• Home
    • Introduction
  • About
  • Services
    • Records available for consultation
    • Tours & Workshops
  • Blogs
    • "Bitesize" Blog >
      • Picks from the Past
    • Projects >
      • Berwick 900
      • One Place Study - Norham >
        • Norham Links
      • Kerchesters, Sprouston
  • Contact Us
    • Sign up to Newsletter
    • Power Hour & Workshop Enquiries
    • Privacy Policy
  • #AncestryHour
BORDERS ANCESTRY
  • Home
    • Introduction
  • About
  • Services
    • Records available for consultation
    • Tours & Workshops
  • Blogs
    • "Bitesize" Blog >
      • Picks from the Past
    • Projects >
      • Berwick 900
      • One Place Study - Norham >
        • Norham Links
      • Kerchesters, Sprouston
  • Contact Us
    • Sign up to Newsletter
    • Power Hour & Workshop Enquiries
    • Privacy Policy
  • #AncestryHour

Border Ramblings

The Mystery of May Macwatt

7/2/2013

19 Comments

 
Picture
All dressed up and nowhere to go.  I came across this in an old album of family photographs.  Problem is I haven't a clue what she is doing there?  I am wondering if she is actually Mary Alice MacWatt born circa 1870 in Duns, sister to Major General Sir Charles MacWatt  born Duns 1865 later of the Indian Army.  Then again MacWatt could be her married name.

Maybe she was just a family friend?  Nonetheless it has sparked my curiosity and now I am fascinated to know more about her, and more importantly what is she doing in my family's album!

A Mystery Unravelled

May MacWatt was indeed born Mary Alice MacWatt on 29th August 1869 at Haymount, Duns to Dr Robert Charles MacWatt and his second wife Christian Pringle Rutherford.  May married her cousin Hay MacWatt, fifteen years her senior at  Haymount Duns on the 21st April 1897.

From Hay's will dated 12th July 1920 it is obvious that although there are no children from the match it was a happy marriage and he held her in the highest regard.

"No man ever had a more loving and devoted wife than I, no-one had a better pal, who has made the last twenty three years of my life, years of great happiness, and as my life is now precarious it is right and my sole aim to make my wife's  future secure and comfortable.  My wife's interest in my means is to be considered paramount and those of the ultimate beneficiaries , who are all well  off only subsidiary"

Hay then goes on to instruct his trustees  with regard to his investments

 "......the making of a new investment.  They had better take my wife along with them and pay special attention to her wishes about investments as I have every confidence in her good sense."

Quite touching I thought!

The reason for her picture in my family's album became clear when I looked at the statutory record of her marriage in 1897.  On it as a witness is Isabella Smith.  She is my gt gt Aunt on my father's side.  Known as Auntie "Bea" she crops up all over the place, but she obviously made it to Haymount, Duns for the 21st April 1897!
19 Comments
jane slade
12/2/2013 01:31:51 pm

What an interesting website. It looks like you give a really personal touch. I certainly can vouch for Susie Douglas as a researcher. She is thorough , reliable , and relentless in her searches! Good luck!

Reply
Tracey Smith
22/2/2013 12:30:24 pm

Love the website - it really shows off your passion for the subject. Looking forwards to more mysteries on your blog too!

Reply
Nick Sheffer
14/6/2013 06:14:34 am

Excellent work Susie, Many Thanks

Reply
Penelope Helena jauss
13/1/2014 06:20:39 am

My great grandfather was major general sir Robert Charles MacWatt born 1865 died 1945 what is the relation of Susie Douglas and major general sir Robert Charles Macwatt?

Reply
Susie Douglas
13/1/2014 06:33:46 am

Sir Robert Charles McWatt is not a relative - hence the mystery of why there is a photograph of Mary Alice (May) in our old family album. The solution to the mystery was my great grand aunt Isabella Smith was a witness at May's wedding 21st April 1897.

Reply
Robert Angus Stuart MacWatt
1/4/2014 01:26:17 pm

Dear Penelope. You and I are cousins a few times removed it would seem. Sir Charles is also my great grandfather. Do look us up. My father Ian Stuart MacWatt is of course grandson to Charles.

Reply
Katharine Trotter link
22/1/2015 03:21:43 am

My mother, Elizabeth Farquharson nee MacWatt was born in Duns, and related to May. She has been doing a lot of work on the family tree but is now in her late 90s living in Edinburgh. She is keen to sort out information on Ian Stuart MacWatt, born around 1930,once of Turret House Bodmin. I think you may be a relation! It would be really helpful if you could replyeven if only to let me/us know that I have got the wrong MacWatt
Many thanks
Katharine

Natasha Buchan
30/11/2015 10:54:42 am

Hi Penelope,

Interesting to read Sir Charles is your Great Grandfather, He is also mine as I am the daughter to his son Stuart MacWatt.
Would have any more information on him?

