The Lady Vanishes

[Forfarian]

Jane/Jean Bell, daughter of William Bell and Jean Rhind, was born on 10 May 1815 in Leven, parish of Scoonie, Fife and baptised there on 11 June 1815.

On 8 August 1837 she married John McLean. He was a merchant seaman, and living in Dundee.

They had a son, William Bell McLean, born 21 September 1841 in Dundee. In 1841 and 1851 they are in the census in Dundee, apart from John in 1851, who must have been at sea.

Then they vanish.

The son William Bell McLean became a marine engineer and fitter, moved to Liverpool, married Ann Reid in Leslie in 1864 and had seven of a family, all born in Liverpool/West Derby. I have all the relevant census except William in 1861, most of the birth references, and the deaths and probates of William Bell Mclean and Ann Reid or McLean, all in West Derby/Liverpool.

However, in 1891, lo and behold, in their household is William's widowed mother, Jane McLean, age 75, born Scotland.

But she vanishes again. I haven't found a death in Scotland, England or Wales (I don't think she's the one who died aged 72 in West Derby in 1895 - that one was the widow of a Thomas McLean). Nor have I found her (yet?) in 1861, 1871 or 1891. Was she in Liverpool all that time?

Any suggestions?

Just in case the names ring a bell (Aarrgghh! No pun intended!), there are previous threads on other members of Jane Bell or McLean's family
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=572906.0
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=723974.0
but neither of these threads mentions Jane/Jean Bell or McLean except in passing.

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Have you got the 1861 census?
Trinity Place Leven Scoonie
Jane Mc Lan 43 annuitant widow of seaman born Scoonie Fife
John 16 apprentice joiner born Dundee
John t Laird 28 border joiner and cabinet maker

(in 1851 John was with grandparents William and Jane)

Ciderdrinker

[Forfarian]

Thank you, Ciderdrinker. I thought I'd searched every possible variant of MacLean but I missed McLan

That's very useful. I did have John in the 1851 with his grandparents so it's good to see that he was still around.

[lancsann]

is this one a possibility

Name   Jane McLean
Burial Age   83
Birth Date   abt 1817
Death Date   4 Jan 1900 - mistranscribed - should 1 Jan
Burial Date   3 Jan 1900
Burial Place   Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Cemetery   North Merchiston Cemetery

[Forfarian]

Thank you, but no. That one's mother's maiden surname was McLeod, and her other surname was also McLeod.

[garstonite]

You say McLean - 7 children - all born West Derby ,Liverpool - are you aware that West Derby , although an area of Liverpool was also the Registration Office for Garston ( where I live ) Allerton - Woolton - Hunts Cross - Aigburth - -Wavertree and other areas of Liverpool - I found a Jane M Mclean born West Derby in 1866 on www.lancashirebmd.org  - and details stated Much Woolton - do you know Exactly which district of Liverpool they were born ??

[Forfarian]

Thank you.

Yes, I am aware that Registration Districts can cover areas larger than their names would apply to, and I have from time to time used the links on FreeBMD to check which places are in which RD. I would not have been able to list off the top of my head all the places in West Derby RD, nor do I have a mental map of where it is, other than that it's sort of down Liverpool way.

I don't know exactly where they all were born because I am too impecunious to buy every birth and marriage certificate of anyone in my tree born or married in England and Wales (just over 8000!).

The link you kindly provided to lancashirebmd.org doesn't open, and lan-opc.org doesn't have details of this family.

However using FreeBMD I see a Janet (not Jane) M McLean registered in Prescot in 1866, and I see from the link that Much Woolton was, at that time, in Prescot RD.

According to the GRO web site she was Janet Morrison McClean and her mother's maiden surname was Morrison.

[lancsann]

lancashirebmd.org.uk