Isabella Gilchrist Athya

Isabella Gilchrist Athya, daughter of James Wylie Athya and Jemima Durie, was born on May 7, 1885 at Livingston’s Square in the village of Wishaw, County of Lanarkshire, Scotland. My husband’s uncle once told me there may have been 13 children in this family. At this point, I can now document 11—James Athya, Jane (Jeanie) Durie Athya, Margaret Wylie Athya, Elizabeth Durie Athya, James Athya, Isabella Gilchrist Athya, Robert Durie Athya, John Durie Athya, George Durie Athya, David Athya, and Mary Durie Athya. Isabella is my husband’s grand aunt.

Isabella never knew two of her brothers, both named James, who were born and died before her. I had a moment of confusion in researching Isabella for this post until I figured out that James and Jemima Athya had two sons named James. Oldest brother James was born in July 1876 and died from diarrhea on August 1 that same year. The family lived on Carrick Street in Glasgow, Scotland at the time. Her second brother named James was born on December 27, 1883 in Glasgow, County of Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was just three months old when he died from congestion of the lungs on April 12, 1884. The family lived on Whitehall Street in the District of Anderston, Glasgow at the time. 

On November 30, 1886, Isabella’s mother submitted an Application for Parochial Relief in the Parish of Cambusnethan, County of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Isabella was one and a half year old and the family lived at 5 Reid’s Lane in Wishaw. They’d been living there for one year, four months according to the application. Her father had left the home in search of work four days prior to the application’s submission. Prior to that, they lived at Livingstone’s Square, Hill Street for four months. This would have been where Isabella was born. 

Cropped page 1 of application (click to enlarge)

The family suffered another loss when Isabella’s 10-year-old sister Jeanie died on September 19, 1888 from scarlatina in the village of Cambusnethan in Wishaw. The family lived on Brown Street at the time.

The 1891 Scotland census was taken on April 5. The Athya family lived in Wishaw and five-year-old Isabella was a scholar. Her brother John was seven months old that day. Sadly, he died on October 5 of gastro intestinal illness in the Mossend in the parish of Bothwell, County of Lanarkshire, Scotland.

In 1901, Isabella, age 15, lived with the James Rankin family in Bellshill, Scotland where she worked as a domestic servant. She was probably very busy working there with 14 people living in the home.

Like many of her siblings, Isabella’s life was cut short. In her case, she was 17 years old when she died on June 21, 1902. The family lived at 135 Campsie Street in the District of Dennistoun, County of Lanark, Glasgow, Scotland. Her death certificate lists cardiac disease as the cause of death, noting she suffered from syncope, “a temporary loss of consciousness usually related to insufficient blood flow to the brain” according to the American Heart Association. Syncope would have caused Isabella to faint, perhaps from a standing position. Isabella was buried at Southern Necropolis Cemetery in Glasgow. Her burial took place at 2 pm on June 24 in Lair 859 which was owned by her great-grandfather Isaac Athya. 

Southern Necropolis Cemetery internment record for Isabella Athya
(click to enlarge)

The family were still mourning Isabella’s death when her sister Mary died from tuberculous meningitis on August 28, 1902. Mary was buried in the same Liar as Isabella at Southern Necropolis Cemetery.

The Athya’s were of the Protestant faith.

References

• 1891 Census, National Records of Scotland; https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/census-records/1891-census.
• Athya, Isabella Gilchrist (Statutory Registers Deaths 644/3 1402), 1902.
• Athya, Isabella Gilchrist, Births in the Parish of Cambusnethan, County of Lanark, Scotland, 1885.
• Athya, James (Statutory registers Births 644/10/75, 1884.
• Athya, James (Statutory Registers Deaths 644/10 246), 1884.
• Athya, Jeanie (Statutory Registers Deaths 628/294), 1888.
• Athya, John Durie (Statutory Registers Deaths 625/1 309), 1891.
• Athya, Mary Durie (Statutory Registers Deaths 644/3 1769), 1902.
• Bellshill, Civil Parish of Bothwell, County Lanarkshire, Scotland Census, 1901.
• Civil Parish of Bothwell, County Lanarkshire, Scotland Census, 1891.
• David Athya, Margaret Athya, Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564–1950.
• Elizabeth Athya, England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837–1915.
• Jemima Durie or Athya, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, Poor Law Applications and Registers, 1849–1917.
• Margaret Close, Weirton Daily Times, Weirton, West Virginia, December 20, 1968.
• Register of Interments in Southern Necropolis, image 688, familysearch.org; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSRF-VSKH-8?i=687&cat=1322281.
• Statutory registers – Births, Scotland’s People.
• Syncope (Fainting), American Heart Association; https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/symptoms-diagnosis--monitoring-of-arrhythmia/syncope-fainting.