Details

Name

Jessie Morrison Inglis

Brief Biography

1851 - 1924, British / Scottish

Description

Janet Morrison Inglis, known as Jessie, was the wearer of items in Glasgow Museums' dress collection. She was born on 11 March 1851, the eldest daughter of George Inglis and his wife Janet Robertson in Partick and was baptised on 4 May. Janet appears to have spent a large part of her childhood living with her extended family as her father’s work took him away from Glasgow. In 1861 she was living with her grandmother, Janet Miller, at 23 Vincent Crescent, while her parents and two younger sisters, Mary and Caroline, were living in Southampton. Ten years later Jessie was living with her uncle, John Inglis, and his family at 234 Renfrew Street, Glasgow. John and his oldest brother, Anthony, were joint partners of A&J Inglis, a major ship-building company in Glasgow. Jessie married Rev John Baird, the son of James Baird, farmer, and Jane Simpson on 18 September 1878 at 23 Park Circus, Glasgow. The Census for 1881 records John Baird, 38, clergyman, Jessie, 30, and their son, James, 1, with a cousin John A Inglis, 18, apprentice, and one domestic servant, living at 13 Campbell Street, Helensburgh. In 1883 the Rev Baird became the minister for the parish and in the absence of a manse and with financial assistance from Jessie’s dowry, the Bairds purchased The Lodge, Argyll Street, Helensburgh. In 1891 the Census records the family living in The Lodge with four children, James, 11, scholar, Annie, 8, scholar, Jean, 5 and John, 2, and their two servants. Their youngest son, John Logie Baird (1888-1946), one of the early pioneers of television, wrote in his autobiography Sermons, Soap and Television (1941), 'Of my mother, I find it difficult to write. She was the only experience I have had of pure, unselfish devotion. Her whole life was taken up in looking after others, particularly after myself ...'. Jessie died at home at The Lodge, aged 73, on 7 May 1924 and was buried in Helensburgh Cemetery.