Ulbster burial ground book just published
A member of Caithness Family History Society (CFHS) has been very busy creating a new book on the subject of Ulbster’s old burial ground.
Fiona Wade, nee Begg, photographed all the cemetery gravestones at Mains of Ulbster and transcribed their inscriptions.
The small graveyard near Thrumster contains the unusual and attractive Sinclair Mausoleum, built by Sir John Sinclair of Ulbster as a burial place for the Sinclair family.
Fiona, who lives in Thurso, but was brought up at Ulbster, has always been very interested in both family and local history.
Her project began in 2022, when she was studying the gravestones belonging to her own ancestors and decided to transcribe all the others. She discovered a number which had become covered over by soil and grass and had never been recorded before.
Fiona also uncovered a Pictish stone which has now been taken to Ratho near Edinburgh for specialist preservation work to be carried out on it.
Anna Rogalski from CFHS said: “Fiona gave her work to Caithness Family History Society to publish in book form. It contains photos and information for all visible gravestones. But there’s more.
“Not content with the transcriptions, Fiona researched many of the families mentioned on the gravestones and the book contains birth, marriage, death and census details, which will be very useful to those interested in their Caithness forebears.
“There are also extracts, dating from 1890 till 1913, from the Ulbster Burial Ground Committee minute book, which mention many people from the area.”
CFHS will hold a book launch in the Smiddy Inn, Thrumster on Saturday, May 25 between 11am and 1pm. This will afford the opportunity to meet Fiona, have her sign copies of her book. and also have a chat with CFHS members over a cuppa.
Caithness Family History Society can be contacted at enquiries@caithnessfhs.org.uk and has a website and Facebook Page.
