Jessie Struthers 1839-1904

[AlanBoyd]

Apologies for interrupting your flow here HT, but 15 October 1863: Lyttelton Times, has a complete list of "Immigrants per Lancashire Witch'.

Under the Single Women–Domestic Servants heading I see :

Jessie Strathes, Lanarkshire

[AlanBoyd]

15 June 1863: Glasgow Herald

[hanes teulu]

AB,
No prob, a good spot - I'm still reeling from post #6 which I deleted. Couldn't believe I was so far from the mark when I revisited it. Double tasking listening to footie on wireless and chasing genealogy - they just don't mix.

The ship's manifest on FamilySearch covers 4 Jul-13 Oct 1863 if I I recall correctly - refers to Strathers and Struthers. 

The NZ BDM index is short of detail but I was drawn to the birth of Janet Shutters Grant 1868, parents Janet and John (til advised otherwise I'm linking Jessie Struthers to the 1863 marriage to John Grant tho' there wasn't a lot of time available to marry in '63 if arriving October?)

Found 2 Janet Struthers in Lanarkshire on the '61 Census of the right age to fit the 1863 arrival "County Lanarkshire") but both still there in '71 (or was I double tasking at the time!!)

[AlanBoyd]

Unless she already knew John Grant and was travelling out to marry him?

[hanes teulu]

I had wondered if they had met on board but a check of the ship's manifest ruled him out.

[chipchippotato]

Thank you for all the replies! Jessie Struthers and John Grant married October 1863. He came from Inverness-shire (I'm not from Scotland so I don't know the distances between the two counties and whether they could have crossed paths at some point) and arrived in NZ in 1862. Her death certificate says her parents are Elizabeth (Edgar or Edgard) and Moses and the only J* born in Scotland to parents Moses and Elizabeth between 1837 and 1841 was a Janet Carruthers. The date and place all match up. Could it be possible that the name got mis-spelt at some point and it never changed back? Based on the evidence, it looks like she went from Carruthers, to Strathers (if she came over on the Lancashire Witch) then Struthers. Their daughter, Ann Isabella Grant born 1875, is listed as the daughter of John Grant and Jessie Grant (formerly Struthers). Could Jessie be a nickname for Janet? I've noticed Ann's name also changes to Annie later on.

[AlanBoyd]

Jessie for Janet is a common Scots replacement.

[AlanBoyd]

If he was from Inverness-shire and she came from South Ayrshire then I think the most likely site of ‘paths crossing’ would be Glasgow since we know that she moved there before 1861.

If he arrived in NZ in 1862 then he should be find-able in the 1861 census. What was his year of birth, and is there any clue as to where in Inverness-shire he came from?

[hanes teulu]

As you say so much "fits". As AB says, Jessie can be the diminutive of Janet or Jean.

Jessie's maiden name on the Lancashire Witch is "Struthers" in the alphabetical index at the front of the manifest but "Strathers" elsewhere - and reported as "Strathes" in the newspaper list.

In '61 "Janet Caruthers, age 21, Domestic Servant, born Maybole" is working in Lanarkshire and in '63 a "Jessie Struthers/Strathers/Strathes, Lanarkshire, age 23, Dom Servant" arrives NZ.

Can you find a Janet Carruthers, born Maybole 1839, parents Moses/Elizabeth in OTHER THAN NZ after the '61 Census - eliminate her as "your" Jessie.

Re last post I think I spotted John on a FamilySearch passenger list of '62 - will revisit.