The Telfer family

The 1841 census recorded the family of Mrs Ann Telfer living at No. 8.¹ She was the widow of George Telfer, a merchant, who died in 1837.² They had a total of twelve children,³ six of whom were at No. 8 when the census was taken on 06 June 1841. Their eldest son, John Tailour Telfer was listed there in 1838,⁴ indicating the family moved there not long after George Telfer’s death.

Ann Simpson Begg or Telfer was born in Edinburgh on 21 May 1787, daughter of grocer William Begg and his wife Rachel Paton.⁵ She married George Telfer on 19 February 1808.⁶ She lived at No. 8 until 1845, when she moved to Polmont, Stirling with her unmarried daughters. She was living with them in Melville Place, Stirling in 1851,⁷ and died there on 17 March 1852.⁸

John Tailour Telfer lived at No. 8 between 1838 and 1843.⁹ He was the eldest son of George Telfer and his wife Ann Begg, baptised at Edinburgh on 14 April 1812.¹⁰ He became a member of the Dialectic Society in 1833 and in 1837 was presented with a polyglot bible in recognition of his services for the Society.¹¹ He was recorded living at No. 8 in the 1841 Census,¹² and died in Edinburgh on 4 October 1847.¹³

The Telfer daughters living at No. 8 in 1841 were Mary Anne, Margaret, Isabella, Elizabeth and Catherine.¹⁴ In 1845 the ‘Misses Telfer’ established a school for girls at Polmont House, Stirlingshire.¹⁵ The school relocated to Melville Place, Stirling and then, in 1863, to 17 Allan Park.¹⁶ The property at Allan Park was advertised to let in early 1866,¹⁷ when the school appears to have closed.

The eldest surviving daughter in 1841 was Mary Anne Telfer, born in Edinburgh on 19 January 1814.¹⁸ She was recorded in the censuses of 1851¹⁹ and 1861²⁰ living in Melville Place, Stirling where the school for girls was located. She moved back to Edinburgh, probably around 1866, and was living on private income with her sister Marion Telfer at 5 Viewforth Place in 1871²¹ and 1881.²² In 1891 they were living at 105 Warrender Park Road, where Mary Anne Telfer died on 18 November 1892.²³

Margaret Taylor Telfer, one of the ‘Misses Telfer,’ was born in Edinburgh on 21 July 1815.²⁴ She was described as a teacher in the 1851 census.²⁵ She died in Stirling on 20 December 1854 and was buried in Edinburgh.²⁶

Isabella Telfer was born at Culross, Perthshire on 18 March 1819²⁷ and died at No. 8 Malta Terrace on 08 October 1842.²⁸

Elizabeth Telfer was born on 11 May 1825 at Culross, Perthshire.²⁹ She was described as an Assistant Teacher in 1851.³⁰ She died at Stirling on 04 January 1855, a few days after her sister Margaret, and was buried in Edinburgh.³¹

Catherine Telfer was born on 03 July 1827 at Culross, Perthshire.³² She was an assistant teacher in 1851³³ and teacher of general education in 1861.³⁴ She died at 17 Allan Park, Stirling on 15 June 1864.³⁵

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4. PO Directory 1838-39.
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8. Death announcements. Dundee, Perth and Cupar Advertiser. 30 March 1852. TELFER, Ann
9. PO Directories 1838-29 to 1842-43.
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