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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: FintryGirl on Saturday 14 October 17 16:22 BST (UK)
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Mary McEwan, She was the daughter of John McEwen and Henrietta McNicol McEwan, born Jan 22 1845 in Fintry, Stirlingshire.. Trying to find out who she married and when, as my family records show she had a daughter Jessie 1866, a son John 1868 and a son James 1870 but no last name for them.. The story my mother told was Mary was a nurse and was one of the first lady's into Ladysmith after the relief of the Boer War she was nursing a Boer prisoner and another one thought she was poisoning him and kicked her and took a chunk out of leg it turned gangrene and she died. The write up was in the Daily Express at the time. But unless I can find out who she married, and was she living in South Africa at the time of the war since she would have been around 55 by then. I cannot go much further with the story without her last name. Any help on where to look would be appreciated, I have tried Scotland People but there were so many Mary McEwan could not narrow it down.
Thanks.
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Hi on checking Family search there is a Mary McEwan who had 3 children that match yours in New Luce Wigtownshire also an Elizabeth in 1863 no father named for any of the children This may not be yours as according to the 1871 census on Family Search Mary was born in Wigtownshire but it was the only family that matched the children and birth years
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Mary McEwan, She was the daughter of John McEwen and Henrietta McNicol McEwan
Was this Henrietta, maiden name McNicol, married name McEwan, or Henrietta, middle name McNicol, maiden surname McEwan?
The usual, and unambiguous, way of setting out the name of a married woman in Scotland is xxx yyy or zzz, where xxx is her given name(s), yyy is her maiden surname and zzz is her husband's surname.
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The Henrietta''s maiden name was McNicol. She married John McEwan.
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Thanks Wendy for trying I don't think this is my Mary as I know for sure she was born in Fintry. But thanks for trying
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Have you got her in any census? I see from FreeCEN https://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl that the family were in Fintry in 1851.
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Hi all could this be the family in the 1871 census address 10,Rosehall Street Blythswood Glasgow
John McEwan age 60 ( coachman domestic servant )born Fintry Stirlingshire
Henrietta McEwan age 30 ? born Perthshire think the age is a bit out
Hugh McEwan age 27 again wrong born Fintry (1843 ) son
May McEwan age 25 born Fintry (daughter ) most probably Mary
James McEwan age 13 born Fintry ( son )
Henrietta McEwan age 11 born Fintry (daughter )
Charles McEwan age 4 born Glasgow
James Wallace age 1 born England ( grandson )
Rosie
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1881 census:
John M McEwan, servant, unmarried, 73, coachman, born Fintry is at 15 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow.
Henrietta McEwan, visitor, married, 53, wife of coachman, born Kilmahog, is at 7 Steven Street, Glasgow. Kilmahog is just outside Callander, and the 1851 census says she was born in Callander.
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The 1871 census has her as 'May' on Ancestry but 'Mary' on FindMyPast BUT the latter also shows her as married!
Since the youngest of her 3 children previously mentioned is a James b.1870 I wondered if the 1yr old grandson son - James Wallace 1 born England - could have been her child. However, I did search last night for a possible marriage for Mary to a Wallace but couldn't find anything so probably a red herring.
However, just found the marriage of a Mary McEwen, dau. of John McEwen, to a James Willis (son of Samuel) 15/4/1866 Liverpool (no other details online). Births shows a James Christopher Willis, mmn McCune (?) June 1869 Liverpool but am I just clutching at straws?
So, no idea if the Mary McEwen, dau. of a John, who married a James Willis 1866 Liverpool is your Mary from Scotland, nor if the James Wallace 1 grandson in 1871 should be James Willis!!
One possible lead anyway.
Annette
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The 1871 census has her as 'May' on Ancestry but 'Mary' on FindMyPast BUT the latter also shows her as married!
::) Classic. The transcriptions are unreliable, and FintryGirl needs to look at the original on SP).
FWIW the index on SP lists
John McEwen 60
Henrietta McEwen 50
Hugh McEwen 27
Mary McEwen 25
James McEwen 13
Henrietta McEwen 11
Charles McEwen 4
James Wallace 1
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Well done Annette. I looked at that Mcewan/Willis marriage as well but wasn't as clever as you at finding the possible birth of James.
