Thread: Isabella Gunn Bruce (b.1840)

Hi all



I'm looking for a death date for:



ISABELLA GUNN BRUCE who was born 2 Aug 1840 in Kirkwall and St Ola, Orkney. I have found her on the 1841 Census Residing in Kirkwall and St Ola, Orkney and the 1851 Census Residing at Broad Street, Kirkwall and St Ola, Orkney



Isabella was a daughter - and one of six children - of FOTHERINGHAM ARMIT and JOHN BRUCE. I have dates for the others but Isabella's proving elusive.



Her mother was a daughter of the REVEREND JOHN WATSON ARMIT and JEAN DUNCAN OLIPHANT



Regards



Chiad Fhear

Hi Chiad



Don't know if you have seen the marriage record listed below?



Isabella Gunn Bruce to William Shearer

30 June 1859 - Wick, Caithness, Scotland



Batch No. M110431 Dates: 1855-1875 Source Call No: 6035516 REGISTER

Hi GenieGenie



Thanks for that ... no, I hadn't picked it up but I will follow it up



My Orkney - Armit/Bruce/Cowper/etc. - branch has been going like a steam train this past couple of weeks!



Regards



Chiad Fhear

Good Luck!!!

He again GenieGenie



Just been on ScotlandsPeople and confirmed the marriage but can't find her death.



I've also been on the Ellis Island site and found a possible Isabella - of the right sort of age and with three children also of the right ages - going to the US in 1911 to join "Father - Mr William Cresslaw".



Now I'm wondering if husband No 1 - William Shearer - died and she remarried then shot off 'across the pond' with hubby No 2



Regards



Chied Fhear

Hi Chied



The plot thickens - So what name does she travel under?

[quote name='Geniegenie']Hi Chied



The plot thickens - So what name does she travel under?[/quote]



Hi GeniGenie



Welcome to AA by the way! I hope you find it as useful in your quest as I've done!



Anyway ... after all this excitement, I reckon I've got the wrong Isabella and family



I've had another look at the manifest for the SS 'California' that sailed from Glasgow on 1 April 1911 for the 9 day crossing to New York and it seems that the person I thought was who they were going to join in the US was the husband/father was in fact the Next of Kin. When I looked again at the other half of the page it showed they were joining the husband/father JAMES Shearer at 4035 Poplar Street, Philadelphia,PA.



I thought it had seemed odd that she travelled as Isabella SHEARER. Her daughters Isabella and Nellie and son William are also listed as Shearer which could have been quite correct.



It's a haystack full of needles ... just needing threads



Regards



Chiad Fhear



PS ... Isabella was a diminutive character at only 4' 10" tall

Hi Chiad



Thanks for the welcome - I have already found the site really helpful and look forward to getting to know everyone.



I have found that there were 2 Isabella Gun(n) Bruce births around that time - so the thread for the one that married William Shearer might not be your girl after all.



On family search there are the following:-



Isabella Gun Bruce - B: 2 Aug 1840 C: 26 Aug 1840 Kirkwall and St. Ola, Orkney Father: John Bruce and Mother: Fotheringham Armit - which is clearly your Isabella



But surprisingly there is another listing for



Isabella Gunn Bruce - B: 1838 Wick, Caithness - no parents listed



I guess it is plausible that it was this Isabella that married William Shearer in Wick - what did you find on the marriage record - did it list parents details?



Have a great day - if we pitchfork the Bruce haystack enough we are bound to find the odd rusty needle!

Hi again GenieGenie



Thanks for what you're doing to assist me in my latest quest and glad to hear that the site has been of some use to you already



I have my next visit to General Register House in Edinburgh planned for Tuesday of next week ... a treat to myself given that I retire from work on Friday this week ... and will look at the possibilities then for both Isabellas and revert to you.



I noticed that you have 'GUN' and 'GUNN' as her middle name ... I'd spotted this as well but just assumed it was an anomaly created by whoever wrote the records not being 100% with their '3 R's'



The BRUCE name is most prevalent in Caithness ... if you recall the TV programme 'Who Do You Think You Are' and Fiona Bruce the newscaster. I have them from Watten, Caithness in another branch of my tree but haven't got a connection ... YET!



Regards



Chiad Fhear

Hi Chiad



Congratulations and good luck in your retirement



I don't know if you have come across the following website where some of the old parish records for Orkney have been transcribed. It lists each of the Bruce childrens births and has Isabella Gun spelt with just the one 'n'. http://tilley.dynodns.net:8000/modules.php?name=OPR



Have searched for a marriage for her but no luck! Looking at the census returns the Bruce siblings seem to stay very close throughout their lives so it looks like your instincts that Isabella died young are spot on. They were an educated bunch too weren't they with great names!!!!



Have a brilliant day on Tuesday and hope you have success!!! Look forward to finding out more!!!!