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| George and Charlesina Findlay (about 1914) |
Charlesina Smith Love Findlay, Ella’s grandmother, was born at 57 Jute Street in Aberdeen on the 14th of August 1883, as the 3rd of 7 children to Alexander and Caroline Smith Love. She was actually a twin!(1)(2) And all 7 of the Love children were daughters. Her father, Alexander, was a fancy box maker (which Ella was told meant chocolate boxes); her mother, Caroline, worked in the same industry for some time as well.(3)
When she was 19, she married George Findlay on 31 December 1902 in Aberdeen - at 40 Blackfriars Street, which was her home. He was 23. Elizabeth Love, her older sister, and John Findlay, his older brother, were the witnesses.
Charlesina and George had 11 children together (5 boys, 6 girls). Ella’s father, George was the oldest - Charlesina had him when she was 19 - and their youngest child was born when she was 41.(4) However, 4 of their children (2 boys, 2 girls) died at ages 2 years or younger, with 7 of the children growing to adulthood (3 boys, 4 girls). Four of their adult children served in WWII(5); and 3 of their children emigrated from Scotland (2 to the United States and 1 to New Zealand).
When she was 19, she married George Findlay on 31 December 1902 in Aberdeen - at 40 Blackfriars Street, which was her home. He was 23. Elizabeth Love, her older sister, and John Findlay, his older brother, were the witnesses.
Charlesina and George had 11 children together (5 boys, 6 girls). Ella’s father, George was the oldest - Charlesina had him when she was 19 - and their youngest child was born when she was 41.(4) However, 4 of their children (2 boys, 2 girls) died at ages 2 years or younger, with 7 of the children growing to adulthood (3 boys, 4 girls). Four of their adult children served in WWII(5); and 3 of their children emigrated from Scotland (2 to the United States and 1 to New Zealand).
Five days after their marriage, their first child, George, was born, on 4 January 1903 at 41 Blackfriars Street, Aberdeen. At some point they moved to another home, living there until 1911, and later they moved to 40 Merkland Road East in Aberdeen.(6)
Those Saturdays were so special: “We had Grandma to ourselves!” Ella likes to tell. On Sundays, the rest of the family - aunts, uncles, and cousins - would usually congregate at their home, but because of church commitments on Sundays, Ella’s family would go the day before.
I imagine that Charlesina’s days were busy, filled with taking care of house and home and looking after the needs of her husband and children.
And it seems like Charlesina would have been well acquainted with hard work and with grief, but Ella remembers her as being steady, loving, and “couthie” (agreeable, lovable).
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| Charlesina is Ella's paternal grandmother |
When Ella’s father, George, left in December 1948 en route to America, Ella, her sister Ina (7), and their mother Kate moved in with their grandparents Charlesina and George at their home at 4 Ferrier Crescent. They lived there until May 1949 when Ella and Kate emigrated themselves; Ina stayed until the following October when she joined her parents and sister in Arizona.(8)
Charlesina came to the train station to say goodbye to her dear granddaughter Ella and daughter-in-law Kate in May 1949. Ella recalls that she was keeping her emotions composed as she was saying goodbye to friends and family that day on the train platform, until...her grandmother Charlesina was the last person that Ella hugged before boarding the train - at that point the tears really started to flow! That was the last time they would ever see each other.(9)
Charlesina passed away on 5 Jan 1960 at 76 years old. According to the death register, she died at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen from thrombosis, general [illegible], and broncheopneumonia. She was survived by her husband George (he died about 5 years later) and all 7 children who had grown to adulthood. After her cremation, her ashes were scattered at the Garden of Remembrance surrounding the Hall of Remembrance at Kaimhill Road in Aberdeen.(10)
Charlesina came to the train station to say goodbye to her dear granddaughter Ella and daughter-in-law Kate in May 1949. Ella recalls that she was keeping her emotions composed as she was saying goodbye to friends and family that day on the train platform, until...her grandmother Charlesina was the last person that Ella hugged before boarding the train - at that point the tears really started to flow! That was the last time they would ever see each other.(9)
Charlesina passed away on 5 Jan 1960 at 76 years old. According to the death register, she died at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen from thrombosis, general [illegible], and broncheopneumonia. She was survived by her husband George (he died about 5 years later) and all 7 children who had grown to adulthood. After her cremation, her ashes were scattered at the Garden of Remembrance surrounding the Hall of Remembrance at Kaimhill Road in Aberdeen.(10)
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| George and Charlesina - 1927 |
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| George and Charlesina - 1956 |
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| 57 Jute Street, Aberdeen - Where Charlesina was Born |
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| Ralph and Ella at the Garden of Rest at the Kaimhill Funeral Home, Aberdeen. This is where the ashes of both Charlesina and husband George Findlay were scattered - May 2017 |
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| Charlesina's Parents: Alexander Love and Caroline Smith Love |
Dear family: Have any additional memories or details I can add here? Email me directly or submit through the Contact Form at the bottom of this page. Also, see the section of Questions, below, to see if you might have more pieces to our puzzle.
