Euphemia Jaffray 1798 - 1875

Euphemia Jaffray (1798 - 1875)

Euphemia Jaffray was born at Yester in Haddingtonshire on 25 November 1798. She was the third daughter and seventh and youngest child of Peter Jaffray and Euphemia Swine. Her baptism was witnessed by Peter Cockburn and ? Currie.Very little is known about the family or Euphemia's movements until 1833.

In 1833 Euphemia is working for David Hardie at the ... "FARM of MARKLE MAINS, including a part of the FARM of CRAUCHIE, and the FIELD termed the BOGPARK". David had taken over as owner of the property in 1830. It is unknown how long Euphemia work at Marklemains, but it was from at least October 1832, because in July 1833 Euphemia gave birth to twins:

• William Hardie. Born 19 July 1833. Christening 23 August 1833. Died 23 August 1918.
• Euphemia Hardie. Born 19 July 1833. Christening 23 August 1833.

Although Euphemia and David were not married, the twins were christened as Hardies and raised close by Euphemia in close proximity to their father. Research indicates that that this was not unusual

"Contrary to what is thought sometimes to be Victorian attitudes, unmarried Prestonkirk mothers and their children were clearly not abandoned or cast out. Children lived in the parish with their natural families, usually their mother."

Euphemia and the twins continued to live in general area. In 1841 Euphemia, the twins and her neice Margaret Rintoul were living and working at Amisfield Arms near Haddington (6km from Marklemains) and by the time of the 1851 census Euphemia and her son William and niece Margaret Rintoul are back at Crauchie Farm (less than 1km from Marklemains) where Euphemia and Margaret were working as Agricultural labourers and William was a ploughman.

By 1861 Euphemia was living with her daughter Euphemia Hardie and neice Margaret Rintoul at Loanhead, Morham, East Lothian where her daughter and Margaret were both working as agricultural labourers.

At the time of the 1871 census she was living at Northmains, Gladsmuir, East Loathian with her daughter Euphemia.

Euphemia died at the age of 77 on 10 September 1875 at 3:30pm from Kidney Disease at Penston Gladsmuir where she was living with her son William. She had apparently been ill for an extended period of time.