Isabella McNair

Ancestors

Descendants

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Biography

Isabella Robertson McNair was born on 21 October 1902^[1] in miners' housing at 55 Parkhead Rows, Bellshill, Lanarkshire, the daughter of John McNair a coal miner, and his wife Grace Fyfe Renwick. In the Scotland Census of 1911^[2] we find Isabella and her family living at 13 Douglas Park, a small development of miners' housing adjacent to Parkhead Rows. By 1918, the family had moved to 99 Gray Street, Shettleston (soon to be renamed Dervaig Street when it became part of Glasgow).

Sometime during the early-mid 1920's Isabella took up with a married man, John Murison. Although they lived and raised a family together, and used the family name Murison, Isabella and John were never married. Their first child, James was born in 1927 at 7 Miller Street, Clydebank; their second, "Donny" was born in Bridgeton; their third, Charles in Edinburgh; and their fourth Grace, in Dennistoun. They then settled briefly at 7 Methil Street, Glasgow where their last two children Alex and David were born. However, by 1935, with the depression biting deep and affecting Glasgow very badly, they were forced to move back with her parents and older sister into their already-cramped one-roomed tenement at 99 Dervaig Street, Parkhead.

Isabella's partner John died in 1943, and in 1952 she married a long-standing family friend Bill Christie. Bill had been living in another apartment at 99 Dervaig Street since at least 1932.

Isabella passed away unexpectedly at age 58, on 3 January 1961^[3], following minor surgery for a hysterectomy. She was buried in Cathcart Cemetery.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: A copy of her birth certificate has been uploaded to the Images.
2. ↑ 1911 Scotland Census: Photocopy uploaded to the images.
3. ↑ Death: A copy of her death record has been uploaded to the Images.

• Family history known personally to the Profile Manager.