Genealogy Chat

hi i am looking for the death of MARGARET CRUICKSHANKS maiden name McKINLEY . i have looked on scotlands people but the deaths only start 1855 and she could have died c 1838-1855 any idea where i can find these records i have tried the igi site thanks linda x

There is a death in 1853 on the IGI but it is a submitted entry and doesn't give any details, only that the person was born in Scotland in 1769. Registration only started in Scotland in 1855, so it would be parish records before this. Kath. x

thanks kathleen for your help sorry didnt reply but had a family emergency yesterday linda

Hello Linda! I have to say that before 1855 I have not succeeded in finding any of the family that died up there. BUT I joined the Aberdeenshire FHS and they have little booklets which are an absolute labour of love. They cover all sorts of areas but the ones i found most useful were the kirkyard listings. You don't happen to come from Fyvie do you? Although they did not seem to record deaths, I have found it impossible to find mentions of burials even, in the OPRs (Old Parish Registers) I can't imagine what they must have done when someone died. They must have had a burial service but I can't find any reference to them. Anyway, let me know where you are looking - there may be other kirkyard indexes which may help you. Just been interrrupted and re read this - what a ramble! What I am trying to say is that OPRs don't seem to hold the death info. I have found references to the deaths of relatives before 1855 on Monumental Inscriptions of relatives that died post 1855 - So and So, and also in memory of their mother Such and Such, who died when' I am going to get a coffee and unscramble my brain! Regards Abigail

hi abigail sory i havent come straight back to you but my neice has had a miscariage (24 weeks ) and her mum - my sister is in a complete state. so i am trying to hold them all together. the margaret cruickshanks that i am looking for maiden name McKinley ? all i know was that she is on her daughters marriage cert in1860 as deceased. the area of the marriage was Roxburgh. the address of the bride was 8 royal terrace edinburgh ? thanks for your reply and help linda

Sorry to hear about your neice, Linda. Deaths before 1855 are not available online - as yet, although that may well change. There are registers at NAS in Edinburgh and also Mortcloth records but they involve a trawl through records to find them - and you do need to have an idea where the person died. If you find the churchyard the person was buried in then the local authority for the area will be able to give info on who is in the lair - some people are mentioned on a stone but not buried in the grave and others are in the grave but not on the stone!! Most local authorities will provide this info free but some do make a small charge. Again of course, you do need to know where she died! So, back to the start - what's the name of the daughter who got married, how old was she, what was the father's name? Have you found her on any census records? If so, where was she born? The entry that Kathleen has found on IGI may be the one - submitted entries are always to be treated with caution but sometimes they are correct. If you decide to use submitted details, it's worth noting that they are submitted and need verifying, just in case further info becomes available. Abigail, glad you like the MI booklets from Aberdeen FHS! They are superb. I have about 40 of them and provide lookups for members on scotfamtree. Who are you looking for and any idea where they died?

thanks woody i think i will have to leave it till i have more time to concentrate thanks for your help linda x