Elizabeth Jaffrey wife of Christoph Alt, Roxburghshire & Yass NSW MMFM

[tenterfieldjulie]

Name: ELIZABETH JEFFREY (JAFFREY) wife of CHRISTOPH ALT also known in Scotland as Betsy
Date and place of birth: Jan/Feb 1829 at “Kersmains” near Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Names of parents: John Jeffrey (Jaffrey) and Ellen Thompson
Date and place of baptism: Protestant Church
Marriage: Christoph Alt on 21 January 1857 at St. Clement’s Church of England Yass, NSW.
Occupation: In Censuses an Agricultural labourer age 12, Servant aged 22, her shipping states that in Roxburghshire she was a kitchen/dairy maid. Elizabeth’s husband, Christoph, became a carrier soon after his arrival at Yass, NSW. After their marriage Elizabeth and Christoph lived at Rossi Street, Yass, beyond the stables at the rear of the Yass Hotel. In July 1859 they rented the new hotel premises, The Galway Inn, (It’s name was changed to the Carriers Arms in 1861) located at the junction of the Hume Highway and the road to Wargiela, about 2 klms from Yass. Christoph was naturalized at Yass on 14th February 1861. Two weeks later Elizabeth died tragically from spasmodic cholera which she had contracted for two days. Christoph then had two boys to raise, aged 2 years and 5 months, and a hotel to run. Ten months later he married Martha Crossley, aged 19, who along with the 5 children she and Christoph had, raised Elizabeth’s two sons.
Addresses: Born Kersmains farm outside Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland.
1841 Census: East Nisbet cottages (gone by 1859) 4 miles Kersmains – John Jaffrey 80 years, Pauper, born Roxburghshire, Helen Jaffrey, 30 years, Ag Lab, born England, Elizabeth Jaffrey 12 years, ag labourer, born Roxburghshire.
1851 Census: Longnewton Place Farm, Ancrum , Roxburghshire, 700 acre farm belonging to Carmiechal family – Betsey Jeffrey, unmarried female servant aged 22 born Kersmains.
Migrated from Scotland, arriving Sydney 6 February 1855 on the ‘Nabob,’ 95 days out from Liverpool aged 26;
After marriage lived Rossi Street, Yass and Galway Inn/Carrier’s Arms Yass district NSW - 5+ years.
Date, place and cause of death: On 28th February 1861 at Galway Inn/Carriers Arms Hotel, Yass spasmodic cholera.
Date and place of burial: February 1861 in the churchyard of St. Clement’s C of E Yass, NSW
Details of will: Nil
Memorial Inscription: “SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF ELIZABETH JEFFREY BELOVED WIFE OF CHRISTOPHER ALT NATIVE OF ROXBURGHSHIRE, SCOTLAND. My God beholds and will not forget. The Rod will blossom in glory yet.” A debt of gratitude is owed to Ron, because the above inscription is from his book “Christoph Alt of Yass” by Ronald H. Alt, Printed in 1989. The use of the name Elizabeth Jeffrey on the headstone was in accordance with the Scottish tradition whereby a woman retained her maiden name after marriage. Sadly in about 1970 the headstone was removed from St. Clements churchyard and now a plaque merely notes that E Jeffrey was buried there..
Children : Christopher 1858, Henry 1860.

[Shona]

I was working through the Horse Tax rolls (1797-1798) for any mentions of Jaffrey. One of them matches the info above. I transcribed the place name as Hersmains, but it must be Kersmains. I had another look at the roll and it is Kersmains.

Roxburgh parish

'Oct 17th, John Jaffrae, Kersmains, eight horses, seven horses liable for tax, 14 shillings duty'

There is one mention of a Thomson is Roxburgh parish - Robert Thomson at Craigrig. He had four horses all of which were liable for tax and he paid 8 shillings in duty.

