Hello Ursula

Many thanks for your link to the photograph of Isabella Buchanan. In recent months we have found out a great deal about Angus Buchanan's family of which Isabella was one of his daughters. A brother emigrated with his family to S. Africa in about 1911 and another went before to Canada. We have a photograph of Mary Buchanan her sister but have never had any photograph of Isabella who probably spent most of her adult life in service; the same as her sister Mary.

This lady looks very grand and could be her but will we ever know. The following are places that Isabella spent time in; Outer Hebrides where she was born about 1858, Toronto, Dundee, Hull, Twickenham and finally Bedford. She died at the age of 92.

Does the photograph have any studio details on it to give us a clue? She looks to be in her late thirties, would you agree, which would give a date of about 1880 to 1890 in the photograph? Perhaps Mary dressed Isabella her up at one of the places she was a dairy maid, may be when working for the Earl of Lauderdale at Thirlstane Castle in south of Edinburgh.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course. Where in Somerset did you pick it up at a car boot sale.

Kind regards

Graham