Jeanie Townsley Docherty (1883-1947)

Rachel Jeanie Townsley Docherty , daughter of John Townsley (1861-1910) and Jane Smith Townsley (1870-1906) was born in 1883 in Renfrew. Jeanie's parents are believed to have married in Ballymena Ireland on the 8th January 1881.

Jeanie married Patrick Docherty on the 2nd January 1905 at the St James Roman Catholic Church in Renfrew. The marriage certificate of Patrick and Jeanie noted that Patrick who was a Clydeside riveter living at Old Kilpatrick in Clydebank aged 20 with Jeanie living at 21 Croft Place Renfrew. A Bernard Duffie and a Susan Docherty (presently untraced family member) acted as witness.

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      St James Church in Renfrew where Jeanie was married in 1905.       The John Brown gates at Patrick's workplace.
 

Jeanie and Patrick had at least 6 children, with Jeanie's marriage witness Susan being a possible 7th:
Jeanie and Patrick's daughter and first child Mary, was sadly to die aged only 8 years old on the 22nd January 1916 from acute meningitis with Patrick being the Informant.

Jeanie is recorded as being a steam loom weaver as a young woman. The application of steam powered machines from the 1870's in Scotland had lead to the substitution of woman and children for the previously highly skilled spinners and weavers. This led to enormous productivity gains - output increased while labour costs greatly decreased whilst often decimating local communities such as Kilbarchan.

The British winter of 1947 was exceptionally severe and snowbound with most of the UK covered in sub-zero temperatures from mid-January until late March. Jeanie sadly succumbed to the harsh conditions and died aged 63 years after suffering from bronchitis for 21 days on the 20th January 1947. She was living with Patrick, who was the Informant, at 5 Ferguson Street Renfrew. Patrick lived on at this same address until he passed away aged 72 on the 20th September 1956.

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      1947 UK Winter Scene       Housewives queueing for rations during the winter of 1947       Ferguson Street in Renfrew where Jeanie and Patrick lived for many years.
 

      Family Tree Summary

ForenameSurnameBornDiedCause of Death
JeanieTownsley188320/01/1947Severe Bronchitis