| Notes |
- Birth Certificate (original) Birth Register
Janet Morton
Date of Birth: 18 Jun 1899 4 h 0m P.M.
Place: Masterton, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Female
Parents: Andrew Morton, Ploughman & Agnes Morton M.S. Wikie
Marriage: 03 Dec 1897 at Dalgetty, Fife, Scotland
Informant: Andrew Morton, Father, Signed
Registered: June 26 1899 at Dunfermline, David Watson, Asst. Registrar
Baptism: 27 Jul 1899 at Dunfermline Abbey
1901 Census: Aberdour Parish, Mossgreen Parish, West Fife, Scotland Page 11, Entry #47
Andrew Morton, Head, Married, Age 24, Farm Servant, Worker, Birthplace Dunfermline, Fife, 2 rooms with one or more windows
Agnes Morton, Wife, Married, Age 26, Birthplace, Saline, Kinross
Janet Morton, Dtr, Single, Age 1, Birthplace Dunfermline, Fife
Margaret Morton, Dtr, Single, Age 1 mo, Birthplace Aberdour, Fife
Marriage Banns
At Dunfermline, the third day of January, 1924, It is hereby certified,
that James Mills, Bachelor, Butcher, 33 King's Place, Rosyth, Dunfermline (in the Parish of Inverkeithing) and Janet Morton, Spinster, Farm Cottages, Halbeath, (in the Abbey Parish) have been duly proclaimed in order to marriage, in the Parish Church of the Abbey, and that no objections have been offered; Signed Andrew Shearer, Session Clerk
Recollections of Aunt Jenny Mills as told to Heather in 1998.
As a child, Jenny lived with her family - Agnes and Andrew Morton, siblings John, Margaret and Agnes on a farm. Everyone worked doing farm labour for the owner of the farm. The owner's wife, Nessie took a real shine to Jenny. The farm was located at Forfal, no longer there now. Crops on the farm were oats, barley, rye , turnips and potatoes. Livestock included beef and dairy cows, pigs, and horses. They worked from sun up to sun down. Her mother worked in the potatoe and turnip fields.
Jenny attended a primary school and the only way there was to walk. She doesn't remember the name of the school or the distance involved from the farm. In the good weather they always walked barefoot. As mentioned above, Nessie took a liking to Jenny and often she was allowed to eat at their house, meet their company and play with their family. This lady often took Jenny on outings by train to Dunfermline and beyond. One particular time, while on this outing, a fearful thunder storm came and they couldn't get back to the train to return home. They slept overnight at the friends place but Aunt Jenny was too frightened to sleep alone, so Nessie had to have Jenny in bed with her. Jenny remembers waking up to the sound of horse hooves on the cobbled streets outside doing milk deliveries. She had never heard the clip clop before.
As she grew older she worked for awhile as the owners domestic maid at the 'big house'. Then she moved onto other work with 2 other larger families, finishing as the main chef for a well to do family. That is how she met Jimmie Mills as he was as asst. butcher and delivered meat to the place where she was working.
At 25 years of age, Jenny married James Mills. She quit her job to move back home and get ready for the wedding. Just prior to quitting her job, she was given a 10 pound tip by her boss's mother in law as her (Jenny's) food was always so good. This mother in law even offered to have Jenny work for her in the future if she wanted to change jobs. Jenny was unflappable, even on preparing for extra company on short notice. Her job had the responsibility of preparing, cooking all meals, foods for the people she worked for as well as supervising other kitchen help during peak activity times.
Jenny and Jimmy Mills were married in the village Hall which served as a church on Sundays. She doesn't remember how many guests came but most of her cousins, aunts / uncles, and friends attended. Her bridal attire was a white dress to her ankles and a small veil on her head. They had a lovely dinner, wedding cake, and then danced for hours. Music was accordian playing, dances were reels, lancers, and waltzes. The day before their wedding the weather was sunny and warm but January 9, 1924 was snowy and cold.
