Elizabeth Durie Athya

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Durie Athya, daughter of James Wylie Athya and Jemima Durie, was born January 1882 in Liverpool, West Derby, Lancashire, England. My late mother-in-law and her brothers were aware of five Athya siblings—Margaret, Elizabeth, Robert, George, and David—but they believed there may have been as many as 13. I can document 11—James Athya, Jane (Jeanie) Durie Athya, Margaret Wylie Athya, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Durie Athya, a second son named James Athya, Isabella Gilchrist Athya, Robert Durie Athya, John Durie Athya, George Durie Athya, David Durie Athya, and Mary Durie Athya. Elizabeth is my husband’s great-aunt, sister of his grandfather, George Durie Athya. Their nearest common relatives are her parents. 

I now know several children in this family did not survive infancy/childhood so perhaps they were not talked about, having died so young and buried in Scotland. The first known death was Elizabeth’s oldest brother James, born July 1876, before her birth. James died on August 1, 1876 from diarrhea at the age of two weeks. A second brother, also named James, born December 27, 1883 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, died on April 12, 1884 at three months of age from congestion of the lungs. The family lived on Whitehall Street in the District of Anderston, Glasgow at the time.

On November 30, 1886, Elizabeth’s mother submitted an Application for Parochial Relief in the Parish of Cambusnethan, County of Lanarkshire, Scotland. Elizabeth was four years old and the family lived at 5 Reid’s Lane in Wishaw where they had been living for 16 months. Her father had left the home in search of work four days before the application was submitted. Prior to that, they lived at Livingstone’s Square, Hill Street for four months. 

Application for Parochial Relief

Another loss to the family took place on September 19, 1888 in the village of Cambusnethan, Wishaw, Scotland when Elizabeth’s 10-year-old sister Jane (Jeanie) died from scarlatina. Her brother Robert was just eight days old at the time. 

When the Scotland census was taken in 1891, the Athya family lived in the village of Mossend, Parish of Bothwell in northeast Lanarkshire. Elizabeth’s father worked as a joiner, her mother Jemima was a housewife, and Elizabeth and sisters Margaret and Isabella were scholars. 

Athya family in the 1891 Scotland census (click to enlarge)

Elizabeth’s brother John, born September 1, 1890 in Mossend, died on October 5, 1891 of gastro intestinal illness. 

Elizabeth was living and working as a domestic servant in the Bothwell home of widower Samuel Laurie in 1901. Her sister Margaret was enumerated as a visitor in the home on the census record, also working as a domestic servant. William Laurie, the 26-year-old grandson of Samuel, lived in the home as well. He worked as a steel worker. 

Elizabeth and her sister Margaret in the 1901 Scotland census (click to enlarge)

Elizabeth’s 17-year-old sister Isabella died of cardiac disease on June 21, 1902. The family lived at 135 Campsie Street in Dennistoun, Lanark, Glasgow, Scotland at the time. Elizabeth’s 5-year-old sister Mary died on August 28, 1902 following a 10-day bout with tuberculosis meningitis. Both Isabella and Mary were buried at Southern Necropolis Cemetery in Glasgow. 

At the age of 23, Elizabeth married Alexander “Alex” Anderson, son of William Anderson and Helen Hamilton, on April 28, 1905 after banns according to the forms of the Church of Scotland in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland. The marriage record shows that she was still working as a domestic servant and Alexander a blacksmith (journeyman). Elizabeth’s usual residence was Stewarton Drive in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland; Alexander’s West Greenlees, Cambuslang. Elizabeth’s father worked as a wagon builder; Alexander’s father worked as a superintendent at water works, his mother Helen was deceased. They were married by Gavin Warnock, a minister of Bellshill. Witnesses were James Caldwille and Jeanie Glaso.

Marriage record for Elizabeth and Alexander Anderson (click to enlarge)

Elizabeth and Alex had at least seven children—Jemina Athya Anderson (1905), Helen Hamilton Anderson (1907), Alexander Athya (1910), James Athya Anderson (1912), Mary Brown Anderson (1914), Janet Lambie Anderson (1917), and Elizabeth Athya Anderson (1919).

In 1911, the Anderson family lived in the Special Drainage District of Rutherglen, Scotland. Alex was working as a blacksmith, specifically doing tube work. The census enumerator noted that Elizabeth had given birth to three children, all of which were living. He then listed the children as Minnie (age 5), Nellie (age 3), and Alexander (age 1). It appears that Elizabeth and Alex’s second daughter Helen went by the nickname Nellie as that is how she was enumerated. I checked birth records for a Nellie Anderson and did not find one. I did find birth records for all of Elizabeth’s other children. 

 

Anderson family in the 1911 Scotland census (click images to enlarge)

Elizabeth’s father James died of gastro-intestinal cancer in Garngadhill, Lanark, Scotland on August 12, 1913. He was buried at Southern Necropolis Cemetery in Glasgow.

