A Porterfield poser

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:17 am

Yesterday I was re-reading a poor relief application for my 2 X Great grandfather Daniel Laurie (1884, thanks Jack), he died on 10 Jan 1885. Intriguingly I noticed that information for his wife Janet Porterfield (the elusive one) was different from what was put down on her DC (27 Jul 1887). According to the poor relief application, Janet’s parents were William Porterfield (collier) and Isabella Black, however on her DC it has her parents as William Porterfield (shoemaker) and Janet McGee, the informant on her DC was her son Robert Laurie my great grandfather. I realise DC’s can be notoriously inaccurate, but this has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works of what I have entered into my family history (so what’s new about that).
I do know that she first married a William May before she married my Daniel.
As befits these situations Janet’s parents were inconsiderate and didn’t think of us folk searching for them many years later and didn’t register her birth.
Any suggestions on this dilemma would be gratefully accepted by this poor demented soul.

Post by **emanday** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:53 am

Personally, I'd be more inclined to believe the poor application information. As she was still alive at that point, I'd think the information probably came from her.

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:24 am

Thanks Mary

I guess I was tending to go that way too, as she was still alive at the time the poor relief application was being made.
As you know it always helps to get a second or third or more opinion

So looks like I may have to change some things in the family history.

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:56 am

For all who bothered to have a wee shuftie at this thread

I took the plunge the other day and changed her mothers name but included a wee note in her FH file.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 8:10 am

I suppose you know about the 15 year old Janet Porterfield in Glasgow Prison on 1841 FreeCen?
Alan

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:56 am

Hello Alan

Yes I actually purchased that census off SP last year, but I have to confess I didn't download it (until now

) maybe I was trying to keep the family all squeaky clean

I will take a closer shooftie at it later.

If it is her I have final got some shame and scandal in the family

But if I recall when I initially did the search she was the only one that popped up which fitted the criteria.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:59 am

She wasn't still there in 1851 (and didn't end up in Oz) so it was probably something fairly trivial. Good luck with her.

Shame and scandal makes it all the more interesting.

In the year 1877 in Windsor NSW the wife of a 62 years old Inkeeper was found dead at the foot of a long flight of stairs. The Inquest's verdict was accidental death. The newspaper report added that the deceased had been buried in the local cemetery without the benefit of funeral rites.

About three weeks later the Innkeeper married my 23 years old Great Great Aunt.

I reckon she was pushed! (but was it the Bride or the Groom wot did it?)

Alan

Edit: The strangest thing happened when I clicked on the Submit button. The screen went white and the computer seemed to freeze. I wonder if it was the ghost of the deceased lady --- although on second thougts it could have been the Innkeeper or my GG aunt or even my grandmother telling me to keep my trap shut.

Post by **joette** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:06 pm

Or maybe she threw herself down the stairs knowing that for ever her faithless husband & his paramour would be under suspicion!
Or maybe he knew she had killed herself being a God fearing chap couldn't let the stigma of suicide be attached to the family but not hypocritical enough to allow any service or prayers! Needs a hand around the place & getting one without wages & fringe benefits looks like a good deal!
I have one where the wife dies,no cause & no medical attendant present.He is a Farmer of a few hundred acres employing a fair few staff & in his fifties .The 18 year old next door neighbour marries him within six months.They are still together 10 years later & his teenage daughter still with step-Mum even after Dad's death.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:44 pm

Shades of being thrown down the stairs, Joette. They've just threatened to throw me off the Forum if I go anywhere near commenting on the cost of research. They even seem to be suggesting that I should confine myself to asking questions rather than answering them. I've asked them to post the notice on the Forum so I can respond to it there. I'll have to think very carefully about whether I want to continue to participate in this Forum or drop back to being an almost daily reader of it and it's previous metamorphosis over the last five years or so.
Alan

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 2:54 am

Alan

Keep posting and commenting

Well Alan I knew she wasnt transported otherwise I wouldnt be here

I found her in the 1851 census last night under her first husbands name
Janet May with her two sons William and James in College, Glasgow, which fits with her later being in Glasgow for a good part of her life.
The thing that threw me in previous 1851 census searches for her was that the on her son Daniel Lauries BC she is noted as having married Daniel (my 2 x gg) in Aug 1850 which I now know is wong.
I cant read what her occupation is on the 1851 census so I will upload it later for you good folk to help decipher.

A couple of friends of mine also had a look for her in the 1841 census and came up with the same result, the only one that fitted was the Janet Porterfield in the jail

So there is a good chance that she is the one.
They both agree with what Alan said that it would probably be something trivial compared to today's standards.
We were also wondering if there is any way that you can find out what someone was in jail for in 1841.