DONALDSON, Jane (DNA Linked) ^{1 2}

   Other names for Jane were DONALDSON, Jean,⁴ DONALDSON, Jeanie,^{5 6} GARTSHORE, Jean ³ and GARTSHORE, Jeanie.^{5 6}

   User ID: I8.

  General Notes:

The 1841 census recorded Jean Gartshore's place of birth as Lanarkshire, and her age in the 40 to 44 years age group. ³

  Research Notes:

JANE DONALDSON

As yet, no birth or baptism record has been uncovered for Jane in Scottish records.

The possibility put forward that she might be the child Jane Sarah Donaldson, born 19 March 1801 in London and baptised 19 April 1801 at St Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London, to Alexander Donaldson and his wife Jane, whose surname is unknown, is possible and of some interest but is not wholly convincing. There is a lack of sound evidential connection between the family in question in Scotland and the London-based family, whose mother is presented as born in Durham. There is no evidence known to this researcher of Jane Donaldson's having any connection to England.

The children of the couple in London, all baptised in St Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London, were:

Robert George Alexander Donaldson baptised 27 December 1797
Mary Ann Elizabeth Donaldson born 6 October 1799, baptised 29 December 1799
Jane Sarah Donaldson born 19 March 1801, baptised 19 April 1801
Thomas Hunter Charles Donaldson born 2 November 1804, baptised 26 May 1805

Another child born to Alexander Donaldson and Jane (MS not recorded), and baptised in Petworth, Sussex, England, possibly the same couple, possibly not, was Alexander Donaldson born 19 April 1806, baptised 20 April 1806.

We know of the woman named Jane, also called Jean, Donaldson who married John Gartshore primarily from their 1820 marriage entry:

"DONALDSON JANE JOHN GARTSHORE/FR1672 (FR1672) 00/09/1820 651/ 70 11 Airdrie or New Monkland (Lanarkshire, Scotland)"

in which the record notes they were "both in this parish".
John Gartshore's death certificate of 1861 (651/2 118 New Monkland Landward) recorded him as "Widower of Jean Donaldson". The 1851 census (651/ 44/ 31 Airdrie or New Monkland) recorded John Gartshore as a widower living with his children, the youngest child being recorded as 5 years of age.

The 1841 census (Airdrie; ED: 9; Page: 24) recorded Jean Gartshore in what, from other information, suggests a family group, though the 1841 census does not name the relationships, living at "Hallcraig St or Baillies Lane" in Airdrie:
John Gartshore 45
Jean Gartshore 40
George Gartshore 18
Alxr Gartshore 15
Betheah Gartshore 12
Janet Gartshore 9
John Gartshore 6
Willm Gartshore 3
Alexr Donalson 60
All those listed were born in the census county, Lanarkshire Scotland. The 1841 census generally attributes age grouping to adults. So 40= 40 to 44 years old; 45=45-49 years old; 60=60 to 64 years old.

The presence of "Alexr. Donalson aged 60" suggests he may be Jean's father, though he could be an uncle. Jean's age is in 40-44 years age band, making her younger than her husband John Gartshore, but at least 40 years old. So her possible year of birth may have been 1797-1801.

The first birth or baptism after 1790, listed in the GRO Scotland index, in Airdrie or New Monkland parish, where the father is Alexander Donaldson, is in 1803, and two more entries follow, with the same couple as parents:

DONALDSON ALEXANDER ALEXANDER DONALDSON/JANE WILKINSON FR538 (FR538) M 16/10/1803 651/ 20 402
DONALDSON THOMAS ALEXANDER DONALDSON/JANE WILKINSON FR551 (FR551) M 06/03/1806 651/ 20 429
DONALDSON JAMES ALEXANDER DONALDSON/JANE WILKINSON FR568 (FR568) M 14/10/1808 651/ 20 463

Compare these birth/baptism dates with those of the children baptised in St Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. They are not impossible to match in terms of pregnancy times, but it would have required the couple to travel between London and Airdrie, Scotland, more than once. The multiple first names of the children in the southern group do not seem to correspond easily with the tendency to the one single first name of each of the Airdrie children. Two of the Airdrie children are recorded in Church of Scotland records as births only, without baptisms. On balance of probability, it seems to be a different family.

Moreover, there was a Jane Donaldson in Westminster - possibly the child born in 1801 - who married about the same time as the Jane Donaldson in Airdrie:
At St. Anne's, Westminster, Middlesex, England Jane Donaldson and Thomas Jones Binnington, banns called 20 December 1818, married on 1 March 1819.

The texts of these three Airdrie baptisms identify Alexander Donaldson, the father, as living in Hallcraig, Airdrie, and as being a weaver by occupation. The first child's record in1803 does indicate a baptism by the date, but the other two do not, noting only the birth date of the child. So the Alexander Donaldson in the 1841 census living at the home of John and Jean Gartshore and whose occupation was noted as HLW or handloom weaver, may very well be the same Alexander Donaldson who was the father of the three boys. This would make Jane/Jean his daughter and their sister.

No marriage record has been uncovered for Alexander Donaldson and Jane Wilkinson in Scotland. This, together with the non-baptism record of two of their sons in the registers of the Established Church, suggests the possibility that they may have been non-conformists, perhaps attending a non-conformist church locally whose records are not available through GRO Scotland. Alternatively, they may have participated in what was called an 'irregular marriage', according to the rules of the Church of Scotland, which may not have allowed them to have their sons baptised in that Church. Irregular marriages were legal in Scotland until 1939 and involved a couple declaring they were married in front of two witnesses, with no church ceremony required, which the national Church disapproved of. There were other non-ecclesial traditions of marriage too. These marriages were valid marriages, though undocumented before statutory registration.

There is a danger in cases like this that family historians take 'no evidence' of a documented marriage as an invitation to clutch at 'any evidence' that may be available elsewhere, however unconvincing, as 'proof' and 'obviously' the marriage being sought. Those supporting the English marriage as described above would have to bring substantially more convincing evidence of it being genuinely linked to the Scots family before it could be wholly accepted.

Jane married John GARTSHORE (DNA Linked), son of George GARTSHORE (DNA Linked) and Beththea THOMSON (DNA Linked), in September 1820 in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, Scotland.¹ (John GARTSHORE (DNA Linked) was born on 24 November 1793 in New Monkland parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland ^{3 7 8}, baptised on 24 November 1793 in New Monkland parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland ⁹ and died on 21 August 1861 in Poorhouse, New Monkland parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland ^{4 5 7}.). The cause of his death was incipient insanity, two days in hospital.

  Marriage Notes:

"GARTSHORE
JOHN
JANE DONALDSON/FR1672 (FR1672)
31/08/1820
651
70 / 11
Airdrie or New Monkland"

from Index of Marriages


Old Parish Registers
Airdrie or New Monkland parish, Lanarkshire
Marriages

"Collected September 1820
...
3d Sabbath
John Gartshore & Jane Donaldson
both in this parish 3 3 6"
^{1 10}