Born - 20 August 1798 - Fife, Scotland
Died - 12 May 1874 - Fife, Scotland

Janet was born in Maypole, a small market town just 9 miles form Ayr. The family shortly moved to Aberlady, East Lotion where her brother Alexander was born 2 years later. Her parents Andrew Walker & Euphemia White had 9 children in total – Janet, Alexander, Euphemia, James, Andrew, William, Elizabeth, Mary and Andrew. They stayed in Aberlady for 6 or 7 years before moving to St Cuthbert’s in Edinburgh in 1808.

Her brother James made a life for himself in Leith as he became a Spirit Merchant and then inn keeper. He even had a servant in the 1861 census. Interestingly her sister Euphemia married Joseph Cowen. You will know that name from last week’s story as Thomas Rattray’s (Janet’s husband) sister Margaret was Joseph’s first wife however she died young and Joseph then married Euphemia. Her brother William became a Sawyer and lived until he was 73 years old, sadly he died in the poor house.

Janet lost her sister Elizabeth in 1839 to Fever, she was only 29 years old.

She then lost her brother 10 years later, he died in St Cuthbert’s hospital aged only 35. The hospital was also the poorhouse (This is before the NHS) and was knocked down in 1863 due to the insanitary conditions.

Mary, her sister was the traveller of the family, she married in Aberdeen and then emigrated to Canada with her husband and 4 children some years later. She lived her live in Ontario dying at 77 years old.

Janet also lived a long life and because of that I have census records from 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871. In 1841 she was living at Fordel Square with her husband and 7 children. Her husband was a coalminer as were 4 of her son’s (aged 10, 12, 14 & 16). They worked hard but having so much of her family working Janet would have been better off than many around her. It’s a different world that sends a 10 year old to work. This is a world with no NHS, no laws that children needed to go to school, there was no employment law either.

By 1851 her eldest 2 sons had left home and come the 1861 census she had lost her son William in a coalmining accident. There was only Euphemia, John and a her illegitimate grandson Robert Glass living at home. Her Grandson Robert grew up to be a coachman. In 1891 he lived in Tolbooth Street, Kirkcaldy and in 1901 St Margaret, Edinburgh. He died in 1921 aged 65 and is buried in Scoonie Cemetery.

Janet lost her husband the following year (1862) and as her youngest son, John, never married he lived with his mum until her death in 1874 outliving her by only 3 years.

Husband – Thomas Rattray

Son – James Rattray