GIBSON, Isabella ^{2 3 4}

   Other names for Isabella were GIBSON, Isabella Donaldson, McALLASTOR, Bella,⁷ McALLISTER, Bella,⁵ TWEEDLEY, Isabella Donaldson ⁸ and TWEEDLEY, Isabelle.⁹

  General Notes:

Bella McAllister was a twin of Matilda McAllister who was born ten minutes later. Both children were recorded as illegitimate on their birth certificates, although in each case their father signed the birth lines and gave his name to his daughters. Both father and mother were informants and signatories of the children's birth. The births were registered at Lugar on 20 December 1889 before the registrar, George Fingland.

The 1891 census for Auchinleck recorded Bella McAllister, daughter of James and, as later evidence testifies, Agnes, living at 152 Common Loch, the youngest of the McAllister children. Bella was recorded as aged 1 year, and had been born in Auchinleck. Her twin, Matilda, had died in 1890.

Bella McAllastor [sic] was recorded by the 1901 census living with her family in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, where she had been born. She was recorded as 11 years of age, and was a scholar.

On 12 July 1902 Bella McAllister sailed on board the SS Carthaginian from Glasgow for New York, in steerage, with her mother, her brother and three sisters. They arrived at the port of New York on 24 July 1902. Bella McAllister was recorded in the ship's manifest as a single woman of 9 years of age. Her occupation or calling was noted as 'child'. To the questions about whether she could read or write the answer was 'yes' to both. Her nationality was 'Scotch' and her last residence: Auchinleck. The manifest records that her final destination was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and that she had a ticket for that destination, paid for by her mother. She declared herself to be in possession of no money. She had never been in the USA before and was going to join a brother 'Thomas McAllister 631 South Avenue, Media Park, Philadelphia'. She stated that she had not been in prison nor supported by charity, she was not a polygamist, she was not under contract to labour in the USA, she was not deformed or crippled but in good health mentally and physically.

The 1910 U.S. Census for Worcester County in Massachusetts recorded Isabella Gibson living at Pleasant Street West, in the town of Warren. She lived with her mother and two sisters, Jemima and Janet, and her brother in law, Archibald Ramsay, and his daughter, Agnes. Isabella was recorded as 20 years old and a single woman. She was a white woman of Scots-English descent who had immigrated to the U.S. in 1892 (this was an inaccurate statement in fact). She spoke English, could read and write, and worked, as her sisters did, as an inspector of cloth at a cotton mill, without having had any days out of work during 1909.

Isabelle Tweedley [sic], now married with four children, lived at 6361 Buist Avenue in Philadelphia, according to the 1920 U.S. Census. Isabelle was aged 30 years and had immigrated in 1902 to the U.S. She was naturalised according to this entry but no year was noted. Like her husband she could read and write, and like him she was Scots born, as were her parents, English being their mother tongue. No occupation was noted.

Isabella's last known address, according to a family member, was 6346 Paschall Avenue Philadelphia, this was certainly the one given by her husband in 1942 in his draft registration card. Her funeral services were held at Yerkes Funeral Home at 7031 Woodland Avenue Philadelphia. She is buried with her husband, James, two of their sons, James Rait Tweedley and Alexander Gibson Tweedley, and their son in law, Ellwood Dougherty. ^{1 3 5 7 9 10 11}

Isabella married James Rait TWEEDLEY (DNA Link), son of Samuel QUIGLEY (DNA Link) and Agnes RAIT, on 10 April 1912 in West Warren, Massachusetts, USA.^{1 2} (James Rait TWEEDLEY (DNA Link) was born 21 April 1882 at 10.00 am in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Scotland,¹² died on 14 October 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and was buried on 18 October 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.)

  Marriage Notes:

James Tweedley and Isabella Gibson were married on 12 April 1912 by William.A. Wilkinson at the Methodist Episcopal Church in West Warren Massachusetts USA.

James was aged 29 years and a machinist, and Isabella was 22 years old and at home. For both it was their first marriage. Both were resident in Warren and both had been born in Scotland.

The names of the parents of the groom were recorded as Samuel (Tweedley?, not inscribed) and Agnes Raite. The bride's parents were James (Gibson?, not inscribed) and Agnes Donaldson.

The marriage was recorded on 11 April 1912. ^{1 2}