The rolls also have the following Jaffreys:

Kelso parish
John Jafphrae, carter

Linton parish
William Jafphrae, Linton

There are a lot of Thomsons, though! But only one parish - Roxburgh - mentions both Jaffrey and Thomson.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Wow Shona .. now that is a spelling I haven't seen .. I wish I could find John Jaffrey and Elizabeth Thompson's marriage but I never have. The only things that she said on her shipping that her mother was from England, but that doesn't need to be too far away being right on the border. I think her parents Jaffrey/Thompson would have been buried in the village close by where they were in the 1841 Census .. There is a big headstone tomb, I think it was the Rutherfords (I think Mrs. Carmichael was a Rutherford), who she worked for in the 1851 Cenus (some miles away) .. I took lots of photos in the rain and then lost the camera (now I'm not sure of the name of the village maybe I'll remember if I look at a map)... Julie
Yes every mention of Elizabeth comes back to Kersmains/Roxburgh.
Name of the village which has the Rutherford tomb is Nisbet (not sure could be called West or East) but the cemetery is in the centre of the village .. Strangely the church is across the river and about a mile out on it's own.

[Shona]

Dog Tax 1797 (levied on non-working dogs)

'John Jaffrae, Kersmains, 1 dog, 3 shillings duty'

Now if the Thomson in the same parish is the right family, Robert Thomson of Craigrig had two dogs and paid 10 shillings tax.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Oh this is fun .. thanks Shona .. do not want to go to bed .. but it is after midnight and I have a 10 hour trip on Monday .. so must go to bed .. I have a lead now with Craigrig .. many thanks. Julie

[Shona]

Here goes...

In the Statistical Account of Scotland compiled in the 1790s, Revd Andrew Bell made the following comment about parish registers of Roxburgh in the late 18th century:

'The exact number of births and burials cannot be easily ascertained. For various reasons many children's names are not registered and the people in general all over this country having an idea of property in their family burying place, carry their dead there.'

So with that in mind, here are some bits and bobs which may help with the Jaffrey-Thompsons.

A John Jaffrey (I'll use this spelling) married on 4 June 1783 in Maxton parish, Roxburgh. If this is the John Jaffray in the 1841 census at East Nisbet, then he was about 24 when he married.

The following births/baptisms are to John Jaffrey in Roxburgh parish.

Mary Jaffrey, born 5 Aug 1785
Robert Jaffrey, born 5 Jan 1786
Thomas Jaffrey, baptised 14 March 1790
James Jaffrey, born 12 Feb 1802
Thomas Watson Jaffrey, born 7 March 1803
William Battenden Jaffrey, born 30 June 1804

The James Jaffrey born in 12 Feb 1802 fits in with the birth announcement of James Jaffrey at Kersmains that Kite found. Then there are the unnamed twins born in in April 1805.

John Jaffrey was at Kersmains in when the horse tax and dog tax was levied in 1797.

There is a Margaret Jaffrey, baptised 15 Jan 1792, Ednam parish, dau of John Jaffrey and Helin. I wonder if they are connected?

[Shona]

Interesting. Just checked the horse tax rolls for Maxton parish where a John Jaffrey married in 1783 and there is a John Thomson living there at Muirhouselaw.

[Shona]

I've found a Kersmains' Jaffrey in Paris, which is one of yours!

Non: Isabella Jaffrey
Naissance: 17 July 1791
Lieux: Kersmains, Angleterre
Pension: 530, 2 Janvier 1862
Domicile: Paris (Seine)

[tenterfieldjulie]

Ooh wonderful Shona .. interesting the bit about the Paris connection .. does that mean that she was born in 1862 at Kersmains ..
James b 1802 is the eldest son of the James who was sold up.. (I purchased a will for John Jaffrey, proven in 1851, after his son James returned from South America. John Jaffrey farmer of Kersmains had died 23 October 1822 and was residing at St Anns Yard Abbey in Edinburgh.) I just wish I had a birth of John in there. I think the marriage at Maxton (unfortunately no wife name) was John the 80 yr old pauper. I just wish I could positively link them. Many thanks Shona .. you have certainly given me a lot more to go on with. Julie

[Shona]

Naissance is when she was born. Lieux is where she was born. The other date is when she got her pension in Paris.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Thanks Shona so Isabella could be the fourth child to the John who married at Maxton. I had a thought about Isabella. I wonder if her death could be found in Paris, then if I bought her death certificate, would it give me her parents names??