Isobel
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Gro have a birth of Mary Jane Willis mmn mcEwen in June quarter 1867 in Liverpool. This could well be Jessie.
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HI All, thanks for the help. I did find them in the census for 1851, got it off Scotlands People, did not know there was a free place to look for census, so thanks for that. The only Mary McEwen I could find marrying a Wallace was to a Donald Wallace in 1889, my Mary would have been 46, so don't think it's her. I do think the 1871 census is correct, could not find them in 1861 or 1881. John McEwen died 1886. Still on the hunt for Mary, as there has to be something to the story that she died from wounds she received nursing in Ladysmith south Africa after the Boer War so that would have been after the siege, so maybe 1899 to 1902, it was in the Daily Express,Would that be a Glasgow paper? But can't research without a last name. I'm getting all this information from my mother's journal, so just trying to build on the little information I have.
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HI All, thanks for the help. I did find them in the census for 1851, got it off Scotlands People, did not know there was a free place to look for census, so thanks for that.
Yes, FreeCEN is very useful, and it is more accurate than any of the commercial sites, but it is very far from complete, and errors have been known.
There is no substitute for viewing the original document!
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I did get this from SP couldn't attach as file too large, it does look like my family,,yes it does show Mary as being married but no last name for her other than McEwan. Tried then to follow any of them to 1881 census as Henrietta did not die until 1898 and John 1886 no luck. But I did find further in my mother's journal. That Mary did die in Africa but still no last name. Tried to follow even James Wallace with no luck.
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Forfarian has already given you the 1881 census entries for Henrietta and John ( they were in different places). In 1891 Henrietta is with her daughter and son in law, Edward and Henrietta Eggleton in Barony ( 6 Tillie Street). She is down as Henriatta McEwan on Ancestry age 65 born Loch Kaltrine Perthshire.
Isobel
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Found this photo of the Gravestone, shows Mary is buried in South Africa, still no last name grrrrr....
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Surely if she was married they would have put her married name on the gravestone as well as her maiden name?
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Who is the James who died in New York in 1922?
Isobel
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You would think so? So I'm back to trying to find Mary as McEwan, you will notice on the headstone the spelling is MacEwan, I have seen it recorded as McEwan and also McEwen. So not sure what it really it. I will check all spellings as I go.
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Isobel, I assuming James born around 1858, is the son of John and Henrietta, brother of Mary,
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You would think so? So I'm back to trying to find Mary as McEwan, you will notice on the headstone the spelling is MacEwan, I have seen it recorded as McEwan and also McEwen. So not sure what it really it. I will check all spellings as I go.
Don't get hung up on spelling. Until the 20th century, there was no such thing as 'correct' spelling of personal names.
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Finally figured out a way to resize my pictures. Here is the Census from SP, still cannot figure who James Wallace is and if Mary really married. Still hunting. You will notice the spelling this time is McEwen.
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Have now found the birth of another child in Liverpool and, to me, is further evidence that 'your' Mary McEwen did indeed marry James Willis in 1866 Liverpool.
Henrietta Willis, mmn McEwen, birth reg'd Mar.qtr.1875 Liverpool - sadly died June qtr.1875.
However, have just found her baptism at Everton, Christ Church as:
Henrietta McNichol Willis bp.20/1/1875, dau. of James Willis (fireman) and wife Mary. Residence at 107 Athol Street.
Surely the baptism of baby Henrietta would seem to confirm things.
So, certainly looks as if Mary's married name was Willis up until 1875 when daughter Henrietta born. Can't find on census after then.
Annette
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We know that Mary was living with her parents in 1871 - shown as married but surname still McEwen - in Glasgow. The following year another daughter was born in Tradeston, Glasgow - Mary Ann Rae Willis b.3/7/1872, daughter of James Willis and Mary Mcewan.
So where was James Willis with any earlier children of he and Mary in 1871 when she was in Glasgow with youngest son James? A daughter born 1872 Tradeston, Glasgow and by 1875 when daughter Henrietta born they are back in Liverpool.
What became of them after 1875?
Annette
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We know that Mary was living with her parents in 1871 - shown as married but surname still McEwen - in Glasgow. The following year another daughter was born in Tradeston, Glasgow - Mary Ann Rae Willis b.3/7/1872, daughter of James Willis and Mary Mcewan.