World War I began in July 1914 and three of Elizabeth’s brothers went off to war—Robert, George, and David. 

Chalk drawing of George, David, and Robert Athya

Sadly, David was killed in action on May 10, 1915 at France & Flanders. Family lore is that he was most likely killed during the second Battle for Ypres, standing in a Belgium trench between his brothers Robert and George but we have no proof of that. The Evening Times Roll of Honour published the following story and photo:

Official word has been received by Mrs. J. Athya, 8 Garngad Road, Glasgow, that her son, Private David Athya, 2nd Battalion H.L.I., was killed in action in France on May 10. Deceased enlisted when the war broke out. Previous to that he was employed in Messrs Stewart and Lloyds. Other sons are in the firing line.

Credit: Evening Times Roll of Honour and The Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Scotland

It is unknown where David is buried but his name is inscribed at the Le Touret Memorial in Pas de Calais, France. 

When Elizabeth’s brother George was discharged from military service in 1919, he listed his address as 1 Barnflat Street in Farme Cross, Rutherglen, Glasgow. 

George Athya's military discharge (cropped image - click to enlarge) 

As you can see in the 1921 Scotland census record below, the Anderson family lived at the same address in 1921. Elizabeth’s husband Alex worked as a blacksmith/tube maker at Stewarts and Lloyds, a steel and iron tube manufacturer in Glasgow. Her brother David worked at Stewarts and Lloyds prior to the war. Elizabeth’s oldest sister Jemina, enumerated as Minnie, worked as a carpet weaver at Templeton’s Weaving Factory. Elizabeth and the rest of her siblings were enumerated as scholars.

 

Anderson family in the 1921 Scotland census (click images to enlarge)

Elizabeth’s mother Jemima died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Dennistoun, Glasgow, Scotland on November 19, 1925. She was buried at Southern Necropolis Cemetery along with other family members.

When Elizabeth’s brother Robert immigrated to America aboard the S.S. Transylvania in June 1930, he listed his sister, Mrs. Lizzie Anderson of 1 Barnflat Street, Rutherglen, as the nearest relative or blood in the country he came from.

At the age of 60, Elizabeth suffered from cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder) for three months prior to her death due to cardiac failure at the Royal Infirmary in Townhead, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland on August 30, 1942. Her final resting place is currently unknown to me.

References

• Alexander Anderson, Statutory Registers Births 627/146, National Records of Scotland, 1874.
• Civil Parish of Rutherglen - Landward, Rutherglen, Scotland Census, 1911.
• Civil Parish of Rutherglen, Parish Ward of Farme, Rutherglen, Scotland Census, 1921.
• David Athya, Statutory Registers Births 625/3 157, National Records of Scotland, 1894.
• Elizabeth Anderson, Statutory Registers Death 644/6 1019, National Records of Scotland, 1942.
• Elizabeth Athya, England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837–1915.
• Evening Times Roll of Honour and The Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Scotland.
• George Athya, UK, WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914–1923.
• George Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Births 625/1 452, National Records of Scotland, 1892.
• Isabella Gilchrist Athya, Statutory Registers Births 628/302, National Records of Scotland, 1885.
• Isabella Gilchrist Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/3 1402, National Records of Scotland, 1902.
• James Athya, Register of Interments, Southern Necropolis Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland, 1913.
• James Athya, Statutory Registers Births 644/10 75, National Records of Scotland, 1884.
• James Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/10 246, National Records of Scotland, 1884.
• James Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/5 418, National Records of Scotland, 1913.
• James Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/7 538, National Records of Scotland, 1876.
• Jane Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Births 644/12 604, National Records of Scotland, 1878.
• Jeanie Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 628/294, National Records of Scotland, 1888.
• Jemima Athya, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, Poor Law Applications and Registers, 1849–1917.
• Jemima Athya, Register of Interments, Southern Necropolis Cemetery, Glasgow, Scotland, 1925.
• Jemima Athya, Scotland Census 625/1 13/27, National Records of Scotland, 1891.
• Jemima Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/4 1426, National Records of Scotland, 1925.
• John Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Births 625/1 530, National Records of Scotland, 1890.
• John Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 625/1 309, National Records of Scotland, 1891.
• Lizzie Athya, Scotland Census 625/38/13, National Records of Scotland, 1901.
• Margaret Close, Union Cemetery Association Interment Directory.
• Maria Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Births 625/3 376, National Records of Scotland, 1897.
• Mary Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Deaths 644/3 1369, National Records of Scotland, 1902.
• Robert Athya, S.S. Transylvania, List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival, June 6, 1930. 
• Robert Durie Athya, Statutory Registers Births 628/557, National Records of Scotland, 1888.
• Stewarts and Lloyds's Year, The Guardian, London, England, March 12, 1921.