Fraser.....

raehoney · Post by **raehoney** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:28 pm

I am searching for info on Isabella and Catherine Fraser, sisters, born around 1850 - 1870.

I have found Isabella on the record of her nephew's birth (Albert Timothy Fraser-Betts), as living at 40 North Street, Inverurie, but cannot find her in Inverurie in 1901 census.

Catherine had married in China (1885) a Timothy Betts, but had obviously come home to have Albert, although she had my grandpa (Ewen) on board ship in China. She also had a daughter, Josie, in China. I am assuming this, as I can find to record of Josie in Scottish registers.

If anyone can help me trace Isabella or Catherine, I shall be most grateful.

Regards

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:10 pm

Hello Rae and Welcome!

Do you have a wee bit more info on these sisters? How about parents names? ....or any other siblings?

Have you located them on an earlier census??

With nothing to go on for proof there is one possible longshot in the 1881 census.....

Dwelling: Torr Castle
Census Place: Rothesay, Bute, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203565 GRO Ref Volume 558 EnumDist 23 Page 9
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Annie M. BRUCE W 27 F New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Head
Tom BRUCE 9 M Aberchirder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Alan C. BRUCE 8 M Aberchirder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Edith M. BRUCE 5 F Singapore
Rel: Dau
George W. BRUCE 2 M Aberlurder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Mary F. S. BOYES 15 F New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Sis
Occ: Scholar
Emilie DEVEREAU U 22 F Chordonn
Occ: Nurse
Isabella FRASER U 26 F Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Serv
Occ: Serv

I really hope you can add some more details so we can either confirm or eliminate this hopeful!!!

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 6:15 pm

Hello again

Hmmm.....an even more interesting one in 1881 is found on North Street.....spose it's Catherine still at home????

Dwelling: 76 North St
Census Place: Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203458 GRO Ref Volume 204 EnumDist 4 Page 17
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Agnes FRASER W 61 F Keithhall, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Annuitant
Catherine FRASER U 28 F Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Dau
Occ: Dressmaker
Jane FRASER U 23 F Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Dau
Occ: Dressmaker
James C. FRASER U 21 M Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: House Painter
Catherine GREIG 13 F Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: G Dau
Occ: Scholar
John C. FRASER 7 m M Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: G Son

We really need to know parents names at this point!!! Do you have a DC for Catherine?...and are her parents stated on it??

Best wishes
Jean

raehoney · Post by **raehoney** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:01 pm

Hi Jean - and thanks for taking the time to look up those entries! Unfortunately, I don't have any more information yet, as Catherine married in China and as marriage and other records were destroyed, I am waiting a copy of the entry in the register from GRO - if it was relayed from China to England! It's very frustrating.

I have tried to search for Catherine's death entry, but she kept her maiden name and added her married name, i.e. Fraser-Betts and I have not been able to locate where she died - Scotland or England. Her husband, Timothy Betts, died in Cheltenham in 1925 (according to my mum), but I have yet to find this record either!

But, that last message of yours certainly looks hopeful. I'll post more info as I get it.

Many thanks for your help.

sporran · Post by **sporran** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:54 pm

Hello Rae,

I thought that this might be horrendous, since Fraser is a common name. However, Jean got everything off to a good start, and the sisters were accurate with their ages.

They can be found in Inverurie in the 1861 census, aged 8 and 6, which led to the intriguing possibility that Isabella could have been born in 1855. She was (as Isobella - wildcards such as *bel* should be used with variations of Isabella), and the 1855 birth certificate gives a ton of useful information.

Working on her birth year as 1855 ±2 and searching for deaths in Inverurie for starters brings up one in 1900 that should be looked at, especially for the informant.

Lastly, your mum was correct, Timothy Betts died in Cheltenham in the June quarter of 1925, aged 72. The reference is Cheltenham;6a 556 but English death certificates are almost useless for family history details.

Regards,

John

raehoney · Post by **raehoney** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:21 pm

Many thanks for your helpful info! Lots of interesting possibilities. I'l be able to cross check all of this, when and if the GRO come up with Catherine's marriage certificate!

Thanks again

In another line of enquiry - my grandpa and his brother attended a grammar school in Aberdeen. Is there any way I can find a pupil list? He (Ewen John Fraser-Betts) was born in 1887 and Albert Timothy in 1892, so I suppose they'd have attended from about 1908 onwards.

Does anyone have any advice for me please?

Regards

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:54 pm

A wee exercise in prounciation for anyone interested..........

"The "ch" in Aberchirder is given the same value as the "ch" in loch, - try it, - it's ain't easy, and it's highly advisable to advise everyone to move outside spitting distance

David

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:57 pm

JustJean wrote:Hello Rae and Welcome!

Do you have a wee bit more info on these sisters? How about parents names? ....or any other siblings?

Have you located them on an earlier census??

With nothing to go on for proof there is one possible longshot in the 1881 census.....

Dwelling: Torr Castle
Census Place: Rothesay, Bute, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203565 GRO Ref Volume 558 EnumDist 23 Page 9
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Annie M. BRUCE W 27 F New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Head
Tom BRUCE 9 M Aberchirder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Alan C. BRUCE 8 M Aberchirder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Edith M. BRUCE 5 F Singapore
Rel: Dau
George W. BRUCE 2 M Aberlurder, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Son
Mary F. S. BOYES 15 F New Pitsligo, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Sis
Occ: Scholar
Emilie DEVEREAU U 22 F Chordonn
Occ: Nurse
Isabella FRASER U 26 F Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland
Rel: Serv
Occ: Serv

I really hope you can add some more details so we can either confirm or eliminate this hopeful!!!

Best wishes
Jean

The Singapore connection derives from the father having been a Commander in the Royal Navy.

David

raehoney · Post by **raehoney** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:14 pm

Thats' fascinating - Catherine's husband, Timothy Betts, was also in the RN from 1872 - 1882 and was in Singapore too! I wonder if that's how he and Catherine met, through Isabella working for the Commander? I was wondering how they met, as Timothy originally came from Norfolk.

After leaving the Navy, he took up a job with the Imperial Customs in China, which is why he and Catherine were married there in 1885 and their first two children (Josie and Ewen my gdad) were born there - hence no easily obtainable records!

My head's buzzing with possibilities now - time to talk to my mum again and get some of this into order.

Many thanks again.

raehoney · Post by **raehoney** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:30 pm

I have just taken John's advice and looked up that death entry for Isabella Fraser and IT'S HER! The informant was T BETTS, my ggdad and Catherine's husband.

So now I know they were in Scotland in 1900 and that this is the right family. Thank you all so much for looking up those bits for me. My mum will be so thrilled, as her dad was very reluctant to talk about his family. She'll be able to fill in quite a few gaps with this history.

TalkingScot.com

Fraser.....

Fraser.....

Re: Fraser