Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

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Currie
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Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by Currie » Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:06 am

From The Paisley Herald and Renfrewshire Advertiser, Saturday, January 15, 1870.

A GREENOCK ELOPEMENT.

For some days past rumours of an elopement, in which a foreman tradesman and a domestic servant were concerned, have been prevalent in town. The story was kept very quiet, but it has now assumed the following shape:— Alex. Douglas, manager at the Western Saw Mills, Brougham Street, left his house in Upper Kelly Street on the morning of Saturday the 1st Inst., and has not since returned. On the same morning Margaret Alexander, domestic servant with a family at No. 3 Finnart Terrace, suddenly disappeared, and has also failed to return. Douglas is about 43 yearn of age, an industrious, saving man, and has left behind a wife several years his senior, and one child, a boy about 8 years of age. Miss Alexander is about 32 years of age, a careful, penurious woman, who is known to have by inheritance and savings succeeded in hoarding a considerable sum of money, which she lifted out of the Bank on Hogmanay night.

There can be little doubt the fugitives went upon their New Year's day excursion together, for they were old acquaintances. They were reared together in childhood on contiguous farms in the parish of Inverkip. The pair are known to have been lad and lass before Douglas married some 10 years ago; but the marriage quenched the old flame only for a time, it would appear, and it is understood that within the last few years it has been rekindled, and, this becoming known to the wife, naturally led to much domestic infelicity. The wife believes that her faithless husband has contemplated an elopement for a long time back, and only waited an opportunity to get absolute control over the savings of several years, which were lodged in bank, and which he has carried off with him, leaving wife and child penniless. The belief is that the fugitives proceeded to Liverpool, and sailed thence on Wednesday week in one of the regular steamers bound for New York.

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AN OLD MAN'S TRIP WITH HIS SON'S SWEETHEART.

The unexpected disappearance of a young woman, about eighteen years of age, named Douglas or Donaldson, from her friends in Perth, since New Year's Day, is at present engrossing a good deal of attention. It is said that the missing girl was betrothed to the son of a man named Traill, upwards of 61 years of age, residing in High Street, and that she had been spending her Hogmanay in the house of her expected father-in-law. On New Year's morning it is said that the old man and the girl agreed to have a short trip by railway in each other's company, and they accordingly left the house between eight and nine o'clock—the wife of the old man and the girl's lover being in bed. At all events, this aged lover and his companion appear to have departed from the house unobserved and unchallenged, and, having reached the General Station, purchased tickets for Stanley, and took their departure by the train leaving at 9.20. After entering the train, they appear to have become too much engrossed in each other's society, or overcome—as the old man explained it—by the effects of the previous night's potations, to observe when they reached Stanley, and they consequently passed that station. The first station where their journey was interfered with was at Meigle, where they were asked to show their tickets. When they discovered they had passed their destination, they left the train, and after paying the difference went to an inn near at hand, and continued their New Year's 'festivities.'

They did not, however, remain long there, but returned to Perth by the next train, which left Meigle at 12.32, and reached Perth at 1.40. At the ticket platform at Perth it is customary for numbers of the passengers to leave the train, and amongst others who did so on this occasion was the old man. He invited his companion to follow him and supposed that she did so; but after he stood waiting on her until all the passengers had left the platform, he found that he had either missed her or ' got the slip.' Thinking it to be the latter, he walked to the General Station, but not being an agile pedestrian—in fact, he is somewhat shuffling and decrepit in his gait, and uses sticks when walking—it was some time before he arrived there, and all the passengers had, of course, disappeared. He then went to seek for her throughout the town, but without effect, and whether he has yet got reconciled to his wife and son has not been ascertained. He states, however, that in the coarse of his search—probably while he was again about to resume his 'festivities'—he discovered that he was minus 18s, of which he should, according to his recollection, have been the owner.

He did not, however, inform the police, but the police having been informed of the disappearance of the young woman, and in consequence, it may be stated, of certain strange rumours that had reached them, took him into custody. They heard his story, on which the present narrative is wholly founded, and made inquiries which resulted in a corroboration of what he had said. He was liberated after being detained in the police-office one night, and the police are of opinion that the girl has taken the money off the person of her attractive lover, and departed to another town, there, in all likelihood, to continue her 'festivities.' The police, it appears, have a previous conviction for theft against her, and when she was convicted she was sent four years to a reformatory, that period having only expired a few months ago. Up to last night no trace had been got of her, but it will be confessed by most people that the young man, whose feelings have apparently been so grossly outraged, will be none the worse though he and she now remain strangers to each other. — Dundee Advertiser.

