Alexandrina Ferrier

[kiterunner]

Alexander Ferrier (brother of my 3xg-grandfather) and Mary Dods had a daughter Alexandrina Ferrier, baptised 5 May 1828 at St Cuthbert's, Edinburgh. Her father had died 29 Jul 1827. Mary married William McCulloch 17 Nov 1833 in Edinburgh. On the 1841 census William and Mary are at 142 High St, New North, Edinburgh, with several of William's children and with Mary (20) , Jessie (17) and Margaret (14) Ferrier but no Alexandrina.

I always thought Alexandrina must have died young, but now I've found a likely entry on the 1851 Scotland census - in Newton on Ayr, Ayrshire, Alexandrina Ferrier, visitor, 22, unmarried, Milliner Assistant, born Edinburgh. She's with a household headed by a widow Janet Cuthbert. No other Ferriers or Dods there. She was transcribed as Alexanderina on Scotland's People and Ferries on ancestry but FMP and FamilySearch have her name right.

Can anyone find her in 1841 or after 1851, please? She isn't the Alexandrina Ferrier who married William P Davidson in 1867 as that one is age 25, born Aberdeen, on the 1871 census.

[kiterunner]

I've found her in London in 1861! Never thought of looking for her there! Still unmarried, still a milliner. But what happened to her after that?

[merleyone]

There is an Alexandra Verrier whose death was registered at Mile End in June 1863, 1c 388, which may be of interest.

merleyone

[kiterunner]

That looks interesting, merleyone, thanks. I think that one must be connected with an Alexander Verrier whose birth was registered Jan-Mar 1863, also Mile End. If only Tower Hamlets BMD was still working!

[Mary from Italy]

There's an Alexandra Ferrier at 17 Ewing St. Tower Hamlets, on the 1903 electoral roll.

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Mary. She isn't there in 1901:
1901 census Ewing Street
nor in 1911.

[kiterunner]

Ooh, I've just found a burial in New Zealand! (on ancestry)

Otago, Southern Burial Register General Portion vol 3
5289 FERRIER Alexandrina (class 3) Lot 48 block 7
Died Nov 18 1891, aged 63 years.
Dressmaker, resident of Dunedin. Born England.
Buried Nov 21. Informant Hugh Gourley.

Dressmaker isn't too different from milliner, and born England not too inaccurate, so I'm looking for something to prove whether it is my Alexandrina or not without forking out for the death certificate.

[kiterunner]

Ooer, Papers Past has a story from the Otago Daily Times from 1874 about an "incorrigible" vagrant named Henrietta McEwen, alias Alexandrina Ferrier, who claimed to earn her living by sewing. I hope that isn't her! There are quite a few other matches that come up on Papers Past from around then so I will look through those.
In 1876 the Otago Witness has a similar story about Alexandrina Ferrier, alias Janet Ferrier, "a dissipated woman".

By 1888 Alexandrina Ferrier had "a record of 33 previous convictions"! In 1879 she is described as "an old woman" but I suppose that could well apply to a 51 year old in those days, especially a drunkard and vagrant.

Still not figured out whether she is my Alexandrina though.

[kiterunner]

It seems that the informant on the burial record, Hugh Gourley, was an undertaker (as well as being mayor of Dunedin twice), so not personally connected with Alexandrina.

[Olde Crone]

Not teaching you to suck eggs, Kate, but Janet and Jessie are interchangeable names in Scotland, so maybe she was pretending to be her sister - or maybe she WAS her sister, if that makes sense! Is her sister the Janet Cuthbert she is with in 1851?

OC