Uruguay address & search for a James & Jessie "Bray"

[CaroleW]

Hi

I am helping a lady trace the origins of her g/g/grandmother and wonder if there is any way of obtaining info on the following address.  This address is on several letters in the 1880's sent to her illegitimate daughter who was b 1868/69 in Scotland

Estancia Neuva Mehlem
Fray Bentos
Republica del Uruguay
South America
April 28

and signed   

I remain your affectionate  Mother Jessie Bray

The illegitimate daughter married as Bella Fraser in the USA (the daughters origins are being investigated separately) 

In other letters Jessie refers to her husband as James.  There is no Scottish marriage between a James Bray & a Jessie Fraser or to a Jessie with any other surname.

The letters are very old and I am working from a transcription but the daughter must have written to her mother in 1909 as this is the reply.  (the daughter married Merwyn D Gibbons hence the name on the letter)

Estancia Nueva Mehlem
De La
Sociedad Bienes Rurales
Guillermo J. Lawrie
Departamento de Rio Negro
Fray-Bentos (R.O.)

Nueva Mehlem, July 3, 1909

Mrs. M.D. Gibbons (sic.)
43 Chapel St, Westfield, Mass, US

Madam,

Your letter of Feb 26th was opened by post as Mrs. Jessie Bray left this estancia the year 1895 and went as housekeeper to Dr. William Walker Buenos Aires.

Dr. Walker’s address can be obtained from the Argentine Brewery calle Brazil 731 Buenos Aires or should you wish that I should write to Dr. Walker and inquire, please write me to that effect.

                  Your &c
                  G. Lawrie

The illegitimate daughter was born 1868/69 from US census entries so Jessie must have been born 1840's

She was presumably widowed by 1895 so may have died in Buenos Aries

Any info at all would be greatly appreciated

[Erato]

Can you read Spanish?  This is the location of Estancia Nueva Mehlem, a large ranch founded by German settlers in the late 1800s, located in western Uruguay on the Argentine border.

There is a publication entitled "Antiguas estancias del Uruguay : historia y producción" which apparently includes information on the history of Estancia Nueva Mehlem.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01rhk/

[Erato]

The history of this part of Uruguay is tied to Liebig's Extract of Meat Company which was founded by George Christian Giebert and named after Justus von Liebig [famous for Liebig's law of the minimum].

https://sesquicentenario.wordpress.com/cronologia-de-hechos/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebig%27s_Extract_of_Meat_Company

[Kloumann]

The Gibbons family tree on familysearch lists Bella's father as Alexander Fraser

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/KLZM-9YV

[CaroleW]

Thanks to you both.

Unfortunately I don’t know Spanish but thank you for the links. 

Yes - Bella gave her father as Alexander when she married but I understand it is shown as John when she died.  I have already eliminated the Isabella Fraser b 23.12.1869 Bridgeton as she died 1881.

I am currently looking at an Isabella Fraser b 1866 Croy & Dalcross Inverness mother Jessy.  However - from census info 1900-1940 plus her marriage & death she is Bella - not Isabella - & her birthyear is 1868 or 1869.  I know Bella is a shortened version of Isabella but I would have thought her marriage & death certs would have given her full name.

The 1900 US census has a John & Margaret Frazier plus family from Scotland on the same page as Bella & her husband.  Tracing that family back to 1871 & 1881 they are Fraser & in 1871 they have a 4yr old Isabella Fraser - boarder b Croy Inverness with them. 

John Fraser was b Ardlach Nairn & in 1861 there is a Jessie Fraser b Cawdor Nairn 1841 living in Croy & Dalcoss

In 1881 Bella Fraser b Inverness is a 13yr old servant so no more clues there so I am exploring the possibility that John Fraser was related to Jessie Fraser

If Jessie died in South America I have no idea what kind of info would be available re her origins

[Kloumann]

Thinking outside the box. What if Bray was her maiden name? There was a Jesse Bray born 1848 in Rerrick, Kirkcudbright. I cannot find a marriage or a death for her in Scotland.

[CaroleW]

That could well be possible.  In the copies of the letters she sent to Bella she talks of her husband James so the assumption has been that Bray was her married name hence her being in Uruguay.  Another avenue to explore!!

[osprey]

I wouldn't rule out Bella being Isabella at birth. My ggrandmother was Janet on baptism & first census in Scotland and Jessie on marriage, other census records and death reg.

[CaroleW]

Thanks Osprey - my dad's sister was Isabella but always known as "Auntie Bella".

In the letters sent by Jessie - she always signs herself  "Jessie" but I know that in Scotland she could have been born as Janet or Jane - another complication!!

I have wondered if Bella/Isabella was born under a different surname than Fraser but took that surname because she was raised by the Frasers.  When she married in the USA  - she gave her mothers name as Jessie - but no surname - whereas her husband gave his mothers maiden name