It would be great to find the records of Nisbet Cemetery. Although if they do the traditional thing, they would probably bring them back to bury them at the church in Roxburgh. I am sure the current owners would have told me, if there was any evidence of burials at Kersmains. Julie

[tenterfieldjulie]

Shona .. Janet posted this on the death certificate thread .. I can't see it as I don't have an Ancestry sub .. but it was in French and looked very confusing as Janet said Isabella died 1858 - I can't copy the link

"Have a look at this, Julie.

Isabella Jaffray death 1858 Roxburgh age 67"
__________________

[Shona]

It's a different Isabella.

The info on the death cert is as follows:

Isabella Amos, wife of a shoemaker, married, died 3 November 1858, Ashkirk village, age 67, father James Jeffrey, agriculturalist (dec), mother Christian Jeffrey, maiden name, Turnbull (dec), cause of death softening of the brain about five weeks, buried in the parish churchyard of Ashkirk as certified by Thomas Waldie (?), undertaker. Informant, William Amos.

This Isabella was baptised in Stitchell on 24 Dec 1786. Her parents James and Christian married in Eckford on 6 May 1780.

So that still leaves the mystery of the Isabella, born in Kersmains, getting a pension in Paris.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Many many thanks Shona .. I feel we have a lead here, which is not something I thought possible without living in the Borders for 12 months.
I'm off to Sydney tomorrow to stay with my sis who is the carer for her OH. Not sure when I will get back home and although I will have internet access, I won't have Ancestry or FMP until things settle. I'm thinking a death cert for Isabella is the way to go, but not sure how to go about that. Anyhow thanks again. Cheers. Julie

[Shona]

It looks as if the Isabella Jaffrey, born in Kersmains in 1791, was a widow and the pension she received in Paris was a widow's pension.

The headings for the various columns read (my translation in brackets - someone correct me if I am wrong, please).

Noms et prenoms des veuves (name and forename of the widow):
Isabella Jaffrey

Naissance date (birth date):
17 Juillet (July) 1791

Naissance lieux (birth place):
Kersmains (Angleterre)

Quotite de la pension (amount of pension):
530f

Epoche de l'entree en jouissance de la pension (when the pension started):
3 Janvier 1864

Domicile (residence):
Paris (Seine)

Info is from the Bulletin de Lois de la Republic Francaise Vol 23

[Shona]

1841 Scotland

5 Castle Street, Edinburgh

John Jaffrey, 37, preacher, born Scotland
Isabella Jaffrey, 50, born Scotland
Marion Cunningham, 19, FS, born Scotland

So John would have been born c1804 and Isabella c1791. These dates fit in with the birth of the twins and the birth date that Isabella gives when she in getting a pension in Paris. Also John Jaffrey (poss father) died in Edinburgh.

[Janet]

Sorry for the red herring! Thanks, Shona. This is a really interesting thread, Julie.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Very interesting but very confusing .. At East Nisbet in 1841 John Jaffrey 80 and Helen Jaffrey 30 and in Edinburgh John Jaffrey 37 and Isabella 50 (big differences in ages and makes the relationships confusing .. Was the latter John info in the 1841 Census? I wonder what Isabella's maiden name was? You said John Jaffrey (poss father) died in Edinburgh ... are you referring to the will I have? Uggh too early in the morning to try and unscramble but more bricks for the wall .. Many thanks Shona and thanks for your interest Janet. Julie

[Shona]

I'm having a smashing time shaking the leaves, twigs and branches on your tree, Julie!

John Jaffrey has children baptised in Roxburgh parish from 1785 (Mary) until 1805 (unnamed twins - from Kite's Google book snippet find).

As it's the 1841 census, we can only make guesses, but it's possible that John and Isabella who appear in Edinburgh are John's senior's children.

The Helen who is with 90-year-old John in 1841 looks like a grand daughter. Proof is another thing, though!

Having got my eye in on all the name variations (and Scottish secretarial script), I had another look at the Horse Tax rolls and came across another Jaffrey.

Captain James Jafphrae, Kersknow, 11 horses, 11 liable for tax, £1 4s 9d duty.

Then I found the following:

3 June 1799, at Gilsand, death of Miss Margaret Jaffrey, third daughter if Captain Jaffrey at Kerskow.

She is the sister of the (different) Isabella that Janet posted about earlier.

