WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

[albalad]

Someone e-mailed me this little snippet the other day - just thought it may be of interest.

THE OLDEST SCOT IN THE WORLD DIES PEACEFULLY IN AUSTRALIA AGED 112

The death of Jeannie Gray, the oldest Scot in the world, was announced recently.
Jane (known affectionately as 'Jeannie') was born at Belmont Street in Newtyle in Angus on 1 December 1901, and emigrated to Australia in 1927. Two days after arriving in Australia she married her long-time sweetheart John 'Jock' Gray, who hailed from Durris in Aberdeenshire. Jock died in 1987.
Jeannie's father was Andrew Cant, a shoemaker, and her mother was Jane Beveridge Cant (nee Barnett); they were married in Newtyle on 7 June 1889. Her father was born in Auchterhouse in Angus, while her mother was born in Cupar in Fyfe, the daughter of a Baker.
Jeannie is survived by two children, nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

[Glesgalass]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

I read it somewhere too. It must have been common for someone named Jane to be called Jeannie. My grandmother was Jane but called Jeannie. I wasn't even aware of that until I found her marriage certificate. I always thought Jean was her given name.

Elda

[albalad]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

Jenny is another common one. My aunt Jane was never called anything else, I didn't even know she was Jane until after her death. Handy to know these nicknames if you're researching family trees, etc.

[Alastair]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

My mother was always know as Sybil although I knew her actual name was Isobel. However when I had to get a copy of her birth certificate when emigrating to Canada I found her actual name was Isobella. Also my father's name was John Gilmour but again it seems his birth name was just John and he added the Gilmour himself. Seems his mother's maiden name was Gilmour.

And when I came to Canada they spelled my first name as Alistair. I hummed and hawed and then decided I'd better correct it to the correct spelling of Alastair. That meant I had to get an amended work permit, then replace my SIN card, Drivers Licence and Health card. I suspect given the hassle a lot would just have accepted the incorrect spelling.

Alastair

[Glesgalass]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

That must have been a pain in the neck Alastair. Probably how all the mispellings took place during the early years when a lot of the migrants couldn't read nor write.

Elda

[Alastair]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

It was Elda and that's of course why we see so many different spellings of names when you do genealogy. Oftner because they couldn't read or write the name was spelled as it sounded and as you know there are many silent letters in some names.

Alastair

[albalad]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

I had the same trouble with my surname - it has five variant spellings and I still get mail addressed to the wrong ones. My problem is that one of the wrong ones has somehow gotten onto a computer and into the system - and once this has happened there seems to be just no way you can get it changed, I've just given up.

[Alastair]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

Most people do give up as it's so much hassle to correct it but if you want your real name to be preserved in records you do need to go through that hassle to correct it. It's not so much us but more our succeeding generations that would have problems.

Alastair

[Glesgalass]

Re: WORLD'S OLDEST SCOT

Alastair is right. At one point of my life I used to have to spell my whole name & address :-) I used to be Elda Mulrine who lived Claypotts Road, Ruchazie. It was a nightmare and only the exceptional person who got it all correct.

Elda