Elizabeth Jaffrey wife of Christoph Alt, Roxburghshire & Yass NSW MMFM

Name: ELIZABETH JEFFREY (JAFFREY) wife of CHRISTOPH ALT also known in Scotland as Betsy
Date and place of birth: Jan/Feb 1829 at “Kersmains” near Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Names of parents: John Jeffrey (Jaffrey) and Ellen Thompson
Date and place of baptism: Protestant Church
Marriage: Christoph Alt on 21 January 1857 at St. Clement’s Church of England Yass, NSW.
Occupation: In Censuses an Agricultural labourer age 12, Servant aged 22, her shipping states that in Roxburghshire she was a kitchen/dairy maid. Elizabeth’s husband, Christoph, became a carrier soon after his arrival at Yass, NSW. After their marriage Elizabeth and Christoph lived at Rossi Street, Yass, beyond the stables at the rear of the Yass Hotel. In July 1859 they rented the new hotel premises, The Galway Inn, (It’s name was changed to the Carriers Arms in 1861) located at the junction of the Hume Highway and the road to Wargiela, about 2 klms from Yass. Christoph was naturalized at Yass on 14th February 1861. Two weeks later Elizabeth died tragically from spasmodic cholera which she had contracted for two days. Christoph then had two boys to raise, aged 2 years and 5 months, and a hotel to run. Ten months later he married Martha Crossley, aged 19, who along with the 5 children she and Christoph had, raised Elizabeth’s two sons.
Addresses: Born Kersmains farm outside Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland.
1841 Census: East Nisbet cottages (gone by 1859) 4 miles Kersmains – John Jaffrey 80 years, Pauper, born Roxburghshire, Helen Jaffrey, 30 years, Ag Lab, born England, Elizabeth Jaffrey 12 years, ag labourer, born Roxburghshire.
1851 Census: Longnewton Place Farm, Ancrum , Roxburghshire, 700 acre farm belonging to Carmiechal family – Betsey Jeffrey, unmarried female servant aged 22 born Kersmains.
Migrated from Scotland, arriving Sydney 6 February 1855 on the ‘Nabob,’ 95 days out from Liverpool aged 26;
After marriage lived Rossi Street, Yass and Galway Inn/Carrier’s Arms Yass district NSW - 5+ years.
Date, place and cause of death: On 28th February 1861 at Galway Inn/Carriers Arms Hotel, Yass spasmodic cholera.
Date and place of burial: February 1861 in the churchyard of St. Clement’s C of E Yass, NSW
Details of will: Nil
Memorial Inscription: “SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF ELIZABETH JEFFREY BELOVED WIFE OF CHRISTOPHER ALT NATIVE OF ROXBURGHSHIRE, SCOTLAND. My God beholds and will not forget. The Rod will blossom in glory yet.” A debt of gratitude is owed to Ron, because the above inscription is from his book “Christoph Alt of Yass” by Ronald H. Alt, Printed in 1989. The use of the name Elizabeth Jeffrey on the headstone was in accordance with the Scottish tradition whereby a woman retained her maiden name after marriage. Sadly in about 1970 the headstone was removed from St. Clements churchyard and now a plaque merely notes that E Jeffrey was buried there..
Children : Christopher 1858, Henry 1860.

[Shona]

I was working through the Horse Tax rolls (1797-1798) for any mentions of Jaffrey. One of them matches the info above. I transcribed the place name as Hersmains, but it must be Kersmains. I had another look at the roll and it is Kersmains.

Roxburgh parish

'Oct 17th, John Jaffrae, Kersmains, eight horses, seven horses liable for tax, 14 shillings duty'

There is one mention of a Thomson is Roxburgh parish - Robert Thomson at Craigrig. He had four horses all of which were liable for tax and he paid 8 shillings in duty.

The rolls also have the following Jaffreys:

Kelso parish
John Jafphrae, carter

Linton parish
William Jafphrae, Linton

There are a lot of Thomsons, though! But only one parish - Roxburgh - mentions both Jaffrey and Thomson.

