Janet McAuslan was born on 11^th April 1822, as recorded in the Barony (Glasgow) Parish Register:

James McAslane Grocer Anderston & Christn. Ritchie had their 2d. child born 11th April named Janet Daniel Ritchie & Jas. Fleming wit.

An element of tragedy is at work here; there is also a record of another child of the same family, also named Janet, born one year to the day earlier. The first Janet, who presumably died shortly after birth, had also been recorded as the second child of the family. The second Janet, who survived to adulthood and well into old age, appears to have been considered as a direct replacement, to the extent that the first Janet was effectively omitted from the ordinal sequence.

From the fact that most or even all of her numerous sisters and two brothers were also born in Barony Parish, that must be where her early years were spent. Until at least 1823, the family home was in Anderston; by 1829 they had relocated to Duke Street.

In 1841, Janet was a straw hat maker, aged 20, living with her parents and brothers and sisters in Susanna Street, Alexandria.

In 1851, her age was entered - erroneously - as 25. She was now a dressmaker and still unmarried. She continued to live with her parents and siblings in Susannah Street, Alexandria.

Janet married John Steele on 17^th November 1852 at Alexandria.

She was entered on the 1855 birth certificate of her son John as ‘Janet (McAslan maiden name) Steele’ and it seems that he was her first (though the writing is not clear) child. She was stated to be 34 years old. Her place of birth is entered as Barony Parish, i.e. Glasgow, and this information is confirmed by both the 1881 and 1891 census records.

Janet’s maiden surname admits of considerable variations in spelling; to take but two instances, it was given as ‘McAuslane’ when her second son James McAuslane Steele was born in 1857 and as ‘McAslan’ when her third son Archibald Clark Steele followed in 1859.

Janet was widowed when her husband John Steele died on 12^th December 1859. Following an appointment as Executrix Dative qua relict on 17^th January 1860, Janet entered upon the possession and management of her late husband’s personal and moveable estate and carried on the bakery business thereafter.

The 1866 Inventory of Archibald Clark and Margaret McAulay or Clark refers to an agreement between Archibald and Margaret on the one hand and, on the other, ‘Janet McAuslan or Steele Baker in Renton Executrix Dative qua Relict of the late John Steele Baker there’, dated 23^rd April and 23^rd May 1860, whereby Janet undertook to repay £200, with interest, in favour of the other two parties, her stepfather-in-law and mother-in-law respectively.

At the time of the 1861 census, Janet was residing on Main Street, Renton, Dunbartonshire, in premises with five rooms having one or more windows. She was a widow aged 33 and a ‘Baker (employing 3 men & 3 boys)’. Living with her were her sons John, a scholar aged 5, who had been born in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, and Archibald, 1, who had been born in Renton; a domestic servant named Jane Campbell, aged 20 and born in Renton; and a pair of apprentice bakers, Daniel McPhee and Archibald Graham, both aged 16 and born in Ireland.

In 1871, Janet’s age was entered as 47. She was living at 123, Main Street, Renton, in premises with three rooms having one or more window. She had also downsized slightly in business terms and was now a ‘Baker employing 3 men & 2 boys’. Living with her were her sons James, aged 14, who had been born at Bonhill, and Archibald, now aged 11; there was also a domestic servant, Margaret McKim, aged 22, who had been born in Cardross.

Sons James and Archibald again appear in the 1881 census, residing with their widowed mother at 123, Main Street, Renton. So too are a relative and a maidservant. James, 23, is unmarried and entered as a baker, most probably in his mother’s ‘baking business.’ Archibald was an engine fitter. Janet’s age was entered as 59.

At the time of the 1891 census, Janet was living at 179, Main Street, in the Civil Parish of Bonhill, Quoad Sacra Parish and Village of Alexandria, in premises with three rooms having one or more windows. Her age was entered as 68. She was again stated to have been born in Glasgow. At this time, her unmarried son James was living with her. He was 34, and was employed as a baker. Janet does not appear to have an occupation by then, though it is strongly suspected that she was James’s employer.

By 1901, James was married and living at 12, Greenfield Street, Govan, in a dwelling, probably in a tenement, with two rooms having one or more windows. Janet, his elderly mother, was living with the family, and this was to be her final appearance in the census records. The full entry runs:

James Steele, head, married, 43, baker, worker, born Dumbartonshire, Alexandria Lily, wife, 45, born Dumbartonshire, Luss Lilias G., daur, 8, scholar, born Dumbartonshire, Alexandria John, son, 6, scholar, born Dumbartonshire, Alexandria Janet, mother, widow, 79, annuitant, born Lanarkshire, Glasgow James Frame, boarder, married, 45, foreman baker, worker, born Lanarkshire, Larkhall

Janet Steele, maiden name entered on this occasion as McAuslane, died on 16^th December 1904 at five in the morning, at Greenfield Street, Govan. Her age was entered as 83 years of age. The cause of death was certified as bronchitis. The informant was James Steele, her son, who was entered as present.

Brothers and Sisters

Janet appears to have been the third of nine known children, who were produced on a more or less annual basis over a protracted period. All were born in ‘Barony’, or that Glasgow Parish lying north of the river but excluding the city centre.

Her elder sisters were Ann, born 1819, and the first Janet, 1821. Subsequent siblings were Christina, born 1823; William, c. 1827; James, c. 1828; Margaret, 1829; Elizabeth, 1831 and Helen, 1833.

All apart from William appear on the 1851 census record for the village of Alexandria but there is an apparent serious discrepancy with regard to their ages and order of birth. Janet’s age was entered as 25 when she was in fact within days of her 30^th birthday. Ann’s age is given as 29 (she was actually almost 32) and Christina’s as 27 (actually 28). This is quite typical of a family in which no one ever seemed to be quite sure when any of the children were born. All three ladies were dressmakers. James was a draper’s clerk. All seven were unmarried and living with their parents, with no occupations entered.