Bridget Johnston or Higgins

[Chris5856]

I cannot for the life of me find Bridget's death on SP. Bridget was a child born in Rawyards, Airdrie and all her family are buried in St Joseph's. However Bridget married Patrick Higgins in Bathgate in 1902. They stayed at Niddrie Cottage, Winchburgh, West Lothian. She died between the birth of her youngest son in 1907 and his death in 1911

I dont know what Im doing wrong but I cannot find her death on SP. Any help would be appreciated.

Chris

[Chris5856]

Im beginning to think she may have been done in too. Bridget was married to Patrick Higgins, who in 1911, apparently after his wife died the year before, murdered his two boys in a quarry in West Lothian. Their bodies resurfaced in 1913, which began a murder investigation, which led to his conviction and execution.

I have tried every conceivable combination of the names, searched for deaths in West Lothain, Old Monkland and Scotland wide....nothing. Ive even stretched the search dates to well past 1911, just in case she had done a runner. Nothing. :-( This is doing my head in.

[MonicaL]

I have looked for you...and like you, nothing showing for Bridget.

I know it sounds mad, but mention of criminal proceedings (heck, how awful is the reason  ) might give you other avenues to search regarding his trial/ reporting of personal details regarding his family life etc.

Have you got the family's 1911 census entry? Did Patrick show as a widower then? Where were they then (without Bridget for sure by the sounds of it  )?

Monica

[MonicaL]

I can see some entries in the Scotsman c. 1913. The case of the Higgins children certainly caused a lot of attention. One article which includes letters from a number of people/bodies is from the Chairman of the Parish Council of Uphall (is this where the family were around the time?). Unlike Edinburgh poor relief records, you may have more luck with West Lothian and their records.

Doing this search on google: poor relief uphall scotland

The third entry down is a word document entitled: Poor Law Finding Aid - West Lothian Council which mentions that the Archives hold poor law records for the following areas of West Lothian...including Uphall.

Given the notoriety of the case and the children's care (re-inforced by the press stories of that time and the concern about the welfare of the children under the father's 'care') you are hopefully able to find further details at the archive?

Monica

[Chris5856]

Thanks for that Monica. Patrick was executed in 1913 and official records give his age as 38. According to the marriage certificate in 1902 he was 26, so it seems fairly accurate. A search on SP for the 1911 census hasn't shown anything at all. No Pat Higgins in West Lothian 

[MonicaL]

Just been reading the main reporting of his trial..... Extensive reporting and poor children under his care around 1911 (he certainly comes across as a widower, with no mention of wife and the stress of him being the sole carer of the children). Have you seen any of the newspaper reports?

Monica

[Chris5856]

Not yet I havent. It was a big trial at the time. His sons were William (6) and John (4). Ive searched SP 1911 census and have come up a blank. They were murdered in the November so they should be there 

One of the reports states he was struggling to cope with the loss of his wife a year before the murders....but I just cant find the death. They were married in Bathgate in 1902 and even then their address was Niddry Cottage in Winchburgh, the scene of the murders. in 1911.

[MonicaL]

From newspaper reporting/witness reporting, sons William and John were admitted to the Dysart Combination Poorhouse from January 1911. They had been taken there by a woman (reputedly paid for a time by father to take care of the boys...but the payments stopped). On 26 august 1911, a man (reported to be Patrick Higgins) came to the Poorhouse and took the boys out...and following a few sightings after this date, they were never seen again, until their bodies were found a few years later.

Higgins was incarcerated in  1911 it seems for a couple of months for the abuse and neglect of William and John.

Likely you will find them all in 1911 as separate entries on the census.

From this same article of Sept. 11 1913, Patrick Higgins' mother gave evidence. She mentions that Patrick and wife met at the Brickworks where they were both working, after he had left the army (Scottish Rifles). Wife is mentioned as having died c. 3 years ago...so talking around 1910?

Monica

[MonicaL]

Full blown court papers will be available to view at the National Archives of Scotland (now renamed National Records of Scotland) in Edinburgh.

If you look here on the online catalogue www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue - just search for 'patrick higgins' and exact phrase, between 1911-1914.

All the papers are there. These will be another source of info regarding what happened to Bridget.

I have gone through similar boxes for a murder trial before, not in Scotland but in Kew at the National Archives...5 hrs of going through gruesome details from a major murder trial from the 1950s...just to get a birth date and place (I know, we are all mad  ). Still rubbing out the memory details of what I read then 

Bridget's details are certainly impossible to find at present on SP.

Can you give more details on her just for background? Date of birth and parents' names etc.

Monica