Cissy:

[aghadowey]

I've known quite a few women named Cissie over the years (mostly my mother's generation) and turns out their real names are.... Catherine, Mary, Josephine, Cecilia, Florence, Dorothy....

Think it's safe to say that it can be a difficult nickname to get to the root of 

[Iain...]

Thanks all !    Ann..., great idea !  Lol !   Why didn’t I think of that ? 

14 children on the 1911 census and 14 on the photo.   James in uniform was surely absent at the time.
A possible headstone: http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t205/Iain_017/Ancesrty/DSCF0388.jpg

Janet / Catherine / Annie / Mary / Muriel dead / Janet / Robina / Elizabeth / Margaret 

My 1xG Grandfather Robert McFarlane McArthur 1860-1935; Campbeltown.
Janet McCaffer McCuaig 1863 – 1896 (1st wife: died)
James MacArthur 1885 – 
Janet McCaffer MacArthur 1887 – 
Catherine (Kate) McCaffer MacArthur 1889 – 
Neil McCuaig Macarthur 1891 – 1950
Annie McCuaig MacArthur 1893 – 1969
Mary Martin McCuaig Rankin MacArthur 1895 – 1964 (my Grandmother)
Muriel McArthur 1896 – 1897
Janet Rankin 1874 – 1956 (2nd wife)
Robina (Bina) MacFarlane McArthur 1897 – 1978
Alexander (Alick) Rankin MacArthur 1899 – 1961
Dugald MacArthur 1903 – 
Peter MacArthur 1904 – 
Alister MacArthur 1905 – 
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Rankin MacArthur 1907 – 1978
Keneth MacArthur 1908 – 1918
Margaret McArthur 1911 – 

Just from interest:  This photo was probably taken in the 60’s. (Annie’s golden wedding..., still the same hair-do)


Judging from everyone's comments I'd be inclined to believe it's more of a family-friendly nick name.   

IMPORTANT:  Just a short note concerning the image and its blue ink markings..., and a message I received from Admin questioning its legal rights.   Lol !   We’re lucky to have such an excellent Admin team !   I’ll keep her name a secret !  Lol !
As for the photo, I received it from my Father following his death last year, he got it from my Mother in 1983 and she got it from my Grandmother who died in 1964.

At the time, this was the system used by photographers to protect their property..., ink-stamping the photo to render it unusable.   Nonetheless, the system did permit the participants to order as many as they liked and the original would be left in the hands of the customer.

Now..., seems like I’ve another one of those senior moments !   Can’t remember if I wished Monica a Merry Christmas ?     

This photo was probably taken just after WW1 and Cissy is supposed to be the 2nd daughter from the left, back row.  Grandmother Mary 3rd.  Annie 4th.

[Iain...]

Problem with the above post and the images..., can't get hold of the edit button to eliminate the two test photos.   Another senior moment !? 

It’s not impossible that I found a Cissy-answer from my cousin.   Looking logically at the family situation and following the birth of the second-born Janet, father Robert and mother Janet would be having a lot of confusing conversations.   As such and with James the first-born calling his little sister Cissy..., the parents probably kept the pet-name for easiness. 

Now I think about it..., it’s not impossible that many daughters whatever their name and being called after their mother, would be pet-named Cissy.   Just a thought !   

Merry Christmas One and All.     

[tidybooks]

Hi All,

My gran was Granny Cissy, she was the youngest of seven sisters, so may have been shortened version of Sister, her real name was Isabella Paterson nee Stewart.

Tom

[Iain...]

Hi Tom !   Was her Mother called Isabella ? 

[tidybooks]

Hi Iain2,

Unfortunately not, her mother was Martha McAdam Greig.

Tom

[Iain...]

Hi Iain2,
Unfortunately not, her mother was Martha McAdam Greig.
Tom

Oops !   Bang goes my theory !   Lol !   

Merry Christmas..., Iain. 

[Seoras]

My aunt Rachel was known as Cissie, as aghadowey said earlier it is quite likely to just be a nickname for 'sister'

[BonnieDownUnder]

Hi, to add more names (and confusion) to the pot, my great grandmother (who had a twin brother) name on her birth certificate was Sissey though the family tale is that her father couldn't read nor write and it was suppose to be Lizzie!
Also my grand aunt, named Pauline, was known as Cis, and she was the eldest of eight children.