Raising other people's children

[DebbieAnn]

I have found a couple of instances in my tree where families appear to have taken responsibility for raising the child of someone else, both in the 1841 census and both in the Glasgow area (one was age 12, the other age 13). I've heard there was a cholera epidemic in the early 1830's in Glasgow - can anyone add to this and help fill in more of the background? Was there some other disaster that might have left orphaned children in the area at that time?

Thanks -
Debbie

[Davran]

Debbie, if you don't get an answer on here, got to https://talkingscot.com/forum/index. It's a site dedicated to Scottish genealogy and, like this one, full of knowledgeable and helpful people.

[Chasing Caseys]

Hi Debbie
I dont know if you are aware of this site but it may help answer some questions you have

https://www.theglasgowstory.co.uk/story.php?id=TGSDA05

[DebbieAnn]

Hi Debbie
I dont know if you are aware of this site but it may help answer some questions you have

https://www.theglasgowstory.co.uk/story.php?id=TGSDA05

Oh, thank you! My gr-gr-grandfather Thomas Dougan's parents were supposed to have been among those that died in the 1832 cholera epidemic, but I've never been able to find a record of their death or burial. Thomas was raised by his future wife's brother Samuel, as Samuel's first wife Elizabeth Gibson was somehow related to Thomas through his mother, whose last name was supposed to have also been Gibson - although family lore had him being raised by his maternal grandmother, but in 1841 he's living with Samuel's family so who knows?

Do you know if a lot of graves that year simply had no headstone? Because of the number of deaths? I've been buying up booklets of monument inscriptions for that area, and haven't found them yet... *sigh*

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

Debbie, if you don't get an answer on here, got to https://talkingscot.com/forum/index. It's a site dedicated to Scottish genealogy and, like this one, full of knowledgeable and helpful people.

Thanks, Davran, I'll give that a try...

Debbie

[joette]

I have several incidences of families "raising" others children.My GGrandparents were raisng an interesting family which sent me around the houses looking for them.
My Grandfather was James Cooper Waddell named for his"Uncle"In the 1881 Census you have James Cooper & wife Margaret with William(my GGrandfather's youngest brother) boarding with them.So Margaret is Margaret Waddell married to James Cooper?No.1861 Census & there is James-Waddell! living with his widowed Father,sister Margaret & brothers Alexander,William,Thomas & John.Could find no marriage for Margaret or James or a death.Then the 1851 Census revealed all James Cooper living with his Mother Ann Graham,sister Jane-,Jane 1 of her more later & Thomas Waddell!1841 census finds Ann living with Mother Isabel Graham nee Black & sister Ann &Jane Graham & Christine campbell.
anyway it turns out that James was Ann's son from a previous marriage(?).Now where is my Grandpa's auntie Jane Gibson? She states on her Marriage that her parents are-Jane Graham & William Dalziel.So she is not Ann/Alexanders child but her niece who was raised by Ann & Alexander.
I have at least one foundling in my tree-left on their doorstep but they knew parentage & lets just say they lived close to the "big house" & this child recieved a privileged upbringing in terms of education etc.
People died young of all sorts of things TB(overcrowding,bad sanitation),accidents & off course epidemics of diseases.
I think the thing was that family cared where they could just like today but may have been less able to provide with no Social Security etc.
As to head stones you would be surprised how many folk saved for their deaths so they could have a stone-even on the "never-never"

[DebbieAnn]

My father's mother died in the swine flu epidemic in 1918, in Massachusetts, and I've discovered she STILL doesn't have a headstone - a situation I intend to remedy this summer! But then, his dad left the 3 kids in an orphanage for more than a year after he'd remarried, according to records, and didn't bring them home to live til his second wife was pregnant with their first child, so I guess his focus was with his own needs...
*harumph!*

Debbie

[joette]

Don't judge our ancestors by modern ways!Life was bloody hard for them & it was often denied to Fathers the right to raise their children if they were of a tender age & there was no female around to help.I mean that the authorities would take the children into care if they thought the children wouldn't be looked after properly.It was not deemed as a man's job!!Women too were often denied their children with them forced into care or even the guardianship of a suitable male relative.
Could you work in a physically demanding job for often low pay,shop,cook-often having to light the source of your cooking,wash clothes by hand,dry them in all weathers,look after small children(no nursery,no chilminder)It just often was impossible.Many people remarried very quickly for pratical rather then romantic reasons.Women could carry on with these chores as she was used to doing them & often would have financial help given to her too eg Poor Relief.
My Great-grandfather was tended by his Father until he & his younger went to school but his job-as a forester enabled him to do so.He also had older children who helped.
Life was hard & not that they didn't care but ofttimes they just couldn't do it no matter how much they may have wanted to.
Sometimes we have to look at how life was.My Granny & her siblings had to go into an orphanage for a time as her Mother was unwell,no Grandparents or aunts who could help out.She adored her parents who were both struggling with ill-health & who both died leaving a youngest sibling who had to go into care.She realised there was no choice & never held it against them.

[DebbieAnn]

*sigh* Yes, I understand about being a single parent and having to work, etc. I've been there myself, and in a foreign country where I have no family to help out, AND put myself through post-secondary and then grad school at the same time.

But he'd been married for more than a full year when he finally brought the kids home from the orphanage. At that point, he could have had them home much sooner. My Dad left home when he was 14 to make his own way, because she made life so difficult for the kids of the first wife. He only stayed that long because he'd promised his father he'd finish the 8th grade. So I don't have a lot of sympathy for either him or her... They made their bed. *harumph!*

Debbie