How can you feel so bereft over a 1876 Death?.....

[AnneM]

I think we tend to forget about the army of grandparents who, even today, care for grandchildren, whose parents are unable or unwilling to do it themselves. These people have already raised their own family and are faced with going back to being the carers of very young people. Knowing how I now value my freedom, I take off my hat to them. If it was not for them so many more kids would be in care. So let's hear it for the grannies.

Anne

[henderson]

I always knew that my GGGGrandfather William Watson died in the great storm of January 1849 at Peterhead harbour (thanks to my GG Aunt Julia's wonderful family history written in 1936), but I just received a copy of the account in the Banffshire Journal (thank you Elizabeth at ANESFHS) and reading the account was very moving. I too was surprised how moved I could be at an event long ago. My GGGGrandmother was widowed with 6 children when he perished. Here is an excerpt from the account in case anyone else would find it helpful:

Account of the Great Storm - January 10, 1849 - Banffshire Journal

"At Peterhead, the case was very different. There the storm appears to have raged in unmitigated fury. Our correspondent says, ‘The scenes which were witnessed here on Wednesday were distressing beyond description. Three vessels came ashore close to our harbour , which have nearly gone to pieces. The sea has also broke over our north harbour with the greatest fury, and created the greatest commotion within. Several vessels breaking from their moorings, a number of men went down to secure them, when a most melancholy catastrophe took place. While all were busy, heedless of the sea dashing around them, three successive waves dashed with great force upon the bulwark at the back of the pier, breaking it up, and burying the men among the debris, or throwing them out to sea. Five men were picked up alive, although greatly bruised by the stones, which had fallen with them. These are now doing well. But we are sorry to state that no fewer than fifteen individuals have been lost. The names of the parties whose lives have thus been sacrificed, are as follows:-'

Captain James Hogg of the “Resolution”
Captain Annand, late of the “Coromandel”
George Robertson, cooper, unmarried
Thos. Smith, cooper, married with six children
James Park, mason, unmarried
Andrew Cousins, mason, unmarried
J. Bruce, mason, unmarried
A. Connon, mason, married
Thos. Grieg, mason, unmarried
James Duncan, labourer, married
George Taylor, labourer, married
Alexander Thom, labourer, married
Robert Walker, labourer, married
William Watson, labourer, married
Charles Nicol, labourer, unmarried

[Bertha]

My 2 x gr grandfather was a widower with about 3/4 young children when he married for the 2nd time (at first I thought it a bit unseemly as it was only about 1 yr after his wifes death).
He and the 2nd wife went on to have another 3 children. However, he died about 10 yrs later. The wife then married again, this new husband not only took on the wife's offspring but those of her previous husband.
I have to admire this man, who suddenly became father to 7 children.
At least one of them appreciated this and named her child after him.
I am now in contact with one of the descendants from both my 2 x gr grandfather's marriages, one 3rd cousin and one half third cousin!
Cheers
Bertha

[henderson]

Thanks for that Bertha,

My GGGGrandmother Julia Watson (nee Andrew) went on to remarry as well and had three more children, her new husband William Philip taking on her already large brood of six.

[maple23]

In the days of huge open fires and where the water was boiled on them my mum's oldest brother, in 1922, fell and knocked a pot of boiling over himself then fell in the fire. He died. My nan must have been in an awful state when it happened. It doesn't bear thinking about the accidents that must have happened long ago.