'Elisabeth Brackenridge' was born on Saturday, the 27th of September 1788 and baptised on the following day, Sunday the 28th, as recorded in the Kilwinning OPR. Her parents were identified as 'William Brackenridge and Jean Chalmers in Bridgend', who had been married at Kilwinning on the 18th of December 1769. William and Jean had also been at Bridgend in 1785, at the time of an earlier daughter, Janet.

One difficulty is that if this is the correct Elisabeth Brackenridge, she would only have been eleven at the time of her marriage to William Caldwell, and 14 at the time of the birth of her first known child.

No record appears to have survived of Elisabeth's death.

There is an apparent sighting of Elizabeth Caldwell MS Breckenridge in the 1851 census, living in Orchard Street, Galston. However, on closer inspection, this would appear to be a reference to Elizabeth McClure MS Caldwell of Orchard Street who died on the 22nd of March 1855.

Brothers and Sisters

Elizabeth was preceded by a sister named Janet, born on Thursday, the 18th of August 1785, and baptised on the following day, Friday, the 19th, also at Kilwinning.

It may be mentioned that William Breckendridge (sic) and his wife Jean Chambers, 'Spouses in Loans', had a daughter named Jean who was baptised in Dundonald Parish on the 17th of September 1780. It is doubted that this is the same couple. According to an entry on the IGI, the infant Jean had a sister, Elizabeth, who was baptised on the same occasion, but this is not found in the OPR.

Notice that in the one case, the wife's maiden name was given as 'Chalmers' and in the other as 'Chambers'.