Thomas Howitt (1895-1972) visit to Scotland in 1948 - UPDATED in 2022

 

I believe this group photo was taken in Scotland circa 1948, however it could be 1960 when my grandparents visited Scotland together. If it is 1960, many of my assumptions are wrong.[UPDATE: It is from the late 1940's see annotated picture below]

 The seated man in the center of the photo is my grandfather, Thomas Howitt(1895-1972).
In 1923 He moved to the US and met and married my grandmother (Andrina[Annie Reta] Wilson(1894-1996)), who move to the US from Scotland in 1916 with her mother.
In 1948 her mother, Jane (Meikle)Wilson, passed away and my grandfather escorted her body back to Scotland to be buried with her husband, Andrew Wilson.
The above photo must have been was taken during this trip. The woman on my grandfather's right is  appears to be his mother, Helen Paterson Inch Howitt. Behind her I think is Stephen Howitt, my grandfather's brother. Here they are

in another photograph from the same occasion(from the clothing).

 

 My grandfather(Tom), his mother, Helen, and brother Steve. Helen is cutting a cake. Maybe her birthday? Or just celebrating my grandfather's visit as I believe it was his first since he left. Note the daffodils on the table... springtime? (So maybe not Aug 1960).
I know from a diary my grandfather kept on a trip he made with his wife in 1960(note: post of that diary with pictures in this blog forthcoming) that he had three sisters, Bunty, Ella and Nettie. After some sleuthing I believe they are Agnes(Bunty) Maxwell(39), Helen(Ella) Grieve(44), and Janet(Nettie)(42)Mercer Brown Howitt who I don't think ever married (ages in 1948).
I believe Stephen's wife, Martha is the sister of Robert Maxwell, Bunty's husband. I think all of these people must be in the first picture.
Also, from the records I have, Alexander McKenzie Howitt (my grandfather(Tom Howitt)'s brother) died in 1956 so he should also be there with his wife, Mary. Maybe he is seated on the other side of Helen, with his wife, Mary, behind him?

Yet another, much older, photo shows mother Helen with two women.

I believe they are the woman to my grandfather's left and the woman to her left. Possibly two of the sisters. Looking at the hairdos and comparing with above, I'd guess the woman in the middle is Janet, known as Nettie to my grandfather. She's seated next to my grandfather in the big picture. Continuing the guessing games, I think that the one next to her, and the other sister in the picture above, is Helen(Ella). Behind the two of them is another woman with a big smile. I think she might be Agnes(Bunty). [Wrong- this is Ann Maxwell]See the man next to her with his hands on her shoulder and also the woman on his other side. This could be Bunty's husband Robert Maxwell and his sister, Martha, married to brother Steve Howitt, standing next to her.[Those were good guesses]
Helen's husband died in 1956 so he should be there too.
Other questions about the big picture:
- who is the seated older couple on the far left? Maybe Helen Sr's generation?
- who is everybody else?
- where are they? seems like a large hall with all those coat hooks. The Masonic Hall? There is one in Carluke which is where there was a gathering with gf's family in 1960 (from the diary mentioned above).

UPDATE:

I started to change the text above but before I finished I wanted to add this annotated photo. Many of my assumptions were correct and some were not.

 Annotated copy of picture above. Much of the information comes from Anne Hall, not a blood relative but the Howitts and Maxwells were very close as Stephen Howitt married Martha Maxwell and Stephen's sister, Agnes, married Martha's brother, Robert. Martha had 5 sisters and thus the family was very close.

