The details below supplement those in the article about Davina Sivewright or Macgregor here. They were compiled separately by genealogists Caroline Gerard and Fergus Smith, to whom … many thanks.
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When Davina’s mother married Duncan Macgregor on 16 October 1885, he hadn’t been a widower very long. His first wife, Emma Catherine Gibb, had died age 37 on 16 February 1885. At that time he was a Superintendant of Works (Prison Commission).
In 1881 he was resident at 7 Mackenzie Place, age 40, Quartermaster Sergt. Royal Engineers & Military Foreman of Works, born Auchtergarten, Perthshire.
Emma was age 33, born Nova Scotia. Son William, age 16 was an Apprentice Blacksmith, also born Nova Scotia. Son Duncan was age 12, born Bermuda. The next 4 children, Joseph 10, Mary 8, Kenneth 6 and Florence 4, had been born in England. Don’t know where Duncan and his children went thereafter.
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Mary Ann Sivewright (MAS) was born on 13 May 1857 at the Royal Maternity Hospital, stated to be the daughter of David Sivewright, Millwright, deceased, and Mary McAlpine Robertson or Sivewright. The birth was registered by a House Surgeon on 2 June, which is overdue.
Certainly David Seivewright, Millwright, married Mary McAlpine, illegitimate daughter of William Robertson.
In 1851 David (indexed as Siewright) was lodging at 112 Nicolson Street, and was age 21, born Dundee.
MAS was enumerated alone at 21 Jamaica Street in 1881 (age 23).
After Davina was born, in October 1890 at the Sheriff’s Court, MAS successfully sued the real father – Jonas Jones – for £2 2/- for inlying costs of giving birth and £7 per annum aliment for the child’s first 13 years (NRS SC39/8/58). (These sums are equivalent to about and £172 or 6 days' wages for a skilled tradesman in 1890; and £574 or 21 days' wages for a skilled tradesman in 1890.) At this time she was living (presumably with her mother – see below) at 47 India Place; and he was living at 38 Barony Street.
The 1891 Census shows that MAS was a housemaid, age 33, at the Scottish Conservative Club, 112–15 Princes Street. It's unclear where the baby was at that time.
In 1901, Mary A. Macgregor, ‘widow’, was age 40, caretaker at the School of Medicine, resident at 26 Clyde Street with her daughter Davina S. Macgregor, age 11, both born Edinburgh.
Couldn’t track them in the 1911 Census, but it seems as though Davina was her mother’s only child.
There was a Mary Ann Macgregor living at Abbeyhill in the early 20th century, but no evidence by which to decide whether this was or wasn’t Davina’s mother.
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Davina’s grandmother – Mary McAlpine Robertson or Sivewright – was born at Dalkeith, which helped to track her.
In 1871 she was a servant, age 45, at 35 Dublin Street. In the 1875 Valuation Roll at 21 Jamaica Street (no occupation stated). In the 1885 Valuation Roll she was a Ladies’ Nurse at 21 Jamaica Street. In the 1891 Census she was at 47 India Place, age 62, Ladies Nurse (retired). She died at that address on 19 July 1891 (age 65), and the death was registered by her daughter Mary Ann Macgregor.
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