Scandal and intrigue! Jessie Sloss / William McCulloch - Linkieburn, Muirkirk

[johnkingedinburgh]

I wonder if anyone can help, I've reached a bit of a brick wall 

I tracked down my grandad's birth certificate - ooh what a scandal!

Name: William McCulloch Sloss (Illegitimate)
Born: 15th February 1892 at Royal Maternity Hospital, Edinburgh
Mother: Jessie Sloss, Domestic Servant - Domicile Dalmellington
Father: Unknown
Birth registered by: mother

Then I looked at the 1901 Census and found:

Address: 5 Linkieburn House, Muirkirk, Ayr
William McCulloch - Head - Married - 58 - Colliery Manager - Worker - Monkland?
John McCulloch - Son - Single - 22 - Mining Engineer - Worker - Ayrshire, Kilmarnock
Jessie Sloss - Servant - Single - 31 - Ayrshire, Dalmellington

Whilst by 1911 I found my Grandad with his adopted parents:

Address: Bellevue Cottage, Bridge Street, Tranent
John Innes (Head) 53, Married, Dairyman, Employer. Birthplace Haddington, Tranent
Mary Innes (Wife) 47. Years Married: 26, Birthplace: Abercrombie, Fifeshire
William Innes (Adopted Son) 19, Single, Dairyman, Worker, Birthplace: Haddington, Tranent
Georgina White (Neice) 15, General Servant Domestic, Worker, Birthplace: Fife, St Andrews

Jessie Sloss died in 1904 of TB aged just 35. 

My mum remembers Sloss's and McCulloch's and indeed Sloss was used in middle names. 

Now piecing it together, I reckon that William McCulloch who had a son but no wife meaning she has either left him or more likely in those days died, has been having his jollies with the Servant girl, Jessie Sloss. 

To save scandal she's been packed off to Edinburgh to have the baby and have it adopted by what were perhaps family friend's the Innes's - hence naming the baby after her boss.  She then returned to her duties in Ayrshire. 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could investigate next? 

There is no birth certificate for a Jessie Sloss around the year she was born anywhere in Scotland.  My mum believed that the Sloss line came from Germany - any way to check a list of people who emigrated from Germany? 

I believe there are no adoption records before 1930?

I've got my grandad's line from the Innes's but curious about this Sloss / McCulloch connection! 

Anything else I could check? 

[josey]

Is Jessie working for the McCullochs in 1891? William McCulloch Sloss would have been conceived around May 1891.

Josey

Later: Answered my own question - yes!
Linkilburn House, Muirkirk
William McCulloch 50 colliery manager
John McCulloch 18 Apprentice C & M Engineer
David McCulloch 13 scholar
Nellie McCulloch 16 do
Jessie McCulloch 14 do
Jessie Sloss housekeeper 25 born Dalmellington

Unfortunately the transcription does not state William's marital status.

[MonicaL]

What names were given for Jessie's parents on her 1904 death cert?

Closest I can see for Jessie around the time she was born (if her Dalmellington birth place is correct) is this entry in 1871:

Robert Sloss 28, farm servant
Margaret Sloss 29
Jessie Sloss 6
Robert Sloss 2
Address: Ponnyam Street Dalmellington

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYPZ-WVG

Monica

[MonicaL]

Josey, that 1891 census entry you posted for Jessie with the McCulloch family, her age fits well with an 1865 birth as per familysearch 

Monica

[johnkingedinburgh]

Thanks folks!  On her death certificate I'd mis-read her age, it said 38 so it ties in with a birthdate of 1865, and sure enough the parents Robert Sloss and Margret Sloss nee Lees (my aunty was also Margaret Lees Innes) on birth and death certificate!  She was a spinster when she died. 

William McCulloch Sloss appears to have been born 15th February 1892. 

Any thoughts on anything else I could check?  (aside from following the Jessie's brother and parents which I'm going to do)

Does my theory that the father is her employer (bearing in mind she named the child after her boss - unless that was some kind of tradition?) seem like the most plausible explanation? 

[MonicaL]

I think your thoughts as to how the name of William McCulloch Sloss came to be are very sound.

What would you say if you found that Jessie went on to have another son, a John INNES Sloss in 1902  ....I know, the name of your William's adoptive father. Not implying he was the father, just the potential connection!

You have photos of your grandfather? Found some online material with photos, lots of them, including one of Jessie... 

Monica

[MonicaL]

This is William McCulloch, wife Margaret and children in 1881, from what Josey found earlier:

William McCalloch 40, Colliery Manager b. O. Monkland, Lanarkshire
Margaret McCalloch 40 b. Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire
Thomas McCalloch 14
William McCalloch 12
John McCalloch 8
Ellen McCalloch 6
Jessie McCalloch 4
David McCalloch

Address: Linkieburn Ho., Muirkirk, Ayrshire

I think wife/mother is a Margaret Steel. Don't think she died likely until 1901 from what I can see on SP. Have you viewed the original 1901 image to check what it said regarding William McCulloch's marital status?

Monica

[johnkingedinburgh]

I think your thoughts as to how the name of William McCulloch Sloss came to be are very sound.

What would you say if you found that Jessie went on to have another son, a John INNES Sloss in 1902  ....I know, the name of your William's adoptive father. Not implying he was the father, just the potential connection!

You have photos of your grandfather? Found some online material with photos, lots of them, including one of Jessie... 

Monica

Wow that's amazing!  How did you manage to find out about her other Son? 

Sounds like she was a bit of a naughty girl and a prime candidate for Ye Olde Jeremy Kyle

Going to check my mum's loft, hoping she might have photos of my granddad, where did you find the ones of Jessie?

Have you viewed the original 1901 image to check what it said regarding William McCulloch's marital status?

Good point!  He's put down that he is married. 

Thanks again, really interesting stuff! 

[still_looking]

According to Black's surnames of Scotland the surname Sloss is derived from Auchincloss.

The surname is relatively common in Ayrshire and has been around for some time.

It's not impossible that in this case it originates elsewhere but given she's born in Dalmellington I'd tend towards believing her parentage is Scottish rather than Germanic.

I can probably help further with more detail on the Sloss and possibly the Innes side. Will pm you.

S_L