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Dingwall genealogy |
20 May 2009 |
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Dr Geoffrey Mann |
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3A Isabella DINGWALL c1840-? |
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m David SUNTER 1855 |
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Isabella was born about 1839 in Bridgend, a village just across the Tay bridge from the city of Perth. Her father, William, was a chairmaker, but when she was about 9 years old, the family left Perth, living in various places until they arrived in Stirling. In Stirling, Isabella’s mother died. Isabella was 13 and William left for Glasgow where he applied for poor relief; Isabella was then in service (1853 aged 14) but it is not known where. Isabella married David SUNTER, a cooper, at Buckhaven in Fife when she was only 16 years old. Making a living must have been difficult, as they moved frequently. Their first daughter was born in Leith in 1858, their next was born in England in 1863, their third was born back in Edinburgh in 1869. Isabella was now 30 and she began a series of applications for poor relief in Glasgow. Often deserted by her husband David, and just as often returning to him to be deserted again. In 1870 David was in the fever hospital and Isabella was admitted to the poor house with two daughters, the third was being looked after in Fife In 1872, a son was born in Glasgow, but the following year David left her and she was admitted to the poor house with her son; her daughters in service, or elsewhere. At some time David returned, because in 1875 he “gave her a thrashing” and left her again. Isabella returned to the poor house with her son. Again David returned, since in 1877 another son was born, this time in Dundee. David tried his hand at selling fish, and in 1881, Isabella was with him in Kirkcaldy as a milliner. But the following year she was back in Glasgow with her eldest son; she did not know where her daughters were. The next year, 1883, she was admitted again to the Glasgow poor house with bruises after her husband gave her another thrashing and left her. Deserted again by her husband in 1884 she was suffering from an abscess and admitted to hospital Five years later, it was David’s turn to be admitted to the poor house with bronchitis. Ironically, Isabella was refused admission as she was not disabled, so should work. Released from the hospital, David deserted Isabella again, this time in Hamilton. David’s bronchitis returned however, and he died in the poor house in December 1889. He did not even know Isabella’s address, so could not know that she was admitted to the poor house with neuralgia on the very day that he died. Isabella left the Glasgow poor house on 21 December 1889, free of her husband, but no further record of her life has been found. Her eldest son was in Glasgow, her younger son was with his aunt in London. Two daughters were in service in Bridge of Alan and in Edinburgh; the whereabouts of the other daughter unknown. Daughter Jane in Edinburgh married in 1893 and stated that her mother and father were deceased. No record of Isabella’s death however has been found.
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DATE age |
EVENT |
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1839
6Jun1841
2 9Jun1843
4 17Jun1846 7 c1848
9 30Mar1851 12 15Jul1852 13 24Aug1853 14 10Oct1855 16 31Jul1858 19 1861 22 c1863 24 13Jan1869 30 25Nov1870 31 1871 32 Oct1872 33 1Feb1873 34 Oct1873 34 3Nov1873 34 7Jan1874 35 9Feb1874 35 Sep1875 36 7Oct1875 36 c1877 38 3Apr1881 42 28Mar1882 43 23Nov1883 44 15Nov1884 45 3Jan1889 50 21Nov1889 50 19Dec1889 50 20Dec1889 50 21Dec1889 50 1893 54 |
born at Bridgend, Perth (parish of Kinnoul) living with her parents at Bridgend, across the river from Perth grandmother buried at Scone; died after her clothes caught fire grandfather found drowned in a pond, probably suicide moved with her parents to Auchterarder, Glendonen, Alloa, then Stirling living with parents in Stirling mother died father applied for poor relief at Glasgow; Isabella in service (place
unknown) married David SUNTER at Buckhaven Fife dau Christina SUNTER born at Yardheads Leith census not found dau Jane Eliza born in England (father William was also in England
about this time) dau Isabella SUNTER born at Crawfords Close, Grasmarket, Edinburgh Glasgow poorhouse with Christine and Isabella; Jane Eliza in Fife;
husband in fever hospital census not found (Gallowgate Glasgow?) son David SUNTER born 112 Gallowgate Glasgow father died in city poorhouse, Glasgow, from chronic bronchitis husband left her 27 King St; in poorhouse 4 days with son David; pain in lower
extremities; Christine in service readmitted to poorhouse with son David. Still deserted by husband readmitted with dau Christine and son David. Left after 13 days husband gave her a thrashing and left her readmitted with son David. All
3 daughters with aunt in Earlsferry Fife son James SUNTER born Foundry Lane, Dundee in Abbotshall, Kirkcaldy, with husband (a fish seller) and son David;
Christina with aunt; Jane in service in Edinburgh; Isabella and James not found admitted to poorhouse with son David.
