New OPR Deaths-Joy and Sadness -James Fraser

[Gingerbadcat]

Hi, so excited this morning! Used to be a memeber of this forum several years ago but then concentrated on the English side ! Anyway I have started again on The Scottish side and have hit some walls. I rejoined Talking Scot and read all my joining bits this morning.....then I stumbled across the announcement that the deaths and burials were coming on line today..........to good to be true!
Read all the blurb warning me not to get my hopes up...
I had discoverd my man died between 1838 and 1840-childrens wedding entries -"late" James Fraser on one. (Felt like such a detective with that one )
There he was, poor man, drowned in the Leith aged 53 Joy at discovery and then such a sad feeling.
Would a poor man drowning in Colinton have made any newspapers do you reckon or might it just be one of those things..... ?
Okay, children out of school at lunchtime today, 2 hours of family history ahead !!!!
Annie

[AndrewP]

Hi Annie,

Welcome (or is it re-welcome?) to TalkingScot.

There may have been an item in The Scotsman. The Scotsman Archives (1817-1850) are online, for a price.

The Water of Leith flows through Colinton Parish for a couple of miles. At that time there would be many active mills by the waterside, milling many different products (grain, paper, board, snuff and more). They are all history now.

All the best,

AndrewP
in Colinton

[Gingerbadcat]

Hi Andrew,
thanks I'll have a look. I have read the gazeteer entry for Colinton which gives fabulous information on Colinton and all the right time for my research. I am writing up a sort of "Who do you think you" are piece for my Mother in Law, who is not well at the moment. I had already written a bit about the river running 17 mills. This latest info will give a poignant end to the piece. I was pleased with how much detail was given on the OPR entry "Head of grave 14 3/4 (!) feet south from the door of Gillespies Tomb and fifteen feet east from James Andersons Tombstone"
Great detail!
So do you live in Colinton ? From reading the gazeteer entry I have rural " Larkrise " in my head, my husband has laughed at me and said its all part of Edinburgh now.
Annie

[Currie]

Hello Annie,

A drowning often made the newspapers as long as it came to their notice and wasn’t crowded out by more newsworthy events. Drowning was a very popular activity during the 19th Century, either accidentally or intentionally.

What was the death and/or burial date?

Alan

[Gingerbadcat]

Hi Alan,
He was drowned on the 15th of November 1839 in the water of Leith (Colinton I think as this is where he lived ) and was buried 21st November 1839 in Colinton.
He was a shepherd and then a carter so not really of interest other than to family and friends. Poor chap ! Poor wifey and 10 children !
Annie

[WilmaM]

So do you live in Colinton ? From reading the gazeteer entry I have rural " Larkrise " in my head, my husband has laughed at me and said its all part of Edinburgh now.
Annie

Look at a Google or Multimap of Colinton, satellite view and you'll see what it's like now!

[Gingerbadcat]

Look at a Google or Multimap of Colinton, satellite view and you'll see what it's like now!
_________________

Stll some green south of the bypass !!
Annie

[Currie]

No luck Annie,

I checked from the 14th November to the end of the month and could find nothing referring to his death. That was in the Glasgow Herald, Aberdeen Journal and the Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh).

On Thursday November 28 the Caledonian Mercury in its Leith column reported the death of a Peter Conolly who was working on an embankment on the rivers east side behind Moray Place and fell into the river on Tuesday 26th.

Unless it’s hiding there somewhere it seems to be just the luck of the draw. I had a quick look at the free search of the Scotsman for the same period but couldn’t see anything promising. http://archive.scotsman.com/search.cfm

All the best,
Alan

[Gingerbadcat]

Alan thank you so much! I really appreciate all that effort you have put in on my behalf. You are very kind.
Thank you again
best wishes to you too
Annie