April 24th

We have just one event today - a marriage.  On April 24th in 1784 Sarah Glover married Richard Dexter.  This is going way back in time and back to Castle Donington, the cradle of our Glovers.  Sarah was the daughter of John Glover and Mary who are your 5th great grandparents.  Sarah herself is your 5th great aunt.

Sarah was 25 when she married Richard Dexter in Castle Donington.  I don't know much about the couple or what Richard did for a living but they had at least one child, Mary.  Most of the information I have is from the very detailed will, the original of which I saw in Castle Donington in 2016, of Sarah's father, John Glover.  Dad left his daughter some money with the proviso that it was for her alone and should not be used for any benefit to her husband.  This maybe suggests John wasn't too keen on his son-in-law.

These events (birth of Sarah, Richard and their daughter were all before civil registration and so it is more difficult to confirm facts.

St Edward King & Martyr church where Sarah and Richard were probably married

April 23rd

On this day, April 23rd 1887, Elspet West died.  She is your 5th great aunt - being the sister of 4Xgreat grandfather Alexander West.  Elspet was the 11th of eleven children of Ferryden fisherman John West and Janet Simpson.

I reported on Elspet's birth earlier this month.  She lived her whole life in Ferryden.  She married a Ferryden fisherman, Robert Anderson and they had eight children.  She died of Phthisis (tuberculosis) which she'd had for two years.  She'd been a widow for three years.  She was 66 years old.

Ferryden from the harbour today

April 22nd

On this day in 1859 - 160 years ago - Adam Tawse was born.  He is your 1st cousin 3X removed.  He was born in Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire - the fourth child (of nine) born to blacksmith James Tawse and Mary Donald.  Mary is your 3Xgreat aunt.  Interestingly enough there is another Adam Tawse from the same area who left Aberdeenshire and came to Manitoba.  But I'm pretty sure it's a different person - though likely related.  Another line of research to pursue!

Another birth on this day is that of Flora Anne Page Glover.   She was born in 1919 in Newcastle upon Tyne.  She is your first cousin 2X removed.  Her father is Archibald Ritchie Lawrence Glover -  the brother of William Fisken Glover - my dad's dad.  Archibald was a bank clerk.  Flora's mum was Caroline Anne Page.  Flora was their second (and last) child.  Her older brother is also called Archibald (Archie) - and he's the fellow who married Grace Marie Igel's daughter Pauline (made famous by the BBC's A House Through Time which you'll see sometime soon).

The Westgate Road in 1920 - West End of Newcastle - fairly close to where the Glovers lived.

April 21st

On this day, April 21st, we go way back to 1795 for the birth of James West who is your 5X great uncle!  The name WEST means we're on Grandma's side of the family and in Ferryden.  James was the first of the eleven children born to Fisherman John West and Janet Simpson.  (it seems to me that I have written quite a few times about families with 11 children.  Just couldn't make the round dozen I guess).

Next we have a marriage on this day (and a death actually - see below).  In 1860 Helen Morrice married James Lamb.  Helen is your first cousin 4X removed and James is also your first cousin 4X removed!  Yes, Helen and James are first cousins to eachother (their mothers are sisters) and you are connected by blood to both of them through the Christie/Donald/Matthew line.

They were married in the manse of Monqhitter.  James was 22 years old, a bachelor and a farm labourer.  Helen was 33 years old - never previously married.  They don't seem to have any children but they lived and worked on Graystone Farm in Monquhitter, Aberdeenshire for four plus more decades.  Helen died in 1905 but oddly enough, James died on this day - April 21st in 1913.

And finally, on this day - in 1933 - Francis McNee West was married. He's your first cousin 2X removed (he was a first cousin to grandma).  I bet you're thinking WEST!  Must be Ferryden!  But no.  As we get into more recent times, a lot of the Ferryden folk have moved away from the east coast.  Most to the west side of the country - to Clydebank and Glasgow.  Francis married Rose Dolan in the Church of Our Holy Redeemer in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire.  He was 38 at the time, a bachelor and a butcher's salesman by trade.  She was a spinster aged 26 and worked in a garage.

I'm interested in pursuing a bit more research into this family unit.  Francis and Rose seem to have had twin daughters.  And there was movement to New Zealand via Australia by one of them, if not both - and also Francis.  A grandson in New Zealand was in contact with me a while back.  Not sure what happened to Rose the bride of this day 86 years ago.

