Christena LeMaistre
Christena "Tena" Lemaistre (nee Currie) (11 September 1873 - 14 December 1954) was a wool worker and Scottish immigrant who lived most of her life in Almonte, Ontario.
Early life
Christena was born in Scotland to John Currie and Mary Riddell on 11 September 1873 in Innerleithen, Peebles, Scotland. She was likely named after John's mother.
With her family she emigrated to Canada in 1883, arriving in Quebec on 8 June. They made their way over to Almonte immediately.
Marriage and family
In 1896 her "sister" Jessie was born. Considering that Christena's mother Mary was 51 at the time, and Christena was 23, it's possible that Christena was in fact the mother.
On 4 April 1899 she married blacksmith Edward Joshua LeMaistre (1876 - 1949), who had come to Canada from Jersey, Channel Islands.
Her husband's 1949 obituary stated that they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1948, which would be the second verified example of a lie told to protect Christena's honour, and second example of a child potentially born our of wedlock. Her marriage license also lies about her age, making her 3 years younger than she is, likely because her husband is three years younger than her, which is not socially preferable.
They had 3 daughters and 3 sons:
- Laura (Mrs. Nesbitt) 1899-1968
- Grace 1901 - 20 December 1926, died of Sapraemia
- John A 1902 - after 1954
- George 1904 - after 1954
- Edward Wyndham (Ted) 1908 - after 1954
- Dorothy (Mrs. Herb Townend) (1911 - 1983)
Christena may also have been the secret mother of her sister Jessie Houston.
In 1949 she was living on Water Street with her husband and possibly others.
Obituary
Christena was a faithful member of St. Paul's Anglican congregation, a member of the Parish Guild and the Women's Association.
Sources
Almonte Gazette, 1954
Canada Voters Lists, Lanark, Divison 56 and 56A, 6351, Page 2, 1949
Ancestry.com. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013. FHL Film Number: 6035516
1899 Carleton Place Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library (Brampton, Ontario, Canada). Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1826-1936 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Ontario, Canada, Select Marriages. Archives of Ontario, Toronto