Jimmy and Jenny worked hard and Jimmie wanted to buy a butcher shop of his own. The fellow he was working for said "Don't go", I'll give you a shop to manage and pay you accordingly. This arrangement didn't work as Jimmies' pay didn't increase very much ( 17-20L per month) Then another fellow offered to go partners with Jimmy, so Jimmy went to his boss to resign - again his boss said "Don't go, I'll pay you 1/3 - 1/2 shop profits. Jimmy was excited, however again, one year later, the money never materialized, so he left.
Together with his savings, the money from a new silent partner and set up shop in Rosyth, Fife. After a few years, he wanted to be the sole owner, offered to buy his partner out. The partner took him to a lawyer and Jimmy paid 'hundreds' of pounds to dissolve the partnership. This took all their savings again plus some money loaned to them by Jenny's parents. Shortly after WWII broke out. Times were very tough - in payments, 0 profits and trying to please customers with ration books. Inspectors often came around to check the books, collect the ration coupons. After the war, they did gain and the business was a success. During the war years, Jenny worked along side Jimmy in the meat store, keeping the books, handling the ration coupons, cutting chops and generally serving the customers while Jimmy did all the butchering.
Nancy grew up an only child, very happy, but personality more like her fathers. They were / are a close family; always people coming and going in their home. Nancy worked in top military secrets work as a steno. Also taught typing at night schools to Polish underground men, other future employees for the war movement.
Both recall the fearful sirens. The first Scotland bombing was the Forth of Firth dockyards. Jenny and Jimmy were friends to many and helped many friends, neighbours during the war. Jimmy worked after hours as a "special policeman", checking that the black out blinds always shut - particularly in the maternity hospital. He had regular rounds to do daily with a variety of tasks assigned to them. Jenny and Jimmy had a bomb shelter in their back yard however often there was so little warning to always use it. Many mice there in the bombshell and Nancy, Jenny disliked this.
These same shipyards that were bombed during WWII have recently been closed by Parliament in London. Everyone (all Scotland) very upset as this dockyard was busier than 2 others that are being left open in England. It has left huge unemployment in the Dunfermline community.
After retirement, Jimmy Mills worked at the Abbey. He was like a caretaker to be there for visitors viewing, school childrens trips. His job was to provide security to the abbey as well as be an informant to the tours or visitors. King Robert the Bruce is buried under the pulpit here.
Other discussions this week commented on:
Jenny remembering when glass came into being, 1920
Stoves only used for cooking, and a small light but never heating. They always lived in a 2 room shack like house. Only 2 small windows later on. Jenny recalls the parafiin lamps and candles that were always used.
Andrew Morton was a right conservative and staunchly so, but Jimmy Mills was a liberal. Jenny remembers the males voting never the women.
As Jenny is very fond of the Dunfermline Abbey, her favorite tale is one that her father told her; carrying her just down the street where she now lives on their way to Jenny's baptism in the Abbey July 27, 1899. She just beams with that thought.
Residences:
lived in Rosyth till about 1939
Moved to 16 John St Dunfermline, Fife
Then bought home at 4 Pitbauchlie Bank, Dunfermline, Fife, very near to the Fever Hospital
Nancy sold this home abt 2001 after her Mother - Aunt Jenny died in 1998 - real estate bill of sale states asking price was £112,000.00
Death - Janet (Morton) MILLS
Source: 1998-432-778
Age - 99 years,
Date: November 19, 1998, Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline,Fife, Scotland
Widow: James Mills, Master Butcher, dec.
Father: Andrew Morton, Farm Grieve, dec.
Mother: Agnes Wilkie, dec
Cause of Death: Cardiac Failure, Chronic Renal Failure, Methicillin Resistant Staph. Aureus, Fractured R. distal femur
Informant; Nancy W. Mills, daughter, 4 Pitbauchlie Bank, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Registrar: Greta MacPherson, Nov. 19, 1998
also have original death certificate extract from Register of Deaths DF4301026
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My Scottish "Wilkie" Family
1899 - 1998 (99 years)
Residence
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
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: Not Set