April 20th

Your 4th great grandfather, Alexander West, was born on this day in 1799 in Ferryden.  He was the third child of the eleven born to fisherman John West and Janet Simpson.

Robert Christie Paterson, who you "met" on March 5th (date of his birth) got married on this day in 1938.  Robert was a 25 year old  farm servant in Aberdeenshire when he married Christina Clark Crighton Cheyne.  Christina was 20 years old and a domestic servant.  They were married in the Club House at Fyvie.  Robert is your 1st cousin twice removed.  Robert and Christina had six children and lived in Turriff, Aberdeenshire.

Of some interest is that Robert, a few months before his wedding, was hauled up before the sheriff.  He and a friend were accused of stealing 32lbs of apples from an orchard.

April 17th

And I wonder who on our family tree has a birthday today????


Ainsley is not alone.


Your first cousin 4x removed, Margaret Coull, was also born on this day - 145 years ago.  Coull is one of the Ferryden names.  Margaret - or Maggie as she was known - was the fourth child of the five born to the fisher family of David Coull and Elspet West.  Elspet is your 4th great aunt being the daughter of your 3xgreat grandparents, John West and Helen Pert.  She was born at 2:30 a.m.




Also on this day, in 1964, Adam Christie Riddel died.  He is your first cousin 2X removed.  When his mother, Jean Christie (your second great aunt) left Aberdeenshire with her husband and a baby in 1890 they settled in Barre, Vermont - the area of the granite industry.  Within a couple of years of being in the states, Jean and husband George Riddel had Adam Christie Riddel.  He was followed by four more children.

Adam Christie Riddel - World War One

Adam Christie Riddell lived in Vermont all his life.  He began working in the granite industry.  He was drafted to fight in World War I.  His attestation papes describe him as slender, grey eyes,light hair.  After the war he married Mary Ethel Morris and they had three sons.  A neice of one of these three sons was in contact with me some years ago.  I got the hint that all was not happy in her world.  Some bitterness as to how her uncle had been treated by someone or ones or other.

Adam continued working in the granite industry and he and Mary were able to buy their own home - the address was happily 43 Home Street in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Adam was one of those guys who ended up fighting in two world wars.  He signed up in 1942.  Here he is described at 5'7", 140 lns, blue eyes, brown hair, light complexion.

Adam died on this day in 1964 in Brattleboro of subacute monocytic Leukemia.  He died in hospital after 10 days.  He was buried a few days later in Morningside Cemetary in Brattleboro.  He was 71 years old.

🎈🎈🎈And to complete what was started above ;  it was on this day in 1987 - the fifth annivesary of the charter a/c to Grant - Ainsley Catherine Mitchell was born.  She was the youngest of three daughters born to Grant Mitchell and Catherine Lambeth.  She started out very very tiny but quickly became  strong of body and mind and often leaves the rest of us in her wake!  Today she is 32 years old - married to you and the two of you are wonderful parents to our lovely Isla.  Happy Birthday Ainsley! 

April 16th

A few days ago we noted the death of David Fisken and I mentioned that he shares a grave in Stamfordham, Northumberland with his brother William "plough" Fisken and his sister Margaret.  Today marks the 137th anniversary of the death of Margaret Fisken.  Margaret is your 4th great aunt.  She was born in Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland and grew up on Gellyburn Farm just outside of the village.  In fact she lived there until at least her mid forties.  Being the only female on the farm, she would have been the housekeeper.  Her brother James was the Fisken who took over the farm from his parents.  James remained a bachelor until 1856 when, at age 45, he married.  I imagine there wasn't room for two leading ladies so Margaret left Scotland when she about 50 years old and went and lived with brother William in Stamfordham, Northumberland.  She became the housekeeper of the manse (William was the minister of the presbyterian church in the village).

It was at this manse that Margaret died of heart disease.  She was 79 years old.

Another great aunt died on this day.  Hellen Christie.  She is your 3rd great aunt being a sister of your great great grandparents Adam Christie and Isabella Donald.  Hellen was the 2nd child of the ten born to crofter John Christie and Helen Gordon.  She was born in Banff, Scotland.  She went onto be a farmer's wife when she married James Barclay at age 23.  They had seven children and the family continued to live on various farms in Banffshire.  She died in Alvah, Banffshire of heart disease.  She was 70 years old.