6 May 1780 – James Jaffrey of Sprouston married Christian Turnbull of Eckford in Eckford. Here are the children that I have identified:

- Agnes Jaffrey, 16 May 1784, Stitchel, James and Christian Turnbull
- Isobel Jaffrey, 24 Dec 1786, Stitchel, James and Christian Turnbull
- James Jaffrey, 9 Jan 1790, Stitchel, James and Christian Turnbull
- Margaret Jaffrey, 6 Oct 1792, Stitchel, James and Christian Turnbull

What interests me about Captain James Jaffrey is that I find that James Jaffrey of Kersknow and John Jaffrey of Kersmains are both subscribers at Kelso Modern Library.

[tenterfieldjulie]

Just arrived Sydney to find you have been amazingly busy Shona wow..
My Eizabeth Jeffrey on her shipping said her parents were John Jeffrey and Ellen Thompson (born England), arrived Sydney 6 February 1855 on the ‘Nabob,’ 95 days out from Liverpool aged 26, kitchen /dairy maid. In 1851 census Betsey Jeffrey servant at Longnewton, in 1841 census at East Nisbet Elizabeth Jaffrey 12 with Helen Jaffrey 30, who I took to be Elizabeth's mother, aka Ellen Thompson. One thing consistent with Elizabeth was she said she was born Kersmains .. but Kersmains is a big estate belonging to the Duke of Roxburgh. Back when John Jaffrey was sold up .. see separate thread .. estate included a mill and their were actually 2 auctions to sell him up. Today the main house includes a big house, 2 cottages that are now joined to one and the bothy which is also linked .. there are big stabes for horses and a number of barns for the drying of barley for whiskey etc .. down the road are 4 cottages which would have been for the workers .. It is possible that Betsey may not have belonged to the main family but just shared the name .. unfortunately apart from the Census -records I have found no paper trail - no baptism of Betsey, marriage of her parents and so far have not identified her parents burial... Shona you are certainly estabishing lots of pieces of the puzzle which one day hopefully will come together .. uggh ...
At the Heritage Centre in Hawick there are estate papers that I did not copy, because they were so faint. These were names of workers at Kersmains and the wages that John Jaffrey owed them.. Maybe next year I will need to go through them very carefully and see if I can find Jaffrey and variants or Thompson as workers on the estate..
Many many thanks Shona you have certainly put a lot more twigs and branches on the tree which one day .. hopefully soon .. will bear fruit .. Cheers. Julie

[tenterfieldjulie]

Snippets from earlier research - I found a baptism for John Jaffrey on 14 July 1760 at Sprouston, Roxburghshire, parents George Jaffrey & Jean Scot. This ties in his age of 80 in the 1841 Census.
Kate found on FamilySearch a marriage for John Jeffrey 4 Jun 1783 at Makerston, Roxburgh, but it doesn't say who he married.
Makerstoun is across the river from Kersmains. Makerstoun, Longnewton and East Nisbet are a rough circle around Kersmains.
also I purchased a will for John Jaffrey, proven in 1851, after his eldest son, James, returned from Buenos Aires in Argentina, South America, it said that John Jaffrey farmer of Kersmains had died 23 October 1822 where he had been residing at St Anns Yard Abbey in Edinburgh. It said he had been sold up but that he owned a one share in the Kelso Bridge which after 30 years amounted to enough to make it worth applying for. I don't have the document with me here to check, but now I think maybe it was an admon rather than a will. I will have to look further into next week.

[tenterfieldjulie]

This is the brick wall on the line of my 6ggp thread for this week

When Daphne and I were staying up near Hadrian's Wall last year, she very kindly drove us up to Hawick in Scotland to the Heritage Centre there.

I had rung ahead and they were very helpful.

I found more material on the Jaffrey's which included a claim on an estate with a solicitor trying to prove next of kin and he was going through all the baptism records of the Jaffrey's he could find .. He was having a lot of trouble then too .. so I am not alone!!

Hmmh now I have to find the copies of the records that I acquired then .. help .. I don't think it is really going to help me with Elizabeth but it might help in time .. ;(