Alexandrina Elder - Donald McLeod’s widow and their children Christina and John Elder

Alexandrina Elder McLeod

I have located very little information about Alexandrina after her husband’s death. She may have left Scotland for some years to look for work. She left her young son John behind with her parents but does not appear to have done the same with Christina her daughter.

Census 1881

I finally located Alexandrina in the 1881 census in Glasgow. She was living in an apartment or tenement building at 66 Houston Street. I think that building has probably been demolished as the area now looks industrial with a motorway very near.

In the 1881 census Catherine Elder, Alexandrina’s older sister is living with her and is shown as a Domestic. In the two Reay census records below we see that Catherine has lived with her nephew John Elder for years and probably had a hand in his upbringing

There is one puzzling entry in this 1881 Glasgow census record. Alexandrina is put as a Widow but then for occupation she is said to be a Clark’s Wife. I have no explanation for this entry – it is either an error or possibly Alexandrina is working as an assistant to a Clark. 

Alexandrina's death

Alexandrina died in 1911 of heart failure. She is shown on her death record as Widow to Donald McLeod so I can’t see that the entry in the 1881 census stating she is a Clark’s wife is correct.  She is still in Glasgow.

Christina was there

One good thing in the death record is that Alexandrina’s daughter Christina Macleod was present when her mother died and she signed the death record as the informant.

That’s the first information I have found of Christina since the 1851 census. So she was with her mother at the start of her life and at the end of her mother’s life but I can’t fill in the gaps for what happened in between. As I cannot find her in the Scotland census records I suspect Christina went with her mother where ever that was.  I don’t know if Christina married or had children.

 Dixon Ave, Glasgow – with a splash of new paint!

Alexandrina died in this apartment block.

John Elder McLeod

I know a bit more about John. The 1861 census shows that little John aged 5 was living with his Elder grandparents. He is shown as a scholar so must have started school already. Ten years later in the 1871 census John now 15 was still living in Reay with the Elder family and at school. Note the present Reay primary school was built in 1876. 

Reay Census 1861 

Piece: SCT1861/40 Place: Reay -Caithness Enumeration District: 1 Civil Parish: Reay Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Reay Folio: 0 Page: 2 Schedule: 13 Address: -

Surname

First name(s)

Rel

Status

Sex

Age

Occupation

Where Born

ELDER

John

Head

M

M

74

Lotter

Caithness - Reay

ELDER

Margt

Wife

M

F

72

-

Caithness - Reay

ELDER

Cath

Dau

U

F

34

House Servant

Caithness - Reay

MCLEOD

John

Grnson

-

M

5

Scholar

Caithness - Reay

MILL

Janet

Grndau

-

F

14

Scholar

Caithness - Thurso

MCDONALD

Rob

Lodger

M

M

74

Mason

Sutherland - -

Reay Census 1871

Piece: SCT1871/40 Place: Reay -Caithness Enumeration District: 1 Civil Parish: Reay Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Reay Folio: 0 Page: 5 Schedule: 21 Address: -

Surname

First name(s)

Rel

Status

Sex

Age

Occupation

Where Born

ELDER

John

Head

W

M

86

Crofter Of 3 1/2 Acres

Caithness - Reay

ELDER

Catharine

Dau

U

F

42

Housekeeper

Caithness - Reay

ELDER

Maggie M

Grndau

U

F

22

Housekeeper

Ireland - Dublin

MACLEOD

John

Grnson

-

M

15

Scholar

Caithness - Reay

In two census records, the Elder family have taken in three different grandchildren and John Elder the grandfather is having to provide for his family on 3 ½ acres. 

New Zealand -  Alcoholic

Next I know of John he was living in New Zealand. I don’t know what year he went to New Zealand but the reason is not so good. Apparently John had become an alcoholic and was sent to his McLeod relatives in New Zealand with the hope of him ‘drying out’. In New Zealand there was a large contingent of McLeod and Sutherland Uncles, Aunts and cousins to take him in. 

There is a photo of John in an old McLeod family album – he is looking well groomed and quite dashing. I take it from this that there was a reasonable relationship between John and his New Zealand family. He stayed in the Martinborough/Wairarapa district where many of his relatives lived. 

Death of John Elder McLeod

Sadly the story gets worse. John died in 1903. The newspaper report says he was found dead in his bunk. 

McLeod, John Elder: Feilding Star 7 Dec 1903 

The family story is not so kind:

 ‘He was found dead in a gutter drowned in his own vomit.’

John was buried in the Martinborough cemetery, Block 3, Row 13 and has a fine headstone which would have been erected by his New Zealand relatives. John’s mother Alexandrina ,his sister Christina, and other relatives back in Scotland would have been informed of John’s death. 

This is the last blog on Donald McLeod and his family.

Edited post - Additional information about Alexandrina and Christina

Thanks to Julie I have located additional information about Alexandrina and her daughter Christina that fills in lots of gaps. I will add it as an edit rather than a new post.

1861 Census

Alexanderina and Christina are in Fife at the Kirkcaldy Combination Poor house as visitors. William Elder, Alexanderina’s brother is Governor. He is a widower with two young daughters. His niece Margaret Mill is a Housekeeper.

The Kirkcadly Combination Poorhouse was erected in 1849 on a cliffside north of Kinghorn. Able-bodied beggars were sent to work there and were branded on the ear for identification.

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Kirkcaldy/ has an article on the Kirkcaldy Poorhouse including data from the 1881 census showing William Elder was still the Governor at that time.

1871 Census

Alexanderina and Christina are living 38 Pollock Street, Glasgow with Alexanderina's younger brother John Elder and his daughter Helen. John is a Wine Merchant.

1871 Marriage Christina and Hugh

Christina McLeod’s life takes a different turn at this time as on 13 July 1871 she married Hugh Maclean a Colliery Agent. The wedding took place at John Elder’s residence in Pollock Street. 

1881 Census Christina and Hugh

The 1881 census shows Hugh and Christina living in Rothesay on the island of Bute with Hugh’s mother and sister. No children are showing as living here. I do not know if Christina and Hugh had any children. Hugh died in 1888 in Rothesay.

1881 Census

See above in the blog – at 66 Houston Street, Glasgow.

1891 Census

Alexanderina and Catherine are still at 66 Houston Street and have two lodgers living with them – a travelling salesman and a joiner.

1901 Census

Alexanderina and Christina (now a widow and shown as Christina Maclean) are living at 107 Pollock Street, Glasgow (close to where they had lived with John Elder). They put their occupation as Keeping Boarders and have two male boarders.

1911 

Alexanderina died and her daughter Christina was present with her.