Isobel
My mum Isobel with her father David and mum. Jane.
Jane was David's second wife, and she must have died shortly after this photo was taken, which, judging by my mum's age would be around 1938.. David outlived all of his 10 children, except my mum, and was still visiting our family home In Greenlaw Drive in his 90's
Isobel Locke Crossan was born in 1926,I Gallowhill . Paisley, the 10th child of twice married David Crossan. She was baptised into the United Free Church of Scotland. Diagnosed with a heart defect, her parents were told by doctors "she would be lucky to see 20" Half her siblings didn't. She did well at school, but university was out of the question for working class girls in her time, and she became a highly valued shorthand typist. She became a mother for the first time in 1958, and thereafter was a housewife, bringing up three sons. But she was much more that that: A Labour Party activist, Brownie Guide leader, member of the Church of Scotland's Women's Guild, Children's Panel member and Lady Provost. After my dad's death, she went back to work and became a senior administrator at Sacred Hearth High School. now St Andrews Academy, Paisley. She died of heart failure in April 1979. aged 53, the same age as my dad. The saddest day of my life.
Birth Certificate 6th March 1926
Isobel The youngest of 10 kids, The Crossans would have been the first tenants of this pretty typical early 1930's council house. Far from luxury, a huge improvement on the private sector tenement slums in which previous generations lived, and often prematurely died in. My mum's dad, David and her Aunt, Nell, both lived her well into their 90's, a home i was still visiting in my late teens, and once more on the 75th anniversary
Isobel Locke Crossan, 7 Marjory Drive, Gallowhill Paisley. This is the same home from which my mum left to be married in 1948. Here she looks about 8, which would make it 1934.
Locke was the family name of my grandfather David's first wife, who died well before my mum was born. A nice gesture to give her the middle name of the mother of many of David's other children. And particularly generous of Jane to name one of her daughters after my grandfather's previous wife.
My mum, with her father and my grandfather, David. In the centre. I think is his sister, and my great aunt Nel On my mums left, is I think her mother Jane ( ne Cherry)..She was my Grandafther's second wife, and like his first, she died in early middle age. After that my Aunt Nel looked after my grandfather and mum. She was the last of the Crossans to go, and was still living alone in Marjory Drive well into her 90s.
My mum with her mum. Jane. Hard to tell, but my mum looks about 12 here, making in 1938. I am not sure of the date of Jane's death.
Brownie Guide Leader. My mum is on the second row, second from left. The most interesting aspect of this photo is it is taken on the steps of St Columba's Church.where my mum was married in 1948.. This possibly explains why my mum was married there. But the mystery to me is why St Columba's? It was a Gaelic Speaking Church, and to the best of my knowledge neither my mum or her dad spoke a word of Gaelic . It is also a Church of Scotland Church, and my mum was baptised into the United Free Church of Scotland. St Columba's., in the Oakshaw area of Paisley is also quite a distance from Marjory Drive. Gallowhill , where my mum was brought up, lived before her marriage.
Alternatively. the photo could have been taken after her marriage, but my mum looks young in this photo. My investigations continue.
Paris, 1950's
My mum loved travelling, in an age where few ventured abroad. She love Paris, Montmatre in particular. Our last, indeed only family holiday abroad, was to Paris in 1975, where my mum loved showing us round
Montmatre, 1975...The Smart family's first holiday abroad, turned out to be out last. I loved having my mum and dad as our guides
Cannes, 1955. My mum loved Cannes. She honeymooned here in 1948, and returned several times
Cannes My postcard to my mum in my first trip abroad on my own in 1978.
Travelling on an Inter-rail pass there was one place i was not going to miss
Meeting the Queen, 1973
When the Queen visited Renfrewshire in 1973, with my dad Provost of Paisley both my parents got an invite from the County Council to meet her .My dad gave it a miss, but my mum, keen to meet someone her own age born into somewhat more privileged circumstances. and not wanting to disappoint her fiercely Royalist father, went along. I guess my mum had to curtsy, but I have never liked this photo for that reason...But not bad for the 10th child of a pretty poor working class family from Gallowhill.
Looking on is then Paisley MP, John Robertson, co founder of the Scottish Labour Party in 1977 with Jim Sillars
Me and My Mum
I love this picture. Taken 1974, with my mum at her happiest.
After my dad died in 1976, I don't think my mum was ever truly happy. As she told me, she just never envisaged being the one left behind. But this was my mum at her bravest and very best, She went back out to work, and was determined to see her three teenage sons want for nothing.. She loved he job as a senior administrator at Sacred Heart High School, now St Andrews Academy Paisley. I think in a way it reminded her of being a Brownie Guide leader, helping others,the pupils at the school in particular. And the nearest thing to a teacher she surely would have been given the educational opportunities of today?.
And also quite something, a girl baptised in the United Free Church of Scotland ending her days working in the biggest Roman Catholic School in Paisley. That is another thing I am grateful to both my parents for. In an era of prejudices - sexism, racism, religious bigotry.,homophobia, I never once heard my parents express any prejudice towards anyone. They were instinctively on the side of the underdog.
And though devastated when my mum died of heart failure in April 1979, when i was just 19, she had seen all three of us into university and i think her job was done. She was meant to be with my dad.
And even in death they were still both looking after us, with generous pensions they had paid into which saw us all pass through university in relative financial comfort.. And they both help me still....with their example of how to live a good life
Last Christmas: The last surviving letter written by my mum. To my younger brother David, then a student at Dundee University. What strikes me is my mum's concern for everyone. And her own concern at not being alone at Christmas. Never a possibility when my dad was still alive..I love how the letter to her son is typed, not handwritten. Still the shorthand typist to the last
Jessica Isobel Smart
My daughter Jessica Isobel born 26/07/93. just over 14 years after my mum passed away.
I am sure my mum would have loved a daughter, so here she is.
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