Mary Cruickshank Anderson

yorvick · Post by **yorvick** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:58 am

First of all thank you for reading this.

Mary was married to James Kerss in 1898 at St George's in Hanover Square. Both Mary and James are noted as being born in Scotland and James's father, James Kerss also Scotland - deceased and Mary's father James Anderson also Scotland, Overseer. Mary's address is given Berkeley St, they are both 28 at marriage.

The previous census in 1891 finds James Kerss at Newbattle as a Journeyman gardener. Mary, I can not find in that, or any prev census.

After the marriage they return to where James had been working at Melton Mowbray, where in 1900 Margaret Helen Kerss is born.

1901 finds the family as "Kenas" at Waltham Holy Cross, Essex, in later years Mary gives birth to James, Evelyn and Ralph she dies in 1913 at Kingston, Surrey.

Several Mary C Anderson have been found in prev census, none are in the vicinity of her hubby to be, nor any with an occupation that would fit with the family recollection of her been a maid for Chatsworth House, the reputed employee family also owned Devonshire House which was based on or very near to where she was residing prior to her marriage. I have e-mailed them but lot of records for the homes were destoyed during the war.

I believe Mary could be the daughter of Hellen Davidson and Stewart Cruickshank, born Old Machar 1870, and that Stewart died and Hellen re-married a James Anderson. Although I can not find a death or a re-marriage. I have also check USA immigration just in case.

Another thought is that maybe Mary had married before, although spinster is noted on the cert. Once again I can not find a prev marriage.

I know that Mary had a married sister Mrs McGaskell, (no christian name) living in Spottiswood St, near the Edinburgh Infirmary as this is where the two girls Margaret and Evelyn were sent to and raised after Mary C A Kerss death in 1913.

I have heaps of other ?????????? but I wld love to find this woman and her history, she was my GG grandmother so a direct line, I have looked and looked, as have very generous others.

So any help, ideas, would be so appreciated after a year or so I am well and truely stumped.

Thank you I hope you can help and I haven't bored you to ..............

Yor

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:15 am

Hi Yorvick,
Welcome to Talking Scot! [talkingscot]

I'm going to go out on a limb here

but see what you think. In Edinburgh in 1901 there is this family:

1901
3 Comely Bank Avenue, Edinburgh Dean, St George, Midlothian
Donald John, McAskill, 38, Head, born Invernesshire, Harris, Tailor
Eliza McAskill, 33, wife, born Auchterless, Aberdeenshire
Margaret Mabel McAskill, 6, Daur, born Edinburgh, Scholar
James McAskill, 3, Son, born Edinburgh

They seem to correspond to this marriage (note the mistranscription of his name in 1901):
Ronald John Macaskill, Tailor, batchelor and Elizabeth Anderson, Domestic Servant, spinster
They were married in Canongate, Edinburgh in 1893
Her parents were James Anderson, Crofter, deceased and Margaret Anderson, MS Cowie, deceased.
We have already seen in the census that she was born in Auchterless, Aberdeenshire.

This family in Auchterless seems to have broken up rather early, due to the deaths of the parents. The children are already boarding out here and there by 1881. She does have a sister Mary born about the right time. The only hitch is that she appears, at birth, to have been named Mary Walker Anderson... but never mind that for a moment.

This is perhaps Elizabeth, in North Lodge school in Aberdeen St Nicholas in 1881:
Elizabeth Anderson, 13, born Auchterless, Aberdeen, Scholar

Mary is perhaps a 13 yr old lodger in Rathven, Banffshire, a scholar in the home of the Cormacks (her age is a few years off from the birth record of 1869, but the birthplace is consistent)

In 1891 Lizzie is a lodger in St Andrews, Fife

Mary, now age 21 is a Serv at 28 Coates Gardens, Edinburgh St Cuthberts, in the home of the Spottiswoods!!! Now, knowing how family stories get mixed up, do you think that the name Spottiswood could have become mis-associated with the street, rather than with the name of other people associated with Mary's life in Edinburgh?

1891
28 Coates Gardens, Edinburgh St Cuthberts, Midlothian
Georgina Mcf Spottiswood, 58, Head, born Aberdeen, Living on Private Means
Annie M F Spottiswood, 29, Daur, born Aberdeen, Living On Private Means
Mary G F Spottiswood, 28, Daur, born Aberdeen, Living on Private Means
Thomas W F Spottiswood, 19, Son, born Aberdeen, Qualifying as Civil Engineer
Violet D F Spottiswood, 7, Granddaur, born Edinburgh, Scholar
Alistair D F Spottiswood, 6, Grandson, born Aberdeen, Scholar
Barbara Reaper, 32, Serv, born Auchterless, Aberdee, Cook - Domstic Serv
Lizzie Kirton, 24, Serv, born Turiff, Aberdee, Tablemaid - Domestic Serv
Mary Anderson, 21, Serv, born Auchterless, Aberdeen Housemaid - Domestic Serv
Margaret Gibb, 15, Serv, born Insch, Aberdee, Kildermaid - Domestic Serv
Margaret Davidson, 32, Serv, born Bush, Banff, Nurse, Domestic Serv

What do you think?

