Elizabeth Gibb Cowie (née Brock)

1811 - 20th Nov 1902


Biography

Daughter of James Brock, owner of Industry plantation in St Ann, Jamaica, and his housekeeper Margaret Gibb, a 'free woman of colour'. Baptised with four of her siblings in Jamaica, 06/09/1829: Elizabeth Gibb Brock, Margaret Jane Brock, John Alexander Brock, James Robert Brock and Sidney Henderson Brock. James Brock died in 1829 and after his death Margaret Gibb moved with their 7 surviving children to Denny in Stirlingshire, Scotland, James's birthplace. James bequeathed Industry plantation and a house in Scotland to Margaret Gibb and her children.

In 1840, an inventory of James Brock’s estate was carried out and documented in the Court of Session, possibly after the death of Margaret Gibb. At this time, three of his children were minors and living with various family members in the Denny area, one son had died in 1837, and the other three were now adults. The Court of Session document states that James Brock’s remaining assets, including £3500 that James Brock had invested in “three per cent consols,” and the assets of the Industry plantation in Jamaica were now divided 6 ways. The sum of £1300 was reported to have been already remitted to Scotland from proceeds from the plantation but the “state and condition thereof being unknown the amount or value thereof cannot be condescended on”. Proceeds from the estate may have continued to be paid to the six Brock children and their families for many years after this inventory.

Elizabeth Brock married James Cowie 17/10/1847 in Stirling. They had three children, Margaret, John and Elizabeth. In 1851 she was living at Bainsford, Falkirk, age 29, married, Lightermans Wife, born in the West Indies, with her infant daughter Margaret. The birth certificate of John in 1857 gives their abode as Bankside, Falkirk. She was at the same address in the census of 1861, married, age 39, Sailors Wife, with her daughter Margaret age 10, son John age 4, infant daughter Eilzabeth and niece Mary Russell (unmarried, age 21, born in Denny). In 1871 she was living at Canal Bank, Falkirk, with husband James Cowie, age 44, born Falkirk, carter, and her son John, age 14, an apprentice blacksmith. In 1881 she was living at Mungallend Road in the parish of Grahamston with her husband and son; her daughter Margaret, now married to John Johnston, an iron filer, and their children were living next door. Elizabeth Cowie was at the same address in 1891 and 1901 (in the latter as a widow with her grandson John Johnston). Elizabeth Cowie died 20/11/1902 in Bankside, Falkirk, age 80 years. On her death certificate, her parents were given as John Brock, cooper, and Margaret Brock nee Gibb, although it does not appear that they married.


Sources

Familysearch.org batch no. I03817-7.

Copy of last will and Settlement of James Brock, Jamaica, 21/02/1829 (copy is dated 1857) supplied by Claire Callender.

GROS Births 1857 479/1 84. 1881 census online.

GROS Deaths 1902 479 612.

We are grateful to Claire Callender and Norma Turner for their assistance with compiling this entry.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Maiden Name
Brock
Spouse
James Cowie
Children
Margaret (1851-), John (1857-), Elizabeth (1861-)

Associated Estates (1)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
04/04/1829 [SD] - 1840 [LA] → Joint owner

Relationships (10)

Natural Daughter → Father
Sister → Brother
Sister → Brother
Sisters
Sisters
Sisters
Sisters
Sisters
Natural Daughter → Mother
Niece → Aunt

Addresses (2)

Bainsford (Bankside), Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Central Scotland, Scotland
Mungallend Road, Bainsford, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Central Scotland, Scotland