The one on the left could be the 1914-1915 star - there were 3 medals known as pip, squeak and wilfred; the 1914-15 star, the British war medal and the British victory medal. The 2nd and 3rd medals from the left - the ribbons don't seem to tally with the other medals. I'd guess the picture is post WW1 as the skirt is shorter than would have been in Edwardian days.
I have my computer back now.
Mary ( top left)was born 1870 and her husband top right was born 1866, they married in 1896 and had no children.
The story I had was they adopted two children George born 1900 and Margaret born 1903 but the written explanation with this photograph is that the younger woman is Margaret and the child is George and that the man in the uniform is Margarets husband born 1903...
I have Mary's brother William who was in the Seaforths and had
Egyption Sudan Medal 1898
Clasps for Atbara and Khartoum
Queens Sudan Medal 1898
I was wondering if the man in uniform could be William
I think he has pip squeak and wilfred, and on his arms are his good conduct, (left arm) stripes..16 years I think, and the other arm his 3 wound stripes. The picture looks to have been taken 1920s...
Have a look at his collar. It looks as if there are two Nefertiti heads, one on each collar. - edit or more likely scottish thistles - got carried away there.
Thank you for the replies,
The only one i know is Mary and my thoughts were that the man in uniform may be William her brother born 1898 and was a regular soldier who fought at Khartoum with Kitcheners Army.. and then joined up again in 1914 at Fort George finally leaving in 1920..
Going of the war path a little - it looks to me that the man sitting down could be a blood relative of the woman standing at the back.
Do you know if William served in the First World War. I am no expert on medals, but the first is definatley either the 14 or 15 star, as stated above. If you want, I could have a quick look in the medal cards for William if you do not know if he was there.
I have been on Scotlands people and found that Duncan Chisholm Donaldson married Margaret on 27 Dec 1928 he 38 and she 24...they both lived at this house which was the address of Margarets parents.....
But things again don't add up...he says his father was James Wallace Donaldson and his mother Annie Fowler (deceased )... but I can't find them on the census..
What I do find is a Duncan Chishlolm Donaldson joining the Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1904 having been in Kibble Reformatary for Boys for three years.. he was there on the 1901 census.... age 13.... his Pension Record on Ancestry cinfirms this but he is already married with a child in 1912.....and his fathers name was William Donaldson.... may be there were two Duncan Chisholm Donaldson ..
I have checked for William MacPherson Mary's brother and he was Private 4179 in the Seaforth Highlanders and in 1914 joined again with a new no. 7677
Thanks English Bob,
I made the old error of assumption.... Duncan Chisholm Donaldson was not born in Scotland, he was born in West Ham in Sep Q 1888... but still only 16 when he signed up.
I have traced his original marriage in 1911 in Edinburgh and she divorced him in 1926 so he was free to marry in 1928 but he was 40 years old not 38 and he said he was a bachelor not a divorcee.
You mention his experience as a boot maker but he says he is a laundrey man on his attestation papers..... he did live next door to a boot manufacturer in London in 1891.
If this is our Duncan with Margaret then it would be after 1919 when he was home from POW camp but he was a railway porter in 1926 so probably not a wedding picture.
And Mary Ann at the back would be about aged about 50 -55
Please can I hijack this thread for a moment? I see you mention the Seaforth Highlanders.
I have been lead to believe that the chap in my avatar is wearing the dress uniform of the regiment but we don't know exactly who he is. It has been suggested that the picture was taken during WW1. Do any of you millitary buffs know if people born in England could join the regiment and is it possible to find out who he is? I have a surmane and a couple of possible first names for him.
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