Elizabeth Scott Abel (1852 - 1872)

Born 22 Dec 1852 in Forgue, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 10 Sep 1872 at age 19 in Donbank Cottage, Woodside, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Biography

• 22 Dec 1852: Born to John Abel and Elizabeth Scott at The Manse, Forgue , Aberdeenshire, Scotland, her father being the minister of that church (Church of Scotland) ^[1]My Heritage)^[2]; ^[3] Forgue was described in 1837 as: '... a parish nine miles in length, and its greatest breadth about six; its situation is north-west of Bently [?], and it is intersected by two rivulets, the Frendraught [?] and the [Burn of] Forgue. The soil in the lower part produced good crops, but towards the south the ground is mostly covered by heath. On several of the estates much has been done in planting and improving the wastes.' ^[4] The 1850s-1960s map overlay shows Forgue as a village of less than 15 buildings and an 1851 map shows the town, its surrounds and the Parish Kirk.. Nowadays Forgue is mainly just a location, with only a distillery among cropping lands.

• 18 Jan 1853: Baptised in the parish of Forgue, Aberdeenshire, Scotland ^[5])

• 1861: Residence: Forgue ^[6] 1861 Census)

• 1863: Record of an Elizabeth Abel as an inmate of the Aberdeen Royal Asylum. [This might be a mis-spelling.] ^[7] The Royal Asylum was a mental hospital that had only been opened in 1800.^[8]

• 1871: Residence: The Angles, Mortlake, Surrey, England ^[9] [Note: the evidence for this referring to the same Elizabeth Abel is weak, and in the context of other of her life events is unlikely.]

• 10 Sep 1872: Died at 'Donbank Cottage', Woodside, in the parish of Old Machar in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the age of 19; cause of death: 'Phthisis 12 months' . (Source: ^[10]; ^[11]) [Note: 'Phthis' is no longer used as a medical diagnosis, but used to refer to diseases involving atrophy, or shrinking, particularly of the lungs. It was associated with underground mining and the inhalation of particles and radium gas, but was often used as a description of tuberculosis. The latter would explain why the family suffered so many early deaths. Tuberculosis commonly spread to the brain, which could well be a reason for Elizabeth being admitted to the Royal Asylum.]^[12]

• Interred at Forgue Parish Churchyard. Memorial ID 196967630 ^[13]) There are six family members memorialised on the one gravestone: the parents and four of the thirteen children.

Elizabeth Scott Abel was the second of 14 children born to Rev John Abel and Elizabeth Forsyth Scott. She was born in the manse of the Forgue Church of Scotland, of which her father was the minister. At the time Forgue was a small rural village surrounded by farming lands, and has since become even smaller, with the amalgamation of small holdings into large farms. There is one piece of evidence that she moved to Surrey, England, but in the larger context of her life events this is questionable. She was admitted to the Royal Aberdeen Asylum, a 50-year-old mental hospital in 1863, at the age of 11, possibly because of a mental condition caused by tubercular lesions in her brain. At the age of 19 she died at Donbank Cottage, most likely in what would now be called a nursing home or private hospital, in the Woodside area of Aberdeen. Her death certificate records her cause of death as 'Phthisis 12 months', which is most likely to refer to pulmonary tuberculosis, and which would explain why several other family members died at early ages. Her remains where returned for interrment in the churchyard at Forgue where her father had been interred the previous year and where she and other members of her family are memorialised.

Research Notes

Searches so far:

• Scotland's People births, deaths, censuses, 3 searches saved

• Churches of Aberdeen: mention of Alex Wishart as minister of Forgue church but not of John Abel

• Cemetery records Aberdeen: no results

• Cemetery records: Guide to Cemetery Records held by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives: no results

• Extracts from the council records of the Burgh of Aberdeen

• Old Machar Church, Aberdeen

• Records of Old Aberdeen (2 volumes): no relevant results

• Miscallaneous Baptisms Presyterian and Episcopalian pre-1855 by Father's Surname: no results for Abel

• Epitaphs and Inscriptions From Burial Grounds in the North-East of Scotland with Biographical, Genealogical and Antiquarian Notes, Also an Appendix of Illustrative Papers: no relevant results

• List of Pollable Persons Within the Shire of Aberdeen: Page 493: 'Leuchar. Andrew Abel, tenent ther, his proportione of valued rent, and generall poll for himself and wife, is £0 16 8'; Page 514: 'Over Allfoch. Robert Abel, tenent ther, his proportione of his masters walowaton is 6s., with his own and his wifes generall poll is £0 18 0'; 'Paroch of Dyce. Alexander Abel, his fee £2 per annum, the fortieth part and generall poll is, 0 7 0'; 'Presbytrie of Aberdeen. Andrew Abel, weaver, and his wife, poll 0 18 0'; 'Toune and Freedom of Aberdeen. William Scott, indweller, no stock, for himselfe and wife, no child; servants, Jean Gibson and Marjorie Abell, £4 yearly each 1 8 0'

