Jamima Tait Johnstone (1846 - after 1901)
This photo was found in with many others among Lizzie Sinclair Morcom's old pictures. Thank goodness someone wrote on the back of it to help figure out who it was taken of all these years later. I am assuming that she is Mrs. Johnstone but don't understand the Mrs. Graham or Mother notation under that, so my guess may be all wrong.
Mary Tait was Lizzie's Grandma and we refer to her as Widow Mary due to it being such a common first name in the family but also to distinguish her as the woman who left Ontario with 11 children for Blanshard, Manitoba in 1883. She herself had married William Henry in 18 and left Scotland for Perth, Ontario in 18. Mary had 3 brothers and 6 sisters and I have been in touch with some of their descendants still overseas who are interested in genealogy as well, although none that are directly connected to this lady.
If the back of the photo is believed, with Ancestry's trees help, I can surmise her first name was Jamima and she was born in Troqueer, Scotland in December 17, 1846. She was living with her parents, William Tait and Helen Monbray on the 1851 and on the 1861 Scotland census she is a fourteen year old domestic servant in the household of John and Margaret Johnstone in Aberfoyle.
In about 1866, she married Samuel Johnstone and they can be found living at Tinwald Shaws Farm Cottage with 6 children on the 1881 census. In 1891, she is listed as a shepherd's wife with 9 children living at Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire on Nesklebog Farm.
The last place I can find her in online searches is at Wester Craigenpolk in Renfrewshire County on the 1901 census as a 54 year old mother of 5 children along with her husband Samuel.
I would guess this photo was taken many years after that and hope to someday find out the rest of the details about her story.
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