The Quilietti Family

THE McGINNESS CONNECTIONS

• Thanking Jessie’s grandaughter Denise McGinness who has been actively trying to re-aquainte with  her Morrison cousins.  Denise has recently married David Carson in July 2018 in Portobello and wanted as many of the Morrison family to come to the reception to celebrate this very special day.  Denise has also allowed me to put on these family photos and helped me sort out the family names and branches

JESSIE MORRISON CRAWFORD was the first of the family of Helen Denholm Crawford and Alex. Morrison.  Jessie was the sister of Peggie Morrison Quilietti and that is the connection to our family.   Jessie in her youth was a stunningly beautiful woman.  Her children would carry her genes on as we can see from the beautiful Denise.

 She was born on 2nd February 1920 at 2 Chessell’s Court, 240 The Canongate, Edinburgh. This address was home to the Morrison family for many years.   Jessie, the eldest of Ma Morrison’s offspring and was born before Ma and Alex Morrison married the following year.  History tells us that Alex Morrison was Jessie’s natural father.  

Jessie married THOMAS ANDREW McGINNESS whose family were originally from the Belfast area of Ireland and who had come over like so many more during the great Potato Famine in the 1850s.

• Tommy’s McGinness who married Jessie Morrison Crawford.  HIS parents were Thomas McGinness and Gertrude Theresa Fox.
•  Thomas McGinness who married Gertrude Theresa Fox on 22nd November 1897 at the Catholic Church at 9 Upper Gray Street, Edinburgh.  HIS parents were Hugh McGinness and Bridget McBride.

Hugh McGinness who married Bridget McBride.  His parents were Hugh McGinness and Anne Paterson. They lived in Kirknewton for a while.  As stated in the 1871 census of Scotland.  Both occupations as Hawkers of Lace and Linen Goods.  Both born in Ireland.

Hugh McGinness who married Anne Paterson.  HIS Parents were Hugh McGinness who married Cathrine Burns.

Hugh McGinness who married Catherine Burns.  His parents were Daniel McGinness who married  Margaret Cane.   Hugh McGinness died at 235 Cowgate in 1860 age 62 and he was buried in the Low Calton Burying Ground . His Grandson, who was an inmate of what we presume was the Old Calton Jail, and whose name was Walter Jarvie was present at his death.  Hugh’s occupation on his death Certificate was one of Hawker of Hosiery.

 

 

Gertrude was born in Dunfannon, Tyrone in Ireland on on 23rd June 1879.  Her parents were Edward Fox and Mary Keenan.   In the 1891 Scottish Census the family were living in a tenement at 60 St. Mary’s Street, just off the High Street.  Edward was described as being born in Ireland and a Saleroom Apparel Dealer, Mary being born in Ireland, Gertrude was at School, but there was another lady residing there, also born in Ireland, who was described as a ‘servant’ or maid nowadays.  Her name was Ellen McGeary.

Thomas and Gertrude  were married in Edinburgh.    Thomas McGinness parents were Hugh McGinness and Bridget McBride.  They had a large family all born in Edinburgh Southside Buccleuch district between the years 1870 and 1883.

• As it turns out Hugh and Bridget also had a daughter called Margaret McGinness, sister of  Thomas, who married Patrick John Whelahan who was the author’s husband’s 1st cousin, twice removed.  The Whelahan  family are intertwined with the Stantons and go back also to the start of the Hibernian Football Club.  Great to know that the families are linked through another branch from way back to when the families were forced to leave Ireland.  There is a separate page on this website about this Branch.   
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• Hugh’s occupation was one of Draper or Woollen Merchant as he was described in two of the Scottish Census entries. The 1881 Scottish Census shows the Thomas with his family residing at a flat at 20 Guthrie Street in the Southside of the City.
• After he  marred Gertrude the 1901 Census shows the two of them residing at  No. 1 West Nicolson Street and his occupation as Woollen Warehouseman.   By the time of the First World War Thomas Joseph was enlisted in the Army in the Gordon Highlanders for a short period.  In  1915 they were residing at 12 Jane Street in Leith with their children

 

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Tommy’s profession was  a Motor Lorry Driver for many years . He served in the Royal Army Service Corps during the War.  He was one of the many thousands who spent days in the cold waters in Normandy, France.  Tommy would talk about this  traumatic period in his life on many occasions whilst enjoying a wee sing song on a Saturday afternoon in the Company of his Morrison and Quilietti in-laws.

