Elizabeth (McLaren) McKay (1829 - abt. 1897)

Born 29 May 1829 in Dunblane, Perth, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of Robert Gillies — married 3 Jan 1852 in Logie, Stirlingshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Wife of William Angus McKay — married 1867 in New Zealand

Descendants

Died about 31 Jul 1897 at about age 68 in Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand

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Biography

Birth: 29 May 1829.

Elizabeth was the daughter of James McLaren and Janet Kirkwood and was born in Dunblane, Perth, Scotland Event Type Birth 29 May 1829 Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. (according to 1851 census she was born in Kilsyth, Stirlingshire ) Father's Name James McLaren Mother's Name. Janet Kirkwood^[1]

In the 1841 census 13 year old Elizabeth is in Kinbuck, Dunblane, Perthshire with her parents and six younger siblings. ^[2] In the 1851 England Scotland and Wales census, 21 year old Elizabeth is in the home of her parents James and Janet, at School (Sabbath), Menstry, Logie , Clackmannanshire, with her sister Isabella and two brothers, James and Thomas, and a baby sister Janet Gillies McLaren aged 2. Census record 1851 England Scotland and Wales at Findmypast.

Marriage to Robert Gillies (spelt Gillis)^[3]

Elizabeth (aged 21) and Robert (aged 26) migrated on the James Brown arriving in Australia in January 1853. They travelled as Assisted Passengers. Daughters Janet (2) and Isabella (1) and sister Mary Ann Gillies (18) were also passengers. Daughter Elizabeth Gillies aged 1 died on the journey of diarhoea. Her death is recorded on October 1, the second of 39 infants to die during the passage.

Elizabeth's brother Thomas married Robert's sister Janet.

Marriage 1867 to William Angus McKay in New Zealand^[4]

Elizabeth lived in Scotland, Australia and New Zealand. She and her husband Robert lived in Victoria while Robert worked the gold fields. Not very successfully, in terms of gold or children, they had a number of babies die in their time there. When Robert died in Auckland in an accident working, Elizabeth had three young daughters. They had all migrated to New Zealand on the Tararua, in 1868. She married her husband's business partner , McKay, in Wanganui. Her daughter Janet was a witness. Janet married Charles Edwards as a minor. Both families lived on the Wanganui River, the Mckays at Ruapatiki.

There are three McKay children born in New Zealand, William Thomas, James Suiter and Margaret. Elizabeth gave birth to her third McKay child, James Suiter McKay, at Wangaehu in July 1875, Suit’s birth was registered by Charles Edwards, at Wanganui. Presumably the women supported each other at such a time. William McKay’s diary indicates that trips to Wanganui and Waverley, via Wangaehu were made surprisingly often.

Death in 1897 In New Zealand^[5]'

Elizabeth is buried in the cemetery at Manaia in Taranaki, died aged 67.

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQ7G-13R : 11 February 2020), Elizabeth McLaren, 1829.
2. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59045f79e9379091b10f205d : viewed 21 Jan 2024), Elizabeth MCLAREN in household of James MCLAREN, Kinbuck, Perthshire, Scotland; from 1841 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives HO 107/348, Folio 0, Page 7, Schedule , The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ Name Robert Gillis 3 Jan 1852 at Logie, Stirlingshire, Scotland, United Kingdom Spouse's Name Elizabeth MacLaren "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY36-DY1 : 11 February 2020), Elizabeth MacLaren in entry for Robert Gillis, 1852.
4. ↑ https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
5. ↑ https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz Death 1897/4176

• marriage at Findmypast Scotland, Parish Marriages & Banns 1561-1893, Perthshire, Scotland, Robert Gillis and Elizabeth Maclaren, at Logie.

• https://prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/assisted-passenger-lists

• https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/ death 102/1864 (James age 6)
• https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/ death 260/1868 (John age 9)
• https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/ death 1465/1861 (James aged 1 day)