My Favourite Family Photo

There are many favourite photos in my collection, but this may be one of the earliest. It comes in a little black embossed velvet-lined case (about 8x10cm). The photograph is printed on glass and requires a black backing to see it (otherwise it looks like a glass negative), and is called an Ambrotype.

Sadly, I have no proof of who the lady and the baby are but I believe I have worked it out, and will give you the logic.

This photo was given to me by my grandmother, Queenie Anderson (Charlotte Sophie Margaret nee Drover), and photography started in Scotland around 1839 (1), so candidates for the mother are:

• Susannah Berry Drover (nee Millar) 1805-1886;
• Janet Rodger (nee Traill) 1792-1866;
• Margaret Sutherland (nee Irvine) 1792-1855;
• Charlotte Reid (nee Forsyth) c1787-1851;
• Catherine Drover (nee Rodger) 1810-1883; and
• Janet Marnoch Sutherland (nee Reid) 1826-1884.

The Ambrotype was produced from 1855-1860s (2), so I think this knocks out Susannah (who would have been 50 years old), Janet Rodger, (who would have been 58 years old), Margaret (also 58 years old), and Charlotte (who would have been 63 years old).

This leaves:

• Catherine Drover (nee Rodger) 1810-1883; and
• Janet Marnoch Sutherland (nee Reid) 1826-1884.

Although I believe that these sorts of treasures are normally passed down the trunk or core of a family tree, I need to investigate their sisters as well.

Catherine only had one sister, Janet Rodger. I don't know much about her, but she was baptised 3 Apr 1830, so would be 25 years old in 1855, so I feel she would be too young for the mother in this photo. Catherine's children were John, born 1855, and James, born 1857. Son, (my ancestor) William Steedman Drover was born outside the 'window', so I don't believe it would be in my branch of the family if the photo was of John or James.

Janet had 2 sisters, Jean Inglis Souter (nee Reid) married 1860, and Susanna Frederica born 1844. Jean's children were all born after the 'window' for Ambrotypes. I believe that Susanna died in 1892, unmarried.

That leaves who I first believed the photo to be of, Janet Marnoch Sutherland. Janet's children were both girls, Charlotte Forsyth Sutherland (my great grandmother), and Jean Margaret Sutherland (who emigrated to Canada). Janet would have been 36 years old when Charlotte was born, and 38 when Jean was born, which fits with the age the mother in the photo looks. 

As the photo has come down my branch of the family, I feel that this photo is most likely to be of Janet Marnoch SUTHERLAND (nee DROVER) and baby Charlotte Forsyth SUTHERLAND, taken some time after 16 April 1862.

If these are the people in the photo then this is the christening gown the baby is wearing if as I have written evidence that it is what she was christened in. This 155 year-old garment is still in the family.

A video on similar photography:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Daguerreotypes/comments/474i6c/photography_a_victorian_sensation_scottish/

Dating Early Photographs:
https://www.johngraycentre.org/learning/resources/how-to-research-your/dating-early-photographs/?

Many other examples of similar photographs:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/ambrotypes/pool/page1?fbclid=IwAR2MvfJbw9OQMHqxW4qcpv62224L2W5e3A28buniDiyYKMQsC8KoxMe7wbI