James Johnstone, a Flesher, Petty St Inverness.

[CaileanMac]

Hi Folks,

I am trying to solve a confusing family mystery and hope someone can help me. I feel like I have all the pieces, I just cannae figure it oot! I am trying to find out the situation regarding the wives/mothers.

The query relates to the father of:

James Johnstone(the younger)
Occupation: Flesher or Butcher
Born: 1814 in Inverness
Married: 1837 to Jane MacPherson at Little Cantray
Died: Sept 1864 in Inverness

On the census he is living at Petty St, Inverness in both 1851 and 1861.

Now on his death record it lists his father as 'James Johnstone' (the elder) and 'Jessica ______'. The informant was his daughter.

I see James Johnstone (the elder) on the 1841 census at Little Cantray, the wife is listed as 'Janet' Johnstone. I believe I also see him on 1851 living at Stephen's Brae (which would make sense as another son Alexander also lived on that street and they are all listed as fleshers), and the wife is listed as 'Jannet Johnstone'. There are two children with him there, James and Margaret. When I look up their birth records it shows that the mother should be a Janet Cumming.

On the death record of what I think is James Johnstone (the elder) in Feb 1864, as he died at Petty St Inverness and listed as a Flesher, it says he is married to 'Jessie McDonald'! The informant was his son James.

So...what is going on here, I am confused. Janet MackIntosh, Janet Cumming or Jessie McDonald...did he marry all of them, or is it misinformation? Have I got something wrong?

I don't see a marriage record for James Johnstone (the elder) and Jessie McDonald, or a marriage record for James Johnstone (the elder) and Janet Cumming, although I know for sure a Johntone/Cumming pairing had kids. The death record of James Johnstone (the younger)'s bother Alexander shows that his parents were James Johnstone(the elder) and Janet MackIntosh.

Possible scenario:

1806: James Johnstone (the elder) marries Janet Mackintosh
1818: Last recorded child of this marriage, that I know of.
1841: James Johnstone (the elder) listed with 'Janet' Johnstone.
1851: James Johnstone (the elder) listed with 'Jannet' Johnstone and two children who should be the children of a James Johnstone/Janet Cumming. (A Jane McDonald listed as a 17yo house servant).
1864: James Johnstone dies and wife listed as 'Jessie McDonald'

I need a fresh pair of eyes to look at this! Grateful for any assitance!

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

It would certainly seem that James snr.'s first wife Janet MacIntosh had died by mid 1840's.

The Jannet Johnstone on the 1851 Census if her age of 45 of is accurate  would not have been old enough to marry in 1806 - that would have been approx. her birth year. She could be a little older but was obviously still of child bearing age in 1844 whae she gave birth to twins James and Margaret.
Oddly, that means James snr. had 2 sons called James  - not impossible I suppose!
It does look like the mother of the twins was a Janet Cumming. So could it be -
Wife 1- Janet MacIntosh
Wife 2 - Janet Cumming.
Now there is as you say a Jane McDonald with the family as servant in 1851 - could she be Janet Cumming's daughter to another marriage / or be Janet's illegitimate daughter??

Looby

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,
Just popped into my head-
On James snrs death certificate is there only one wife listed? Usually when the deceased has been married more than once the names of each wife/husband are listed .
Looby

[CaileanMac]

Hi Looby, I appreciate you having a look at this for me.

James Snr. 's death certificate lists his wife as 'Jessie McDonald', as notified by his son James. I don't see any record of this marriage. Unfortunately it does not list any previous marriages on the death cert.

I think you are correct about the census record, if it is listed correctly.

I'm just a bit perplexed by this listing of Jessie McDonald as the wife, and the appearance of possibly two James Johnstone's and Janet Cumming. I feel like I have got something wrong with all of this, even though I appear to have the correct death cert of James Snr.

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,

James snrs. wife is recorded as Jessie McDonald on his death cert. by his son James.
It could be that Jessie was a pet name for Janet. It was interchangeable for Janet/Jane/Jean http://www.whatsinaname.net/female-names/Jessie.html
I still think it likely that James was married twice and so perhaps was Janet Cumming. Could she have been a Jessie McDonald?? Perhaps that is the name young James knew her as...maybe he never knew her maiden name and used her 1st married name when registering his father's death. All guess work so far.
Finding this Janet's death cert might enlighten you. There is a Janet Johnston/Cumming born 1802 died 1872 in Inverness on Scotlands People.

[CaileanMac]

I just looked up her death cert...makes for bleak reading. She died in a poor house (the entries above her are a suicide, and the death of an illegitimate baby.) and is listed as the husband of James Johnstone. I think it says he was a 'Heckler' ie involved in textiles. Which wouldn't be correct but the informant was the governor of the poor house, so may not have known. (It could say 'Flesher', its difficult to tell, which would be correct if it said that).

Her parents are listed William Cumming and Jane Fraser.

I'm really starting to think there has been an error in reporting from someone at the time, leading to this confusion. My main concern is to confirm the death of James Snr in 1864, and I'm not sure if I have enough information to 'confirm' it, even if the evidence seems to strongly suggest the right person.