Husband left her. Does not know where daughters are. admitted with lumbago and bruises.
Husband gave her a thrashing and left her. admitted to hospital with son David, suffering from an abscess. Husband left her 3 weeks ago. husband admitted with bronchitis; Isabella refused admittance as not
disabled so can work applied for relief; husband left her 8 weeks ago; Isabella left before
examination by doctor husband readmitted with bronchitis; did not know his wife's address Isabella admitted to poorhouse with neuralgia; husband died same day left poorhouse; dau Christine servant in Bridge of Allan; dau Jane
servant in Edinburgh; son David in Glasgow, son James with the JUSTICE family in London dau Jane married at Alloa; mother deceased |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
The 1841 and
51 census give a birth date of 1839/40 in Perthshire; the settlement
examination of Isabel’s father in Nov 1870 states birthplace as Bridgend, Perth
and age 29 (b 1841). Bridgend is in the
parish of Kinnoul where Isobel's father baptised two children in 1829 and 1831,
but baptism of Isobel and other children not found in OPR so the family had
probably joined a dissenting congregation by this time. Isobel was in Bridgend in 1841 aged 2. So definitely born Bridgend Perth about
1839. It is believed she married in Oct
1855, so a birth date of 1839 seems established.
The birth
certificate of Isabel’s daughter Isabella states that her parents were married
at Buckhaven 10Oct1855; Buckhaven is in Wemyss parish, Fife. However, no entry for this marriage has been
found in the OPR index, nor in the General
Register of Scottish marriages nor in the Buckhaven register. The absence of the marriage from the general
register may perhaps be understood as the system of registration began only in
this year. The absence from the
Buckhaven register and the OPR index, suggests that if the marriage took place
at all, it was in a church other than the church of Scotland.
31Jul1858 Christina SUNTER born at Yardheads Leith (certificate)
c1863
Jane Eliza born England (from census) m1893 James MACKENZIE; birth not
found in GRO index Mar61-Dec65
13Jan1869 Isabella born Crawfords Close, Grasmarket,
Edinburgh (certificate)
Oct1872
David SUNTER b 112 Gallowgate Glasgow (certificate)
c1877
James SUNTER b Foundry Lane, Dundee (from poor law examination, index of
Scottish births:1875 Kilconquhar 52?)
b
31Jul1858 Christina d David SUNTER, cooper, & Isabella SUNTER, ms
DINGWALL. Born at 7am 37 Yardheads,
Leith (South)
informant: David SUNTER, not
present (692 2/529)
b
13Jan1869 Isabella d David SUNTER cooper journeyman & Isabella SUNTER ms
DINGWALL married 10Oct1855 Buckhaven
Born at 4pm, Crawford's Close,
Grasmarket, Edinburgh St Giles.
Informant Isabella x SUNTER, mother. (685 4/119).
b 4Sep1872 David SUNTER s David SUNTER, cooper
jorneyman, & Isabella SUNTER ms DINGWALL married 10Oct1855 Buckhaven
Born 2.45pm at 112 Gallowgate
Glasgow; informant Isabella x SUNTER mother (Glasgow 1176)
m 1893
James MACKENZIE 28 gardener of Braco Perthshire, & Jane SUNTER 29 of
Arnsbrae Alloa, d David SUNTER dec cooper and Isabella SUNTER
maiden surname DINGWALL, deceased.
