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| My Great-grandmother |
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| Jessie Mason 1867-1913 |
| My Great-grandfather |
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| Whitefield Watson 1862-1940 |
Whitefield Watson & Jessie McMillan Mason
On 27 May, 1884, Whitefield Watson married Jessie McMillan
Mason.They had both been born and raised in The Miners Rows of Connel Park, New Cumnock, a coal mining village in Ayrshire,
Scotland. Whitefield was a coal miner, as was his father Joseph, before him, and his younger brother John. Jessie was the daughter of William Mason & Elizabeth Boyd, also of Connel Park, and was one
of their known eight born children.
After their marriage, Whitefield & Jessie also made their home in the Connel Park Miner's
Rows, where the first 5 of their known children were born.
Joseph c1886
William
c1888
Elizabeth
1890 - 20 June My Grandmother
Mary (Polly) c1896
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Soon after the birth of Mary, the family moved up to Glasgow - perhaps to find better
work opportunities, conditions, housing, etc.
Three more children were born
George c1900
Jessie c1901
Jeanie c1913
Sadly, Jessie died from a kidney disease, 13 June, 1913, shortly after the
birth of their infant daughter, Jeanie. Whitefield was present at her death in their home, 36 Park Sreet, Cambuslang,
Glasgow.
Whitefield remarried in March 1914. He married Mrs. E. Clark, a widow, at 102
Parsons Street, Glasgow. Mrs. Clark was the daughter of Daniel McGregor, a steamships Chief Engineer, &
Ellen Walker. Witnesses were Catherine (Watson) McCallum (Whitefield's sister) and her husband, David McCallum, a despatch
clerk.
By this time Whitefield was 51 and Mrs. Clark was 47.
Theirs was a marriage of the type known as "An Irregular Marriage" or a "Marriage by Declaration".
All that was required in such a marriage ceremony was for the couple to declare themselves married in the presence of two
witnesses. They would then have to notify the local Registrar.
This was a perfectly legal form of marriage, but obviously frowned on by the established
Church, and was eventually deemed not to be a legal form of marriage after 1940. However, marriages that
had been made prior to this date, were still held to be legal, and any bla blah blah
It is unknown whether Whitefield and his 2nd wife had any children, but family stories suggest
that she had children of her own.
Whitefield came to New Zealand around 1925, to join his & Jessie Mason's sons &
daughters who had settled here ???? (early 20's). I have not yet established whether he was widowed or had left Mrs.
Clark in Glasgow, but he did come to NZ without her.
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