Macrae

NeilG · Post by **NeilG** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:06 pm

I am looking for information about Jessie St Claire Macrae and her family. I know her father was George (EDIT - Charles - sorry) Macrae. She moved to England at some point and married Charles Graham in 1903 in Epsom. In the England census data she records her birthplace as either "Scotland" or "At Sea". I have seen something that suggests her mother might have been called Euphemia, but that could be completely wrong.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:17 pm

Hi Neil

Did Jessie state an occupation for her father, George, on her 1903 marriage?

Best wishes
Jean

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:39 pm

Hi Neil
...and welcome to Talking Scot

Can you maybe fill in another couple of pieces of information?
In which census years have you seen her in England?
What are the ages given for her in the census years you have seen?
What age was given when she married in 1903?

Thanks
Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 1:45 pm

Just for info, her middle name does not seem to have been given at the time of the marriage you mentioned, but Charles seems to have a couple of additional names.

Freebmd
Marriages Sep 1903
GRAHAM Charles Walter J Epsom 2a 64
MacRae Jessie Epsom 2a 64
McRae Jessie Epsom 2a 64

NeilG · Post by **NeilG** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:15 pm

Thanks everyone.

Yes - Charles Graham was Charles Walter James Graham. They married on 8 July 1903 in Epsom - it was Charles' second marriage (he is recorded as a widower on their marriage certificate).

Her marriage certificate records her father as deceased and as having been a master mariner. She is 26.

In the 1911 census she is living with Charles and their five children in Bridgewater, Somerset. She is 34 and says she was born at sea. However, I have been to The National Archives and had a good look through the records of British births at sea and didn't find her.

In the 1901 census, she is in service in in Woking. She is 24 and says she was born in Scotland.

Thanks again,
Neil

NeilG · Post by **NeilG** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:21 pm

Hi,

Very sorry about this - her father was not called George at all - he was called Charles. George was Charles Graham's father ... I got confused when reading the marriage certificate - too many Georges and Charles's.

So, just to be clear. She is Jessie St Claire Macrae and her father was Charles Macrae a master mariner who dies before her marriage in 1903.

By the way, Jessie and Charles are my great grandparents - hence the interest.

Also by the way, I believe that the Graham family is also Scottish, but I don't have any evidence of that yet - Charles' father George was born in Carlisle and ended up in Southampton and that's all I know.

Thanks,
Neil

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:40 pm

Hi Neil
Just a couple of thoughts just incase you have not considered these before:

Jessie in Scotland is very often a variation of Janet, so your lass may have been registered as a Janet but always known as Jessie. Or she amy indeed have been registerd as Jessie
My heart always sinks when I find a Janet in my tree because I know she may turn up as Janet, Jannet, Jonnet, Jonet, Jane, Jean, Jess or Jessie ...and the same person may even turn up as several of these between records.

St Clair, as you are probably aware, is a variation of Sinclair, so we may be looking at name variations here too.

And McRae is the least or our worries , but may be McRae, Mcrae, Macrae or MacRae..or I suppose we may find McCrae, but seems less likely.

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:59 pm

Hi Neil
I had a few credits left at SP and went fishing. There is a marriage in 1876 of a Charles McCrae and a Euphemia McKay in Greenock. The combination of names and the date tempted me so much I had a wee look.

This Charles however, worked for the Railway as far as I can make out*, which is not what we are looking for but what interested me in the couple was that this Charles's father was a tug boat master. Now I know that is not exactly a master mariner(!) but...I just wonder.

Wrong lot altogether or possibles? We'd need to follow them and see, but I'm not seeing an obvious sign so far on the 1881 census in Scotland.

Best wishes
Lesley

*later - it looks like Railway Parcel Deliverer I think.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:11 pm

And what is more interesting is that Euphemia's mother's maiden name is given as ...Sinclair. This is looking even more likely to me now.

These guys are definately worth checking out, I reckon!

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:47 pm

OK - I think this may be your lass - birth on SP, but I've not enough credits left to view it now....

1876 MCCRAE JANE SINCLAIR, F, KILBARCHAN /RENFREW 568/00 0188

frustration!!!!

If she turns out to be the daughter of Charles McCrae and Euphemia McKay then that must be her.
Maybe Charles later moved into his father-in-law's line of work?
Or maybe he died young, not long after Jessie's/Jane's birth and she does not really remember him and thus a muddled report at the time of her marraige?