Wife
of W.P. 'Bill' Richardson's Great Great Uncle,
John
Turnbull
Information about
Elizabeth's early years was hard to come by. Her birth
was registered in the first quarter of 1855 in the
Rothbury District. She was baptised on 24th June 1855 at
the Presbyterian church in Harbottle. The baptism record
says that she was the second daughter of Thomas
Chisholm, tenant Windyhaugh in the parish of Alwinton,
by his wife Isabella Rutherford. It also states that she
was born on 14th February 1855. Her marriage certificate
tells us that her father was Thomas and that he was a
shepherd. Windyhaugh is a tiny place in Upper Coquet
Dale.
In the 1861 census, she was 6 years old and living in
Windyhaugh. The household head was Hannah Chisholm (aged
19) and Elizabeth was described as her niece. Others on
the census were Annie Chisholm (1), also described as a
niece, James Mather, a servant, and John Mather, a
visitor.
In the 1871 census, Elizabeth was with John and Elizabeth
Chisholm and again was described as a niece. She was 16
and the fourth name on the census was Isabella Luke (3)
described as a visitor. The place was Spylaw in
the parish of Lesbury. Elizabeth's uncle John was a
shepherd and is likely to have been a brother of her father.
On 3rd June 1873, Elizabeth (22) married John Turnbull
(26) at the Alnwick Register Office. John was a
gamekeeper and he lived at Alnwick White House. His
father's name was not shown on the certificate. It is
interesting that neither of the ages fits with their
births. The bride was older and the groom was younger!
In the first quarter of 1874, a daughter, Isabella was
born. A second daughter, Eleanor, was born in the first
quarter of 1876.
Sadly, Elizabeth died on 29th March 1878 aged 23. At the
time, she was living in Lemmington Branch, Lemmington.
She was described as the wife of John Turnbull, a
labourer. The cause of death was given as Phthisis, which
I believe is tuberculosis and her death was registered
by her sister-in-law Jane Bolam (nee Turnbull). She was
buried in the churchyard at Whittingham on 1st April
1878. |
