Eastern Necropolis

By Liz Smith, Dundee, Scotland

FAMILY BURIALS IN EASTERN CEMETERY
(Bowman, Duncan, Maxwell, Bell, Roger)

Catherine Bowman

Catharine Bowman was the eighth child of John Bowman and Helen Guthrie and their fourth daughter. In 1860 she had had an illegitimate child, called Katherine, by James Elder. After she married David Duncan in 1863 she went to live in Dundee where Katherine died of laryngitis, possibly diphtheria, a year later, aged 4. I would imagine that moving from the quiet rural area of Tealing to the crowded area in the centre of Dundee must have been difficult for the child.

In 1872 their fourth son, George, was born. He died two months later of bronchitis. David bought 3 lairs (Area F, Lairs 367 to 369) in Eastern Cemetery and George was buried in one of them. Interestingly George was called after a lodger, George Leslie. This George was a young man, a chemist’s assistant, from Turriff, Aberdeenshire, who was living with the family in 1871.

In 1893 Elizabeth Maxwell was buried in the same grave. David’s mother had been a Maxwell but I do not yet know the exact relationship between David and Elizabeth.

In 1907 Catherine died of stomach cancer. This was followed three years later by the death of David. He had cancer of the tongue and had an operation to remove the tumour. This caused a hemorrhage which in turn caused heart failure. They are both buried in the centre lair.

The remaining lair contains two daughters, Betsy and Helen. Betsy died in 1947, the widow of George Bell. Helen, who remained single, died of colon cancer a year later.

BOWMAN - DUNCAN

Inscription

In Memory of
Catherine Bowman
Wife of David Duncan
Collector D P & L Shipping Co.
Who died 8^th April 1907
Aged 65 years
And the above
David Duncan
Who died 4^th September 1910
Aged 68 years
And their second daughter
Betsy Bowman Duncan
Widow of George W Bell
Who died 24^th February 1947
Also their eldest daughter
Helen Guthrie Duncan
Who died 28^th May 1948
Aged 77 years

Burial Records of Eastern Cemetery Dundee

Section F, Lairs 367, 368 and 369

...

ANN BOWMAN

Ann Bowman was the eldest child of John Bowman and Helen Guthrie and was married to John Roger. They had 5 children, the middle one being a son called Peter..

In 1880 Peter married his cousin Betsy Bowman or Kidd, the daughter of Ann’s sister Isabella. In 1882 their first child, Annie, was born. Annie died of bronchitis, possibly diphtheria, when she was 7 months old and Peter Roger bought two lairs (Area AA, Lairs 407 & 408) in Eastern Cemetery where the baby was buried. She is the only one in that grave..

The year after the death of their baby daughter they had another child, a son called John. Betsy died of puerperal fever and peritonitis 8 days after the birth and was buried in the second lair..

Ann Bowman died of heart disease in 1895. Two days later her husband, John, died of enteritis after having being ill for 6 days. They were buried in the same grave as Betsy.

The headstone has a dove perched on the top. Unfortunately it has broken off the plinth, possibly through vandalism but perhaps just with age, and is propped against the plinth.

 

ROGER - BOWMAN

Erected by
Peter Roger
And his wife
Betsy Bowman
In memory of their beloved daughter
Annie Campbell
Who died 30^th October 1882 aged 7 months
The above
Betsy Bowman
Died 23^rd August 1883 aged 27 years
And of his father John Roger
Died 1^st September 1895 aged 74 years
And of his mother Annie Bowman
Died 30^th August 1895 aged 70 years

Burial Records for Eastern Cemetery Dundee
Eastern Cemetery, Section AA, Lairs 407 & 408
Bought by Peter Roger, joiner, 185 Princes Street, Dundee

Ann Scott Bowman

Annie Scott Bowman, daughter of John Guthrie Bowman and Mary Hogg and grandchild of
John Bowman and Helen Guthrie, was buried in a pauper’s grave in this cemetery in 1926.

A family story says that Annie had an accident while horse-riding and spent the rest of her life in a nursing home. Certainly when she died she was a patient in the Eastern Hospital for the sick poor, which was specially built for this purpose in 1893. It became known as Maryfield Hospital later.

Although there is no headstone she is commemorated on her parents’ stone in Balgay Cemetery.

 In loving memory of
Our dear father and mother
John G Bowman
Born 1837 died 1890
Mary Ann H Bowman
Born 1840 died 1903
George S Bowman
Born 1875 killed in France 1916
Ann S Bowman
Born 1868 died 1926
Marion B Kidd grandchild

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