The Scottish War Graves Project

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Sounds as if you're becoming quite the 'Graveyarder' - don't worry - you're in good company here! Wink

Do you have the Section and Lair Number details of the grave in Sighthill? The stone might cover more than one Lair and the only way to find that out is by getting in touch with the Cemetery Records Office:

Cemeteries & Crematoria Registrar
20 Trongate
Glasgow
G1 5ES

Phone:0141 287 3961
E-mail: land@glasgow.gov.uk

They'll also be able to tell you everyone buried there - there might be more than those mentioned on the stone, especially as you've found the base of another one right next to it. Of course, the other stone could well have belonged to completely unrelated people. Some of my pals (gravediggers in various cemeteries!), said the best way to get a guide to the distance between lairs was just to pace them out - e.g. one pace (approximately 3 feet) is the width of a single lair. This is obviously easier said than done in older parts of cemeteries where the stones look as though they've just been put higgilty-piggilty all over the place.

I don't know whether the Records Office would charge for a search but as you know exact names and dates of death, it shouldn't be too difficult a job but I'd check first! I doubt they'd know anything about the stones though, they're the responsibility of the Lair Owner (unless they're under the care of CWGC) and not the council.

Anne

rjs · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Lazonby, Cumbria

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

The number at the base of the stone could well represent it's position - something like 1/123 or A/123 would be section 1 or A, grave 123 but unfortunately a lot of the older stones don't have anything.

I remembered reading a thread on 'Rootschat' quite recently about Sighthill and went to see if there was anything interesting. The only thing I found was:

"I phoned Glasgow Cemeteries in Trongate to find out where Section 8 is. The telephone receptionist says there's a plan of Sighthill in reception which isn't much good to me but she did give me the phone number of a Mr Wylie, foreman of Sighthill who should know the layout. Unfortunately Mr. Nobody is in the office when I phone."

The poster doesn't say where the plan is - so it's possibly at the office in Trongate. Maybe you're not going to have any choice but to give them a wee visit.

Have you looked at the cemetery on 'Livesearch'? We had a discussion on here recently about how to get maps of cemeteries we'd 'done' as some councils don't seem to either have maps or don't have a map at cemetery entrances (you'll see quite a lot of the threads have a photo of the 'entrance maps'). One option was, if there was no map to be had, was to make a tracing on clear acetate (or the like) from the aerial/bird's eye view of each cemetery from that site. This method works well for some places but for others which are full of trees etc, is no good. The view of Sighthill is excellent - I just had a look.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?hloc=GB|g21%201se#map=55.87755,-4.2336|16|32&loc=GB:55.87755:-4.23361:16|g21%201se|G21%201SE

I think 'Livesearch' may have been taken over by 'Multimap'?

I suppose after you read all this, you'll realise I quite like cemeteries. Laughing

Anne

rjs · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Lazonby, Cumbria

Well, it took a while but I have had a reply from Glasgow City Council and they have confirmed that there a number of my relatives buried in the lair with the same reference number as the number at the base of the memorial, which is presumably situated on the lair itself. I have a contact number so I will call them in the next few days to try and clear up a few more things. A few more small gaps filled!

You've done some great work with cataloging the war graves at Sighthill, I will try to have a look at them next time I am up that way.

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

Oh you sweet talker you!! Laughing

It was our very own Jim McGinlay's daughter, Lora who took all the photos, all I did was to sort them out to post.

rjs - don't go looking for the CWGC stones in Sighthill - they're not there. They're all now in Eastwood Cemetery. But if you'd like to volunteer to look for all the family stones in Sighthill . . . . . . ??

The main reason I ended up going to Sighthill was that I couldn't understand why a place of that size wasn't listed on the CWGC Cemetery Register - as usual my nose was bothering me! I've got some family/non CWGC stones but I didn't post them as there's probably loads more and I doubt that I'll be back at Sighthill, it's not exactly handy for me, but Riddrie Park Cemetery . . . . . . oooooh, that's maybe on the horizon! Wink

Anne

rjs · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 21 Location: Lazonby, Cumbria

Anne, I noticed they are at Eastwood, that all adds to the intrigue somehow.

Logging all the family memorials at Sighthill is a fair sized task Exclamation

46 acres and a lot in very poor condition. If I was a bit handier maybe.........

At the moment my family research takes up most of my spare time, 3 boys and an extension to finish the rest, so at the moment I may have to decline!

apanderson · Joined: 02 Oct 2007 Posts: 6903 Location: Stirlingshire

I knew you were 'down south' but you know the old adage . . . . . "If you don't ask"! Laughing

Anne