West – Row 4 – 7 – Murray/Sligh
Transcription
In loving memory of MARGARET B. MURRAY beloved wife of DAVID SLIGH who died at Coldstream 28th March 1884 aged 27 years. Also the above DAVID SLIGH who died at Ford 10th October 1920 aged 63 years.
Commentary
They lived at 21 New Road and had four children, Margaret, Agnes, Thomas and Alice.
We received this very interesting e-mail from Kathleen van Overzee on the 29th of June 2020. We have copied it into the site as it is very relative
I was so glad to see my great great grandparents’ headstone on your Lennel churchyard site (Sligh: West Row 4 -7). The last time I searched I couldn’t find it, although I did find the grave of my great, great, great grandmother in another part. I just wanted to mention that the commentary says that they had two children, Margaret and Agnes. They actually had four: Margaret, Thomas, Agnes and Alice. I can show you some pictures if you like, the next time I am in Coldstream. I was hoping to visit in November (I live in the Netherlands) if the corona regulations permit.
This family were members of the Catholic Apostolic Church (Irvingites), which met in an upper room near Duke Street. I don’t suppose you have any archival information on that, have you? My great grandmother (Agnes Sligh, the person mentioned in the commentary) later moved to Edinburgh but remained (with her children) members of the Catholic Apostolic Church until it more or less declined. Coldstream strikes me as a very unusual location for such a movement and I have often wondered how it developed.
Lastly, could I join your society?
Kathleen van Overzee
This is the reply sent by our Chairman Mr John Elliot on 29th June 2020
Thank you for getting in touch with additional information about your great great grandparents’ headstone in Lennel Churchyard. I’ll be happy to arrange for the two additional children’s names to be added to the commentary.
According to the Society’s own book “Second to none – A History of Coldstream” written in 2010 by 6 local historians including myself, the Catholic Apostolic Church was located at 15 New Road now Leet Street. The building is believed to have been built in 1862 with four flats on the ground floor and the church premises in one large room on the upper floor. The room could accommodate 150 people apparently. A publication of the time, the “Southern Counties Register and Directory” written in 1866 refers to the property as the” New Road Chapel” and confirms that it could hold 150 people but that is all the information it gives. You will have noted that your great great grandparents lived at 21 New Road, a few doors from the church premises.
I do not know why the church existed in Coldstream which to my knowledge has never had a strong catholic presence. In fact, in 1866 the town was home to no fewer than 4 Presbyterian churches and also an Episcopal one but perhaps that is part of the explanation. I am sure you’ll know a lot more than me about the history of the Irvingites but I understand they had a strong presence in Scotland at a time when religion was much more important and practiced than in later years
