You live you die, move on .....

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 2:51 pm

Hello
I have been trying to follow the lives of all the children of Alexander and Elizabeth Morrice, nee Cockburn, post 1815. They had eleven children two of which I have been unable to trace beyond birth. One of these is Alison. On a recent trip to Scotland I viewed the appropriate film for all events and came across an entry which reads:

Alison Morrice was buried in Cairneyhill Church yard March 11 1824 aged 5 years

That’s all it says. There is no reason for death. The occasion seems to be marked with little solemnity. You live you die, move on. Some entries written in the same fine hand show a family connection, but not all.
Instinct tells me that this is my girl as Cairneyhill is not a big place and the date of death is in line with her known birth year. It’s hard to believe that this family with all their history would have nothing to say about the loss of their daughter particularly as they would have been known to the church people.
Can anyone please advise as to the likely reason for not naming parents and whether or not there is any other corroborative material that can be used to connect Alison with her mum and dad.
Thanks
Malcolm Morris

AnnetteR · Post by **AnnetteR** » Mon Nov 14, 2005 4:40 pm

Hi Malcolm

Just had a quick look at the Fife pre 1855 deaths and wee Alison is there. Place of abode was Carnock and the OPR414-3 is the source. You are right, no mention of relatives nor cause of death simply that she was buried in Cairneyhill aged 5 on 11th March 1824.

Not much help to you sorry

Annette

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 12:16 am

Hi Malcolm
Quick check in Mitchell & Mitchell, Fifeshire pre 1855 MI, Western Parishes - no MI for Alison in Carineyhill is mentioned there.

Best wishes
Lesley

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:40 am

Oh well. Thanks Lesley and Annette for trying. I had a look myself for the Cairneyhill MI's when i discovered what they were and out of the dozens of dozens of Morris's that should be intered there i only found one or two. I'm not even sure that these are my people.
Thank's once again
MM

Post by **joette** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 4:16 pm

Just to say that they probably werent being deliberately obstructive.
In that time people mostly were born,married & died in the same patch of Earth just about.They presumed that everybody who cared would know that Allison Morrice was the daughter of .... They couldnt know of the upcoming social upheavals & that one day we would have no idea who her parents were or that we would indeed care to know.Mostly records were kept to ensure payment for burial & not for any" tender" reasons.
My family Bible was burnt by a Great-Uncle because "why would anybody be interested in that ?" Me,Me but alas several years too late.He did recieve a tongue lashing from my Granny about it but the deed was done.

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 12:04 pm

Joette, that helps to put some character into what I read. However I still imagine the clergyman looking up from his book and calling out “next”.
Why would a given clergyman within a short time period write down a family connection for some and not for others? That’s one of the things dogging me.
To Lesley and Annette, what archive material are you using? You give the impression of being able to do this at home.
Thanks for your comments
Malcolm M

AnnetteR · Post by **AnnetteR** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:19 pm

Hi Malcolm

I used the Fife pre 1855 Deaths CD available to purchase from the Fife Family History Society at a very reasonable price. Well worth the money if you have Ancestors in Fife.

Happy Hunting

Annette R

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 10:50 pm

Hi Malcolm
I looked up "Fifeshire, The Western Parishes, Monumental Inscriptions, pre 1855" by John Fowler Mitchell & Shieila Mitchell.

Like the CD ROM "pre 1855 Fife Death Index", published by Fife FHS, its well worth having if you have families in that area. The book covers 19 burial grounds. There are other Fife MI books covering the other areas of Fife - 9 other books I think!

Check out:
http://www.scotsgenealogy.com/acatalog/Fife_MI.html

Best wishes
Lesley

Malcolm · Post by **Malcolm** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 2:20 am

Thank's Lesley
I looked at the MI's for Cairneyhill at the central Library in Dunfermline. I also went to the crematorium there. I got little to no information regarding final resting places for any of the Morrice's and nothing at all for Alexander and Elizabeth. I was dissapointed. This latter pair were grand and great grandparents to scores of little Morris's.
It's as if they all made there own way to Heaven.
Perhaps i'll buy this cd just to make sure i haven't missed anything. I should have done this before and saved myself a trip.
Thanks once again
Malcolm M