Jean Steven Carruthers (1833 - 1898)
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| Jean Steven Carruthers |
My great great grandmother, Jean Steven, was born in 1833 in Cleddense, East Kilbride, Lanark, Scotland. Jean was the daughter of Archibald Steven (aka Baldy) born in Scotland in 1789. Family lore says his mother Christina Shearer was a third cousin of James Watt 1736 - 1819 - inventor of the steam engine. It appears that Jean had two older siblings, James ( aka Big Jim) and Christina.
The 1841 Scotish census has a Jean Steven living with her father 51 year old Arch and a sister Christina in East Kilbride, just southeast of Glasgow. Although there is no mother mentioned on this census, her mother was Jean McGowan (1785 - 1850), if I believe online trees at Ancestry.com. Research from Aunt Marjorie that was gathered by Mrs. Lorne Carruthers in the 1970's through Wynedotte Steven has other possibilities including that the family came to Dundee, Quebec from Scotland in the 1830's.
The photo at the top of this blog came from this site several years ago. Finding this wonderful old picture online was at the beginning of my search for my ancestors and I am grateful to Glen Carruthers for posting it.
The 1841 Scotish census has a Jean Steven living with her father 51 year old Arch and a sister Christina in East Kilbride, just southeast of Glasgow. Although there is no mother mentioned on this census, her mother was Jean McGowan (1785 - 1850), if I believe online trees at Ancestry.com. Research from Aunt Marjorie that was gathered by Mrs. Lorne Carruthers in the 1970's through Wynedotte Steven has other possibilities including that the family came to Dundee, Quebec from Scotland in the 1830's.
The photo at the top of this blog came from this site several years ago. Finding this wonderful old picture online was at the beginning of my search for my ancestors and I am grateful to Glen Carruthers for posting it.
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| James Watt - possibly a third cousin to my 4th great grandmother, Christina Shearer |
Next time I think I find her is a listing on the 1851 Canadian census for an 18 year old "Jane" Steven living in Finch in Stormont County, Ontario, Canada. Also in the house is 65 year old Archb, 35 year old James, his wife Margaret and their 6 young children. Jean seems to go by the nickname Jane from then on in any documents I have found.
At the age of 24, Jane married Andrew William Carruthers on January 7, 1857 in Finch Township, Stormont County Ontario.
Jane and William had a family of 5 boys and 3 girls including my great grandmother Margaret , wife of William George Kinnaird and was also mother to week 12's Christina Carruthers O'Neil. They appear on the 1871 census as Presbyterian farmers in Winchester, Dundas County. The Canadian census in 1881 shows the couple and 6 children ages 20 down to 3 farming at Wincester. She is in the same place ten years later, but is now a 58 year old widow with 4 children with her . Her occupation is listed as farmer.
Jane died on her 65th birthday of kidney disease in 1898 . She had been living at Lot 23 Concession 12 in Winchetser Township at the time of her death. She is buried with her husband William and son Stuart and his wife Jane as well as her daughter Margaret in a family plot near Chesterville, Ontario.
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| Maple Ridge Cemetery, Chesterville, Ontario |
I believe we are cousins. Jean (Jane) Steven is my great great great grandmother. I grew up very close to the house that "Jane" lived in when she moved here from Scotland. My sister has the what I believe is the original picture of her above. She has a stately position in their dining room as a conversation piece. My name is Amy Laforest, my mother is Vera Jean Walker ne Carruthers, her father was James Archibald Carruthers then his father was William Hector, his father Archibald and then Jean or Jane was his mother. My email address is amy_laforest@hotmail.com and I would love to hear from you. My sister, mother and I are planning a trip to scotland in early May and I think I have found where Jean(Jane)'s grandparents(James Steven and Christina Shearer) are buried and plan to try to find it in Kilbride Parish. Look forward to hearing from you. Amy
ReplyDeleteHi Amy! Did you get my email? I am at ssimms@escape.ca
DeleteSharon