Roodyards Cemetery

Roodyards Cemetery, Broughty Ferry Road, Dundee

The burial ground is a walled rectangular enclosure on a terrace above the River Tay off the road to Broughty Ferry. It is generally locked to the public but access on any weekday morning can be arranged through the City of Dundee Parks Department (353 Clepington Road). There was once a medieval chapel nearby which was dedicated to the Holy Cross (i.e. Holy Rood).

Sydney Cramer listed 151 inscriptions in about 1950. These are all included in the following list, which was corrected, added to and re-numbered in 1982 All those inscriptions which were recognisable in 1982 are marked *. but headstones have fallen on their faces.

National Grid reference: No. 418 309

Roodyards Graveyard LayoutRoodyards

Notes: -

Sydney Cramer’s list of all the inscriptions in the Roodyards, as he saw them about 1950, are available for inspection in the Local History Dept. of the City of Dundee Library, Wellgate and also in the Scot. Genealogy Society Library.

The Dundee District Council Archivist, 14 City Square, Dundee, holds an old burial ground cash book 1871-1967 including work done on Roodyards; A register of burials, Constitution Road register of burials vol.7, 1864-1938 which includes details of interments in Roodyards.

1* 1844.   J. Mill  
2* 1844   Patk Cameron Feuar
3*     J. Donaldson  
4*     D. Galloway  
5* 1815   David Curr  
6     W. Gray  
7* 1841   J. Nicoll  
8*     J. Dryden  
9*     Neil Ross Feuar
10*     Alex Gray  
11* 1845   Jas Gibson  
12* 1862   Robt Luke  
13*   By Jas Mather imo da Ann 16.01.1863. 1y
14*     D. Ramsay  
15* 1854   J. Maxwell Feuar
16*     A Ne---- Feuar.  Jas Pa----.  Mary Thom
17*   By Francis Rollo wood mert,  imo W Ann Taylor 12.(7). 1856  42.   1896
18*   By David Curr & his wife imo chn Jane, Jas, David & Ann d in childhood
19*   By David Dorward imo w Mary Pitt  31.3.1857
20 1848 By Jas Butchart, wright, Lilybank
21* 1851   Wm McLaren Feuar
22*     William Keir  
23* 1849   O. Moncur  
24* 18(1)2   J. Grubb  
25*     Fallen Headstone  
26* 1846   John Low Slater
27* 1849   Alex Murdoch Joiner
28* 1860   Mrs Mackie  
29*     Jas Graham 8.1867  58, w Janet Ireland 12.1869  60, da Margt 8.1866  26, da Jessie 5.1867  21, s  David  6.1869  17, two died infancy, by surviving son Jas
30*     Alex Ireland  
31*   By J. Adam imo ss Jas & Alex d  infancy
32*   By Alex Mitchell imo s David 15.2.1828   27.10.1842
33*   By D. Hutcheson  
34*     R. Christie  
35*   By J. Arthur & w Ann Thomson imo  da  Mary Ann
36* 1854   A. S. McLaren  
37*   By Wm Fyffe Shipwright, Dundee & w Isabella Kennedy  imo  gs Wm Fyffe 6.10.1864 aged 3y
38*     Wm. McPherson  
39* 1848   John Scott Feuar
40* 1848 By Alex Smith Lilybank
41* 1843   Wm. Findlayson Feuar, Maryfield
42     Mrs D. Mudie & Mrs D. Doig
43* 1843   James Campbell  
44* 1838   David Taylor  
45* 1845   D. M.  
46*     John Smith 9.1.1843
47*   By John Smith  
48* 1864   Wm. Whyte Feuar
49*     Chas Young Feuar, Maryfield 29.2.1838  int Old Burying Ground, by Margt (Mitch)ell 14.6.1869
50*     Fallen Headstone  
51*   By Wm Bruce imo Thos Low feuar Maryfield 13.3.1864  67
52*     O. Stewart  
53* 1836   G. Brown  
54* 1848   Jas Rattray Feuar
55* 1848   John Buist Feuar
56*     J. B. Mudie  
57*     And. Nicol, Banker Aberdeen da Jane 12.8.1868 (h John Scott mert 17.9.1843)
58*   By  ----- (Davidson & Margt Annane) imo s Donald Davidson 7.11.1845  13
59* 1845   W. Dawson L.B.
60*     Francis Batchelor Fr & Cattle Dealer Craigie 21.12.1782 to 28.4.1850 w Eliz Malcolm d Craigie 3.9.1853  67, da Susan 12.7.1846  17 (Ed: see Logie burial ground inscription)
61 1857   David Menzies  
62* 1844 By Alex Donald imo his nephew Wm Cathro
63* 1848 By John McIntosh Machine maker imo three bros Alex, Geo & Jas, & da Jessie d inf & sister Euphemia.
