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Aberdeen, York Street, Plague Burials
Plague Burial (17th Century)
Site Name Aberdeen, York Street, Plague Burials
Classification Plague Burial (17th Century)
Alternative Name(s) York Place
Canmore ID 19987
Site Number NJ90NE 16
NGR NJ 954 061
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/19987
- Council Aberdeen, City Of
- Parish Aberdeen
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District City Of Aberdeen
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ90NE 16 954 061.
There was an outbreak of plague in Aberdeen in 1647. The victims were removed to huts built for the purpose on Woolmanhill (NJ c. 937 064) and on the Queen's Links (NJ c. 952 066). The bodies were burned or buried in mass graves, the largest of these being located east of York Street, where skeletons are found when excavations are being carried out.
F Wyness 1966.
Excavation to install a new drain in a yard operated by Mobil Oil uncovered dis-articulated human remains. Portions of a minimum of 3 individuals were recovered in a beach sand layer some 0.50m below the tarmac surface of the yard. In 1647 Aberdeen suffered severely from plague and a contemporary reference suggests burial in the sands, while tradition holds that near this spot was one of the main burial areas. These remains were probably disturbed during earlier building work nearby, possibly in 1891, when sewer construction is said to have uncovered a large number of skeletons.
J A Stones and J Cross 1987.
There is no change to the existing record.
Information from RCAHMS (JRS), 25 March 2002.
