Note the spelling of Elspet's last name in the birth record as "Morice" with one 'r'. In other official documents her name and her family members' names are sometimes spelled as "Morrice" with two 'r's. This sort of spelling variation (as well as age discrepancies) was common in the 1800s. According to the Scotlandspeople.gov website, the way names were written in different records varied and, when searching for a person in our indexes, the spelling might differ from what you expect. This can be due to one or more of the following factors: transcription error during indexing; misspelling, phonetic spelling or other misinterpretation by registrars and clerks; deliberate or accidental misrepresentation by informants, especially in regard to ages but also with names; name variants. For the purposes of consistency and continuity with the preponderance of available documents, the spelling of "Morrice" will primarily be used.
In the 1841 Census for the St. Clements Parish of Aberdeen, Elspet Morrice is listed as being 2 years old and living at South Square (street address not listed) in Footdee with her parents Alexander (38), a whitefisher, and Elspet (30); and her siblings James (9), Ann (5), and William (2 months).
According to the 1851 Census for the St. Clements Parish of Aberdeen, Elspet Morrice is now 12 years old, a scholar, and living at 23 South Square with her parents Alexander (45), a pilot, no longer a whitefisher, and Elspet (40), no profession listed; and her siblings James (19), a whitefisher; Ann (15), no profession listed; Jane (9), a scholar; Archibald (6), a scholar; John (3), a scholar, although 3 seems young to be in school; and Margaret (3 months). The Census lists both parents as born in Nigg, Kincardineshire, and all the children born in Aberdeen. No longer listed, however, is son William, who was 2 months old in the 1841 Census. Because William would have been only 10 years old in 1851 and thus too young to leave his parents to work elsewhere, it is assumed he died in the intervening years.
It should also be noted that in Elspet's father Alexander is listed as only being 45 versus the 48 he should be based on being listed as 38 in the 1841 Census, but age variation was a common occurrence between censuses and official records in general.
In the 1861 Census for the St. Nicholas Parish of Aberdeen, Elspet Morrice is 23, working as a "rag cutter" (one who cut up rags into small pieces to be used for making paper, etc), and living at 16 South Square with her parents Alexander (54 - he got younger yet again since the last census, but this time just by 1 year), a pilot, and Elspet (50), no profession listed; and her siblings James (30), a pilot; Jane (18), no profession listed; Archibald (16), a scholar; John (14), a scholar; and Margaret (11), a scholar.
Elspet Morrice married her neighbor Andrew Main on 14 October 1864 in Elspet's home at 16 South Square by the Minister of St. Clement's Parish of Aberdeen. At the time of their marriage, Elspet Morrice was listed as a 24 year old "spinster" living at 16 South Square in Footdee, and her parents were Alexander Morrice, a Pilot, and Elspet Morrice (nee Webster). Andrew Main was listed as a 24 year old "bachelor" living at 11 South Square in Footdee, his occupation was a "Whitefisher," and his parents were Andrew Main (deceased), a Pilot, and Elizabeth Main (nee Baxter). George Baxter and John Morrice were witnesses to the marriage.
In the 1871 Census for the St. Nicholas District of Aberdeen, Elspet is 32 years old, married, and working as a "fish woman." Her husband Andrew is listed as the head of household, 31 years old, a whitefisher, and living at South Square (house number unspecified) with his wife and their daughters Ann (6), Jane (4), and Elspet (1). Also living with the Mains is Margaret Corbett, 19, a "General Servant" who presumably was hired to maintain the house because the mother Elspet works.
In 1878, Elspet and Andrew's daughter Elizabeth died in her infancy on December 16th (cause of death unknown).
Ten years later, in 1881, the Census lists Elspet (42) and her children Jane (13), Elspet (11), Andrew (9), and Alexander (5) as all living at 17 Pilot Square in Aberdeen. Conspicuously absent, however, is Elspet's husband Andrew Main. Andrew cannot be found anywhere in the 1881 Census - not in Aberdeen, not anywhere in Scotland. One possibility is that he was temporarily living and working elsewhere in the U.K., but so far no evidence has been found to support that. Another possibility is that in 1881 Andrew was serving in the British Merchant Marines. Although no record has yet been found to confirm this either, there does exist an undated photo of Andrew Main dressed in a sailor's uniform in which he looks to be about 40 years old (this photo was obtained through the Ancestry.com website and can be found at Andrew Main's page here on this website). While not proof, it does lend some credence to the theory that Andrew Main served in the British Merchant Marines, perhaps in 1881 when the Census was taken. More research is required.
Elspet Webster Morrice Main died at the age of 42 on November 25th, 1882 in her home at 17 Pilot Square, Aberdeen. According to the record, Elspet died from "metritis" and "peritonitis" (metritis was an infection caused by child birth). Her husband Andrew was present at her death, and her parents were listed as Alexander Morrice (deceased), a harbour pilot, and Elspet Morrice (nee Webster), deceased. The date of Elspet's death is also recorded on Andrew Main's memorial gravestone in the St. Clements Churchyard in Aberdeen.
Although there is no record of Elspet having given birth around the time of her death, there was an unnamed girl born in the St. Nicholas District of Aberdeen on 18 November 1882 (exactly one week before Elspet died), and later in December this girl was officially to be named "Elspet Main," with John and Jessie Morrice listed as her parents. Interestingly, Elspet Webster Morrice Main had a younger brother John Morrice - is it possible that this is the same John Morrice (and his wife) who adopted the new child as their own and named her in honor of her mother? It seems very likely.
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