Death of Charles BOVIS - 1886

BOVIS.—April 24, at his residence, 47, Waverley-road,


Woollahra, Charles Bovis (late of Market-Street), in his 70th year. Friends please accept this intimation

Sydney Morning Herald, April 24, 1886

Janet Scott Forsyth, Mrs. Charles Bovis 1822 - 1901

Today, I found a marriage for Janet Forsyth on ancestry.com on the McCawley-Larkin family tree. She married CHARLES THORPE BOVIS on March 22, 1865. They were married in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His first wife's name was Mary Weaver and she died in 1863. He was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England and Charles and Mary were married in England. A Bovis family tree on ancestry.com has a record of their arrival in Australia (1830's) and shows Janet as a second wife with no children. Her death is reported as 1901 in Woollahra (Sydney).

It appears that Janet may have gone to Australia as a housekeeper or nanny (large family) as she went to Australia as a spinster.
The notice in the Sydney Morning Herald, 28 March 1865 reads:
BOVIS - FORSYTH On the 22nd instant. by special license, by Rev. B. Chapman, Charles Bovis, 80 Kings Street, to Janet Forsyth, spinster, a native of Scotland


Death of Janet Forsyth, Mrs. Charles BOVIS 1901

BOVIS, December 28, 1901 at her residence, 102 Waverley Rd, Woollhara, Janet, relict of the late Charles Bovis, age 80. At rest. The Sydney Morning Herald, December 30, 1901

Janet "Jessie" Forsyth, b. 1822

The youngest child of James and Helen was Janet who was born in Dirleton, EL on July 13, 1822.

JANET female, birth 13 Jul 1822 Dirleton, East Lothian (Haddingtonshire) [Microfilm Frame No 753 - from E.Collins

Her father's occupation is shown as 'Shepherd, Dirleton,' and her mother's name is shown as Helen Scott. http://www.freereg.org.uk/cgi/Search.pl

Family history provides only the note that she was called 'Jessie' and that she married and went to Australia.

In 1841, we find Janet, 20, living a few miles from her parents in Dunbar and working for the Sanderson family as a servant:

1841 Census - Whitekirk-Tyningham-EL
Address: Tynninghame
SANDERSON, George, M, 50, Tailor, b. EL
SANDERSON, Elizabeth, F, 1, b. EL
SANDERSON, Robert, M, 35, Tailor Journeyman, b. EL
DEANS, George, M, 20, Tailor Journeyman, b. EL
BROWN, Alex, M, 15, Tailor Apprentice, b. EL
DEANS, Robert, M, 15, Agricultural Labourer
WHITE, Elizabeth, F, 65, b. EL
YORKSTON Mary F 40 Female Servant, b. EL
FORSYTH, Janet, F, 20, Female Servant, b. EL

In 1851, Janet has not married and gone off to Australia yet. She is still working as a domestic, this time for three Donaldson spinsters with incomes who live close to Haddingtonshire where Janet's sister, Marion Cochrane, lives.

1851 Census Haddington -EL, Address: Sunnybank
DONALDSON, Jane, Head, U, F, 78, Annuitant, b. Haddington
DONALDSON, Jess, Sister, U, F, 73 , Annuitant, b. Haddington
DONALDSON, Catharine, Sister, U, F, 68, Annuitant, b. Haddington
DICKINSON, Helen, Servant, U, F, 28, House Servant, b. Dunbar
FORSYTH, Janet, Servant, U, F, 28 ,House Servant, b. Dirleton
In 1861, Janet is with her nephew in St. Boswell, Roxburgh 42 miles from Edinburgh and west of Kelso where Thomas Forsyth was in 1851. The nephew is the eldest son of her sister, Marian Cochrane of Haddington. His wife is absent in this census but reappears in 1871 census. Janet is keeping house, perhaps just in the wife's absence. Also present is John's younger brother David and he is shown as a visitor. If you click on the title, you will see the website for this inn which is still functioning.

1861 Census - St. Boswell, Roxburghshire Address: Buccleugh Arms Inn
Cochrane, John, 36, B. Haddington, E.L. Innkeeper / Farmer of 20 Ac ,Emp, 1 man
Cochrane, Euphemia, 3, b. St. Boswells Roxburgh
Cochrane, John, 1, b. St. Boswells, Roxburgh
Cochrane, David, 26, b abt 1835, Visitor, Warehouseman
Forsyth, Janet, 40, Aunt, b. Direlton, E.L., Housekeeper

In 1871 John Cochrane has moved to Liberton, Midlothian and is living in the 'Old Farm House' with wife, Margaret. Two more children have been born. They have one domestic. In 1881 they are still in the same town, Liberton, but John is now a 'sanitary inspector'. They have four children between 14 and twenty-three.

I have been unable to find Janet Forsyth in the 1871 or 1881 census records. Let's hope Janet made the journey to Australia and that her descendants are thriving there.