The Wills and the Wedding
Isabella’s will was “proved” on 6th Oct 1899 following her death on 12th May of that year. This confirms that she is the widow of Andrew Irving, mason in Annan ( and brother of Cap’n John). That the Irvings lived at 7 BackLady Street, Annan but owned other cottages there.
She nominates the minister, Reverend James Alexander Crichton DD, as the executor of her will. Total amount of personal estate which is made up of income received from investments and trusts comes to £560 – but the assets; cottages and shares, remain in the Irving trust.
She leaves the entire residue, after Inland Revenue and proper expenses, to be divided between two of her nieces, Mrs Helen Elliot / Gardiner and Sarah Margaret Elliot.
Provision for the premature death of the beneficiaries indicates that there are other nieces and nephews who might have benefited but these two are the favoured pair. Jo was absolutely right about the bond between isabella and Margaret and the quality of the relationship with the Minister. So, it is not just the skill of tracking and extraction but the gift of sensing the life behind the data.
Sarah and Edward marriage
This wee snippet sent me diving back to my bad-hits file.
I thought I had found a John in this Elliot familiy in Annan. Wrong – but there is Sarah’s husband Edward from the clan of blacksmiths.
In 1841 census George Elliot, 50, Blacksmith and his wife Janet are living on Watch Hill, Annan, with children Thomas (20), James (15), George (10) and John (2)
I thought a two year old was a bit optimistic for a 50 year old.
In the same year Thomas Elliot, 55, Blacksmith was living at PORT Street ( remember this is the location of the Manse where Isabella, and later Sarah, would spend quite a time as servants. Thomas does not seem to have a wife but has children, Sarah, John, Helen, Thomas and Mary.
In the 1851 census, George, now 61,has moved to 36 North Street, Annan, given up Blacksmithing and become a Miller. His son, John, who was 2 years old in 1841 – has aged miraculously and is now 34. He is a farmer of 34 acres and a Miller, another son, William, aged 29 is also a Miller and little George, now aged 23, is an apprentice Miller. But son James, now 27 is a Master Blacksmith. The household is completed by two servants and a nephew, John Proudfoot, son of the Mason, who lived next door.
By 1881 census, the farming/Milling side have cleared out of the house in North Street, leaving son James, the master Blacksmith, now 57, and his wife Jannet, 47.(born Cummertrees). He is employing three of his sons as blacksmiths; Edward (14), James (26) and William (20)
The “baby” blacksmith, Edward, is the man who marries Sarah Margaret.
The two Eliot blacksmiths of the 1841 census came from Canonbie, where their father had been a blacksmith.
Back to a wee bit of hacking on Joseph's will
A bientot,
