Robert and Violet Smith Milliken Park Road

[Ruth4]

I want to know the story behind the gravestone on a tiny island in Black Cart Water under the bridge at Milliken Park Road that reads,
Robert Smith 1929-2007, Violet Smith 1933-2014, met Glasgow 1953, reunited here forever’

So many questions- are they really buried there or is it just a gravestone? How on earth do you get permission for a grave in a river, so must just be a gravestone? Who got permission to put the gravestone there? Was the tiny island bigger then? Why was this spot chosen? Did they particularly love that place? Who threw roses down to the grave the other day? Are you relations? What is the story behind this romantic gravestone???

[WilmaM]

Hi again Ruth,
I had initially answered on the other thread, but for completeness I'll post it here too:

I had a search through the records, google etc and can't really find anything concrete for you.
No deaths in Scotland match the dates you have for a couple of those names.
I suspect it is a favourite spot where their ashes were scattered or something similar.
It's certainly not a marker for an actual grave.
2014 is only 9 years ago so any children, siblings the next generation will still be around to remember them.

Milliken Park Road would really come under Johnstone town rather than Kilbarchan Village [ both lovely places - I was there often in my work in the 1980s, though never ventured near the river.].
There is a History Society for the area, https://rlhf.info/
perhaps they will be able to help. They cover all the smaller Local History Societies, including the Johnstone one. Contact them here: https://rlhf.info/contact/
The Johnstone Museum may be able to shed some light on it too: https://johnstonehistory.org/ I believe they have a facebook page too.

Sorry i can't be of more help - you have me intrigued too though, so I f you do find an answer we'd love to hear back from you.

[Copied from thread http://www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewto ... 31228305a7 ]