..........
Notes:
- Ella remembers visiting with Grandmother Charlesina’s twin, “Auntie Annie” (Annie White Love Sharp, 1883-1950), who lived just up the street from Ella’s family when they lived on Holburn Street in Aberdeen.
- Twins run in our family! Ella’s grandmother Charlesina Smith Love Findlay had a twin (sister Annie White Love Sharp, 1883-1950)); Ella gave birth to twins herself (son BM and daughter BR); and Ella’s granddaughter AG gave birth to twin girls HG and GG. Are there twins further back on Charlesina’s line as well?
- The occupations of Charlesina's parents, Alexander and Caroline, are listed on the parish marriage entry for their wedding. Both were fancy box makers.
- Their children, in order: 1 - George Findlay; 2 - Jane Love Findlay (passed away at 6 weeks old); 3 - Dorothy Findlay (died at almost 14 mos old); 4 - Alexander Love Findlay; 5 - Caroline Smith Findlay; 6 - Ethel Findlay; 7 - Walter Findlay (passed away at just over 25 mos old); 8 - Elizabeth Love Findlay; 9 - James Webster Findlay (died at almost 6 weeks old); 10 - John Heatherwick Findlay; 11 - Marjorie Love Findlay
- Read more about George and Charlesina’s children who served World War II, here: http://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/2014/05/at-home-and-abroad-family-members.html
- The 1911 census lists their residence as ... is it 37 South Constitution Street in Aberdeen? See below as it's hard to make out. Looks like it was a 2-room flat. The marriage record for their son George Findlay to Ursula Katherine Bruce (Ella’s parents) in 1927 lists their address as 40 Merkland Rd. Also see this blog post for photos and videos of that location: http://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/search?q=merkland+road
- Ella’s sister’s full maiden name was Charlesina Findlay, named after her grandmother, but she always went by “Ina.”
- Read more details about their emigration story here: http://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/2014/10/across-oceans-and-continents_27.html
- Read more about the goodbyes at the Aberdeen train station here, and see a video of Ella explaining the significance too: http://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/2015/11/places-of-significance-aberdeen-train.html
- Per an email received on 14 Sept 2016 from a support assistant for cremations at Marischal College, Aberdeen, confirming that Charlesina’s ashes were scattered at the Garden of Remembrance at Kaimhill Road, Aberdeen. More information about the location here: http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/community_life_leisure/bereavement_services/dfc_hall_of_remem.asp
Questions:
- Do we know what part of Aberdeen Charlesina's family lived in when she was growing up?
- How would her family describe her appearance? Stature? Personality? Any additional stories to share?
- Was their first son, George, born just 5 days after they were married? Marriage date: 31 Dec 1902. George Findlay junior’s birth date: 4 Jan 1903. No judgement, just checking my facts and confirming dates. :D
- How long did they live at each of their residences?
- Confirm her death date - some websites list it at 7 Dec 1959, but the death register says 5 January 1960?
- Can anyone make out the 3 causes listed for her death, on the death register? Thrombosis, general [illegible], and broncheopneumonia.
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| Birth entry for Charlesina Smith Love. Click to enlarge- see line 1294 (her twin sister is on line 1295) |
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| Marriage entry for George Findlay and Charlesina Smith Love. Click to enlarge - see line 25. |
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| 1911 Census Click to enlarge - see line 141 |
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| Death entry for Charlesina Smith Love Findlay. Click to enlarge - see line 30 |
