 BST (UK) »
Hi Arthurk, thanks for replying.

The address he died at is the address of Stobhill Hospital, others in the lair are his daughter at the family home address and his son at Gartnavel Hospital.

Ah, so the remarks are just keeping tally then, that makes sense. I assumed the number at the start was just for keeping count.

I didn't notice that the 8ft lairs were in sequence, that's interesting. I shall continue my search for what the classes mean.
Gillies + MacDonald & Gibb + Frame
McMeekin + Dewar & Brown + Donoghue
McDonald & Hardie/Hargie + Roberston
Pilling + Beattie & Graham + Marshall