Now we go to a birth and to the U.S.A.  It was on this day in 1926 that Preston Daniel Riddel was born.  He is your 2nd cousin once removed.  He is a second generation American being a descendent of the family which came from Aberdeenshire to the granite industry of Barre, Vermont.  Preston was born in Barre and was the only son of Charles Perry Riddell and Florence Marlowe McGovern.  His father was an auto mechanic.

I'm going to report on the death of Joseph Paterson on this day in 1953.  Joseph would not normally have been included in this blog as I am doing just the ancestors we are related to by blood.  But Joseph has the distinction of bringing the Paterson name onto the family tree.  And we've now got tons of Patersons!!  Joseph married Elspet Christie - your 2nd great aunt - a sister to your grandma's dad.  They had eleven children..  Joseph was a farmer/ploughman.  He died in Chalmers Hospital in Banff (although he lived in Turriff, Aberdeenshire) of acute myocarditis and prostatic obstruction.  He outlived his wife by 15 years.  They are buried together in Cuminestown Cemetery along with three of their children who died young (6 months, 3 years and 9 years).  Joseph was 80 years old - despite what the gravestone says; he was in his 81st year but hadn't had his birthday yet.

And the last person for today's blog is someone you knew.  On this day in 2004 Catherine Christie - Auntie Cathie (as you called her) - died.  She was 73 years old and despite the fact that I was there, I don't really know what she died from specifically.  She had heart disease and cancer.  Cathie was born in 1931 in Newcastle - the first of three children for Uncle Jack (grandma's brother) and Auntie Annie.  She became a nurse and, over the years, she plied her trade in various parts of England and Scotland.  She was very much the person who held the family together when her dad was ill and unable to work and then after he died.  I'm really not too sure of what the main impetus was for her to emigrate to Canada at age 44.  But she did so in 1975.  Her sister Anne was living in Winnipeg at the time so I assume that's why she came to Winnipeg.  After Anne left the city (which was just a matter of months after Cathie's arrival I believe) she remained in Winnipeg and had a good career in two of the city's hospitals for over 20 years before retiring.

April 14th

On this day in 1868 your first cousin 3X removed, Elizabeth Fisken, was born.  And beyond the fact that she was born, I have been unable to find anything else about her.

She was born in Luss on Loch Lomond, the fifth of the seven children of Alexander Fisken and Mary Ann Watt.  Dad Alexander was a sawyer.  Her mum died when Elizabeth was 6 and dad remarried - his second wife was Granny Fisken - and so Elizabeth and her siblings were joined by a bunch of half-siblings.

Next we have a marriage.  On this day in 1908 Jennie Riddel married John Milne.  This is where our connection with the Milne name begins.  Milnes who live in the U.S.A.  though they were originally from the same part of Scotland (Aberdeenshire) as Jennie and her family.

Jennie came from Aberdeenshire to Barre, Vermont as a baby with her parents.  John came from Aberdeenshire to Barre, Vermont as an adult to work in the granite industry (as did many Aberdeenshire folk - they being familiar with the hard rock - Aberdeen is known as The Granite City.  I imagine that there was some connection with the Milne/Riddel/Christie families in Aberdeenshire and Jennie's parents would likely have been a bit of a welcoming party for John Milne.  Jennie was 18 when she married 25 year old John.  They had six children and the family continued living in Barre - first at 65 Pleasant Street and then at 11 Madison St.


And lastly on this day, your great grandmother died.  Betsy West.  She died on this day in 1952 when I was four months old.  After me being born, my mum dealt with the death of her father the following month and then grandma 3 months later.  But although I never knew my grandma, she loomed large in my childhood and beyond.  All of the superstitions we followed slavishly came from her.  And it wasn't until I began researching that I discovered that such superstitions are very common in those communities where life is never assured because of the work they do.  I'm talking about Ferryden and dangers of commercial fishing.

Great Grandma died in our home at 56 Bell Terrace in the West End of Newcastle.  She had been living with Uncle Eric and Auntie Cathie but had moved in with us so that mum could nurse her.  She died of mysocardial failure and arterio sclerosis.  She was 75 years old.  Alison tells me that her ashes (and those of grandda) are buried at the West Road Cemetery and their gravestone is made of Aberdeenshire granite.  I'm going to go there this June.

April 13th

On this day in 1858 your 4X great grandather, George Pert, died.  Not sure whether we've had a Pert yet in this blog.  It's one of the Ferryden names.  George was a whitefisherman - a bit more specific that just fisherman!  I believe the white fish is herring.

George was born and lived his whole life in Ferryden.  He married Mary McLeod and they had five children including Elizabeth (Betsy) - your 3X great grandmother.

