A glorious family album c1864: Dowie and Michell

 

From time to time, one comes upon a collection of family photos (not my family) which are for sale on ebay, not as a collection but individually. Sad to split up a collection with connections, but ...   Occasionally, I try to stick them back together again and preserve them here. Especially when I find a bundle like the one that will follow, where the vendor has had the kindness and feeling to state which items come from the same source. Thank you puzzlepixie 

These photos are labelled as relations (?) of one David Dowie.  Mr Dowie (b Camberley 7 November 1832; d Tunbridge Wells 4 October 1886) was a well-off gentleman, the son of a Scottish merchant, James Dowie and his wife, Lilias née McAndrew. 1 October 1865 he married Jane Michell, eldest daughter of a Steyning brewer, farmer and coal merchant, George Michell (1811-1888) ... and here begin our photographs. For George had five surviving daughters and two sons ...

Here is George himself 

This is 'old Mrs Michell of Steyning'. George's wife, Eliza née Westwood, died 5 December 1859. 1859?  She was only 48. And rather pre-photograph. Could this be George's mother? Yes, Mary née Turner died 22 November 1869.

This is no 1 daughter Jane, Mrs Dowie (b Steyning 7 December 1837; d Hastings 3 January 1887)

This is daughter no 2, Bertha (b Sudbury 10 December 1840; d Hove 3 April 1917)

no3 Catherine (b Steyning 14 May 1844; d Hove 28 Februay 1929)

no 4 Margaret (b Steyning 30 April 1846; d Blackheath 11 December 1915)

no 5 Alice Mary (b Steyning 1 November 1847; d Steyning 5 November 1930)

We also have a photo of the youngest child, and second son, George Burgess Michell (b Steyning 18 June 1852; d Hove 22 December 1929) ... he looks about ten or twelve here, which would help date the photo for us ..

We know that the photos date from post 1861, when George's elder brother, Edward Westwood Michell (b Sudbury 2 July 1839; d Steyning 30 August 1861) died, aged 22. And-pre the death of old Mary in 1869. Which places these, I think, 1864.

George Michell's family tree had, from its six twigs, three caduque branches. Bertha, Catherine and Alice Mary remained unmarried. But sisters Jane and Margaret married in a double wedding ..

And if Jane had but one child (Alice Evelyn, Mrs Hutchins), Margaret had no less than ten (and Mr Camroux a few bankruptcies), and George four (wife: Edith Rosina Edghill).  But that generation doesn't seem to make it to the collection, not even Alice Dowie (d Southsea 26 June 1941) ...

So, I leave the Michells and search elsewhere in the collection. Dowies, obviously. Siblings. Brother James Dowie (1828-1897)? Sisters Mary Gray Dowie (1828-1910) and Lilias Dowie (1830-1892)?

OK. Here's Mary. Married the Revd Henry Paul Measor 29 August 1854, vicar of Kingston on Thames. One daughter. He died  December 1866, and she remarried (8 August 1869) the widowed Henry Smith JP of the Hall, Ellingham (1834-1910). One son.

Mrs Measor. Here she is ..

And wot! 'Mrs Dowie, mother of James, mother of James, Mrs Measor, Mrs Christy and David'.  So this is Lilas McAndrew! Brilliant. Er ... Mrs Christy is evidently sister Lilias.

Here's the vicar of Kingston

and here his successor as husband to Miss Dowie

Lillias (Mrs Joseph Fell Christy)

and Mr Christy

And, ah! Some little Christys! Ethel (1863-1906) and Amy (1860-1918)

 

And lastly brother James (b Camberwell; d 1 April 1897). James became an army contractor, married Mary Ellen Bischoff (b Hackney 1838; Guildford 10 March 1913) ...

Here she is!

And James

and, apparently, both of them, playing chess, with ... kibbitzers

and this I guess is David himself ...

It's a splendid family album. All of those  photos are from the very stem of the family tree c1864.

But there are more photos in the bundle. Even the odd Dowie ... Kenneth and wife and daughter, Jessie, all from Liverpool. Don't know where he fits in, but will look .. 

Mrs Winter, baby Winter, Mabel Winter

Reverend Bayley and Jane

Reverend J Trocker

Miss Kirkland (seems to have something to do with James and Aylesbury)

Mr and Mrs Cawson

Jane Whittington 'father's sister'

enough for one day ... cocktail and laZboy time ...