Annette, that birth should give the date & place of the marriage!
Annie
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Wow Annette, you are sure piecing things together. Mary sure is in many places, at different times. James Wallace in 1871 probably should be James Wallis. But where is the husband? And where is,Henriettawhen she is back in Glasgow with Mary ann? Very interesting. Thanks. I will look in SP.
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Download the information regarding birth of Mary Ann, thinking this might be my Mary Mcewan. Will keep following.
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Wonder if this could be Mary Ann Rae's marriage in Msinga, Natal? Names her stepfather and guardian as William Arthur Weir.
Isobel
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My initial thought, isobelw, is that Mary Ann Rae Willis would have been only 2 days short of her 20th birthday on 1st July 1892??
Annette
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Agree, but it seems quite a coincidence that someone so close in name and age should turn up in the area where her mother is supposed to have died.
Isobel
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I see Mary married James Willis in Liverpool England, April 15th, 1866. Does England have a site like Scotlands People to get a copy of the actual document? Thanks
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Just going to recap Mary married James Willis 1866
Son James born in England 1869
Daughter Mary Ann Rae in Glasgow 1872
Daughter Henrietta McNicol in England 1875
Then Mary Ann goes to Africa in 1892 to marry?
Confusing family especially because Mary in 1871 census shows as married but under McEwan.
Wow, trying to fill between the lines, cannot find Mary's death in South Africa. But family tombstone shows she is buried there.
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I see Mary married James Willis in Liverpool England, April 15th, 1866. Does England have a site like Scotlands People to get a copy of the actual document? Thanks
No. You have to order them from the GRO. See https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
From https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl the GRO reference for this marriage is June quarter 1866, Liverpool, Vol 8b, page 295
Be aware that an English marriage certificate, unlike a Scottish one, does not include the names of the couple's mothers, neve mind their maiden surnames.
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Oh Thanks for that tip. Almost no sense ordering it, as it won't help me further. I have become so used to SP, the information from them certainly helps with a search.
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Just dawned on me Isobelw, you mentioned and on Mary Ann marriage certificate, her step father is mentioned, so now for the death of her mother maybe I should be looking for Mary Weir? I will try.
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Mary Ann Ray (Rae) Willis married Alexander Barklie in South Africa on 1/7/1892. She died on 15/7/1895. She appears to have had another daughter with a William Reid- Henrietta Alexandra Hatheson Reid born 8/5/1891.
Witness to this baptism was a Mary Hilder (a widow). When Henrietta died in 1945 her parents were named as William and Mary Ann Ray Willis Reid.
Alexander and Mary Ann had a daughter Florence Edith who went on to marry Lionel Warwick Richard Clarence.
I have a number of documents on the above which I would be pleased to share.
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Forgot to add .... William Arthur Weir married Mary Hilder (a widow) on 21/9/1891. He was the stepfather of Henrietta and Mary Ann Ray (Rae). I have the estate file for Mary Weir.
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Thanks so much for all this information, the original Mary McEwan supposedly died during the boer war and was buried in South Africa but cannot find anything on her
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I am almost sure that I have the the death of your Mary Mc Ewan. She died at Dundee, Natal, on 4/9/1900, but her death is listed as pneumonia. In her estate file she leaves everything to her grandchildren - Henrietta and Florence - as her daughter had already passed away. Mary Ann Ray (Rae) Willis Barklie died in 1895, and was the mother of both the girls (I have their baptisms). Henrietta was fathered by a William Reid in 1891, and Florence was the daughter of Alexander Barklie and born in 1893.
I have looked for newspaper reports regarding the Boer War incident you mentioned but have not found anything on it yet. However, her profession was listed as a nurse, so that fits.
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Well this is so interesting would love to have a copy of any articles or anything you have on this family. My Mum relayed it that she was feeding one of the Boers and another thought she was trying to poison him and kicked her taking a chunk out of the leg, and it never healed so maybe got pneumonia as a complication. Henrietta name fits because I'm Henrietta (Rita) also after a family name. I will send you a PM with my email if you would be so kind as to copy anything you have this will add to my family search.