Where Were Scoons of Todshawhill Buried?

[rquam]

All of the Scoons left Todshawhill Farm in Roberton Parish, Roxburghshire, around 1850 and arrived in America in 1853. I visited Todshawhill in 2006 and searched the cemetery at Roberton but didn't find any Scoons. ScotlandsPeople doesn't list any.

Anybody have any idea how I can locate their cemetery? I assume they would all be buried in the same place.

Many thanks,
Richard

[carlineric]

I have had a look at the Scottish Association of Family History Societies' "Graveyard Search" CD and the burial grounds in Roberton Parish are listed as the Parish Church, Manse Road Cemetery or Kirk Borthwick Chapel. No details of dates except for Kirk Bothwick Chapel which closed in the 19th Century.

Eric

[nelmit]

No help with your burials but have you seen the will of John Scoon, Farmer of Todshawill from 1836?

Regards,
Annette

[rquam]

Yes, Annette, I have a copy of that will. Now, how do I find out where he was buried? I am told it was not legal to bury people on their own property, so he had to have been placed in a cemetery...someplace.

Richard

[Lorna Allison]

Hello Richard

Just found your question re the burial place of Scoons of Todshawhill farm. I have some Scoons connected to my Middlemiss/mas/mass connections and on a visit to Lessudden Cemetery in St Boswells came across two Scoon graves. However, if you do a search on the OPR deaths you will find there are many Scoon deaths listed under Hawick, Roxburghshire and, since Todshawhill is just 3 miles from Hawick I think you may well find some connections buried there.

Not sure if I am allowed to enter a quote from another site but if not some kind person will surely delete it. Here goes anyway:

"Just a quick note on the local geography because it can be a bit confusing for this family group. John and Elizabeth actually lived at Branxholm which is a farming community a few miles to the south west of Hawick (but still just in Hawick parish). This is very close to Todshawhill farm occupied by two other Scoon families (probably John's cousins). However, this farm is just across the parish boundary so all its records appear under Roberton. Just to confuse matters further Roberton parish has been split between the counties of Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire so you may find them indexed under either (or both!) depending on the site you use."

Hope this may be of some help to you.

Lorna

[rquam]

Than you, Lorna, for the reply.

My Scoons left Todshawhill around 1850 and ended up in America. Several generations were at Todshawhill before then but, as I said before, I have been unable to find any gravestones or burial sites for them. I'll keep looking.

Regards,
Richard

[Andy]

Hi Richard,

If you do an Old Parish Deaths & Burials search for Scoon in Roxburghshire with a narrow metaphone filter, 52 result are found, mostly around Hawick, so certainly close to Todshawhill.

[Lorna Allison]

Hi Richard

The following, which is a table from the Border FHS site, shows you where Border Scoons (who could afford a stone) are buried:

Burial Place County No of Stones

Cavers & Kirkton (including Denholm) Roxburghshire 1
Eckford Roxburghshire 1
Edgerston Roxburghshire 1
Ettrick Kirkyard Selkirkshire 1
Kelso - Rosebank Cemetery - CD Roxburghshire 9
Melrose Abbey - CD Roxburghshire 1
Selkirk Auld Kirkyard CD Selkirkshire 1
St. Boswells (Lessudden) Roxburghshire 2

Copies of these booklets can be obtrained from Borders FHS and I have found them to be most helpful in the past with members going far beyond any "call of duty".

My own look through the relevant 3 which I have, show that Cavers and Eckford are unlikely to be of use to you but the St Boswells one does show a George SCOON dying at Melrose 23.2.1861 aged 55 years. He would clearly be around and in the area when your family emigrated so could be a connection and his wife Martha SCOTT died at Newton Hawick in 1896 aged 79 years. Perhaps this is not of much help but all I can offer I am afraid!

Regards

Lorna

[rquam]

Hello Lorna,

Many thanks for your efforts to help me in my research. You have given me some new ideas on where to direct my inquiries.

Regards,
Richard