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The Aberdeen Central Library is another useful resource. Among other items, it too has the collection of the Aberdeen Journal from 1745 onwards,
as well as a fairly complete run of city directories. Located downtown on the Rosemount Viaduct, it's within the central core, and a five minute walk
from the ANESFHS.
If you are wandering through the Aberdeen graveyards, it's a good idea to first check the ANESFHS for monumental inscriptions and plot maps.
Knowing where the grave is will save you a lot of time when looking through these larger sites. Most of the Aberdeen City graveyards open only between
0800-0900 and close between 1800-2100, so plan your visit accordingly. The Grove Cemetery in Woodside is often overlooked when visiting the older city
cemeteries; if your ancestors lived in that part of Aberdeen after 1900, it's worth checking for them in that cemetery.
Something else to keep in mind about many of these graveyards is that very few of the larger and newer ones have been transcribed.
This also applies to the older graveyards, many of which have current annexes that can also be a useful source of inscriptions for
deaths occurring in the twentieth century.
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St. Clement's Church, Aberdeen
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When in Aberdeen, I stay at the
Premier Travel Inn Aberdeen City Centre on West North Street. It's one of a chain in Britain, and is perfect
for my needs. In May 2004, rooms were 52 GBP per night. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and the location
of the hotel makes it ideal for downtown research. Restaurant and bar in the hotel, king size beds and full bath and shower facilities.
I'm not against guest-houses...but I like to maximize my research time when abroad, and that means getting up and out at dawn when the
weather permits.
This hotel is close to all the research facilities...the ANESFHS is about two minutes walk; other record repositories and museums are about
5 minutes away. A big plus is free parking…no small consideration in a city where that commodity
is in short supply. A few minutes walk north is a (Safeway) supermarket where one can stock up on a wide assortment of food, drinks and even
suntan oil if the weather warrants! There's a 24 hour gas (petrol) station next door to that… be prepared for sticker-shock!
Renting a car from overseas will be cheaper than doing so once in the UK. But walking is the best way to explore the city. Old Aberdeen or the harbour area are less than a half hour
walk from the city centre, and is still charming despite the city's modernization attempts.
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Travelling uphill from West North Street, you'll come to John Knox Church and churchyard. A small graveyard, many of the burials here are of seamen.
Continuing along Mounthooly, King's Crescent and the Spital there are several book and antique shops at the top of the hill toward
Old Aberdeen. On the right, through the Spital Court is the entrance to the Old Spital Cemetery (photo, right). The cemetery is now accessed
from King Street through St. Peter's Cemetery, and holds the oldest graves for Aberdonians. Transcriptions of gravestones and burials for
this cemetery are held both at the ANESFHS and the Aberdeen Central Library. Many of the Spital burials recorded within the transcriptions do
NOT have any corresponding stone… this is commonplace with many of the older cemeteries. Economic circumstances at death often precluded the erection
of a monument, and even if one existed on the late 19th century, it's unlikely that it is still standing. Murphy's law applies to gravestones: the
one you're looking for has either disappeared, or inevitably fallen foward on its face.
Passing King's College of Aberdeen University, a spot of drink is probably in order. The St. Machar Bar (97 High St.), frequented by students,
professors and locals alike, is a good spot to quench your thirst, or to take cover from the elements when the Aberdeen weather
turns wet! Great for a sandwich if you're spending the day at either the Archives or Special Collections.
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Shield over entrance to Spital Cemetery
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