Wow Shona .. now that is a spelling I haven't seen .. I wish I could find John Jaffrey and Elizabeth Thompson's marriage but I never have. The only things that she said on her shipping that her mother was from England, but that doesn't need to be too far away being right on the border. I think her parents Jaffrey/Thompson would have been buried in the village close by where they were in the 1841 Census .. There is a big headstone tomb, I think it was the Rutherfords (I think Mrs. Carmichael was a Rutherford), who she worked for in the 1851 Cenus (some miles away) .. I took lots of photos in the rain and then lost the camera (now I'm not sure of the name of the village maybe I'll remember if I look at a map)... Julie
Yes every mention of Elizabeth comes back to Kersmains/Roxburgh.
Name of the village which has the Rutherford tomb is Nisbet (not sure could be called West or East) but the cemetery is in the centre of the village .. Strangely the church is across the river and about a mile out on it's own.

[Shona]

Dog Tax 1797 (levied on non-working dogs)

'John Jaffrae, Kersmains, 1 dog, 3 shillings duty'

Now if the Thomson in the same parish is the right family, Robert Thomson of Craigrig had two dogs and paid 10 shillings tax.

Oh this is fun .. thanks Shona .. do not want to go to bed .. but it is after midnight and I have a 10 hour trip on Monday .. so must go to bed .. I have a lead now with Craigrig .. many thanks. Julie

[Shona]

Here goes...

In the Statistical Account of Scotland compiled in the 1790s, Revd Andrew Bell made the following comment about parish registers of Roxburgh in the late 18th century:

'The exact number of births and burials cannot be easily ascertained. For various reasons many children's names are not registered and the people in general all over this country having an idea of property in their family burying place, carry their dead there.'

So with that in mind, here are some bits and bobs which may help with the Jaffrey-Thompsons.

A John Jaffrey (I'll use this spelling) married on 4 June 1783 in Maxton parish, Roxburgh. If this is the John Jaffray in the 1841 census at East Nisbet, then he was about 24 when he married.

The following births/baptisms are to John Jaffrey in Roxburgh parish.

Mary Jaffrey, born 5 Aug 1785
Robert Jaffrey, born 5 Jan 1786
Thomas Jaffrey, baptised 14 March 1790
James Jaffrey, born 12 Feb 1802
Thomas Watson Jaffrey, born 7 March 1803
William Battenden Jaffrey, born 30 June 1804

The James Jaffrey born in 12 Feb 1802 fits in with the birth announcement of James Jaffrey at Kersmains that Kite found. Then there are the unnamed twins born in in April 1805.

John Jaffrey was at Kersmains in when the horse tax and dog tax was levied in 1797.

There is a Margaret Jaffrey, baptised 15 Jan 1792, Ednam parish, dau of John Jaffrey and Helin. I wonder if they are connected?

[Shona]

Interesting. Just checked the horse tax rolls for Maxton parish where a John Jaffrey married in 1783 and there is a John Thomson living there at Muirhouselaw.

[Shona]

I've found a Kersmains' Jaffrey in Paris, which is one of yours!

Non: Isabella Jaffrey
Naissance: 17 July 1791
Lieux: Kersmains, Angleterre
Pension: 530, 2 Janvier 1862
Domicile: Paris (Seine)

Ooh wonderful Shona .. interesting the bit about the Paris connection .. does that mean that she was born in 1862 at Kersmains ..
James b 1802 is the eldest son of the James who was sold up.. (I purchased a will for John Jaffrey, proven in 1851, after his son James returned from South America. John Jaffrey farmer of Kersmains had died 23 October 1822 and was residing at St Anns Yard Abbey in Edinburgh.) I just wish I had a birth of John in there. I think the marriage at Maxton (unfortunately no wife name) was John the 80 yr old pauper. I just wish I could positively link them. Many thanks Shona .. you have certainly given me a lot more to go on with. Julie

[Shona]

Naissance is when she was born. Lieux is where she was born. The other date is when she got her pension in Paris.