Grace Philippa Mather (née Ainslie)

1. Grace Philippa, daughter of Sarah Stiles, "a quadroon", by Thomas Philip Ainslie, was born 30/11/1802 and baptised 01/02/1803 in Kingston, Jamaica. Sarah Stiles registered enslaved people in St David and Kingston in 1826 and 1829 as agent to her daughter.

2. Grace Philippa Ainslie, daughter of Colonel Ainslie of Over Wells in Jedburgh married James Mather of South Shields in Jedburgh, Scotland in 1828. They had four children baptised in South Shields, County Durham: Emily Sarah Mary (1829), James Erskine Ainslie (1831), John Lockhart (1832) and Thomas Mckenzie (1835).

3. In 1841 she was living at Saville Street, South Shields, County Durham, age 38, with her husband James, a wine merchant, son Thomas, age 6, another young woman and a female servant. In 1851 she was living at 2 Saville Street, head of household, "wine merchant's wife", with her brother-in-law John Mather and two female servants. In 1861 she was at Westoe Village, South Shields, again head of household, with two of her sons, her brother-in-law John, his wife Margaret and two female servants. In 1871 she was again at Westoe, with John and Margaret and two female servants. The death of James Mather was registered Q4 1873 in South Shields age 73. In 1881 Grace was living at 7 Lovaine Terrace, North Shields, with two female servants. The death of Grace Philippa Mather was registered Q2 1881 in South Shields age 79 years.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]; T71/102 184; T71/110 180; T71/142 281; T71/143 253.

2. GROS OPR 792 70 311; Findmypast.co.uk, England Births & Baptisms 1538-1975 [database online].

3. 1841-1881 censuses online; Ancestry.com, England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915 [database online].

We are grateful to David Barker for his assistance with compiling this entry.