I had traced my 2 x great grandfather, James McTear, back to his marriage in 1872 to Janet Dalrymple, a 19 year old farm servant living at Little Killen Farm, Mochrum. This week, I want to tell you a little about her relatively short life.
Janet was probably illegitimate as her marriage certificate describes her parents as being William McGuffie (deceased) and her mother as Jessie Coulter nee Dalrymple, and I wasn't able to find any marriage. They were almost certainly a very poor family, as I found her on the 1861 census, aged 8, living with her 63 year old 'pauper' grandmother, another Janet Dalrymple, in Mochrum. Her mother, who I will tell you more about another time (week 32), was living with a family working as a domestic servant. Ten years later in 1871, and Janet still only in her late teens, was herself working as a domestic servant with a family.
As I said, Janet got married in 1872. Luckily she got married when she did, as my great grandfather, John, was born at the farm three weeks later.
Janet was probably illegitimate as her marriage certificate describes her parents as being William McGuffie (deceased) and her mother as Jessie Coulter nee Dalrymple, and I wasn't able to find any marriage. They were almost certainly a very poor family, as I found her on the 1861 census, aged 8, living with her 63 year old 'pauper' grandmother, another Janet Dalrymple, in Mochrum. Her mother, who I will tell you more about another time (week 32), was living with a family working as a domestic servant. Ten years later in 1871, and Janet still only in her late teens, was herself working as a domestic servant with a family.
As I said, Janet got married in 1872. Luckily she got married when she did, as my great grandfather, John, was born at the farm three weeks later.
I will tell you a bit more about her mother another time (week 32) but, what adds a certain symmetry to the situation, is that, not only was Janet over 8 months pregnant, but it turned out her mother was substantially pregnant as well ........ must have been an interesting wedding !
Janet and James went on to have six children, although sadly two of them died in childhood :
John 1872
Margaret 1876
Thomas 1877
Jessie 1880 - 1883 (died of Capillary Bronchitis) (week 19)
Jessie Agness 1883 - 1894 (week 19)
James 1886
Janet and James went on to have six children, although sadly two of them died in childhood :
John 1872
Margaret 1876
Thomas 1877
Jessie 1880 - 1883 (died of Capillary Bronchitis) (week 19)
Jessie Agness 1883 - 1894 (week 19)
James 1886
In week 9 of the 52 week blog, I wrote about James's parents arriving in Scotland from Ireland in about 1837. James was born in Kirkinner, Wigtownshire in about 1849. Most of his siblings went into agriculture, but James, was different. He began training to become a blacksmith but, roughly 40 years after his parents had arrived in Scotland, he took his wife and family over the border into England to find work and ended up in Whitehaven, Cumberland where James almost certainly found work in the 'Whitehaven Blast Furnace Works'. On the 1881 census he is described as "Furnace Man (iron)" and in 1891 as "Blast furnace labourer". A hard, poorly paid job I would imagine.
Between 1881 and 1890 James & Janet were living at 16 Gores Buildings, Preston Quarter, Scotch Street, Whitehaven, in the same road as the Whitehaven Workhouse.
Janet died in 1890, just 38 years old. A short, tough life for a village farm girl.
Between 1881 and 1890 James & Janet were living at 16 Gores Buildings, Preston Quarter, Scotch Street, Whitehaven, in the same road as the Whitehaven Workhouse.
Janet died in 1890, just 38 years old. A short, tough life for a village farm girl.
Thought for the day : I have come across quite a few 11th hour weddings with the bride being very close to giving birth. I wonder if any bride has actually given birth, either on her wedding day or even AT her wedding ?
"Do you take this man as your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health ......" ..... "Sorry Vicar, can I use your font !"
"Do you take this man as your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health ......" ..... "Sorry Vicar, can I use your font !"