Reply
Penelope Helena jauss
13/1/2014 06:52:37 am

Thanks Susie Douglas

Reply
Tracy Holmes
17/12/2014 07:56:43 am

I am Sir Robert Charles Macwatt's great granddaughter and I find your site interesting.

Reply
Ian Stuart MacWatt link
29/1/2015 02:35:25 pm

I was born 1934 in London, third son of Stuart MacWatt, (elder son of Gen. Sir Charles), by his second wife Christine, nee Keulemans. My elder half brothers Hay and Robert are both dead now. Sir Charles died in 1942, having married his housekeeper Mrs Wilson in 1940 when her husband Major Wilson died. Sir Charles had a brother Dr John, a GP in Duns who was a noted botanist. He used to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in the 1930s. A primula is named after him. A MacWatt was killed on the front in France, 1917, during WW1. He was presumably Dr. John's son.


Reply
Katharine Trotter
3/12/2015 11:04:39 am

In reply to Natasha Buchan re Mystery of May MacWatt , my elderly mother Elizabeth Farquharson (nee MacWatt,) has a huge mount of information both on Sir Charles and the extended family. At 100 years old, she would not manage blogs (not sure I can either!) but would like to get in touch with you. I am happy for my contact details to be passed to you and maybe you could get back to me.
Katharine Trotter, Edinburgh

Reply
Ian Stuart MacWatt link
3/12/2015 07:39:52 pm

I am contactable at any time on 07805441234 and would love to fill in some details of the MacWatt family in Duns. I know nothing of my grandmother Lady MacWatt other than that she was the daughter of a General Brown, presumably Indian Army.

Reply
Ian Stuart MacWatt link
3/12/2015 07:44:21 pm

Uncle Jack Buchanan, impresario, dancer and actor of the 1930s 40s and 50s, was also a MacWatt on his mother's side. Whether Jack Buchanan was a stage nme or not I do not know.

Reply
Jonathan Mantle link
16/8/2017 11:22:25 am

As Penny, Natasha and Katharine know, I am Sir Charles MacWatt's great great (I think) nephew and I've visited Duns and Haymount. If this site is still active I would be happy to help with enquiries.

I have the tiger he shot, in my house in London.

Jonathan 07833 128174

Reply
Susie Douglas
19/8/2017 12:30:41 pm

Hi Jonathan

Yep, the site is very much still active! Thank you for your kind offer to help with enquiries, that's great to know. Lol. Poor tiger! At least he has achieved longevity though.

Kind regards

Susie

Reply
Ian MacWatt link
19/8/2017 08:04:52 pm

My elder half-brother Hay MacWatt, son of Stuart MacWatt, elder sone of General Sir Charles, was named after Hay.

Reply
Alexis Lambros David
3/1/2020 04:31:33 am

Fascinating. Her brother Robert was married to my Great-Grandma's 1st cousin - Marguerite Nungovich, A Cypriot from Cairo, Egypt.

Reply
Uan Dtuart MacWatt link
3/1/2020 11:25:50 am

At 85, I continue to live in Ryde, Isle of Wight as the Hon. Secretary and Organiser of the UK Animal-free Research funding cancer charity Caring Cancer Trust. We focus on Childhood Cancers and fund research at University of Manchester
Viral Oncology Laboratories into Childhood Leukaemia and Cervical Cancer.
My cousin Anne, elder daughter of the late Robert MacWatt, (Sir Charles's younger son) is now 86 and has recently retired as an orchestral violinist. She lives in East Sussex.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Susie Douglas

    Subscribe to Newsletter and Blog

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

Picture Susie Douglas Qualified Genealogist Family Historian and Writer https://www.qualifiedgenealogists.org/profiles/douglas-susie
​Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG)​
Associate Member of Association of Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (AGRA)
Picture
Member of Visit Scotland's Ancestral Welcome Scheme

​Copyright © 2013 Borders Ancestry
​Borders Ancestry is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office No ZA226102  
https://ico.org.uk.     Read our Privacy Policy
  • Home
    • Introduction
  • About
  • Services
    • Records available for consultation
    • Tours & Workshops
  • Blogs
    • "Bitesize" Blog >
      • Picks from the Past
    • Projects >
      • Berwick 900
      • One Place Study - Norham >
        • Norham Links
      • Kerchesters, Sprouston
  • Contact Us
    • Sign up to Newsletter
    • Power Hour & Workshop Enquiries
    • Privacy Policy
  • #AncestryHour