William (Bill) Clark Keay was born 16th March 1914.
Immediately, Bill was sent out with his regiment in France (WWII) - see photo in an earlier post of Bill in Uniform, and photos also from their wedding day. Wonder if he knew how close he got to the final resting places of his father & uncles?
His young wife, meanwhile was living with her elderly Mum (Janet McKerracher). Her father (William Spence Brack) had died in January 1940, and then her Mum died on 3rd November 1941 (aged 73) while Jen was heavily pregnant with her first child. I have heard the tale of how Jen & her Mum were sharing a bed when her Mum died. Jen laid her out herself, as folk did then.
The gravestone pictured here is at the Comrie burial ground. We can see that as well as Jen's parents, her brother John M. Brack (Jock) is also remembered here. He died 18th February, 1983.
In the weeks after her Mother's death, Jen gave birth prematurely to a tiny girl who was named Janette. She lived only 9 days, and is buried in the grave alongside Mum's parents. (A choice which led to a long-term split between Jen and her brother, very sad.)
We have her birth and death certificates - just 9 days apart. Her father, Bill, never saw his first child as he was away at war.
Bill & Jen went on to have 3 lovely children in Comrie, and in the 1950's they moved to live in Manchester, where Bill worked as a baker. They finally settled in Stockport, and there are now 8 grandchildren!
Here are links with some further reading on Comrie, on Perthshire, and on the Strathearn area generally.
Large guide to Perthshire genealogy resources - pdf file to download - go here.
His young wife, meanwhile was living with her elderly Mum (Janet McKerracher). Her father (William Spence Brack) had died in January 1940, and then her Mum died on 3rd November 1941 (aged 73) while Jen was heavily pregnant with her first child. I have heard the tale of how Jen & her Mum were sharing a bed when her Mum died. Jen laid her out herself, as folk did then.
The gravestone pictured here is at the Comrie burial ground. We can see that as well as Jen's parents, her brother John M. Brack (Jock) is also remembered here. He died 18th February, 1983.In the weeks after her Mother's death, Jen gave birth prematurely to a tiny girl who was named Janette. She lived only 9 days, and is buried in the grave alongside Mum's parents. (A choice which led to a long-term split between Jen and her brother, very sad.)
We have her birth and death certificates - just 9 days apart. Her father, Bill, never saw his first child as he was away at war.
Bill & Jen went on to have 3 lovely children in Comrie, and in the 1950's they moved to live in Manchester, where Bill worked as a baker. They finally settled in Stockport, and there are now 8 grandchildren!
Here are links with some further reading on Comrie, on Perthshire, and on the Strathearn area generally.
Large guide to Perthshire genealogy resources - pdf file to download - go here.
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