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Some lucky ancestor will find all this one day.
All the best,
Alan

Anne H
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by Anne H » Tue Jan 01, 2019 12:01 pm

Love how the journalists were so detailed. Great finds Alan.

Happy New Year!
[cheers]
Anne

Currie
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by Currie » Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:26 am

Thanks Anne, and Happy New Year to all.

Some of them probably didn't let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Alan

paddyscar
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by paddyscar » Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:06 am

Currie wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:26 am

Some of them probably didn't let the truth get in the way of a good story.
... and in some ways, Alan, things don't seem to change :wink:

Happy New Year!

Frances
John Kelly (b 22 Sep 1897) eldest child of John Kelly & Christina Lipsett Kelly of Glasgow

paddyscar
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by paddyscar » Wed Jan 02, 2019 8:07 am

Currie wrote:
Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:26 am

Some of them probably didn't let the truth get in the way of a good story.
... and in some ways, Alan, things don't seem to change :wink:

Happy New Year!

Frances
John Kelly (b 22 Sep 1897) eldest child of John Kelly & Christina Lipsett Kelly of Glasgow

nelmit
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Location: Scotland

Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by nelmit » Fri Jan 04, 2019 6:08 pm

Happy New Year everybody. [cheers]

Great stories Alan.

Ages are a wee bit out but I am pretty sure this is Alexander and Margaret from Greenock with their new family in 1880.
Wee Jessie's birth date of June 1870 fits well with their disappearance.

Alexander Douglas Self M 48 Scotland
Margaret A Douglas Wife F 40 Scotland
Jessie Douglas Daughter F 10 Massachusetts, United States
Mary Douglas Daughter F 5 Massachusetts, United States
John Douglas Son M 2 Massachusetts, United States

She definitely has the surname of Alexander.

Name John Douglas
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 25 Apr 1906
Event Place Winthrop, Winthrop, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
Registration Place Winthrop, , Massachusetts
Gender Male
Age 28
Birth Date 1878
Birth Year (Estimated) 1878
Birthplace Winthrop, ,
Father's Name Alexander Douglas
Mother's Name Margaret Alexander

Regards,
Annette

SarahND
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by SarahND » Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:37 am

Nice one, Annette!

This is from his sworn statement at the Naturalization hearing:

Massachusetts, State and Federal Naturalization Records
District Court, Massachusettts > Petitions, V 176, 1892

“…Respectfully represents Alexander Douglas, residing at Main Street, Winthrop, occupation Farmer, was born in Scotland the 15th January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty four and is now about fifty eight years of age; that he arrived at Boston, in the District of Massachusetts in the United States of America, on or about the 20th day of January in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy…”

8th day of April 1889, Sworn to by said Petitioner, before said Court

[cheers]
Sarah

P.S. When he died in 1907, he was living at 228 Main Street, Winthrop. The informant (listed as “Unknown”) gave his birthplace as Renfrew, Scotland and his parents names also “Unknown.” How do you get an unknown informant to fill out the details???

nelmit
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by nelmit » Sat Jan 05, 2019 4:59 pm

SarahND wrote:
Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:37 am

P.S. When he died in 1907, he was living at 228 Main Street, Winthrop. The informant (listed as “Unknown”) gave his birthplace as Renfrew, Scotland and his parents names also “Unknown.” How do you get an unknown informant to fill out the details???
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Great to get confirmation Sarah.

Currie
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by Currie » Mon Jan 07, 2019 10:27 am

Nice going you two.

Maybe the informant was someone from his distant past who would prefer not to say.

But just goes to show that you can run but you can't hide.

All the best,
Alan

SarahND
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Re: Hogmanay Scandal Anyone?

Post by SarahND » Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:08 pm

Hi Alan,

I suppose he managed to hide during his lifetime - or not - but we can certainly track him down over a century later! Pretty rotten of him to withdraw all the money before leaving and leave his wife and child destitute. One would hope he relented and sent them some from America, but I suspect he couldn't do that without being taken up for bigamy. Ah, the tangled web...

Cheers,
Sarah

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