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Hi Amanda

My great grandmother was Charlotte Borrow Low, who married William Robert Jones.  She was a sister to Celina Low.  They had another sister, Janet, who lived in Kaapschehoop and married Harry Elton.  From various baptismal records I have found the names of other siblings, James Low and Alfred Low.   Lily Violet Low married Walter Watkins and lived in Pilgrims Rest.  Do you know who their mother was?  I think she may have been Irish.

SGJ   

Hi Cupcake

I have been to Dornock Churchyard, just a couple of week's ago when we were up in the Lake District.   I found James's headstone, it had fallen over and had cracked in half but the incription was still very clear.  It had the following inscription:  In memory of David son of James Gass  Joiner in Annan who died 18th Dec 1810 aged 2 years  and JANE his daughter who died 3rd Jan 1820 aged 7 years.  Also ELIZABETH STEEL his wife who died 3rd Feb 1870 aged 84 years. And the above James Gass who died  12th of June 1873 aged 92 years.   As you say he was a good age.

There were lots of other Gasses buried in the same area,  I did find a George Gass but the engraving was so faint  I couldn't read it.  It was also a very cold, windy day and my husband was getting a little bored traipsing round the graveyard so we didn't stay too long.  Pity. 

I wondered why James was buried in Dornock and not Annan where he had lived most of his life.  I suppose his family were originally from Dornock. 

Regarding Margaret Neilson.  There is a marriage cert for her and James Neilson, dated 15 May 1843 in St Marylebone, Middlesex.  Both James Neilson and Margaret are witnesses at George's marriage in 1845.  I found Margaret again in the 1861 census, she is a widow, aged 43 and working at a Lunatic Asylum.  1871 she is with her father in Annan, and in 1881 she is aged 65 and working as a Cook in Lancashire.  I can only think that on the 1871 census her age is wrong and that it should be 55 and not 35.   That would make more sense.  If she was born in 1836 she would have been on the 1841 census with her family in Annan.  I haven't found a death certificate for her.

I have found the name of another child of James Gass and Elizabeth Steel.  Another daughter, Mary Gass, she was the informant on Elizabeth's death notice.  I know nothing about her.   

REgards
SGJ

Regards
SGJ

Hi Cupcake

On  George's marriage certificate his age is just shown as "full".  On the 1861 census George's age is shown as 49, but I think that is probably wrong, and his country of birth is shown as Scotland.  Unfortunately I have not been able to find him on the either 1841 or 1851 censuses.   I  think George Gass  was born in 1821.

I think you are probably right that James and Elizabeth did not register their children's births.

Thanks for all your help,   

Regards
SGJ

Hi Cupcake

Thanks for the information.  James Gass is buried at Dornock, so is his father.

Regards
SGJ