# General > Genealogy >  Pre 1854 Death Records

## jackie

Do the churches of Caithness area have any old records recording when a person pre 1854 may have died?  Scotland people only has birth and marraige, but no death. Were people not recorded back then or were they being charged so they just didn't record things?
Do any of the Caithness Monuments have this type of info for these dates?

Any help anyone can give is greatly appreciated.

Thanks Jackie

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## fred

> Do the churches of Caithness area have any old records recording when a person pre 1854 may have died?  Scotland people only has birth and marraige, but no death. Were people not recorded back then or were they being charged so they just didn't record things?
> Do any of the Caithness Monuments have this type of info for these dates?
> 
> Any help anyone can give is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks Jackie


Few records of deaths were kept in the parochial registers.

A survey was done of gravestones in the 1970s and published in a series of books called "Caithness Monumental inscriptions" but there is very little available on the web relating to deaths pre 1854...but I'm working on it.

If you're interest is in the parish of Latheron I may be able to help you, I know where many of the skeletons are hidden.

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## jackie

Fred:
The names that I am searching for are: Simpson (From all counties)
James Simpson + Ann Manson 
Latheron, Caithness	M 20 Feb 1796
Now this family may not have stayed in Latheron as One of the later children were born in Olrig, so they may have moved there and James may have died there in Olrig instead. last child of this family was born 1813 George Traill Simpson.

Another Simpson family was an Alexander Simpson + Unknown whose daughter was:
Janet Simpson + Hugh Munro
Latheron, Caithness M 1 Dec 1841

Any Simpson's you might be able to find will be a help.
Thanks so much   :Grin:  
Jackie

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## fred

> Fred:
> The names that I am searching for are: Simpson (From all counties)
> James Simpson + Ann Manson 
> Latheron, Caithness	M 20 Feb 1796
> Now this family may not have stayed in Latheron as One of the later children were born in Olrig, so they may have moved there and James may have died there in Olrig instead. last child of this family was born 1813 George Traill Simpson.
> 
> Another Simpson family was an Alexander Simpson + Unknown whose daughter was:
> Janet Simpson + Hugh Munro
> Latheron, Caithness M 1 Dec 1841
> ...


The only Simpsons I know of burried in Latheron are in the Clyth cemetery.

'Erected by Hugh Bethume Mid Clyth in memory of his father.'
Hugh Bethume died January 1837 aged 48.
Wife Barbara Sutherland died 6th November 1872 aged 73.
Granddaughter Barbara Simpson died 9th February 1865 aged 5.
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.'

'Erected by Robert Wallace merchant Lybster to the memory of his spouse.'
Charllot Simpson died 21st Nov 1845 aged 30.

And one more which I haven't my own record of yet, I'm working on Clyth at the moment, the entry in Monumental Inscriptions says:

Alex Simpson 1.11.1892 55, w Margt Bethume 6.4.1927 90, s Alex N.Z.R.B. killed France 28.6.1917 43.

The only Hugh Munro of marrying age in the 1841 census was also at Clyth:

District:  19 Folio:  0 Page:  5
Address:  Newlands Of Clyth

MUNRO          Hugh           M 60  Independent                Outside Census County
MUNRO          Hugh           M 30  Agricultural Labourer      Outside Census County

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## jackie

Thanks Fred, your findings helped fill in some blanks. Like Charlotte's death, I hadn't come across that yet. She was from Canisbay and was the daughter of: Peter Simpson & Charlotte Simpson (maiden name Simpson). So that was a help.
Also I didn't have the death of Alexander Simpson son of Alexander Simpson + Margaret Bethune, So I will look up the Caithness Memorial for War to get more info on him.
Every little bit helps.
Robert Wallace remarried Marjory Miller in 1849 after the death of Charlotte and they had 4 children of their own.
And last yes that Janet Simpson who married the Munro that would have been the one. I have her death certificate but only her father is listed not the mother so I was trying to tie a mother in there to see which family Janet belonged to.
Once again thanks
Jackie

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