Helen Cheyne born Kintore 1886 ** birthday bumped post **

[SarahND]

Ian,
Aha! So that's who the wee Susan Gatt Simpson was in 1901! Very interesting. In the Ancestry transcription of that census, Maggie is "Daur" to the head of household, but her occupation is "Domestic Servant" which makes me think she works as a servant in some other household, but is a daughter in this one.

As you say, I think you're closing in... but it is difficult to prove such recent links, as we don't have the censuses and records online to help.

All the best,
Sarah

[AnneM]

Hi Ian

Your George Hossack was probably born in Rosemarkie in Invernesshire. I'll tell you something else interesting which may or may not be relevant to your search he was in the USA in 1930 and sailed home from Montreal on the Melita that year.

Anne

[AnneM]

By the way, your Susan Gatt Simpson's sister Margaret Jane married Alexander McArthur in 1918 and subsequently divorced him. The address given for Magaret in 1918 and Susan in 1924 is the same one that George Hossack comes back to in 1930. Not sure this is taking us anywhere but the name Hossack is unusual and certainly links the people you write about with the family of the last identified and almost certainly right Christina.

The evidence in favour of that being the right Christina is now to my mind compelling.

Anne

[Susan]

Hi Ian

It's all coming together now - thanks to these extra wee bits of info you gave us.

Looking on SP you are right - no obvious births for Kathleen Hossack - but - and it's a big but - knowing this Simpson family so well as we all do now - how about looking for a Kathleen Simpson born before Susan Gatt Simpson marries George Hossack ?????? Also the wording from the letter "Mrs Hossack's Kathleen" .... why not say the Hossacks' Kathleen ? That made me wonder also if she was Susan's daughter not George's too.

Searched for Kath* Simpson, (in case of odd spellings) for period 1915 to 1924 in Aberdeen, and there in 1919 is a Constance kathl Simpson, (space on the indexes obviously curtails the rest of the name). This looks promising.

So going now to deaths on SP - search for Kath* Simpson, mother's maiden name Simpson, born 1919 +/- 5 years in Aberdeen and yes, there she is - died age 68 in 1987. Shows other names as Park and Hossack - so now you have your connection between Kathleen and Susan.

There is a David Brown Hossack born in Aberdeen in 1935, there may a connection here as well as Susan Gatt Simpson's cousin Jane/Jeannie Simpson (Christina's 2nd daughter) married a David Brown in 1914, she died in 1932.

Just need to do a bit more on Margaret Kennedy see where she fits into it all.

Susan.

[AnneM]

Excellent Susan!! Why did I not think of looking for Kathleen before Susan Simpson was married. Now Ian just needs to get in among the more recent records to confirm the whole chain of relationships.

Anne

[imlincs]

Yes!

Thank you – I don’t know how you all manage it! How do you find the information about George Hossack’s trip to America or Margaret Jane’s divorce? I have only admiration for the lateral thinking that produced Kathleen’s history – I particularly liked pinpointing “Mrs Hossack’s Kathleen” rather than “the Hossacks’ Kathleen” as a telltale. Despite being a Times crossword fan I’m not sure I’d ever have spotted that.

In 1901 the remaining granddaughter of William Simpson still in the household, and to whom his daughter Margaret would be Aunt Maggie, is Mary Louisa aged 4. Could she have gone to Canada to become Margaret Kennedy’s mother? Without establishing the name of Margaret Kennedy’s mother or father it is difficult. Assuming the Simpson family is the right link to MK in Canada, potentially Margaret Simpson could be Aunt Maggie to any of the offspring (male and female of course) of her siblings Alexander and Helen or of her half-brothers Robert and George as well as her half-sister (my great-grandmother??) Christina. Annette in her post of Oct 12th also mentioned a Jane who died young and a Mary but I’m not sure where they came from.

Out of interest I’m going to try and post the photo of Aunt Maggie and my mother c.1938.

As a supplementary, why would the family appear in 1861 as “Sempson”? Was William a Sempson or a Simpson in 1851 and 1841? In 1851 I can find only one William Sempson birthplace Marnoch not Forgue and none in 1841. If Simpson, where was he in 1851 and 1841?

Ian
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[SarahND]

In 1901 the remaining granddaughter of William Simpson still in the household, and to whom his daughter Margaret would be Aunt Maggie, is Mary Louisa aged 4.

Getting close...

Mary Louisa Simpson, typist, spinster, age 24, born Aberdeen, Scotland, married Albert Sansum, labourer, batchelor, age 29, born Birmingham, England. They were married in Belmont, Middlesex, Ontario, Canada in 1922

Her parents were Robert Simpson and Susan Gatt

Cheers,
Sarah

[imlincs]

Hello Sarah

How on earth do you find that out? Is it a trade secret?

I can't find the death of Albert or Mary Louisa recorded in British Columbia where it seems likely they would have died had they been Margaret Kennedy's parents.

And Ontario is a long way from Vancouver. Nevertheless Aunt Maggie still looms large (well not very large as you can see from the photo). It seems quite possible she would be in touch with Mary Louisa in Canada if she kept up with my grandmother and Mrs Hossack.

I don't know where else to look now.

Ian
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[SarahND]

How on earth do you find that out? Is it a trade secret?

No, an annual subscription i.e., $$

I see no reason why the Sansums would have died in BC. It is quite likely that Margaret moved there with her husband. People move around more over there! Unfortunately, the online records don't go late enough to find either the births of their children, their marriages or their deaths. The Ontario births online go up until 1909, the marriages up until 1924 and the deaths up until 1934. So we have come to the end of what can be found that way. Perhaps the Canadians on TS can give you some suggestions of how and if the more recent records can be obtained by someone outside Canada...

All the best,
Sarah

[imlincs]

Hello Sarah

Dying in BC seemed likely to me since the 1947 letter from Margaret Kennedy contained the line "Mother and Dad are keeping well and were away up to Alaska by boat this year".

I realise it's not conclusive but it does sound as though the parents were reasonably local.

I'll try posting an update in the Scots Abroad section.

Incidentally I've uploaded the other Aunt Maggie photo to the Gallery but don't know how to link it to this topic.

Ian
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