Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson1

(8 September 1884 - 23 December 1940)
FatherAlexander Whitson2,1 (cir. 1829 - Apr 1907)
MotherElizabeth Richardson Wight2,1 (Nov 1843 - Sep 1884)
Relationship1st cousin 2 times removed of Lorna Henderson

BMDB data

     Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson was born on 8 Sep 1884 at the Muirhouselaw Tile Works, Par. of Maxton, ROX, SCT, (mother died giving birth to Elizabeth Jane) cert. reads: Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson, 8th sep 1884 at 8am at Muirhouse Tile works, dtr of Alexr Whitson, farmer & tile maker and Elisabeth m.s. Wight, mar. 24 Mar 1879 at Edinburgh, inf Father Reg. 17th Sep.1
     Elizabeth Jane Soutar married David MacLaren Paul, son of Alexander Paul and Catherine McLaren, on 9 Mar 1916 Glencoe, Wardlaw Gdns, St Andrews, FIF, SCT, cert. reads: after banns, Est. Ch of Sct; David M (indexed as David MacLaren), 34 technical chemist of ??wall Lodge, Langley, Quinton, WOR, s/o Alexander PAUL, cabinetmaker and Catherine m.s. McLaren; married Elizabeth Jane Soutar formerly Whitson, 31 of Glencoe, Wardlaw Gdns, St Andrews, d/o Alexander Whitson, tilemaker and Elizabeth m.s. Wight, both dec. Min: R W Wallace Min of St Leonards, Par. of St Andrews; Wit: C R Paul and Helen E L Soutar.2
     Elizabeth J Soutar Paul died on 23 Dec 1940 Manchester, LAN, ENG, at age 56; Lancashire, Manchester cremation records solved the mystery of Elizabeth's fate. "In December 1940 as the result of enemy action, of 30 Wellington Road Whalley Range Elizabeth J. Soutar the dear wife of David M. PAUL. Service Manchester Crematorium this day (Friday) at 2.30pm (Manchester Guardian Fri 27 Dec 1940)". A list of WWII civilian deaths shows her as: Elizabeth Soutar PAUL, L.R.A.M.3,4,2,5,6
     Birth mystery solved. After finding that Elizabeth Jane's mother had died in childbirth, and not finding her death shortly thereafter, I was left with a mystery. 10 yrs later, it, along with another mystery, is solved. The other being how come David Soutar's obituary only mentioned one daughter when there had consistently been two with him on census nights, and I couldn't find the birth of one of them, an Elizabeth Jane Soutar in Maxton, nor the death of either of them between the last census and David's death in 1924. All was revealed when I stumbled upon Elizabeth Soutar as a witness to a cousin's wedding, which led me to search harder for her marriage or death. I found the marriage - which explained everything in that she was listed as Elizabeth Jane Soutar, formerly Whitson, and her parents weren't David Soutar and Margaret Wight after all, but Alexander Whitson and Elizabeth Wight, Margaret's sister. Love to hear from anyone who can shed any light on her story after her marriage. Did she move to Worcester where hubby was at the time they married, or stay in Scotland?

Jul 2016 update:
They must have moved to England. Elizabeth turns out to have been a victim of the Manchester Christmas Blitz of 1940.

There are several articles about this blitz, and a website dedicated to the Manchester Christmas Bombing raids that specifically mentions Elizabeth (http://www.greatermanchesterblitzvictims.co.uk/index.php?sold_id=s%3A12%3A%221126%2Cvictims%22%3B&letter=P&soldier=Paul&district_id=)
Looking at the interactive map of the blitz bomb sites published in the Manchester Evening News of 22 Dec 2015, it shows that Elizabeth was particularly unlucky as there are very few dots around her address (30 Wellington St, Whalley Range).
I am tempted to think this a little ironic, and that just possibly that bomb had her husband's name on it. As an industrial chemist, in the 1911 census he was shown as "technical chemist, explosives manufacturer."7,8,9

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     The census of 1891 showed Lizzie as a 6 yr old "daughter", b. Maxton (but is really their niece) in the household of her parents David and Margaret Soutar Carslogie Rd, Cupar, FIF, SCT.10
     The census of 1901 showed Euphemia and Elizabeth and their brothers Charles, David and Walter in the household of their parents David and Margaret Soutar Westfield Rd, Cupar, FIF, SCT, enumerated as SOUTAR: David 58, boot merchant b ?Panhide?, Forfar; wife Margaret 49 b Maxton, ROX; Children: Elizabeth 16 scholar b Maxton; Charles W 13; David A 10; Euphemia S 8; Walter W 6 all scholars b Cupar, FIF; Servant Helen Myles 23 b Cupar (same comment re Elizabeth, she is the niece of David and Margaret. Euphemia is really Helen Euphemia Leckie Soutar, known as Effie.)11
     By Dec 1940 Elisabeth Jane Soutar Paul was living Wellington Rd (30) Whalley Range, Manchester, LAN, ENG.4

Wills/bequests

     Her estate was probated on 28 Mar 1941 Manchester, LAN, ENG; index shows Elisabeth Jane Soutar PAUL of 30 Wellington St, Whalley Range Manchester (wife of David McLaren PAUL) d. 22 Dec 1940 Admin to the said David McLaren PAUL technical chemist Effects £1021 10/11d.12

