Cemeteries in Auckinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland
My 3rd Great Grandfather died in a mining accident in 21 Oct 1831 in Auckinleck, James Murdoch. I cannot find where he is buried and wondered if there was a mining cemetery or if everyone was buried in the church cemetery. I contacted the Church of Scotland there and they said all their records burned. I would love to know if there are other options to find his grave. Thank you for any help.
Answers
-
It is quite rare to find Burial Registers in Scotland - I note from stuff on ScotlandsPeople(?) that Auckinleck is supposed to have burial registers for 1753-88 and 1828-1833 only, but your James Murdoch doesn't appear to be in the latter on ScotlandsPeople. There could be any number of reasons for this omission - many burial registers were nothing of the sort but actually recorded payments for the hire of the mortcloth to cover the coffin, so no hire would imply no entry.
As for the exact location of a grave in the graveyard, that's hugely unlikely unless there was a gravestone recorded.
So sadly, if ScotlandsPeople has nothing and the church can't help, I'd say that there's no real likelihood of any other route to that information.
2 -
I did wonder if perhaps the body had never been recovered, but according to the report in The Scotsman, "The other two men were dead before they could be got out." implying that they were got out, just not in time.
Although in the 'Parish of Auchinleck', it was not the closest village to the mine. Cumnock and Lugar were both closer and with their own churches. Maybe there's a local history club with an index of gravestones in some of these churchyards? Do you know where the family were living in the 1840 census? That may be a clue as to which churches to start with.
1 -
@ColinCameron and @Bette Christensen - I just tried to see if any registers exist for Cumnock and Lugar.
Warning - Cumnock wasn't in my documents - instead it's New Cumnock and Old Cumnock. Both those are in ScotlandsPeople. New Cumnock only has baptism registers surviving. Old Cumnock "burial" registers exist only for 1783-1792. At least, that's the situation in the typescript I have.
I didn't find Lugar with any pre-1855 registers.
Following up on Colin's suggestion about MIs (Monumental Inscriptions) I discovered from a list on the Scottish Genealogy Society's website that there is a list of MIs from Auchinleck churchyard - but how you could access it, I've no idea… There's also stuff for Old and New Cumnock but the lists isn't clear exactly what…
MIs will, of course, only be of use if your relatve's family had the cash to order a gravestone. But worth a try if there are no registers…
0 -
I am not sure whether you will have seen the information about this accident here: http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/320.html,
This 'churchyard trail' appears to show a grave which looks to be that of another victim, it refers to 'James Murdoch Unsung Hero': https://jamesboswell.scot/churchyards-trails/churchyard-trail/
2 -
"I didn't find Lugar with any pre-1855 registers." Lugar Church was built (as an engine shed) in 1845 but didn't become a church until 1867. So we could rule that one out. Interestingly the church web page has this comment, " William Murdoch, a Scottish engineer and inventor famous for his innovations with steam engines and gas lighting, was born in Lugar in 1754. A gas light dating back to his era is still located near the entrance road to the church." Any relation? According to Google Streetview the light was still there in 2021 but appears to have gone by 2024.
"New Cumnock and Old Cumnock" Yes, I'm referring here to Old Cumnock.
1 -
http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/5.html
This is a site that might be useful
0 -
Though I can't help on this particular subject I refer to @MandyShaw1 tip for visiting the Scottish Mining website. The site provides a fascinating insight to the numerous Scottish mining towns and living conditions. The accident indexes highlights the dangers that the miners - men folk and their young sons - faced on a daily basis. I found two of my Scottish ancestors - father, and son - both killed in separate mining accidents in different collories.
Regards
0 -
21 October 1831
Two Men Suffocated – On Friday last, the 21st ult., at Grass-water Limeworks, in the parish of Auchinleck, two young men of the name of Baird, sons of a farmer in the neighbourhood, came to a coalpit, five fathoms deep, that was sinking. One prevailed on the other to let him down the pit to see it; but, when near the bottom , he fell down, from the effects of the choke-damp. The brother gave the alarm, when a man of the name of Murdoch came to his assistance, and went down the pit , but he shared the same fate. David M'Leod, another man now went down , and he also shared the same fate. James Davidson, a third person, next went down but before reaching the bottom, he called out to be taken up. He got a rope fixed round his body and attempted it again, but did not succeed. A fire was got and let down into the pit and one of them was heard to moan. The smoke was quite close in the pit and nothing could be seen. However, when the windlass was turned it was found some of the three persons below were attached to the rope, and when the windlass was hoisted to a certain height , there appeared but one of the men, David M'Leod, hanging by one hand to the rope. He was immediately rescued by the people at the pit mouth. The other two men were dead before they could be got out . We understand Murdoch has left a wife and young family to lament his loss. M'Leod recovered so far as to be able to walk home to Auchinleck in the evening. [Scotsman 2 November 1831]
1
