Biographical notes

Illigitimate birth. Living with her mother and three siblings in the 1841 Census.

Married Thomas Lauder 22 FEB 1846 St. Quivox And Newton, Ayr, Scotland

First child christened James Chalmers Lauder on 5 September 1846 in the St Quivox register.

In the 1851 Census, the family is living at 19 Cotton Street, Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire; Thomas Lauder (48) Head Married Mason [born] Ayr Ayrshire, Elizabeth Lauder (21) Wife [occupation] Attend family [born Ayr Ayrshire], James Lauder (4) Son [born] Ayr Ayrshire, Elizabeth Park (20) Visitor [born] Ayr Ayrshire.

A child Robert Park Lauder was born in Ayr on 06 AUG 1855 (SR register but exact date of birth from LDS website)

A child named Isabella Lauder was born in Ayr on 13 MAY 1857 (exact date of birth from LDS website). In the LDS entry only the mother is named suggesting that the child was illigitimate. In view of the fact that Thomas Lauder was convicted in 1856, it seems certain that this child was illigitimate.

This child died in Ayr the same year (1857).

Elizabeth gave birth to an illigitimate child Joseph Park on the 02 JUL 1858 in Ayr, No father recorded in the Ayr register and the mother's surname used (exact date of birth from LDS website).

In the 1861 Census living separately from her husband at 13 Content Street; Elizabeth Lauder (30) Wife Married [born] Ayr, James Lauder (14) Son Unm [born] Ayr, John Lauder (11) Son Scholar [born] Renfrewshire Paisley; Elizabeth Lauder (8) Daughter [born] Ayr, Robert P. Lauder (6) Son [born] Ayr, Joseph Park (2) Son [born] Ayr, Alexander Park (24) brother Unm Mason [born] Ayr. No record for Thomas Lauder has been traced in this or subsequent Census returns.

On 29th April 1867 Elizabeth gave birth to another illigitimate child (in Content Street) named Alexander Park. This register entry is of particular interest as she is described as Elizabeth Lauder, wife of a convict, MS Elizabeth Park, Sewer.

The record for the family in the 1871 states that Elizabeth is a Widow. The family is living at 28 Scotland Street, Tradeston, Lanarkshire; Elizabeth Lauder (40) Head Widow [Occupation] Painter [born] Ayrshire St Quivox; John Lauder (20) Son unmarried Plasterer [born] Renfrewshire Paisley, Elizabeth Lauder (18) Daughter Unmarried Biscuit Packer [born] Ayrshire St Quivox, Thomas Lauder (15) Son Lather [born] Ayrshire St Quivox, William Lauder (13) Son Lather [born] Ayrshire St Quivox, Alexander Lauder (4) [born] Ayrshire St Quivox. Thomas Lauder (1856) is near the age of Robert P Lauder born 6 August 1855. No record of a birth of Thomas Lauder 1856 has been traced to Elizabeth and Thomas. Likewise William (1858) Lauder would seem to be the same age as Joseph Park born 2 July 1858. The status of Elizabeth (senior) as a Widow was not true and was probably used to conceal the fact that her husband was a convict.

Although recorded as a widow, no death record has been traced for Thomas Lauder in the Scottish Statutary registers in the period 1861 to

Not yet traced in 1881, 1891 and 1901 Census records

Died on 2 Dec 1903 at Carrick Street, Ayr, with a recorded age of 74. Described as the Widow of Thomas Lauder (Mason). Only one parent Elizabeth Pettigrew (Housekeeper, deceased) named. Daughter (indecipherable on register) named as informant, possibly Elizabeth as named in the 1861 Census.