Names

     Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson was also known as Elizabeth Jane Soutar as she appears to have been brought up, after her mother died, by her aunt Margaret Soutar nee Wight.2,13 As of Dec 1940, Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson was also known as Elizabeth J Soutar Paul.4 As of 1941, Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson was also known as Elisabeth Jane Soutar Paul.12

All the other info

     Elizabeth Soutar witnessed the marriage of her cousin Helen Sinton Clark to Thomas Maxwell Bell on 7 Jun 1906 Cathpair, Par. of Stow, MLN, SCT.14
     Elizabeth Jane Sinton Whitson and Ivy Elsie Povoas were listed as wives of David MacLaren Paul on his death cert. On 24 Jan 1947 Victoria infirmary, Glasgow, LKS, SCT; cert. shows David McLaren PAUL as 65, Industrial chemist, retired, married to 1st Elizabeth Jane SOUTAR 2nd Ivy Elsie POVOAS or SOUTAR. Usu. resid. Drumfiona Glairmore; Son of Alexander PAUL, joiner & Catherine PAUL m.s. McLAREN both dec'd; d. 3am of agranulocytosis agranulocytic angina pneumonia; Inf. Helen E L BROWN, sister-in-law 28 Lygon Rd, Edin; Reg. 24th Jan (which makes her sister-in-law twice over, Ivy being married firstly to Helen's brother Charles, and David's first wife Elizabeth being Helen's sister by adoption.)15

Family

David MacLaren Paul (cir. 1882 - Jan 1947)
ChartsWilliam RICHARDSON of Pringlestead, Eckford
RUNCIMAN of Earlston/Wanton Walls
SINTON
WIGHT
FAMILTON
Last Edited22 Jul 2016

Citations

  1. GRO, SCT, BDM searches at GRO SCT: Birth 1884 Elizabeth Jane Sinton WHITSON, extracted c Sep/Oct 1994/5, rechecked Jul 2006.
  2. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 1916 Elizabeth Jane SOUTAR formerly WHITSON and David MacLaren PAUL, copy d/loaded Dec 2005.
  3. Findmypast online at http://www.findmypast.com, Dth 1940 Q4 Elizabeth S PAUL, reg. Manchester, LAN, 8D/107, aged 56, extracted Jul 2016.
  4. Findmypast online at http://www.findmypast.com, Dth Dec 1940 Elizabeth J. Soutar the dear wife of David M. PAUL. Service Manchester Crematorium this day (Friday) at 2.30pm (Manchester Guardian Fri 27 Dec 1940 "In December 1940 as the result of enemy action of 30 Wellington Road Whalley Range", from Lancashire, Manchester cremation records 1818-2001 Transcriptions, extracted Jul 2016.
  5. Findmypast online at http://www.findmypast.com, Friday 27 Dec 1940 Elizabeth J Soutar PAUL, Service Manchester Crematorium 2:30, indexed from Manchester Guardian 27 Dec 1940, extracted Jul 2016.
  6. Www WIGHT/DICKSON source documents online at http://www2.arnes.si/~eusmith/genealogy/sources.html, Dth 23 Dec 1940 Elizabeth Soutar PAUL, L.R.A.M. aged 56, at 30 Weillington Rd, Whalley Range, Manchester, from UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945, extracted Jul 2016.
  7. "Lorna's Family History Musings", Dec 2005.
  8. Www WIGHT/DICKSON source documents online at http://www2.arnes.si/~eusmith/genealogy/sources.html, Manchester Christmas Blitz Bomb Sites, from the Manchester Evening News, 22 Dec 2015, online at http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/…, extracted Jul 2016.
  9. 1911 Census images, ENG, http://www.findmypast.co.uk/CensusPersonStartSearchServlet , http://ancestry.com, Tonbridge, KEN RG14PN4074 RG78PN157 RD50 SD2 ED1 SN232, hsehold of David M PAUL, extracted Oct 2010.
  10. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, 1891 Census: Dist 420 (ED 7? Folio 2) Pg 6 Sched 28, rechecked Dec 2005 (copy d/loaded).
  11. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, 1901 Census: SOUTAR Dist 420 ED? 7 Page 19 Schedule #105, copy d/loaded Jul 2005.
  12. UK Probate Calendar by via Ancestry.com online at http://ancestry.com, Probate 28 Mar 1941 (Manchester) Dth 22 Dec 1940 (Manchester) Elisabeth Jane Soutar PAUL, confirmation to David McLaren PAUL, extracted Jul 2016.
  13. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 24 Jan 1947 David McLaren PAUL, h/o Elizabeth Jane SOUTAR, s/o Alexader PAUL(joiner) & Catherine McLAREN, reg. Glasgow, LKS 644/19 #19, copy d/loaded Oct 2010.
  14. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 1906 Thomas Maxwell BELL and Helen Sinton CLARK, copy d/loaded Dec 2005.
  15. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 24 Jan 1947 David McLaren PAUL, h/o Elizabeth Jane SOUTAR & Ivy Else POVOAS or SOUTAR, s/o Alexader PAUL(joiner) & Catherine McLAREN, reg. Glasgow, LKS 644/19 #19, copy d/loaded Oct 2010.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.