William Edward Strudley 1866 -1946

Marchmount House nr Polwarth in the Scottish Borders
The drive extends for 1km behind the photographer
Photo 2004 © Copyright Janet Connochie and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

My great aunt (sister of paternal grandmother) lived here in the 1901 census!! No, she wasn't in the aristocracy but her husband was the butler, the aristocracy of below stairs!

Agnes Sarah Armstrong Haig married William Strudley in Cupar, Fife in 1892. He is down as a gentleman's servant and a widower. Being nosey, I had to find out about his first wife. He married Marion Chisholm in 1888. I find a birth of Agnes Marion Strudley in 1891, But the mother is Janet Leggate, father William Edward Strudley and the marriage date of the parents which also helpfully appears on Scottish birth certificates is the same date as the wedding to Marion Chisholm. What is going on here? Has he 2 women on the go? More delving required. Poor baby Agnes died after only 9 days. From her death certificate it is clear her mother is Marian Chisholm as she is named and already deceased. So who is Janet Leggate? I have a closer look at the marriage certificate and see she is Marian's mother. At the registration of the birth on 13th March, when asked for the name of the mother he gave the name of his wife's mother, not the baby's mother.

What a terrible 9 days for him. Baby born on March 8th, wife dies on March 13th of puerperal fever and septicaemia and phtisis (TB) and baby dies on 16th March. He registered Marion's death on the same day he registered the baby's birth. He must have been distraught.

By the 1891 census, on the night of 5th April, William is back with his mother and 2 year old son Frederick in Hambleden, Buckinghamshire.

However things pick up after he marries great aunt Agnes in December 1892. They go on to have 6 children including twin boys.

And in 1901 he is butler at Marchmount. Can't wait til the 1911 census is available next month so see where they are then.


My tree here