Since I commenced my search for the Spanish flu dead, all too often, I have encountered instances where multiple members of one family succumbed to Spanish flu. The Jack Sisters of Dysart are my most recent.
The railway line between Perth and Edinburgh passes Dysart Cemetery. I never noticed this until I paid for my first visit in May. The Jack sisters rest in the cemetery. The site I found is marked by a worn, faded, illegible plaque, a modest marker for such a tragedy. I can’t be sure if it’s their actual grave. The uncertainty adds a layer of mystery to their story.
Janet Jack succumbed to influenza on October 19th at Glen Cottage, 198 Rosslyn Street, Gallatown, Dysart, aged 26. Five days later, at the same address, her sisters Isabella and Janet also died from Spanish flu within hours of each other, aged 36 and 39 consecutively.
Janet Jack was born in East Gallatown, Dysart, on May 22nd 1879 was the second child and first daughter of David, a coal miner, and Euphemia (nee Kiddie). In 1881, Janet, aged 2, lived in Dubbyside Street, Markinch. The family grew with the recent arrival of her brother William. The following year, the Jack family welcomed the arrival of Isabella (known as Bella). On May 26th 1884, Janet was admitted to Leven Public School to commence her education. In 1891, the Jack family lived at 40 Carlow Place, Leven. Since Bella’s birth, the family had grown further with the arrival of four more children. On May 1st 1892, Johan Jack arrived. This detailed family history helps us connect with the Jack Sisters personally.
By 1901, the Jacks had returned to Dysart and resided at 111 Overton Road. They had grown yet again with the arrival of Georgina. Janet, aged 21, had left education and worked as a factor picker. Bella, aged 19, was employed as a domestic servant and resided in her employer’s home in Inverleven. Johan, aged 8, was attending school.
At the 1911 Census, the Jacks resided at Glen Cottage. Janet remained in the family home, and Bella returned. David had retired from coal mining and worked as a market gardener and fruitier. Janet, Isabella, and Johan all worked in the family business; the latter was a message girl, and the former two were shopkeepers.
The tragic timing of their deaths led to a single obituary for the Jack sisters being published in the Fife Free Press on October 26th. Their funeral then took place the following day at Dysart Cemetery. In a heartbreaking turn of events, their mother, Euphemia, died just one day later in Kirkcaldy Hospital from influenza and acute pneumonia at the age of 63. It’s striking that she succumbed in the hospital while her daughters passed away at home. Spanish flu patients often deteriorated rapidly, a possible explanation for her hospitalisation. Also, it is possible that she was admitted to the hospital, believing she could avoid the same fate as her daughters. For David, the weight of this unimaginable loss is profound.
Sources: Ancestry, British Newspaper Archive, Scotland’s People
Broken Columns 
2 thoughts on “Remembering the Jack Sisters”