Scottish Roots

This is my great grandmother - Joanna Anderson Dixon - nee Falconer, who was born in Peterhead 110years ago. 22nd April 1902.  She died when I was a teenager, but I did meet her, but my memories of her are very vauge.

I am going to share what I know about Granny Dixon's family, her parents and her siblings.

My great grandmother Joanna was one of 16 children born to James Falconer and his wife Eliza

list the other children born to James and Eliza. , I have added in anything that I know about each of them.

Peter Geddes Falconer was born in Peterhead on 8^th December 1885, he died aged 4 on 21^st September 1890.

James Falconer was born on 16^th February 1887, and died less than a year later on 3^rd January 1888

John Craig Falconer was born o 15^th December 1888 and he too died before his first birthday on 15^th November 1889.

Alexander Peterkin Falconer was born 11^th September 1890 and died in May 1940.  He was married twice, firstly to Catherine Taylor in 1911 with whom he had 6 children and then to Margaret Thomson in 1931 he had another 7 children with her.

John Buchan falconer born 18^th November and died  a month later on 26^th December 1891

Helen Buchan Falconer was born 11^th January 1883 and died on 7^th August 1893 aged 10years.

Eliza Falconer was born 6^th March 1894 believe she married James Cruickshank in 1916. Gran seems to think that Eliza was brought up by someone else, but they did know her as Auntie Lizzie.

William Falconer born 7^th August 1896 - nothing else known.

James Falconer born 17^th August 1897 and died less than a month later.

Jane Craig Falconer born 3^rd November 1898 and died in the February of 1902

Jeannie Wiseman Falconer was born in February 1900

Joanna Anderson Falconer born 22^nd April 1902 …. My Great Grandmother

Elsie Stephen Falconer born 24^th October 1902 and Died 21^st March 1903 Cause of death was measles, and Bronche Pneumonia. Died at 30 Keith Street.

 
Charles Perry Falconer born 18^th September 1904 and died  4months later in January 1905

Robert John Smyth Falconer born 14^th June 1906 and died 5 months later in November 1906

Annie Paterson Falconer born 18^th February 1912.

Over 22 years Eliza gave birth to 16 children 10 of them died in childhood. Gran says that after Eliza had her last child, Annie in 1912, she would have been 48, she didn’t get out of bed again Whether that was true we don’t know, but we do know she died 16 years later. Having so many children and so many dying at such a young age is hard to comprehend.

I do not have anydetails on the cause of death for all of these children, it would be interesting to find out.

My great great grandmother, Eliza Peterking (married name Falconer) was born in Fordyce on 5^th November 1864 and died on 13^th October 1928 at no. 15 Lodge Walk, Peterhead. Sadly she died just 4 weeks after her husband James Falconer. 

When Eliza married James on 4^th November 1884 the register records that he was a seaman in the merchant service and that she 21 and a domestic servant. Eliza’s parents according the Marriage Register  were Alexander Peterkin and Jean Nicol.  Eliza and James were married on 4^th November 1884 in Peterhead.  Eliza’s address was given as South High Street, Portsoy. She died of Cancer of the Stomach, death certified by a James Smith MB.  Jean Smith, her daughter, registered the death. *

My Grandmother says that Eliza wasn’t told when her husband had died in 1928, as she was very ill herself.

I have been able to trace Eliza back a little further.  On the 1881 census aged 17 she was living with her mother, a widow, Jane aged 40 in Fordyce. With a brother William and sister Elsie.   

We are also told this on the entry of her death in the registers in 1928. Her parents are named as Alexander Peterkin, deceased, a carter and Mother Jean Peterkin maiden name Nicol, also deceased. The informant was her daughter Jean.

Date of death is given as 13 October 1928 at 15 Lodge Walk aged 63 cause of death Cancer of stomach.

James and Eliza Falconer

On the 1891 Census they are living at Sea View cottages, Peterhead, along with Alexander their son, aged 6 months… of course by this time they had already lost 4 children.

James is described as a fisherman born in Peterhead, and Banff is given as Eliza’s birthplace. Also in the house was a Elsie? A 17 year old servant. Unable to read her surname.

Ten years later the family had moved to 30 Keith Street, Peterhead and there are more children.  James, now described as a Pilot, is aged 40 while his wife is 38, also living in the house are Alexander aged 10, William aged 6 Jane aged 2 and Joanna aged 4months.