Some notes about the original Barraba Cemetery
History Notes
Well Barraba has had a lucky weekend, missing the forecast rain and allowing the markets and the show to go ahead. Hopefully we will get some rain during the week.
Most of the market stalls were present and did some trade -the most trade however seemed to be the plants - a constant stream of vegetable seedlings and decorative plants leaving the museum grounds. Several Tamworth Council Members were also in attendance and were kept busy with enquiries from a stream of locals.
This week I have again been asked about Barraba's first cemetery. At this stage I have no record of the date of commencement apart from the fact that the first known burial was Ralph McKid, brother of John McKid, who died on the 19th October, 1844, aged 27 years. An aged map of Barraba streets shows K. McKnightley as the owner the block, however there is no further information about him or the block of land. The Wesleyan Church owned the block across Edward Street.
The next grave, that we know about, belonged to John McKid's wife, Louisa, who died on 14th May, 1850, aged 34 years and leaving John with four children, a shop and wine shanty to look after. As stated in earlier notes, John went to visit his friends living at GouIburn and came home with a new wife and four orphaned children. Everyone settled at Barraba and there was a new baby McKid born about 1852.
On 14th June, 1854, John McKid died at the age of 46 years, leaving his wife with five McKid children and three adopted nephews and a niece. The next few years must have been very hard for the McKid family.
We have no further record of a burial in the old cemetery apart from Ellen Finn and her baby who died in a cart accident south of Barraba Creek on 10th August, 1861. There may be a death certificate for this accident but I have not seen it.
The new cemetery up on the hill was dedicated in 1870 and the McKid headstones were moved up there. If anyone knows of anyone else buried in the old cemetery please let us know - perhaps you have a death certificate that says they were buried in the Queen/Edward Street graveyard pre-1870 you could let the society know so we can update the records.