Numbers correspond to:

Front row(on floor):
35 Boy
36 Tom Maxwell - son of Bunt(Agnes Howitt(21)) and Robert(15)
37 Boy
38 Boy
39 girl
40 boy
41 Helen Maxwell - daughter of Bunt and Robert

Seated:
22 woman w/ glasses Wilhelmina Davidson Maxwell - wife of George
23 man with  vest(George Maxwell?)
24 man with Rbt Maxwell Jr(31) in lap
25 Helen Paterson Inch Howitt
26 Tom Howitt
27 Janet(Nettie)Howitt, girl in lap(32)
28 Helen(Ella) Howitt, girl in lap(33)
29 Helen Paterson Inch Howitt Hammond, Maureen Hammond(34) standing in lap

Standing
4 Jean Turnbull Hall (holding boy(3)
1 Jean McNeil(Thompson) daughter of Aunt Sarah Maxwell
5 woman next to Jean
2 Stephen Howitt Jr
7 Janette Prentice Howitt(Stephen Jr's wife) holding child(Alan Howitt(6))
10 woman next to Janette
8 man 1 behind
9 man 2 behind
11 man 3 behind
12 Stephen Howitt Sr
13 Bobby Thompson husband of Jean McNeil
14 Martha Maxwell Howitt
15 Robert Maxwell
16 Charlie Hammond (Helen PI Howitt's(29) husband)
17 Ann Maxwell(Turnbull)
18 Jean Gilchrist (daughter of Jean Maxwell)
19 George McIvor (son of Jean Maxwell)
20 Jean Maxwell
21 Aunt Bunt(Agnes Howitt)

Wilson/Meikle branch family photos

Andrew and Jane(Meikle) Wilson married on Dec 31, 1886.

The marriage certificate lists his age as 41 and hers as 25; however, it appears she was only 23 and he was 43.
He had been widowed in 1882 and had 5 children, although by the time he and Jane were married, three of them had died. James was 17 and Mary was 11.
Andrew and Jane had 3 daughters. These are the youngest pictures I have of each of them.
Lizzie was born in 1888. Here she might be 20? 1908? Judging by the clothing.:

Lizzie married William Martin in 1910 in Boston, Massachusetts. She arrived in the US in 1909 joining William who arrived in 1907.


Jane(Jeannie) Wilson was born in 1891(shown here at her wedding to James Dougall in 1916 when she was 26):

Andrina(later she used 'Annie Rita') was born in 1884. Rita(Reta), came to the US in 1916 with her mother. This picture was taken Boston Purdy & Company

(James E. Purdy, photographer. 146 Tremont St., Boston, Mass., USA.
Active 1896-1930; at 146 Tremont 1896-1908, at 145 and 390 Tremont later. The cover on the photo clearly says '145 Tremont' so it is pre-1922. )

:

 More pictures of Jeannie:

This seems to be in the graveyard, maybe at her father's funeral in 1914?

This appears to be Jeannie, James, and baby Andrew.

This one is labeled Andrew D. (same hair)

James, Jeannie, and Andrew.


Next comes baby Jack...

with Jeannie above, and James and Andrew below, left. Below right is baby Jack with an older woman at the same house, on the same day.

This looks like the same suit on Andrew, below. Is that Jeannie? Maybe not the same day?

Below Top: James with Jack when he's a little older. Bottom: Jeannie with baby Jack and young Andrew, at the beach. Maybe on a Sunday? Doesn't look like beach attire.

a while later, Jack is older.

Above,  James, Jeannie, Andrew and Jack with a different older woman.

 Jack and Angela's wedding

Andrew and Betty's wedding

Jeannie and James with Betty or Angela?  and grandchild??

More...

Pat and John brought Rita to Scotland for a visit in 19??  (Rita, Angela, Pat)

 (John and Pat Howitt, Jack and Rita)

 Derek and Michelle. So cute!

These next 3 are at my grandparents' home 3 Tiverton Rd Dorchester, MA around 1970(when Jack and Angela visited) (Billie Greene, Cousin Betty(both are Aunt Lizzie's daughters), Angela, John Greene)

 (Jack, The Blairs, friends of Tom and Rita, Rita, Billie Greene)

 (Tom Howitt, Betty's husband, Jack)

 Jack, Angela, Andrew, Betty

A different occasion.... who are the 3 women in the background on the left?

 This is Inverness. We saw this bridge when we were there in 2018. Who is the woman on the left?

 Who are the other women besides Angela, Jeannie and Rita(same clothing as above)?

 Above looks like two days from the clothing. When did Tom and Rita visit Jeannie? in the 1950's or 60's?