Missing Step Mother

[Andrew C.]

My great grandfather John Chambers married an Elenor Blair in 1915 after the death of his first wife in 1914. Myself and my Mother where aware that my Gran had a step mother (although we didn’t know her name) as my Gran had mentioned her to us (she didn’t get on with her) however none of my Grandmother’s nieces or nephews where aware of her (my Gran was the eldest child in the family) so it suggests she may not have been around for long. The thing is apart from the wedding cert. I can’t find any other trace on ScotlandsPeople, no death, no remarriage. I suppose she could have left and gone abroad. Any suggestions where I might look for clues as to what happened to her?

[AnnieMack]

Hi Andrew

The first thing I would do is look at John's death certificate and see if she is mentioned, it might say widower of wife 1 and wife 2 if she died before him or note if she is still alive, she might have registered the death.

Sometimes we have to approach these things from a different angle

Annie

[Andrew C.]

She definately didn't register the death. My Ggranfather didn't die until 1963 and lived with my mother's Aunt, the fact that my mother's aunt's children didn't know about this second wife makes me think she wasn't around long. My Gran who was four and six years older than her sisters being the only one who seems to remember her.

[WilmaM]

Was Blair her maiden name or had she been married before?

The reason I ask is my own GrandFather remarried, a woman who then married yet again after his death - so she sported 3 or 4 different surnames and I've no idea what she was named before the marriage or what name[s] would have been on her death Certificate.

[nelmit]

My great grandfather John Chambers married an Elenor Blair in 1915 after the death of his first wife in 1914. Myself and my Mother where aware that my Gran had a step mother (although we didn’t know her name) as my Gran had mentioned her to us (she didn’t get on with her) however none of my Grandmother’s nieces or nephews where aware of her (my Gran was the eldest child in the family) so it suggests she may not have been around for long. The thing is apart from the wedding cert. I can’t find any other trace on ScotlandsPeople, no death, no remarriage. I suppose she could have left and gone abroad. Any suggestions where I might look for clues as to what happened to her?

What age was Elenor when they married?

Doesn't seem too long for your gran to have got to know her but just in case - there is a Blair/Chambers death at Lanarkshire in 1918 - her first name is indexed as Helen, born 1890.

[Andrew C.]

Thanks for that I am pretty sure that is her, I will check out the certificate tonight. I never thought of looking under Helen, she was Elenor on her birth and marriage certificates. I have her being born in 1888 (ten years younger than John Chambers) and 27 when she was married. My Gran was born in 1904, so she would have been 14 when her step mother died whilst her sisters where eight and five so it is understandable if they did not have much recollection of their step mother. It is the right surnames, roughly the right age, year of death fits in and it is Lanarkshire (Bothwellhaugh, I am presuming) so it has to be her.

What a tragedy losing a wife and then second wife in three years, having to bring up three young girls on your own whilst working long shifts down pit it is amazing my ggranfather lived until he was 83.

[nelmit]

Thanks for that I am pretty sure that is her, I will check out the certificate tonight. I never thought of looking under Helen, she was Elenor on her birth and marriage certificates. I have her being born in 1888 (ten years younger than John Chambers) and 27 when she was married. My Gran was born in 1904, so she would have been 14 when her step mother died whilst her sisters where eight and five so it is understandable if they did not have much recollection of their step mother. It is the right surnames, roughly the right age, year of death fits in and it is Lanarkshire (Bothwellhaugh, I am presuming) so it has to be her.

What a tragedy losing a wife and then second wife in three years, having to bring up three young girls on your own whilst working long shifts down pit it is amazing my ggranfather lived until he was 83.

The death is at Bothwell right enough so looks very likely.

Regards,
Annette