John Fea: Lock Keeper

Helen Fea and Alexander Winton

Helen Fea (b. 16th April 1831) married Alexander Winton on 3rd December 1848 in Falkirk. Alexander was born on 15th August 1827 and the son of Peter Winton and Janet Low.

Helen and Alexander were at 3 Grove St at St George's Cross in Glasgow in 1851 when Alexander was working as a blacksmith. This one particular census does indicate that Helen was born in Larbert. Their first daughter had already arrived.

They had thirteen children:

• Catherine Winton b. 22nd September 1849, Falkirk who married Thomas Henderson

• Janet Jessie Lowe Winton b. 17th May 1851, Glasgow who married John Gillespie

• Helen Winton b. 11th August 1853, Barony, Lanarkshire who married David Roy

• Margaret Winton b. 1st April 1855, Falkirk who married Stephen Copper

• Agnes Winton b. 1st December 1856, Falkirk. She died in Birkenhead, Cheshire in 1878 aged twenty two.

• Peter Winton b. 6th October 1858. Peter died in Grangemouth on 19th November 1859 at the age of thirteen months.

• Alexander Winton b. 20th June 1860, Grangemouth who married Jeanette Muir McGlashan, LaBelle McGlashan, Marion Campbell and Mary Ellen Avery.

• Jane Winton b. 30th November 1862, Grangemouth who married Michael McKecnhie, George O Esterbrook and Harold Durand Bates.

• Mary Ann Winton b. 30th August 1865, Springburn, Lanarkshire who married Donald MacLennan.

• John Winton b. 1867, Lanarkshire. John died on 12th December 1869 in Glasgow, aged two.

• Ruth Winton b. 1870, Lanarkshire. Ruth does appear with the family in St Mary St., Falkirk in 1871. She died back in Glasgow (29 Abercorn St) on 4th February 1875, aged five. This was the year following her father's death.

• Samuel Winton b. 31st August 1872 who was a twin son and only survived a few hours.

• James Winton b. 31st August 1872, Grangemouth and died five days later at 25 Dundas St, Grangemouth. The other twin.

The family had moved to Grangemouth by 1861 and included Helen's widowed mother, Catherine Thomson. Alexander was then a foreman blacksmith. By 1871, they were in St Mary St., Falkirk and the elder children had left home.

Alexander died at Dundas St., Grangemouth in what was then the parish of Bothkennar on 5th April 1874. It is noted that the Glasgow marriage register for daughter Janet in 1876 gives her late father's occupation as canal lock engineer.

It is noted that five of the daughters married in Glasgow over a period of nine years: Catherine (1871); Janet Jessie Lowe (1876); Helen (1877); Margaret (1880) and Jane (1880).

Helen appears to be at the Union Workhouse, Berwick Upon Tweed in 1881 where she is a nurse. She is described as a widow, born in Scotland.

She made the trip to the US, arriving in New York on 20th September 1884. This would have been the year after the marriage of son, Alexander Winton, to his first wife, Jeannie McGlashan in New York.

There was a further sailing from Glasgow to New York in 1896 at the age of 65.

Helen was to remarry on 12th July 1899 in Geuga County, Ohio, her second husband being John Thompson.

She remained in the US, being in Cuyahoga County, Ohio in 1900 and 1910. Other members of the family were there at this time.

She died in Cuyahoga County, Ohio on 13th January 1912, aged eighty.