52 Ancestors - Catherine Paterson (Greenlees) - Doting Daughter

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.  Each week focus on one ancestor and post something about him or her.

Me - My Dad - Johnston Cumberland Paterson - Francis Paterson - Johnston Paterson (Catherine is the daughter of Johnston and sister of Francis)

My great grandaunt Catherine Paterson or Kate, as she is named in some records, is another one of my ancestors who may be forgotten as she married late in life and never had any children. She was the oldest daughter of Johnston Paterson and Catherine Muirhead. She was named after her mother and her grandmother Catherine Kennedy. Kate was  born about 1844 in Glasgow, Scotland. 

Shortly after her birth Catherine, her parents, and her older brother, Johnston, moved from Glasgow to Braehead Cottage,  Moffat Mills near Airdrie, Scotland. Three baby boys died and were buried in Glasgow before the move. Kate grows up at Braehead Cottage watching the family grow and shrink as babies are born and children die. Her mother gives birth to four more boys and two more girls. Her little brother George Hunter dies at only two years old of a fever for 8 days. When Catherine is 24 years old, her sister Elizabeth dies at 12 years old of pneumonia. Then her brother Edward at 15 years old dies of water in head. Two years later Kate's brother William dies at 24 years old of struma (enlarged thyroid?) that he had for several years. How sad it must have been for the family to bury so many children. Only two of Kate's siblings marry and have children. Although, I'm not sure about her older brother, Johnston. (He's some what of a mystery.) Her sister, Ann marries John White, a farmer  from Shotts in 1872. Her brother Francis (my great grandfather) marries Ewenina Kennedy in 1881 and after her death marries Elizabeth Danskine (my great grandmother) in 1883.

By the 1891 census it looks like Catherine will remain a spinster. Her father dies this year and she is still living at Braehead Cottage with her mother and youngest sister, Jessie. Maybe Catherine was just being a devoted daughter caring for her parents or nobody came around to her liking. But three years after her father's death, at the age of 54 (although the marriage record states 47), she marries John Greenlees, a watchmaker, from Ayr. Her brother includes the names Greenlees in his youngest daughter's name, Edith Greenlees Paterson. 

Catherine's mother dies in 1897. Her sister Jessie probably moved in with Catherine and John at this time as she is listed in the 1901 census as living with them. Jessie is 17 years younger than Kate. Young enough to be her daughter. 

Kate never had children of her own but she seemed to be surrounded by her own sibling, nieces, and nephews. She died in Ayr, Scotland at the age of 61 of influenza and pneumonia. 

 

Other posts about the Patersons:

Sunday's Obituary - Johnston Paterson (her father)

Thriller Thrusday - Disappearance of Francis Paterson (her brother) 

Workday Wednesday - Bank Treasurer (her father)

Sources:

New Monkland, Scotland, Statutory Deaths 1855-2013, death of George Hunter Paterson; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 29 August 2008); 651/02 0028.

New Monkland, Scotland, Statutory Deaths 1855-2013, death of Elizabeth Paterson; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 1 February 2012); 651/02 0038.

New Monkland, Scotland, Statutory Deaths 1855-2013, death of Edward Paterson; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 1 February 2012); 651/02 0074.

New Monkland, Scotland, Statutory Deaths 1855-2013, death of William Paterson; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 29 July 2014); 651/02 0115.

Glasgow, Scotland, Statutory Marriages 1855-2014, marriage of John Greenlees & Kate Paterson; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 28 July 2014); 651/01 0106.

Ayr, Scotland, Statutory Deaths 1855-2013, death of Catherine Greenlees; digital image, ScotlandsPeople (http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: 28 July 2014); 578/01 0537.

Sympathy Saturday - The Patersons in Scotland

My second great grandparents, Johnston Paterson and Catherine Muirhead were married in Glasgow, Scotland on July 2, 1837.  I found the following children born before the the introduction of General Registration in 1855 in the 1841 and 1851 census.

Johnston Paterson, circa 1838

James Paterson, circa 1840

Catherine Paterson, circa 1844

William Paterson, circa 1846

Ann Paterson, circa 1849

Francis Paterson, circa 1851

Edward Paterson, circa 1853

Johnston and Catherine had a daughter, Elizabeth, born August 20, 1855.  Now, this is a bonus year for the family researcher.  The Scottish 1855 registration has extra information, such as how many children living and deceased.  Here's were it was really sad to read.  Elizabeth was Catherine's 10th child.  So not counting little Elizabeth, in 1855, Johnston and Catherine had 4 boys and 2 girls living.  3 boys are listed as deceased.  One is probably James, as he is on the 1841 census but not the 1851 census.  So I'm missing two boys. I think that they may have died in Glasgow before the family moved to Airdrie about 1845, as they are not mentioned in the Monumental Inscriptions from Wellwynd Churchyard in Airdrie, Lanark, Scotland. 

Erected by Catherine Muirhead in memory of her husband Johnston Paterson who died 20th April 1891 aged 75 years.  Their children, George H died 29th February 1860 aged 2 years.  Elizabeth died 1st March 1868 aged 2 years.  Edward died 22nd April 1868 aged 14 years.  William died June 1870 aged 24 years.  The above Catherine 23rd August 1897 aged 73 years. 

After 1855 Johnston and Catherine have two more children:

George Hunter Paterson born December 27, 1857

Jessie Paterson born September 1861

They lost four more children after 1855, most of them before the age of 14.  How terrible for parents to see seven of their twelve children die. Of the five children that survive:

Johnston vanishes, his whereabouts are unknown at the time of Johnston's and Catherine's death. (This requires more research.)

Catherine marries John Greenlees in 1894. They have no children.

Ann marries John White in 1872 and they have seven children.

Francis marries Ewenina Kennedy in 1881 and Elizabeth Danskine in 1883. He has eight girls and one boy, (my grandfather).

Jessie never marries.

Out of twelve children, Johnston Paterson has one grandson to carry on the family name of Paterson-my grandfather, Johnston Cumberland Paterson. 

My Scottish Roots

I use to look at this photo with my Dad, and we would try and put a name to each face.  This photo sparked my interest in finding my ancestors.  Thanks to a cousin, who had labeled the same photo, I now can put a name to each face, even the dog.  It was taken in the summer of 1903 in Airdrie, Scotland before the family immigrated to Canada in 1907. In the photo are my great grandparents, Francis Paterson and Elizabeth Danskine and their children. The only boy is my grandfather, Johnston Cumberland Paterson.  Standing behind my grandfather is his sister, Christina Muirhead Paterson. Standing on the other side of the photo is Agnes Findlay Paterson. The two youngest next to their mother are Edith Greenlees Paterson and Ewenia Kennedy Paterson. Sitting in the chair, in the same attire as her older sister, is Janet Danksine Paterson.  Right next to her seated on the ground is Elizabeth Muirhead Paterson.  Not to forget the dog, Oscar. The great thing about the Scottish, are their naming traditions. My grandparents left me wonderful clues about the women in our family.  They named each of their daughters with names of grandmothers or other names important to the family. My grandfather’s name Johnston is a recycled name, as well, used in each generation. But I can’t figure out Cumberland?????