We contacted by Dean asking if his wife could visit the cemetery as they had discovered her great grandfather Charles McCluskey was buried there

Like many stories we hear, living relatives remember hearing snippets, conversations that weren’t for young ears but conversations that remain with us for a reason we don’t understand until we are older.

As we have found with many of the records there is incorrect entries within the historical records. This may have been due to spelling, where family member provided the information as literacy may have been poor or simply due to clerical error.

Charles was no exception. We have now found out he was born in the Cadder area near Kirkintilloch and not Mid Calder along with his correct date of birth and his wife’s maiden name.

On Thursday Dean and Maria came along after we pinpointed Charles to his final resting place.

Dean and Maria have planted a ranunkel in the pot closest to him and left some small butterflies surrounding it.

Like many who visit for the first time, the realisation and often sadness sinks in that they are probably the first relatives to have visited their family member in over 100 years.

What we need to remember was that often families didn’t know how to cope with mental health, that stigma surrounded MH and still does to some extent, so it was often easier to ‘forgot’ them than to be heartbroken about a loved one being placed into an asylum.

‘I do think we are lucky to find him as many of my family ended up in common ground or paupers graves and their exact location cannot be pinpointed within the cemeteries. I found that part most surprising that the people at Hartwood took the time to number the graves and keep a detailed record’

But, their story didn't end there.  

Dean had done some extensive research since we last spoke and he has uncovered that Charles had a cousin, Hugh Sharp who is buried in number 169

Hugh Sharp died a year before Charles in 1911 on 1st May. Born on 12th December 1872 in Cadder and his parents were Patrick Sharp and Jane Gallacher.

He has also uncovered that Charles brother, Edward was a resident within Hartwood, where he self admitted but he was always deemed 'sane', then his fourteen year old son, where the Police in Tollcross tried to have him admitted but he was always refused.

So this has now got me wondering how many cousins are buried within our graveyard as this was never on my radar.

RIP Charles and Hugh.

#longlostfamily #Unforgotten