Last record of Isabella was on 21Dec1889 when she left the
poor house in Glasgow. At the marriage
of her daughter Jane in 1893, Isabella was noted as deceased. However, her death has not been found in the
index of Scottish deaths from 1889 through 1897, nor English deaths Dec1889
through Dec1894
William DINGWALL 35 1806 wright n
Christian DINGWALL 35 1806 y
Christian DINGWALL 8 1833 y
Margaret DINGWALL 6 1835 y
Helen DINGWALL 5 1836 y
Isabella DINGWALL 2 1839 y
Willm DINGWELL he mar 44 1807 rustic chair maker Renfrewshire
Christain DINGWELL wi mar 44 1807
Renfrewshire
Christan DINGWELL
da unm 19 1832
Perthshire
Isabella DINGWELL
da unm 11 1840 Perthshire
Mary DINGWELL da unm 6 1845
Perthshire
David SUNTER he mar 31 1830 cooper Scotland
Isabella SUNTER wi mar 21 1840 Scotland
Christina SUNTER da 2 1859 Scotland
Jane E SUNTER da 7m 1860 Burton Staffordshire
not at
Crawfords Close Edinburgh
David SUNTER he mar 50 1831 fish cadger [note cadger=hawker] Earlsferry, Fife
Isabella SUNTER
wi mar 39 1842 milliner Perthshire
David SUNTER so 8 1873 Glasgow
Jane
E.H. SUNTER se unm 19 1862 nursemaid England
[head of household Hugh BROWN]
Christian BOWIE
he unm 81 1800 Kilconquhar
Christina SUNTER ni unm 22 1859 Leith, Edinburgh
David
Sunter HASTIE gn 1
1880 gn=greatnephew Earlsferry
Jane SUNTER se unm 27 1864 serving maid England
The poor
law records of Glasgow are an amazingly rich source for chronicling the
detailed lives of our poorer ancestors.
On applying for relief, an interview was conducted often at the pauper's
home. The interview was to determine whether the applicant qualified for
relief, and to detemine the pauper's parish of settlement. The pauper would
either be sent back to this parish, or relief would be given and the cost
charged to the parish of settlement.
Application
records therefore often contain a potted history of the applicants life,
including parents and children and details of places lived, to determine
whether the pauper qualified for relief, whether there were any children or
parents who could support him or her, and which parish should pay for the
relief if granted. The following
account of the life of Isabella SUNTER (formerly DINGWALL) from 1870 to 1889 is
reconstructed form these records. They
tell their own story,
This is
the story of Isabella SUNTER (ms DINGWALL) as told by the poor relief records
25 Nov
1870. husband David admitted to the
fever hospital. Isabella went to the night asylum and applied for relief. She
was admitted to the poorhouse with her daughters Christine (12) and Isabella
(2). Her other daughter Jane Eliza was
in Fife.
Kilconquhar
ordered her to the Thornton poorhouse, but allowed to remain in Glasgow if the
charge is the same; when she left on 29 December she went to Aidrie for 4
months before returning to Glasgow. Her
son David was born at 112 Gallowgate on 4 Sep 1872
3 Nov
1873. Applied for relief from 27 King St. Husband left her 3 weeks ago. Destitute
with pain in lower extremities. Admitted with son David. Daughter Christine now in service.. Left
after 4 days.
7 Jan
1874. Readmitted to poorhouse. Still deserted by husband; son David had
eruptions on belly and back.
9 Feb
1874. Readmitted with daughter
Christine 13 and son David 14 months.
Left after 13 days
7 Oct
1875. Readmitted with son David. Husband left her 3 weeks ago in Lanark after
giving her a thrashing. All 3
daughters now with aunt in Earlsferry, Fife.
Over the
next seven years Isabella was in Dundee, Earlsferry, Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy.
In 1877, James was born in Foundry Lane, Dundee; in 1879 she was sent to
Thornton Union poorhouse by Kirkcaldy. In 1882 she was back in Glasgow.
28 Mar
1882. Admitted to poorhouse with son
David. Husband left her in Glasgow and
is now in Hamilton. Does not know where
daughters are.
23 Nov
1883. Admitted with lumbago and
bruises. Husband gave her a thrashing
in Cumbernauld and left her. Christina
and James in Fife, Jane Eliza in Edinburgh, David with his father.
15 Nov
1884 admitted to hospital with son David, suffering from an abscess. Husband left her 3 weeks ago.
3 Jan
1889. Isabella's husband David applied
for relief, suffering from bronchitis and disease of the bladder. Kilconquhar
wrote that he should be sent to Thornton Union poorhouse, but objected to
Isabella going with him, as she was not disabled so could work for her own
maintenance.
21 Nov
1889. Isabella applied for relief from Leigh Kirk Close on stair. Husband left her in Hamilton 8 weeks ago,
but she left the Application Hall before the Doctor saw her.
19 Dec
1889. Husband David was readmitted to the poorhouse with bronchitis. He did not
know his wife's address. Son David was
in Glasgow, Christina a servant in Bridge of Allan, Jane Elizabeth a servant
with Mr JENNINGS, Queensferry Place, Edinburgh, James with his aunt in London.
20 Dec
1889. Isabella was admitted to the poorhouse with neuralgia on the same day
that her husband died there.
26 Dec
1889. Letter from Kilconquhar
instructing Glasgow to send them both to Dysart poorhouse. But David was already dead and Isabella left
at her own request the following day.