Helen Gordon, 1805 - 1883, daughter of Francis and Margaret Gordon, Crathie

[astur]

Hello,

I am looking for any information on Helen Gordon, the daughter of Francis Gordon and Margaret Gordon of Crathie.

I am aware that she married a William Christie (c.1789 - 1867) in 1851,  widower of Helen Pirie.  She appears to have had an illegitimate son called James shortly before her marriage to William who appears alongside them in the 1851 census as James Tawse, stepson.

The 1861 census shows that both live apart, William with a married daughter's family and Helen alone with James.  The 1871 census then records Helen living in Woolmanhill alongside what appears to be an unrelated group of Christies...or are they?

Later in 1883, Helen's death certificate lists her as the widow of James Christie.  I am aware of research that suggests that Helen had a child that died in infancy and is buried with her in Nellfield Cemetery, Aberdeen.

My question then is: was James Christie actually the first husband of Helen or was there just a misunderstanding with the registrar? So far I have been unable to find this out and would be grateful if someone out there could shed some light on it.

[Flattybasher9]

"I am looking for any information on Helen Gordon, "b 5th November 1805 at Crathie" the daughter of Francis Gordon and Margaret Gordon of Crathie.

I am aware that she married a William Christie (c.1789 - 1867) in 1851,  "this is interesting due to the registration of 2 marriages of a William Christie and a Helen Gordon taking place 18 March 1851 in Aberdeen, one in Old Machar and one in Aberdeen City" widower of Helen Pirie.  She appears to have had an illegitimate son called James " 2 births of James to Helen Gordon(s) 30/03/1851 and 26/10/1851" shortly before her marriage to William who appears alongside them in the 1851 census as James Tawse, stepson.

The 1861 census shows that both live apart, William with a married daughter's family and Helen alone with James.  The 1871 census then records Helen living in Woolmanhill alongside what appears to be an unrelated group of Christies...or are they?

Later in 1883, Helen's death certificate lists her as the widow of James Christie.  I am aware of research that suggests that Helen had a child that died in infancy and is buried with her in Nellfield Cemetery, Aberdeen.

My question then is: was James Christie actually the first husband of Helen or was there just a misunderstanding with the registrar? So far I have been unable to find this out and would be grateful if someone out there could shed some light on it.
"There is a marriage of a Helen Gordon to an Alexander Webster in 16/02/1837 at Crathie."
Ps, There are trees elsewhere which shows a marriage of a Helen Gordon to a John Smith 05/07/1832 at Crathie. This was actually Nelly Gordon, not Helen.

Regards

Malky

[Christine Knox]

Hello,

I am looking for any information on Helen Gordon, the daughter of Francis Gordon and Margaret Gordon of Crathie.

I am aware that she married a William Christie (c.1789 - 1867) in 1851,  widower of Helen Pirie.  She appears to have had an illegitimate son called James shortly before her marriage to William who appears alongside them in the 1851 census as James Tawse, stepson.

The 1861 census shows that both live apart, William with a married daughter's family and Helen alone with James.  The 1871 census then records Helen living in Woolmanhill alongside what appears to be an unrelated group of Christies...or are they?

Later in 1883, Helen's death certificate lists her as the widow of James Christie.  I am aware of research that suggests that Helen had a child that died in infancy and is buried with her in Nellfield Cemetery, Aberdeen.

My question then is: was James Christie actually the first husband of Helen or was there just a misunderstanding with the registrar? So far I have been unable to find this out and would be grateful if someone out there could shed some light on it.

[Archivos]

The burial record for Helen Gordon doesn't give any further information, but it doesn't look like she's buried with an infant that's hers.  She's in Nellfield alright, but it appears she died in Old Machar Poorhouse aged 77.  It looks like she's in what we would now call a communal grave.  You can view the records for Nellfield on www.deceasedonline.com, which is a pay-per-view site.  Helen is the only Helen Gordon to be buried in 1883.
 

[astur]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

From what I've gathered, Helen was buried in lair 1309 at Nellfield Cemetery and was the last of 21 Gordon family burials.  The fifth burial that was recorded was apparently her child who died on 14 Jan 1847 in infancy. Strangely, the name and age were not recorded.  If anyone could tell me the exact location of this lair in Nellfield or even pass on a photograph I'd be very grateful.

In 1871, Helen is living in Woolmanhill under the name Helen Christie, sharing accomodation with a William Christie, his wife and married son.  This William Christie appears to be completely unrelated to the one she married in 1851.  (The one she married originated in Banff as opposed to Aberdeen/Arbroath area)  Woolmanhill William seems to have had a younger brother called James, born in Aberdeen on 4th May 1809 to Francis Christie, Planemaker, and Jane Alexander.  I have been unable to trace this James further on any census but it could explain the reference to her husband being James Christie on her death certificate and later living alongside this William and his family.  Her occupation is given as 'sick nurse' and her place of birth is given as Crathie, Aberdeenshire.

In 1881 Helen appears on the census as being a resident of the City Poorhouse near Mounthooly, Aberdeen, where presumably she lived until her death in 1883.

[Archivos]

Ah, the Helen Gordon on Deceased Online is the wrong one - she was buried on 10 February 1883 in a different section of Nellfield (there are 3), and was in Old Machar Poorhouse, as opposed to St Nicholas Poorhouse which is the one on Nelson Street, near Mounthooly where your Helen was.  I think your Helen Gordon is in section 1, given the date of the burial of her child, as the other 2 parts of the cemetery weren't open then. 

Given that there's no age or name recorded next to Helen's child, I'd imagine that it was possibly stillborn.  Sometimes this is noted in the burial entry, but not always.

If you contact the Archives in Aberdeen (archives[AT]aberdeencity.gov.uk) they should be able to provide you with a map of section 1 of Nellfield, which shows where the lair is located.

As to the question of who she was married to - if she had been living apart from William for a long time, it could be that whoever registered her death didn't know his name, couldn't remember it, or simply got confused.  Did her son James keep the last name Tawse throughout?  Or did he change it to Christie, or Gordon? 

[astur]

James used Christie as his surname, although his death certificate notes him as 'James Gordon, known as James Christie - (Illegitimate)'.  With his mother noted as 'Helen Gordon, subsequently married to William Christie' - (Deceased).  There is no use of the name Tawse, other than the 1851 census.

[Archivos]

I think it sounds like Helen was only married to William Christie.  The use of 'subsequently' on James' death certificate, I think makes it seem like she married William after she'd had James, and wasn't married to anyone before this.

You should be able to check if there's a baptism record for Helen's child in 1847, if you haven't already - this might contain other information.