First Born Child

James CRAIG with his daughter Jane, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

First Born Child: Jane E. CRAIG

My husband's aunt, Jane E. CRAIG born on 25 May 1901 is the little baby in this photograph.

James Craig, her father, looks very pleased to be a father, doesn't he? He probably never imagined she would live until nearly 102 years old.

I am using her life events in my blog because of the number of available records I have found that I think will be absent in the future. You will see why I say this as we go along.

Yesterday, I posted the gravestone she and her husband share. They had no children to appreciate the events of her life so like many childless couples their photographs and other memorabilia will not survive unless I write about it.

Jane's father, James will be blogged about at a later date but let me say here today, he was born in Scotland. When I blog about him, I will show you the wedding photo of them taken in 1900.

Jane was born in Fall River to James and his wife Hannah WILDE in Fall River, MA. He was a "cloth folder" at the time of her birth. [MA VR 1841-1910 508:191]

James and Hannah went on to have four or five more daughters and a son. One or two daughters died in infancy. My mother-in-law was not sure of their names or when they were born. I do know they are buried with their mother in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, MA

Teachable moment: Photograph of gravestone taken shortly after her husband dies in 1953 is a record of a gravestone photograph in black and white. She doesn't die until 2003. 
Teachable moment: Formal photograph of a baby with her father taken about 1901 or 1902. Not every family has a photo that survives that long (and you haven't seen the next one yet).