THE CLARK'S AND PATTISON'S - Janet Clark nee Little - William Clark - William Pattison

This is a photograph of my Great Grandmother Janet Little who was born in the small Scottish Border town of Langholme in 1860.  

Janet is wearing a lovely dress with large 'leg-o-mutton' sleeves, embellished with what looks like jet beading, and just how long would those buttons on the front of her dress have taken to fasten and unfasten? She is very slim with a lovely wasp waist.

Original Janet Little circa 1880 aged 20 

Restored Less Sepia

Here the back of the photograph shows it was taken by A & G Taylor, 4 St Nicholas Buildings Newcastle on Tyne, who had studios all over England, not just the North East. 

Note my Grandma Janet, has written on the back of the photograph "Mother taken 20 years."

The Back of Janet Little's Photograph

Janet's home town, Langholm, is known colloquially as the "Muckle Toun", in the burgh of Dumfries and Galloway on the River Esk. Langholm was the centre of the Border Reiver insurrections, who were murderers, thieves and braggards, akin to Scotland's 'Wild West'.  As you will see from the link the names Little and Armstrong appear. I have been informed by a family member that James 6th of Scotland hung a bunch of men from the Armstrong and Little clans when he became James the 1st of England.  It maybe that the Armstrong's became our ancestors through marriage.  

Langholm Main Street Today

On November 12th 1877 Janet, aged 17, married William Clark, in the Parish of Byker Newcastle upon Tyne. William was born in Lowestoft on the Norfolk Coast. At this time he worked as a Cartman, later he worked as a labourer in an Iron Foundry, and also as a Horsekeeper Groom. William could not read or write as he signed the wedding certificate with an x.  Janet did not sign as she is shown as a 'minor'.

Copy of William and Janet's Wedding Certificate

Postcard of Cartman Shields Road Byker 1908

The marriage certificate also shows that Janet's father, John Little was a Quarryman, (undoubtedly he will have quarried the stone for some of the buildings you can see in the photograph of Langholm). William's father Charles was an Engine Driver, I don't think this was working for the Railways.

Janet and William Clark were the parents of Janet Clark, my Grandmother who was the fourth of their six children:-  

Mary Ann Clark b 1879
William Clark b 1880 
Elizabeth Clark b 1885
Janet Clark b 1888 -1978 
Albert Clark b 1891-1980
Wilhemina Clark b 1892 -  

However some 20 years later in 1893, it is recorded that Janet married William Pattison b 1877. So within 5 years of the birth of their youngest child (Wilhemina) William Clark he was dead. 

In the late 19th century life would have been hard for a young widow trying to take care of 6 children. How they survived is not known, perhaps extended family members helped. Her eldest child, William, may have been working, but his wages would hardly have kept them. It is not surprising that she married again. William Pattison was a brave man to take on a wife and 6 children.  

At the age of 37 Janet had a further two children with William Pattison:- 

Hilda Pattison b 1898
Eleanor (Ellen) Pattison b 1900