Born - 29 May 1893 - Carriden, Linlithgow, Scotland
Died - 24 August 1954 - Methil Fife, Scotland

Jeannie was born in Grangepans, Carriden on 29th May 1893. Her parents William and Janet were married on 31st December 1892 her father wasn’t present to register the birth.

The name Grangepans comes from when coal was used to boil seawater to produce salt. Coal was in Jeannie’s life every single day, it was the bread and butter to her family.

The first census Jeannie is in (1901) she is 7 and living with her parents William and Janet along with her sister’s Janet (9), Helen (5) and brother’s Archibald (3) and Andrew who was just born. Her other siblings, William Murray and Marion Burnett, were born later. They lived on Furnance Row as her father was a Coal Miner. The map below shows the Iron works, which had recently closed, Kinneil Collieries, where they would have worked and the houses the families lived in.

In the 1911 Census Jeannie was a pit head worker along with her sister Janet, Their job was to pick stones from the coal after it was hauled to the surface. The Coal Mines Act was passed in 1842 as result of Lord Shaftesbury’s report into the employment of women and young children in coal mines. The law stopped all females and children under 18 years of age from underground working. From 1843 the act was extended so that all women had to stop working underground. For many mining families the loss of income from these working women was a disaster. However, the Mines Act did not forbid girls and women working on the surface on the mine and they became to be known as Pit Brow Lassies. They worked at various jobs ranging from loading wagons to sorting coal. This image below was taken in 1900 of pit brow workers.

Jeannie married William Rae in 1912 – she was 8 months pregnant! It was shortly after this that they moved to Denbeath and the first world war came and her husband was called up to fight. Her brother Archibald also served in the army but was discharged after 6 months due to deafness.

By the 1921 census Jeannie and William were living at East High Street, Buckhaven with their 4 children, Janet, John, Elizabeth and Helen. Her parents had also moved to Buckhaven and were living at Barncraig Street with her siblings Richard (16), William (14) and May (12). Her sister Janet and her family (Smart) lived in the same house as well as her brother Archibald  and his family. It was not uncommon for 3 families to live in the 3 separate rooms in the one house. My great gran (Janet Burnet Rae) was very close to her Auntie May, being only 4 years between them. Many stories I hear have them as close as sisters – they even died the same year!

Records show her brother Archibald and his wife also travelled to America via Ellis island but came home. He was living at Herriot Crescent Methil when he died in 1968. 

Jeannie and William had 12 children, 10 of which lived into adulthood and most of them were lucky enough to live into old age. Jeannie lost a daughter, Margaret aged 4 in 1921 to Tubercular Meningitis and Marion aged 2 in 1936. Jeannie gave birth to Marion when she was 40, which was an old mum in 1933! They were living in Dunsire Street, Methilhill by then and Marion’s death certificate states the cause of death as primary amentia – An obsolescent term for mental retardation, particularly the severe, congenital type of defect in which the brain fails to develop.

Jeannie and William then move to Simon Crescent in Methilhill. It was the house they both died in. Jeannie was only 61 when she died of cerebral haemorrhage (pernicious anaemia). Pernicious anaemia is a deficiency of vitamin B12,  A fatal disease back then which is now treatable. It would cause overwhelming fatigue and breathlessness, It can also cause mental illness. In the 1950s Electric Shock therapy was used with acute psychosis associated with Pernicious Anaemia! 

Father – William Murray McNeill

Mother – Janet Ferguson Birnet

Husband – William Rae

Daughter – Janet Burnett Rae