| Notes |
- PRIVATE
- «b»Mary Tasker«/b» was born in the heat of summer, on 30th August«b», 1825,«/b» in Coupar Angus, Perthshire to «b»Andrew Tasker«/b» and «b»Helen Andrew«/b»s. Curiously the Old Parish Register in Coupar Angus that records the birth of John Lundie also contains, on the same page, the birth of his mother. The record reads:
«i»" Andrew Tasker and Helen Andrews had a lawful child born 30 August 1825 whose name is Mary"
«/i»In «b»1841«/b» the census records that they lived on Causwayend [street], Coupar Angus, and that Mary's father was a 50-yr old blacksmith. Mary's mother was not at home at the time of this census but her father; her sister, Betty Tasker; and her brother William Tasker were all still living at home. Older sisters Ann and Catherine were already independent.
On the 9th February«b», 1849 MARY TASKER «/b»married «b»WILLIAM LUNDIE, «/b»a young teacher from Arbroath, in Coupar Angus, her home town. On 10 Dec 1849 their first child, John Lundie, was born.«b»«tab»«/b»
The «b»1851 Scotland Census«/b» records that 25-yr old "Mary Lasker" [transcription error for "Mary Tasker"] was living with her husband, William Lundie and child, John, on High Street, Coupar Angus.
This record is full of errors, and I suspect that the family lived on Hay Street, not High Street, as I can find no High Street in Coupar Angus, which isn't a very big place. [As late as 1991 it was designated a village, and only had a population of 2,223.
<http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/towndetails146.html>]
Another transcription error in this record caused great confusion: that son John was 7yrs old. This should be 1yr old.
Later that year, in June 1851 her second child, Helen was born, followed by James in March 1853. Some time between 1853 and 1855 they «b»moved to Auchterarder «/b»for her son, William Tasker Lundie, was born there, in February of that year. Two years later Marshall was born, followed by Catherine Pringle in 1859. Mary must have still been pregnant at the time of the 1861 Census for Andrew Dasher is not yet listed although his birth was that year.
The «b»1861 Scotland Census«/b» records the family of eight plus a servant called Jane Gowans (14), living in Auchterarder but does not provide an address, though it was likely to have been at the school master's cottage on High Street. This house was termed "Sheddan's Cottage" in the record of the «i»in testate«/i» will of James when he died some years later.
To note: more confusion resulted when John Lundie was erroneously listed in this census as "«i»Jane«/i» Lundie".
By the time the «b»1871 Scotland Census«/b» was taken John had left home and was a student at Edinburgh University. The other children were all at home including: Helen (19) described as a spinster; James (18) a pupil teacher; William Tasker (16) a pupil teacher; Marshall (14) a "Student Humanity"; Catherine (11) a scholar; Andrew Dasher (9) a scholar; Jessie (7) a scholar; and Alexander Brock (4) a scholar. This time the Census gave their address as Main Street, Auchterarder. They had no servant in 1871.
In the summer of «b»1876«/b» (1 June to be exact) Andrew Dasher died after a protracted illness diagnosed as «i»Tabes mesenterica.
«/i»
In «b»1881«/b» the Census recorded that Mary was at home with her husband, William Hannah; and children James (28) a "Student Of Theology Ma«b»"; «/b»Jessie (17) a pupil teacher; and Alexander Brock Lundie (14) still a scholar.
The rest of the family were engaged in a variety of pursuits:
«b»John«/b» had left with his new bride «b»Rebecca "Becca" Best«/b», for a life as a missionary in South Africa. If only some of the letters he wrote home had survived, what a tale they would tell! The mission station at Lujilo where they were meant to go was burnt down during the Frontier War of 1877-18 78, so that the Lundies at first went to Burnshill mission where John's sister lived with her husband Rev. Thomas Shearer, after which they and the Auld family established to the Columba Mission at Kentani, in the Transkei. Later John established Malan Mission near Willowvale which was about 25 miles further north.
Possibly the interest in South Africa had been kindled when «b»Helen«/b» married «b»Rev Thomas Shearer«/b» in «b»1873«/b». It is not know at this point when they went to South Africa but Helen's eldest surviving child, William Shearer, was born in the Cape of Good hope in 1877, the year John and Becca left for the same destination.