At the time of George's death, Mary and one of their children had pre-deceased him.  He died in the Infirmary on Bridge Street in Montrose (the town across the water from Ferryden).  Cause of death was retention of urine which lasted seven days.  He was 77 years old.  He is buried in the graveyard of Rossie Island.

And also on this day - in 1941 - James Christie died.  James is your first cousin twice removed.  And in James we have someone in Aberdeenshire who isn't a farmer!  James was a shoemaker.  When he died the Aberdeen Weekly Journal wrote a nice little article about him which I may as well just quote as it tells everything that I know of him:

There was a large company at the funeral of Mr James Christie, shoemaker, Cuminestown.  Mr. Christie was born in the village forty-seven years ago, third son of the late Mr and Mrs George Christie, Little Northburn.  He served his apprenticeship at Cairncake and after being in the last war with the 5th Gordons and severely wounded, set up business for himself over twenty years ago. 

Mr Christie was a popular member of the Quoiting Club, and a successful exhibitor of vegetables and flowers at the local shows.  He was an A.R.P. warden. 

The pall-bearers were: - Messrs Adam, Alexander, and Douglas Christie (brothers), and James Alexander, Ellon (uncle).  He is survived by his widow (a daughter of Mr and Mrs James Willson, Greens), and a son and daughter.

I haven't heard quoits mentioned for a very long time.  Do you know the game?  A bit like horseshoes I guess except with rubber or rope rings.  And how about an A.R.P. warden?  They were volunteers during WWII who ensured that blackouts were observed, sounded air raid sirens and generally helped folks get into air raid shelters.

Cuminestown High Street (pretty quiet place!)

April 11th

Just one name for  the blog today.  It was on April 11th in 1880 that David Fisken died.

David is your 4th great uncle as he is the brother of Peter Fisken - your 3x great grandfather.  David and his six siblings were born on Gellyburn Farm near the village of Muthill in Perthshire Scotland.  The parents were James Fisken and Flora Tainsh.  David is best known as being one of the Fisken brothers who invented the steam plough.  But apart from being a mechanical engineer, David was also a teacher.  He taught at the Innerpeffray School which is attached to the Innerpeffray Library which I visited in 2016.  It's the oldest lending library in Scotland and has kept a handwritten record of which books were borrowed and by whom.  In this Borrowers' Register I saw David's name many times.

The engineering brother we're most familiar with is William Fisken.  He became the presbyterian minister in the village of Stamfordham in Northumberland England in 1847 and the manse became home for various family members of the Fisken family over the years.  It was home to David for more than 20 years.  From there he seems to have been the front man for the steam plough and ploughing tackle.

David never married.  He died at the manse in Stamfordham at age 61.  Cause of death was disease of liver and stomach.  He is buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Stamfordham.  His brother William and sister Margaret joined him in this grave 2 and 3 years later.

April 10th

It's April 10th and on this day - a very long time ago - in 1794 - your 5x great grandparents, John West and Janet Simpson, were married.  They were fisher people who lived in the village of Ferryden and they had eleven children.  One of those children, the 3rd born, was Alexander who is your 4x great grandfather.

The FERRY of Ferryden

And now we head for Canada for the birth on this day in 1892 of your 2nd cousin 2x removed, Gordon Robert Ironside.  Gordon was born in Hamilton, Ontario.  He was the first of three children for Joseph Ironside and Jane Craib, both of whom came from Aberdeenshire, Scotland (but came separately - they married in Hamilton).  And because I missed his death I will use this moment to say that Gordon signed up for World War 1 (and was a plumber at that time).  He married Luella Garrison in 1923 but that ended in divorce 1933.  He was a steam fitter with the Hamilton Cotton Works and lived in Hamilton his whole life.  He died on March 27th 1947 at age 54 of coronary thrombosis.

We have a bunch of branches of the family which come to Canada and the U.S.A.  They are all on grandma's side of the family - specifically her father's side.  I think without exception emigration has been on the part of our female ancestors.  So the names on this side of the atlantic aren't the Christies and Donalds - but Finnie, Ironside, Milne, Riddel.

April 9th

On this day in 1876 Elspet Christie was born.  She is a 2nd grand aunt for you being the sister of grandma's dad.  And she is the reason we have so many Patersons on our tree.  She married Joseph Paterson.  But today is about her birth.  She was born in Ewebrae Croft in Aberdeenshire the 11th child - and the youngest - for your 2x great grandparents Adam Christie and Isabella Donald.

