Digging Their Own Grave!!!

[Jean Jeanie]

Below is an extract from Uphall Session Minutes 17 Sep 1820 regarding my ggggg grandfather!

At a joint meeting of the Heritors and Kirk Session of the Parish of Uphall
Present: Major Shairp, younger of Houston; William Inglis, Esquire of Middleton; The Revd. Mr. Ferguson; Mr. James Bell and the Revd. Mr. Ferguson in the Chair.

Mr. Ferguson stated that Andrew Neil, late carrier, having died last week, his relatives thought proper to open ground in the churchyard for receiving his body, at the northwest end of the church without asking leave of the Minister or Session, and where they had not the excuse of its being in the ground or its vicinity where Niell's relationms had been in use to be buried; - and what was still more culpable, when challenged by Mr. Ferguson, one of these relations was pleased to maintain that they had a right to occupy any part of the churchyard without regard to the Session or Heritors.

The meeting having taken this statement under consideration they expressed their decided opinion that accordimg to the Law of Scotland and universal practice, the churchyard was under the particular charge of the Kirk Session - that no person was entitled to break ground without their consent being first asked and given - and that the Sefsion was entitled to point out at all times the particular ground to be made use of for the purpose of burial - though, of course, they would never refuse to permit any Parishioner to be interred in the particular place where his forefathers or relatives had been in use to be buried, unless there were some good reasoms for denying therm this privilege. (signed) John Ferguson Minr.

Norman Shairp for the Heritors

Jean

[LesleyB]

Hi Jean
Fascinating stuff. Relatives who misbehaved are always far more rewarding from the researchers point of view!

My thoughts were though...what happened next? Did they get away with it? Did they have to pay a fine? Did they have to dig him up and place him nearer his family plot??

Best wishes
Lesley

[Jean Jeanie]

Hi Lesley

My thoughts exactly

I have visited the cemetery and he and his second wife and son are buried there, exactly as it says "in the north west side of the cemetery." There is also a headstone.

My other Neil relatives have no headstones and are therefore not listed in the MIs, which is a pity.

I have come up with 2 reasons.

The first one might be that as he was married twice, the second wife didn't want him to be buried with the first wife

The second reason is that the plot is actually just inside the churchyard to the left of the path and maybe that's as far as they dared go, to do what they did

We'll never know. However, as you say, it's these fascinating little events that make this such a great hobby/obsession

Best wishes
Jean

[joette]

What a lovely tale.They were definelty canny Scots!

[StewL]

Yes a fascinating tale alright.

I was wondering while reading your thread Jean did they plant him at midnight or around that time so as not to be spotted by members of the kirk session