Ferguson Renwick or Martha Gillespie or Elizabeth Kirkwood ? SOLVED !

Ferguson Renwick (1820) or Martha Gillespie (1827) or Elizabeth Kirkwood (1855)

This photo was used in the 1960s on a photo pedigree chart and identified as Ferguson Renwick. Jim and Etta Watson supplied the photo.  Etta wrote "small pedigree" on the back of the photo.  I later wrote "Martha Gillespie," then later "Eliz. Kirkwood following someone's direction.  If anyone has an opinion or perhaps other photos of any of these three women please comment.  Margaret and I both think it might have been wrong on the photo pedigree and is really Martha Gillespie.

James Watson,  used to tell a story from his childhood of his grandmother with her pipe in her mouth calling him to her privately and saying,"Wee Jimmie, how aboot runnin' doon the toon wi this copper to git yer granny a wee dram?  Be swift laddie an dini tell a soul,"

 

His grandmother Elizabeth Kirkwood without her pipe and copper for "a wee dram".

She is the only grandmother that lived during James Watson's  lifetime.  

  Elizabeth Kirkwood, 1855-1914

There are two other photos of great grandmothers, Martha Gillespie and Ferguson Renwick of James Watson (1906).   They are obviously from the same era of photography and fashion even though Ferguson and Martha's apparel are from two different social strata.   Yet, the hats have a similarity.   The third is from a different era, another generation--Elizabeth Kirkwood.

 

Ferguson Renwick, 1820-1889.

If you want to see a photo of the church in her home town go search "Ferguson" in the search window.

 Martha Gillespie, 1827-1904.

 

James Watson recalled the difficulty identifying Martha Gillespie in their Edinburgh searches of old parochial registers in 1963.   After hours of searching and confusion among various Martha Gillespies they realized, Martha had been fudging on her age at each census and each new husband!   Martha was widowed twice.