All the best,
Sarah

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:36 am

Hi Yorvick

I've been looking at the same family as Sarah this morning, a couple more bits of info which may help.

On Scotland's People there is an Elizabeth McAskill, other name Anderson who dies in Edinburgh in 1954 aged 86. This fits in so might be worth a look to check addresses etc.

Sarah found a possible Mary in 1881 in Banff, Margaret Cowie was born in Banff, King Edward per 1871 census, Alvah per IGI to parents James Cowie and Margaret Conn, so perhaps Mary is staying with family or friends in Banff.

The children of James Anderson and Margaret Cowie are:-

Margaret Conn Anderson or Cowie b 1861
William Anderson b 1863
George Anderson b 1865
Eliza Cowie Anderson b 1967
Mary Walker Anderson b 1969
Jane Anderson b 1871
Helen Patricia Strachan Anderson b 1873

Mary Anderson's daughter was Margaret Helen Kerss.

So a few more things to work with there.

Susan.

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:56 pm

Hi Yorvick

In 1939 and later there is a DJ McAskill at 56 Spottiswoode Street ( information from the telephone directories on Ancestry ) .

This may well be the Donald John that Sarah found .

All the best
Sally

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:51 pm

Hi Sally,
Looks like they had a double connection to Spottiswood(e)! It's such an unusual name, that I'm sure the street was named after an ancestor of the family in the census above, possibly an Archbishop Spottiswood who gets a lot of attention when one googles

Amazing the things we learn here on TS!

Cheers,
Sarah

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:24 pm

Hi Sarah - I suppose it is rare ? My late uncle lived in Spottiswoode Road - I suppose I had never thought about it before ! I'm curious - who were the witnesses at the McAskill wedding ?

Yorvick - Just to add - the DJ McAskill in the phone directory at 56 Spottiswoode ( 1939- 1949 I think) is almost certainly Donald John .
On April 5 1924 , his daughter Margaret Mable Anderson MacAskill ( "Meta") married Robert Allan MacNab MB CHb Edin, of Tobermory and formerly HongKong . ( reported in Scotsman ) . Address was 56 Spottiswoode Street.
In 1943 , it was reported that RA MacNab of 56 Spottiswoode Street was being interned at Changi.

I mention this because such a thing might be remembered by someone somewhere if this is your kin .

Sally

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:46 pm

Hi Sally,

grannysrock wrote: I suppose it is rare ? My late uncle lived in Spottiswoode Road - I suppose I had never thought about it before !

If you search for that name on, say, Ancestry, you end up with a nice, restricted group of people

Not like the Andersons, for example!

grannysrock wrote: I'm curious - who were the witnesses at the McAskill wedding ?

John Geo Cunningham was perhaps the one who performed the ceremony and Jane Reese Mitchell and Robert Wright were the witnesses

Anybody ring a bell?

Sarah

Oh, and his usual residence was No 81 (I think) Drummond Street and hers (where the marriage also took place) was No 85 Wilton Street.

yorvick · Post by **yorvick** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:46 pm

Thank you all for your replies. I will have a good read when I come home.

It all looks very interesting.

Regards

Di/Yor

grannysrock · Post by **grannysrock** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:08 pm

Anybody ring a bell?

For me no, but perhaps for Yorvick .?

Now can anyone help me out here? Are Logie Newton of Auchterless (1871 census) and Logie Newton of Ythan Wells (1881 census) , the same place ?
I have a possible explanation for Mary Walker/ Cruickshank !

A Mary Walker married a James Smith Cruickshank
and had kids at Logie Newton at the same time as James Anderson and Margaret Cowie.

So she could have been a close family friend and someone to name a daughter after. It's just a possibility of course. A little sugar on the spoon...

Sally

POST EDIT
HAving read James Cruickshank's occupation in 1881 :

Farmer Of 480 Acres 460 Arable Employing 1?? Men And 3 Women

It may be a case of an old tradition of naming a child after one's employer ( or his wife )

Post by **SarahND** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:16 pm

grannysrock wrote:[ Are Logie Newton of Auchterless (1871 census) and Logie Newton of Ythan Wells (1881 census) , the same place ?

Looks to me on the map as if Logie Newton is right in the middle between Auchterless and Ythan Wells, so... without knowing anything, and until we hear from someone who does... I'd say yes.

Interesting story of the Walkers, Andersons and Cruickshanks! So, Mary was named after Mary Walker, then changed her name to match Mary's name change also?! I like it!

Sarah