Meet Charlesina Smith Love Findlay (1883-1960)

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).

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)

The home that Ella remembers visiting her grandparents at is located at 4 Ferrier Crescent, in the Woodside area of Aberdeen. Ella speaks fondly of frequent Saturdays spent at the home of her “dear sweet grandmother,” where they would enjoy eating and visiting together while her father, grandfather, and uncles would attend the local football games. After the games, the men would head to a pub, but Ella’s father would hang back with the women - he didn’t drink alcohol.

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).

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)

George and Charlesina - 1927

George and Charlesina - 1956

57 Jute Street, Aberdeen - Where Charlesina was Born

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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?
3. The occupations of Charlesina's parents, Alexander and Caroline, are listed on the parish marriage entry for their wedding. Both were fancy box makers.
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. Ella’s sister’s full maiden name was Charlesina Findlay, named after her grandmother, but she always went by “Ina.”
8. Read more details about their emigration story here: http://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/2014/10/across-oceans-and-continents_27.html
9. 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
10. 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.

Birth entry for Charlesina Smith Love.
Click to enlarge- see line 1294 (her twin sister is on line 1295)

Marriage entry for George Findlay and Charlesina Smith Love.
Click to enlarge - see line 25.

1911 Census
Click to enlarge - see line 141

Death entry for Charlesina Smith Love Findlay.
Click to enlarge - see line 30

Places of Significance: 40 Merkland Road East, Aberdeen

40 Merkland Road East, Aberdeen: This is the home where Ella’s paternal grandparents lived, George and Charlesina Findlay, and where her father, George Findlay, grew up. And this is the street where her father likely learned to ride his bicycle. And where he lived until he got married. And just a block away (toward the east) is the Aberdeen Football Club (soccer) stadium where he and his brothers would go to watch “fitball” games on Saturdays (in "rain, shine, or snow, they'd be at that fitball game"). And not far from here (though we're not sure of the exact location), lived "Auntie Carrie", Charlesina's sister Caroline, whose home had a piano on which George Jr. learned to play.

Number 40 is at the end of the row, and today there are six units, two per floor (we assume as there are six doorbell buttons). We’re not sure which unit the family lived in.

We know that Ella’s father, George, grew up here and lived here until he was married in 1927.(1) He was the oldest of 11 children, the youngest being born in 1925; it’s likely that the other children were born here and living here as well. (2) I imagine they had some creative sleeping arrangements in this modest-sized flat!

KF's narrative. Filmed on location, 30 September 2014.

Ella's narrative. Filmed on location, 30 September 2014.

Notes:

(1) The marriage record for George and Ursula ("Kate") Findlay indicates this.

(2) George and Charlesina had 11 children (5 boys, 6 girls); however, 4 of them (2 boys, 2 girls) died at ages 2 years or younger, with 7 of the children growing to adulthood (3 boys, 4 girls).

Would love to research/know:

• Any census or other records that indicate how long George Sr. and Charlesina lived here? When did they move to their home on Ferrier Cresent in the Woodside area of Aberdeen?

Places of Significance: Aberdeen

“It’s a beautiful city, because of the granite...when the sun comes out after it rains and shines on the mica in the granite. That’s how it got its name, ‘The Silver City by the Sea.’” And indeed, Ella’s hometown is beautiful, just as she describes.

Photo by KF - Sept 2006

Photo by KF - Sept 2006

Such stately buildings line the streets, creating an air of dignity and decorum. Much of the older/central part of the city was constructed from locally quarried granite in the 1700s and 1800s. And that stateliness is evident whether admiring the grand buildings on Union Street (such as the Central Library, St. Mark’s church, and His Majesty’s Theatre - referred to as “Education, Salvation and Damnation” by the locals) or the more humble tenement buildings.

The Central Library, St. Mark's Church, and His Majesty's Theatre (Photo Source) 

It’s so fun to visit Aberdeen with Ella, or to even have her describe it, as she remembers much of the city still. She can navigate through the streets in her mind, describing how one road turns to another, veers to the side, passes this or that landmark, until you get to your destination. It’s etched into her memory, obviously from walking and biking its streets so much as a youth. 

And what’s additionally so neat is that the the city's buildings are not that different today compared to the early 1900s, and perhaps even the mid to late 1800s, thanks to the durability of the granite. It was during those time periods that there was a surge in construction of buildings and public parks, thanks in part to technological advancements in granite working. (Source)

What this means is that the same buildings that were built a century or more ago are still standing, the exteriors virtually unchanged. It gives you a sense of history, a place in time. We can walk through the city and feel a connection to the past. After all, Aberdeen is not just Ella’s hometown, but the ancestral roots are deep there: at least 4 generations back on her mother’s side, and at least 3 generations back on her father’s. Our ancestors walked down those same streets and admired those same buildings and bridges and parks.

When Ella returns to Aberdeen, one thing that strikes her as a big difference between now and when she was young is the traffic. As a girl, her impression was that the only people who had cars were lawyers and doctors (who made house calls). Most Aberdonians took public transportation (buses or trams - many of the tram tracks have since been removed). Ella’s father would ride his bike to his job at the shipyards, and they also all did a lot of walking. “It was just fun to walk together.” Ella said, describing how she and her friends liked to walk home from school together, weather and time permitting.

What were favorite places to frequent or places of significance for Ella and her family? Here's a handful:

• 40 Merkland Road East - Where her paternal grandparents, George and Charlesina lived at one time, and where her father, George, was born.
• 26 ½ Bank St - Where her maternal grandparents, John McDonald Beattie and Ursilla Katharine Bruce lived; where her parents, George and Ursula ("Kate"), were married; and where her sister Ina was born.
• 10A Prospect Terrace - Where Ella was born. They lived here until Ella was about 5 years old.
• 311 Holburn Street - Where Ella’s family lived until they emigrated in 1949.
• Duthie Park - A beautiful public park where they would go to walk, enjoy outdoor concerts and picnics.
• The River Dee - Where her family was baptized.
• 4 Ferrier Crescent - The street that her paternal grandparents, George and Charlesina, lived on for many years in their later lives. This is the home where Ella and her family would visit them, especially for family dinners on Saturday nights.
• Ferryhill Library - Ella loved to read!
• The building downtown where the small branch of the church met. On George Street (now a pedestrian street), just off of Union Street in central Aberdeen. At the time of our visit, their rented space was above a Gap clothing store.
• The Aberdeen Harbour - Where Ella’s father worked as a shipwright.
• Allenvale Cemetery by the River Dee - Burial place of Ella's maternal grandparents, John McDonald Beattie and Ursilla Katharine Bruce Beattie.
• The Regent Cinema movie theater, on Justice Mill Lane, near Holburn Street- Where she would watch the Mickey Mouse Club on Saturday mornings. Later renamed to Odeon; currently it's a fitness center.

The Regent Cinema
Ella would watch the Mickey Mouse Club here on Saturday mornings. 
Image Source

Something Ella often says is that she’s grateful she was a little older (aged 15) when her family emigrated, rather than several years earlier, before WWII, like they had originally hoped. As a result, she’s able to remember and appreciate so many details of her homeland and hometown. We’re all grateful for that too!

Sources: 

• From a phone conversation with Ella on 8 Dec 2014. Unfortunately, the recording froze and was not captured (Argh!), though notes were taken.
• See also: A Brief History of Aberdeen, Scotland