DENNIS McGinness was  born 5th July 1938.  Jessie’s eldest son.

Denise has son Mark  who has daughter Cassie.

Dennis’s other daughter Kathleen has  daughter Kimberley and she has a daughter called Mila.  She also had a daughter Connie who died prematurely and who is interred in Mortonhall Cemetery in Edinburgh

THOMAS ALEXANDER McGinness born 15th February 1942. at 95 Niddrie Mains Terrace.

Tommy had a few relationships before he married Jan Stewart.  One of his relationships resulted in the birth of Darren who was brought up by Peggy and Joe Quilietti and who adopted him in the 60s.   Jan was so good for Tommy and she helped him turn his life around and settle down.  They have one son Tommy who was born here in Edinburgh but who emigrated to the USA with his mum after Tommy’s tragic death in a car accident.  Jan later emigrated to the USA where she re-married and where she still lives today.

KATHLEEN McGinness was  born 30th November 1939.  She married Robert Faichney  in the year 1966.  Rab as he was known  was born in 1938 and  had previously been married to Kath’s cousin Nancy to whom he had divorced a couple of years earlier.    Despite this there was family rifts for many years.

Nancy and Robert had two children Jayne born 1958 and Eddie who was born in 1957.  Eddie has since passed on.   Nancy remarried  soon after their divorce to James Stewart .

Kath  had two sons, John James Edward McGinness born on 28th July 1964  and who died in 2015, and Robert Michael Faichney who was born on 26th May 1970.   Robert now lives in Canada. Kathleen and Robert Faichney divorced in 1997

Her eldest son John officially changed his name to Faichney in 1983/4.  John married Diane Ritchie on 31st August 1984.   They in turn had two sons Craig John Faichney who was born on 15th August 1985 and Scott Gareth Faichney who was born on 3rd November 1989.  John died age 52 in 2015 with his cousins Denise and Terry holding his hand when he passed.

MARGARET ELSPETH McGINNESS known as Margot.  She was born on 22nd June 1948 at 95 Niddrie Mains Terrace, Edinburgh.  Margot married Tam Knowles….know she has two sons,  MARK is one son photographed below with Denise.

TERENCE GEORGE McGinness was born on 5th August 1958 at 6 Niddrie Marischal Crescent, Edinburgh .

Terry has family as follows  Teresa,- 1978,  Terence James 1987, Sonia Anne, 1992, Jason James 1993,  Jessica and Megan.  Teresa tragically died aged 3 in a Fire.  Can’t imagine how sad this must have been to all the family and  how would a person ever recover from this really.

I know that Peggy and Joe Quilietti lived with her sister and brother in law after they were married in 1945. They rented  bedroom in the house where they enjoyed the company Jessie’s children of whom they were very fond,  Dennis, Tommy and Catherine were around at that time, and  they were a real handful for their fragile mum and whilst Joe was away in the Army Peggy helped with their upbringing as families did in those days, despite her own bad health.

The area at that time during and just after the war was rich in community spirit but poor in wealth.  The War Heroes would sit around on benches and talk of their harrowing tales whilst their wives would try and run their home with the meagre rationing the government had in place.  I know that Peggy was a good help to her sister who was even then of a fragile disposition and in failing health.  The family remained close throughout the decades 1950 and beyond until the children were grown.  Margot arrived in 1948  and Terry, the late surprise of the family came along in 1958.   Jessie and Tommy remained together throughout the years despite their differences.  Peggy wrote many letters throughout the years after the War when she lived with the McGinness family in their back room.  She described how ill Jessie was and she sometime would not eat for weeks and then take to her bed.  This as you can imagine caused a great strain on the family.

At MORTONHALL CEMETERY lies Tommy McGinness  where he lies with his niece Teresa, who was Terry’s daughter.  She died in a fire when she was only 3 years old.  Also in the family plot lies Connie McGinness daughter of Kathleen