Janet MacIntosh
The daughter of James MacIntosh and Barbara Harding, Janet was born in approximately 1810.
Janet married William Simpson in May or June 1826.
It is thought that Janet was a skilled milliner (hat-maker) and dressmaker. Kathy Jackson has advised that an entry is found in the Perth Directory for 1837-38 for :
SIMPSON, Mrs William, milliner, Bridge Lane.
Until about 1855, records of christenings, marriages and burials in Scotland were maintained only in church registers. Some events were not recorded or the records have been lost. In some instances, especially in the towns and cities, people were less religious and did not bother with church processes. In other instances, it was just a matter of being too busy or, being illiterate, could not see the need for written records. For some time it had been difficult to locate a record of Barbara's birth or christening. Kathy Jackson advised that it was recorded with the surname misspelled as "Simson". The christenings of four other children of William Simpson and Janet McIntosh in Scotland have been located, while three further children were born in Sydney :
- Barbara Simpson, born in Perth, Scotland on 18 May 1829 and christened 31 May 1829. Other information provided separately.
- Douglas Simpson, born in Perth, Scotland. Christened 11 December 1831 and died in infancy, certainly prior to 1835.
- Janet Simpson, born in Perth, Scotland on 4 January 1834 and christened 19 January 1834. Presumed to have died in infancy, certainly prior to 1839.
- Douglas Simpson, born in Perth, Scotland. Christened 14 August 1835. Died in infancy, certainly prior to 1839).
- Ann Ramsey Simpson, born in Perth, Scotland on 22 July 1837, christened 30 July 1837. Ann Ramsey Simpson married John Price in New South Wales on 24 October 1857; registration no. 1857/2242). Died 28 October 1910 at Stroud NSW. Grave is located in Anglican Cemetery at Merriwa NSW.
- Jane Robinson Simpson, born 17 November 1840 in Sydney, New South Wales. Married James Samuel Manfield. See separate information under James Samuel Manfield and Jane Robinson Simpson.
- Margaret Ellet Simpson, born Sydney, New South Wales on 5 September 1843; NSW birth registration no. V18433452047/1843. Married John Robert Manfield. See separate information under John Robert Manfield and Margaret Ellet Simpson
- Paul Nathaniel Douglas Simpson, born Sydney, N.S.W. on 23 June 1847. Married Elizabeth Wignell on 15 January 1874. Died in 1923 in Euroa, Victoria.
There may have been other children in Scotland, of whom it has not been possible to find a record, particularly if they had died before the family migrated. Thanks to Kathy Jackson for much of the above information.
This photograph is reported to be William and Janet Simpson and their family, possibly taken in Perth, Scotland in 1837. If correct, this would be an example of very early portrait photography.And if correct, then the oldest girl would be Barbara (8 yrs old) and the baby would be Ann Ramsey (newborn) and the younger boy could be the second child named Douglas (age 2 yrs in 1837). However that leaves one girl and one boy in the picture but not explained. The second girl looks too old to be 3 yr old Janet. Perhaps this photograph is not correctly identified as to subjects or time. If a number of young children had died, leaving only two daughters living, then life in Scotland in the 1830s must have been very difficult and would explain the desire to seek a new life in New South Wales. On balance, it is unlikely that this photograph dates to as early as 1837. It is possibly a family photograph but not the one described.
Janet Simpson died on 25 May 1876 (NSW regn. No. 7459/1876) at West Maitland, New South Wales. The picture above shows the gravestone marking the grave of Janet, her husband William and their eldest daughter Barbara. Photograph provided by Eric and Nancy Endacott. The stone is in the Wesleyan Cemetery in Oakhampton Road, Maitland NSW (see picture of remains of this cemetery in the entry for a href="wsimpson.htm"> William Simpson).