• An Alphabetical List of those Inhabitants of Aberdeen and of its Suburbs, Which are Arranged Under the Trade Heads, Including the Nobility, Gentry and Clergy: Abel Cleristian [?] eating house, 76 Ship row; Abel Peter, 4 Commerce St; Polterers. Abel Christian, 76 Ship Row; Boot and shoe makers. Abel Adam, Kintore;

• Scottish Censuses, Population Listings & Communion Rolls (mainly pre-1841)

• J Pigot and Co, 1837. An Alphabetical List of those Inhabitants of Aberdeen and of its Suburbs, Which are Arranged Under the Trade Heads, Including the Nobility, Gentry and Clergy

• Cemetary records: Greyfriars Burying-Ground, Edinburgh 1658-1700: Abel (Abell, Ablle, Ebell), James, tailor, a child ; east steps head; James, tailor, a child ; east steps head; James, tailor, a child ; Naismith tomb; James, tailor, a child ; south alow;James, tailor ; east steps head; John, workman, poor ; warrant; east side causeway; Richard, soldier, a child ; east steps head; Thomas, a halflin 1662-1698

• Cemetery records: St Cuthberts Parish Church, Edinburgh: no results

• Scottish Record Society. Parish of Holyroodhouse or Cannongate Register of Marriages 1564-1800.

• Web search for Rev John Abel: Wipedia: no results

• Billion Graves: no results

• Ecclegen: ministers of the Free Church of Scotland: no result for John Abel; others just out of date range https://www.ecclegen.com/ministers-a/#ABEL,%20ARTHUR%20CLARK

• Roots Chat: no relevant results https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=search2https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=search2

• Find-a-Grave: family gravestone located

• National Archives of Scotland https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20170106021950/http://www.nas.gov.uk/help/search.asp

• National Library of Scotland Forgue modernmap and 1888-1913 map downloaded https://maps.nls.uk

• National Records of Scotland: no results

• Archives Hub: no relevant results

• Scottish Indexes: no results https://www.scottishindexes.com/default.aspx

• National Register of Archives of Scotland: no results http://catalogue.nrscotland.gov.uk/nrasregister/welcome.aspx

• Scotland's Places: Record of Forgue Free Church school, Free Church and church manse downloaded from Records Ordnance Survey Name Books Aberdeenshire OS Name Books, 1865-1871

• Aberdeenshire volume 31 OS1/1/31/69 in https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search/place/aberdeenshire?id=1

• Scottish Post Office Directories: no results https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/?quick_namestart=Abe&quick_place=Forgue&quick_years=1852&quick_submitted=yes

• Statistical Accounts of Scotland Forgue, County of Aberdeen, NSA, Vol. XII, 1845 Rev. James Cordiner at https://stataccscot.edina.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/parish/Aberdeen/Forgue

• The British Newspaper Archive: no relevant results from Aberdeen Evening Post 1850-1899 https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1850-01-01/1899-12-31?basicsearch="elizabeth%20abel"&phrasesearch=elizabeth%20abel&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&newspapertitle=aberdeen%20evening%20express

• Roots search https://rootssearch.io/search no further results

Sources

1. ↑ Free Cen, [1]
2. ↑ [2]
3. ↑ Birth record 18/01/1853 Abel, Elizabeth Scott (Old Parish Registers Births 194/ 40 259 Forgue) Page 259 of 445
4. ↑ J Pigot and Co, 1837. An Alphabetical List of those Inhabitants of Aberdeen and of its Suburbs, Which are Arranged Under the Trade Heads, Including the Nobility, Gentry and Clergy. p197
5. ↑ OPR Baptism indexes; Abel, Elizabeth Scott; John Abel/Elizabeth F. Scott; F; 18/01/1853; 194/ 40 259; Forgue; from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
6. ↑ [3]
7. ↑ Old Scottish Genealogy and Family History General Register of Lunatics index MC7 https://www.oldscottish.com/asylum-patients-a-allan.html
8. ↑ https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/1540975/haunting-photographs-offer-insight-into-asylum-life/
9. ↑ [4]
10. ↑ Statutory death indexes; Abel, Elizabeth Scott; 19; Scott; 1872; 168/2 637; Old Machar Aberdeen Burgh; from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
11. ↑ My Heritage: Fitchett family tree,
12. ↑ Diseases on Scottish death certificates from 1855 Scotland's Family http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/medical-diseases.htm
13. ↑ F ind-a-Grave

• Free Cen UK Census Records record of birth: [5]

• 1861 census, reference number 194/1/8 [6]

• 1871 England and Wales Census, My Heritage [7]

• My Heritage: Fitchett family tree [8]

• [9] Find-a-Grave