25-yr old «b»William Tasker Lundie«/b» was boarding in Edinburgh and at this stage was a "Student Of Arts E.U".
There is no record of where «b»Marshall«/b» was in 1881. He had gone on to study theology. It is possible that he was already in Spain, where he died three years after the census, in 1884.
There is no clear census record for «b»Catherine«/b» in 1881 but the most likely one is that it is she who was boarding, and was described as a student, in Edinburgh. In 1887 she married Henry Begg, an Insurance Clerk of Scottish heritage born in Melbourne, Australia.
The «b»1891 Scotland Census«/b» must have recorded an unhappy year in deed. Mary was found in Edinburgh living in the house of her son, «b»William Tasker«/b». Through no fault of his own, «b»William Hannah«/b» her husband had found himself thrown out of the house they had occupied for 35 years, "Sheddon Cottage", when due to a change in Scottish law (the «i»Educational Endowment (Scotland) Act 1882«/i») the Sheddon Trust School had been forced to close and the powers that be had decreed that he could not occupy the cottage. So they were suddenly left to live on a small, even then, pension of £25 a year, and find a new place to reside.
William was also sheltering his sister «b»Catherine«/b», who was housekeeping for him after the death of her husband, Henry Begg, the previous year. «b»Jessie«/b» was about to be married to Rev Henry Begg Gray/Grey and is described as an "ex pupil teacher" and she too, was living at William's house at 3 Glengyle Terrace.
«b»Helen«/b», Rev Thomas Shearer, and her family of five children were visiting from South Africa and they, too, were accommodated in William's home. So living quarters could not have been comfortable.
«b»Alexander Brock«/b» cannot be found in the census so it is possible that he had already left to seek his fortune in North America.
And to crown it all Mary had just lost her second son to die in Spain. «b»James«/b» had died in Huelva, Spain in «b»1890«/b». So 1891 could not have been the high spot in her life.
In «b»1900«/b» «b»William Hannah«/b» died in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow, where they had been living with thier daughter, «b»Jessie«/b» and her husband Rev Henry Begg Grey. The Grey family went to live in New Zealand. It may be for this reason that in «b»1901 «/b»when the «b»Scotland Census«/b» was taken Mary was registered living with her daughter «b»Catherine«/b» and her second husband, Duncan McKay, whom she had married in 1898. Their home was at 5 Buckingham Terrace, Ayr.
[The transcribers excelled themselves in making this record difficult to find. As there are very many Duncan McKay's in Scotland, and, as I had no birth date to narrow the search, I tried looking for Catherine. Eventually the record was found and Catherine is entered as "Cath O McKay" and her mother is entered as "Mary Goudie"!]
In 1901 Mary was a trustee of her sister, Catherine Tasker's will, together with her sister Betty Sidey. In this will it says «i»"...And to the said Mrs Lundie my sister the Family Group. And I direct my said Trusties and Executrices the said Mrs Sidey and Mrs Lundie to divide the residue of monies after payment of all jsut and lawful debts sickbed debts funeral expenses between themselves in equal halves and failing both of either of my said sisters the half falling to them to be divided equally share and share alike amongst their children. sisters to my said sisters Mrs Sidey adn Mrs Lundie I hereby assign dispose convey and make over the house number fifty six George Street Coupar Angus each to have an undivided half thereof such undivided half to go to the family of their of my said sisters should they predecease me..."«/i» Mary's address on 3 June 1901 was given as 5 Buckingham Terrace, Ayr.
Mary Lundie died nine years later, in 1910, aged 85 in her daughter's home in Ayr, Scotland. Her Death Record reads:
«i»Mary Lundie, Widow of William Hannah Lundie, Teacher,
[on] 1910 November twenty first...
At 5 Buckingham Terrace Ayr,
F, 85 years,
[parents] Andrew TASKER [incorrectly transcribed in Scotlandspeole as TASKIE], blacksmith, (Deceased) & Helen Tasker MN Andrew (Deceased)
[cause] Rodentmear[?Illegible] As Certified by G McKerrow, MB CM
[Informant] D MacKay. Son-in-law..«/i».
Four of her six sons predeceased her, and at this time I do not have the death date of her son Alexander Brock Lundie, so it is possible he could also have passed away before his mother also.
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1825 - 1910 (85 years)
[14, 15] 
