Fraser

Janet Fraser
18?? - 8/5/1860

Janet was Calum's and Jamie's great great great great grandmother.

Janet was more commonly referred to as Jessie. It is not yet know when she was born, only that it was in Inverness.

Jessie married David MacGillivray at some stage in the mid 1830s, but prior to 1837. There are no records of their marriage in the OPRs, but in the 1851 census (1851/68/11/51), Janet, listed as Jessie, was described as having been born in Inverness.

After marrying David, Janet, or Jessie, spent a few years raising a family with David in Inverness city. In 1851 they are recorded in the census living at 67 King Street in Inverness.

Tragedy struck in 1860, when one of their children, believed to be Isabella, died. Unable to cope with this, Jessie committed suicide on May 8th 1860.

The Inverness Courier of May 10th 1860 tells us what happened:

MELANCHOLY AFFAIR - A melancholy circumstance took place on Tuesday evening. Some months ago, Mrs Macgillivray, wife of Mr D. Macgillivray, tailor, Friars Street, lost a daughter to whom she was much attached, and has brooded on the subject ever since to such an extent that latterly her friends considered it prudent to have an attendant, who should accompany her when going out. On Tuesday Mrs Macgillivray went to see her daughter's child, and after sitting some time, she embraced it tenderly, and proposed to her attendant, a stout young woman, to take a walk. They strolled by the river side as far as the Bught Mills, where they crossed the fields to the banks of the Canal. They were only a few minutes here, when the unfortunate woman, without a word of warning, plunged into the Canal. Her companion rushed in after, but the bank was so steep that she could not follow far; she screamed for help, and Mr Hossack, lock-keeper, at the Tomnahurich Bridge, ran up with a boat-hook. This was not long enough, however, and a sailor, no longer young, plunged into the water, and succeeded in bringing the body on shore. By this time it was too late. Dr Mackay was promptly on the spot, but life was extinct.

Jessie's death certificate (GROS: 1860/098/201) tells us that she drowned in the Caledonian Canal, "and at or near that part thereof situated 300 yards or thereby to the south of the Bridge of Tom Makurich (Tomnahuirich) in the Parish and County of Inverness". Her body was examined immediately after her death by Duncan MacKay MD in Inverness, and based on his information, the procurator fiscal appears to have pronounced the death as an accident. He also lists her age as "about 46".

According to her death entry, Jessie was subsequently buried in the High Church burial ground in Inverness, without the service of an undertaker. The death was registered by the registrar, James Davidson, on May 21st 1860. Strangely enough, the burial is not registered in the High Church register. After a discussion with the present day Inverness cemeteries officer, Fiona Morrison, it seems that the most likely scenario was that as her death was a suicide, Janet may actually have been buried outside of the cemetery walls, because of the social stigma attached with such an act at that time. If this is true, it may explain why none of her family are listed on her death entry also.

CHILDREN of JESSIE FRASER and DAVID MACGILLIVRAY:

Christina MacGillivray
b: Oct 1837 c: 9/10/1837

Ann MacGillivray *
b: 15 Jul 1839

Calum's and Jamie's great great great grandmother - see MacGillivray page.

Alexander MacGillivray
b: 26/7/1841

David MacGillivray
b: July 1844 c: 29/7/1844

All the children were born in Inverness, Scotland.