64   By G.J. Middleton.  1836. J White 14th January
65*   By Jas Russell imo chn Mary, Wm & Ann
66* 1869 By Robt Adam imo W Jane Nicoll 15.5.1867  52
67*   By Alex Lindsay Dundee, d 19.6.1837
68* 1853   Alex Robb 9.5.1853  38, by wid Mary Blair, da Euphemia 23.6.1853  12
69* 1851   John Glass junior feuar
70*   By Jas Ramsay Cabinet Maker & w Rose Millar imo s Alex 25.1.1857  12, da Rose & s Allan both d inf int Dunnichen, s Joseph 28.5.1866  25
71*     W.T. Currie D. Matthew & L. Davidson, Maryfield
72* 1843   S. Wilson  
73*     J. S.  
74*     Archd Duncan  
75*     J. W.  
76* 1846 By Thos Brown Gardener imo das Jane & Janet drowned bathing in River Tay 19.6.1845 aged 22 & 20, Isabella 7.8.1845 12, & by s Walter Farquarson imo his s Walter 29.8.1854  9y
77*     Christopher Kerr 47y, Town Clerk of Dundee b 9.5.1797 d 1.6.1869
78   By Jas Russell imo chn Mary, William & Ann  (Ed: see No. 65 above)
79*     Christopher Webster Kerr 14.4.1833  10.10.1868
80* 1845   J.W. Feuar
81* 1841   A. McIntosh  
82     Fred Watson  
83* 1845   A. Ogilvie March 26th
84*     Chas Guthrie Taybank b 22.8.1748 d 14.6.1827 (See Howff inscription w6a). Chas Guthrie, Taybank 27.8.1799 – 20.9.1870, w Margt Kinloch, Kinloch b 4.8.1789 d 26.8.1830, yt da Anne Eliza 14.8.1827 – 24.9.1839. Helen Kinloch Guthrie, Taybank & Carnoustie b 2.10.1826 – 10.4.1887, h Roger Lowson Lingard Guthrie 14.10.1825 – 24.10.1908 int Carnoustie, 2s Cecil Oliphant 5.4.1863 – 5.6.1871, 1s Charles Monk 10.6.1859 – 25.10.1893, yt s Roger Christian 20.6.1869 – 28.12.1907, 1 da Mary Mrgt 11.1.1861 – 7.12.1924
85*     David Pebbles Feuar Craigie estate 6.10.1867  79, by w Ann Donnet 9.8.1850  62, 1da Eliz 31.10.1849  36 (h Wm Gibson) 
86*   Urn Jas Cathro Feuar Lilybank, 21.12.1858  63, by w Janet Cathro 23.2.1881  85 & by David Howie Smith mert 21.9.1870  38 (w Isabella Walker Cathro  15.2.1863  30).
87*   By Jas Leckie imo da Agnes  11.7.1844  27
88* 1844 By Geo. Millar Mason imo w Margt Ritchie 21.5.1844  48.
89*     Jas Brodie Feuar Lilybank, w Eliz Duncan 31.7.1862  61, gda Helen D Butchart 8.2.1866  3y 10m.
90* 1868   Robt Gray 23.4.1844  60, by w Agnes Ritchie. Robt Fawns, Cornmeter 3.1.1856  54, by Agnes Grom. By Robt Fawns junior imo chn Agnes 3.3.1864  3y, Robt 16.3.1867  2½y
91* 1863 By Alex Coutts imo s Jas Grass 13.6.1863  11m.
92* 1868 By Neil Gow Coachman Springhill & w Ann Coutts imo only s Jas 26.3.1868  17.
93*     G. Alexander (Ed: ?about 1850 in Style)
94* 1850   Robt Mackie  
95*     J. Livingston John Grant.  W.D.
96*     Jn Warden 1850  41, by w Eliz Galloway, s John 1847  6y
97     Thos Fleming  
98* 1865   Wm Millar  
98a*     John Jobson esq Rosemount, wid Ann Stephenson 16.4.177(3)- 15.10.1843, by s Richd Hirons 14.7.1814 – 29.1.1862 at Torreby Sweden & by s John
99*     Wm Hackney esq 23.4.179_- 14.5.1841, da Janet Dunbar Anderson Hackney 15.8.18__- 12.1.1883.
100 1851   Jas Low Feuar.  D. Pithkely.  Chas Begg

The Holy Rood Chapel

The HOLY ROOD Chapel was situated about a mile east of the Dundee Burgh Boundray. It was also designated the Chapel of St. John of the ‘slait heughs’, to distinguish it from the chaplainry of St. John in the Parish church (St Mary’s) and also after the great slate eminence on which it stood. There is no documentary evidence of its foundation, although in 1442/3 it was associated with a hospital. Maxwell suggests that the chapel was derelict by 1561/62 when the council let out ‘to James Wedderburn all and haill Sanct John’s kirkyard, lying beside the ‘Ruid Chapel’. In the sixteenth century plague victims were interred there. It was afterwards used as the burial ground for strangers and seafarers, and then the Kyds of Craigie until the 19th century.

Roodyards Cemetery

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Transcribed by, Friends of Dundee City Archives

Iain D. McIntosh, 2020