Death of Helen BLACK

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After finding the cryptic comment above, on Helen BLACK's Death Certificate {Ž205 = BMD. Dundonald}, research led to the discovery of the following entries on page 5 of the 'Ayr Observer and Galloway Chronical' for Tuesday October 25 1859 :- {Ž44 = Newspaper Extract : General News item. British Library Newspaper Library : Colindale}

in column 5 :

Death Notices ...
At Troon, on the 14th Instant, Helen Black, wife of Mr Wm Cook, joiner.

and in column 2 :

DISTRESSING CASE On Friday week, Mrs Cook, wife of William Cook, joiner, Troon, was discovered to be missing. Search was instantly made throughout the town and neighbourhood, but in vain. About mid-day two boys, who were out in a boat between this and the Black Rock, dicovered her body floating in the water. They came ashore and told the father of one of them, who, with another man, went out and brought it in, amidst a great concourse of people who had assembled. She had, we understand, been greatly distressed in mind since the Revival commenced among us, and could find no peace. She had been uneasy throughout part of Thursday night. Her husband had spoken to her in the course of it. They were both in bed, and he had fallen asleep, but cannot say at what hour : when he awoke in the morning she was not there. She has left two small children to mourn her melancholy end.

This in turn led to the discovery that their elder son John, had died in June 1858, aged about five years. It is also interesting to note that there is no mention of the three sons of William's first marrriage, although the eldest Daniel was then only 13. Daniel's two younger siblings were found still living with their father in 1861, together with Helen's two surviving children.

If you recognise any connections, or can provide information about the 'Revival',

For Helen's ancestry move on to the BLACK page