An also on this day - in 1950 - your second cousin Alan James Campbell Barnacle - was born in Liverpool.

Alan has the family names - Alan and Campbell.  The James is for his dad.  He was born in Ormskirk Hospital - the son of your great aunt Lillian (my dad's sister) and James Francis Barnacle.  I've never been able to figure out how these two got together.  She was in Newcastle.  He in Liverpool.  But got together they did - and they had Alan.  Unfortunately Alan's dad didn't live too long after his birth.  Alan was 5 when Uncle Jim died.  The house Alan came home to from the hospital is the house he still lives in today.  43 Baycliff Road, West Derby, Liverpool.

I don't have a photo of Alan as a baby - but here's one of him and me in the back garden of 43 Baycliff many many years ago....

April 8th

On this day in 1823 Adam Christie was born in Ord, Banff, Banffshire, Scotland.  We have a few - five actually - Adam Christies on our tree.  This one is your 3x great uncle.  His parents, John Christie and Helen Gordon, are your 3x great grandparents.  This one is a bit of a mystery - as our main Adam Christie (2xgreat grandfather) is born 12 years later.  One presumes that Uncle Adam died and the parents wanted to keep the traditional name of Adam in the family.  But I can't find any information about this Adam dying.

And also on this day - in 1898 - Peter Matthew died.  He is your 4x great uncle being the brother of your 3x great grandmother, Ann.

Peter was a farmer and lived his whole life in the Turriff area of Aberdeenshire.  Where love was concerned, he was a late bloomer.  He married for the first time in 1883 when he was 66 years old.  His wife was Jane Gill who was aged 30 at the time.  Jane was the housekeeper for the farm (Quarryhill) where Peter lived.  She was pregnant at the time of the marriage.  Mary Ann was born 5 months later.  And interestingly enough, it was on this day too - 9 years after the wedding - in 1892 - that Jane gave birth to another daughter Elsie Ann Mathew Gill who was registered as illegitimate - but was given a middle of Matthew.  Hmm.

But anyways, back to Peter and his death on April 8th in 1898.  Cause of death was cystitis blights disease of kidneys.  He was 80 years old.


And finally, on this day in 1943 Catherine McNicoll died.  Now, under normal circumstances, Catherine would not have made it into this blog as she is not blood because she is the second wife for your 3rd great uncle, Alexander Fisken.  But I make exceptions for folks like Granny Fisken! She lived until she was 102 in a lovely cottage in Luss on Loch Lomond.  Her advice for a long life?

"Tak a wee drap o' guid whisky when you can get it"

April 6th

For the first event for today we go to the grave which I discovered on the last day of my holiday in Glasgow.  In that grave, in Ballyhennan Burial Ground in Tarbet on Loch Lomond lies your 3Xgreat grandmother Mary Macfarlane.  Mary died on April 6th 1867.

And, also on this day, John Finnie was born in 1874 in Inverkeithny, Banffshire, Scotland.  The family moved a wee bit south into Aberdeenshire (parish of Monquhitter) before he was 6.

John is your first cousin 3X removed.  His grandparents, George Donald and Ann Matthew are your 3x great grandparents.  He was the fourth and last son in the family and he remained at home, working as a farmer, until well into his 30's - maybe into his 40's.  He married Mary Demptster when he was 42.  They had one son that I know of.

April 5th

On this day in  1985 - just a few days after you were born in fact - Helen Christie Paterson died.  Helen is your first cousin twice removed.   She is the daughter of Elspet Christie (grandma's auntie) and Joseph Paterson.  And while I don't think I ever met her (though it's possible I did when I was a baby) I know her as the person my mum called "Nellie".  Nellie and her husband Ian (known as Fergie - Ferguson being his middle name) were on the Christmas card list and were spoken of in our house when I was growing up.  They had a child called Ian, born in 1941, who was profoundly disabled.  In 1985, on May 1st,  Mum and Alex went to the UK and spent quite a few days in Aberdeenshire (in Turriff specifically) with various cousins.  They had missed Nellie but they visited Ian who was now hospitalized.  His mum had done everything for him for 40 years and while he was seemingly non-responsive he understandably lost his ability to live once his mum died.  And so Ian died a few weeks later.

