I have two Questions.....

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:28 pm

Hi Everybody

I have 2 questions that I hope some of the good people on this forum could help me out with.

The first one is regarding cremation.
I read on the posts about looking up gravemarkers. What happens if a person was cremated instead of buried? Was burial in Scotland more common than cremation expecially in the 19th century?

The second question regards newspapers. We all know about The Scotsman, and how great it is to have them online. My problem is that so far, at least, none of my ancestors seemed to have lived in Edinburgh. They lived mostly in Renfrewshire, Stirling, even Fife and Ulster. Are there any online old papers for these places?

Thanks
Sheila

P.S. I just love these emoticons

Researching-McDonald-McLaren-McKinnon-Boyd-Kennedy-Dunn-Moran-Langhan-Kay/Key-McVeany/Veany-Findlan-McKee/McKay-Watson

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:58 pm

Hi Sheila
I think cremation as we know it today is a relatively recent (well OK, 20th century

) thing -
check out:
http://www.birdsinthetree.com/articles/ ... istory.php
where it says

1909 Edinburgh Cremation Society formed
then
1929 Warriston Crematorium opened

which would suggest it was a newish thing then, though I might be wrong.
I've just never come across any cremations that far back. I suspect the vast majority, if not everyone, was buried in the 19th century. Will be interested to see what other post appear on this subject.

Obviously cremation, but not in a crematorium, has been a method of dipsosing of the dead in many earlier cultures, including Scotland:

From 1500 BC to 500 BC the first farms were established in the area which seems to have been warmer and drier than it is now. This process of human settlement culminated in the arrival of the Celtic-speaking people. The main record we have of these early people is from their burials and hundreds of early graves and cremation urns have been found from this period in and around St Andrews.

http://www.saint-andrews.co.uk/CC/History.htm
but that's maybe a bit earlier than you were referring to!!!

Best wishes
Lesley

(sorry, couldn't resist it!!)
Also check out: http://www.srgw.demon.co.uk/CremSoc3/St ... story.html

m

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:50 am

Hi Leslie

Thank you for all that information on cremations. I have to assume then that all my ancestors were buried, except the one that lived between 1500 and 2500 years ago. xmas:

Do you know when SP will put certificates for the 500 to 1500 BC ancestors online?

Merry Xmas

Sheila

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:10 am

Aye Certificates for 500BC-1500BC will be online in 1 April 2505 at exactly 2359Z.

This is to coincide with the abolition of all forms of taxation, as time travel has caused a problem with tax offices establishing their jurisdictions, and losing their excise men and women to the temptations of the past. (Cheaper whiskey).

I it also expected to have the 1500BC-2500BC certificates on line when hades freezes over which according to ongoing changes to our weather pattern should occur officially around 5 Nov 2506

sheilajim · Post by **sheilajim** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:48 pm

Hi Stew

Well I have developed a great deal of patience.

What is a wait of 500 or 600 years anyway

Maybe we can get the newspapers of the day, (stone markings) on sooner.

Merry Xmas

Sheila

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:00 pm

Hi Sheila

My problem is that so far, at least, none of my ancestors seemed to have lived in Edinburgh. They lived mostly in Renfrewshire, Stirling, even Fife and Ulster. Are there any online old papers for these places?

Sorry, got carried away with the cremations and forgot about this!

As far as I'm aware, no. Wish there were. Someone else may know different. (I hope!)

I seem to remember, through one of the Ayrshire genealogy sites there was some kind soul who had put some Ayrshire newspaper info online - I'd need to go have a rummage and come back with a link (I'm sure it was mentioned on this forum somewhere now I think about it...)
post is at:
http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... t=ayrshire
and web site is at:
http://www.threetowners.com/Herald/herald_files.htm
which may be of help to some folk but its not going to help with your Renfrewshire, Stiriling, Fife or Ulster research. Still, things change... & internet access to records is improving all the time, so who knows what 2006 holds?

Best wishes
Lesley

m

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:58 am

Hello Sheila

Unfortunately, due to circumstances of history, a vast number of those ancient tablets will not become available.

Contrary to folklore and documented fact, this is not because they fell off the back of a horse crossing a river, enroute to a repository, but due to thier being used to build bridges for horses to cross said rivers.

Those that may have survived may be viewed with a bit of luck, if their facing pages are on the outside of buildings and other such obelisks.

Others may require the services of an expert in ancient writings and inscriptions. But even those may only give the names of those marrying, and not those of their parents, as the requirement to include parental information was not introduced until 0001AD, or therabouts, when the census of Judea occurred. Even those may only ennumerate the families and not their birthplaces

Oh boy I think I really need to get a life outside of family history

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 3:35 am

I thought I would show an example of what you might expect to see when they come online in the dark distant future

ŵůĻĻįęßЯФФДЛεЃЃΐτЛǻЯΫЛΐτΨ
ΦǻДЯǻ±±±±ÐǻΫФłΣůЛЛεЯΣФĻΣτΐċε
ДǻεελρĻФЯεЯЯФФДЃǻЃεĻυĻÐτε

A rough translation:

Wullie Broon merrit Mary (S)mith on ra 4 day of summer solstice
Nae explorers roon to tell us date

Note: Smith may be Mith, it could be a spelling error by transcriber or registrar.

I told you I need to get a life

JayPee · Post by **JayPee** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:16 am

StewL wrote:Others may require the services of an expert in ancient writings and inscriptions.

David[WW]: How's your expertise in this style of hand-(and-hammer-and-chisel)-writing? Is there a document or web-site you can point us to?

- JayPee

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:19 am

JayPee wrote:
StewL wrote:Others may require the services of an expert in ancient writings and inscriptions.
David[WW]: How's your expertise in this style of hand-(and-hammer-and-chisel)-writing? Is there a document or web-site you can point us to?
- JayPee

Sorry, not one of my many skills, - try a Google for Rosetta Stone

David