I previously posted about Agnes Brawley who died in tragic circumstances when she was just a few weeks old. She was my maternal grandfather’s sister. I recently stumbled across another death record for a child that I had not been looking for because, like her sister Agnes, I wasn’t aware of her existence.

Elizabeth Brawley was born on 23 August 1900 and died just six days later. She died within the family home at 3 Main Street, Newmains at 3.20am. Were her siblings asleep as her mother paced the floor hoping for a miracle to save her daughter? My grandfather, at only 17 months old, would surely have been unaware of what was happening. With six other children to look after my great grandmother would have had little time to mourn the loss of another daughter. Perhaps it was elder sister, Sarah who, as the only other surviving girl in the family, may have been worst affected by her death.

Agnes and Elizabeth had such short lives but they are still a part of my family history. I’m glad that I found them.