There's quite a gang of family in the town of Turriff.  Apart from its fame as a place where our family have lived (and still live I imagine) 😇 it is also known for the "Turro Coo".  Here's the story:

The Turra Coo Monument celebrates a famous incident in 1913 whereby a cow was taken from the farm, then owned by Robert Paterson, by Sheriff's Officers when he refused to co-operate with Lloyd George's National Insurance Act. He was at the centre of a popular protest which claimed the compulsory contributions towards a scheme which provided unemployment and medical benefits were too high, because it was a service that farmers and farm labourer would rarely use. The seizure of the cow by the authorities and its subsequent auctioning in Turriff brought a riot in the town. The cow was eventually bought by Paterson's supporters and returned to the farm, where it died six years later.

April 4th

Two Hundred years ago today - on April 4th in 1819 Elspet West was born.  Elspet is your 5xgreat aunt.  She is the youngest of the eleven children of your 5xgreat grandparents, fisherman John West and Janet Simpson. Elspet was born in Ferryden (of course!)

And we stick we the same family for, on this day in 1883, Elspet's grand neice was born.  This was Williamina West.  Williamina is your 2xgreat aunt.  She is the 4th of the five children of your 2x great grandparents fisherman Alexander West and Jemima Coull.  One of the other children is Betsy West - grandma's mum.  

And we stay with Grandma's side with our last entry for April 4th.  It was on this day in 1961 that Clive John Lincoln was married.  Clive is the first cousin I never knew.  Your first cousin once removed.  The son of Uncle Leslie who was killed in the war.  (check February 4th for more details if you wish).

I have found that Clive was married twice.  Today marks the anniversary of his first marriage which was to Elizabeth Evans Ball.  He was 21 and she was 23.  They were married in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and I'm in the process of tracking down the one child of this marriage - or at least confirming the relationship.  The marriage did not last too long.  Clive married again in 1968.  Not sure of the exact date so it won't come up in this blog so I'll mention it now.  He married Sheila Margaret Wilson in or near Bamburgh where they lived.  Bamburgh is up the coast of Northumberland and is famous for its castle which has been featured in many movies (you will likely see it this summer!).  This second marriage produced two children.

I have the certificates for both of Clive's marriages from which I have learned that Clive was, at the time of his first marriage, a cinema projectionist and at the time of his second marriage he was a groom on Shoreston Farm near Bamburgh.  On both certificates he has declared that his father's name and profession was Leslie Christie Lincoln, Goldsmith.  This has led me to believe that he knew little or nothing of the circumstances of his birth and his biological father.  And why goldsmith I've yet to figure out!

Clive's life and family is an ongoing "active file" for me as I feel I need to know more about this lost first cousin.

April 3rd

On this day in 1899 Joseph Bruce Paterson was born.  He is your first cousin 2X removed.  Most of the information I have about him came via Texas!!  You may remember "Andy in Texas" who went over to Aberdeenshire to follow up on her husband's family.  Unfortunately, due to some sloppy research she and her husband met members of my family!  So Joseph is the son of Joseph Paterson and Elspet Christie.  Elspet is a sister of grandma's dad.  Joseph the dad was a farm servant/ploughman in Monquhitter, Aberdeenshire.  Joseph the son was the thrid child of eleven children.  There seems to be an indication that Joseph's nickname was "Dovie".  Can't imagine why unless he kept doves.

And the next event on this day is a death due to a war - the second so far for this blog.  On April 3rd 1945 Alan Fisken was killed.  He was 31 years old.  Alan is your first cousin 2X removed.  Your great great grandfather William Fisken is his grandfather.   Before the war Alan was married with a son.  The family lived in Northwich in Cheshire, England.  He was a public works general foreman and a reinforced concrete specialist.  At the time of his death they lived in Ealing, Middlesex which is near London.  He was a volunteer flying officer with squadron 190 of the Royal Air Force.  He is Remembered with Honour on panel 266 at the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey England near where in 1215 the Magna Carta was sealed by King John.

April 2nd

On this day in 1860, Betsy Mearns Coull was born.  She is your 1st cousin 4X removed.  She was born in Ferryden to fisherman Archibald Coull and Mary Noble, the youngest of their eleven children.  I've only been able to track her into her 30's when she is living with a sister in Dundee and working in a jute mill.

Another sad story.  On this day in 1877 Ann Christie died.  Ann is your 2x great aunt.  She is the sister of grandma's dad.  She was a twin with Helen.  Ann died after falling into a ditch near her home of Ewebrae Croft.  She had had a seizure and fell face first into the ditch.  She was 18 years old.