Christina McBean is the second victim of the Spanish flu that I found in Daviot Churchyard. She was one of many nurses who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against the Spanish influenza. Christina passed away from influenza and pneumonia in the Hillend District of Glasgow on October 27 at the age of twenty-eight. She is buried in a family grave. Although the headstone still stands, it has significantly faded over time, making it difficult to read.
Christina was born on November 24, 1889, at Cranmore Cottage in Daviot. She was the fourth child and third daughter of Lachlan, a master shoemaker, and Jane (née Anderson). When the 1891 Census was conducted, Christina was one year old, and her family still lived at Cranmore Cottage. The following year, her brother Lachlan Jr. was born, and four years later, her brother Donald arrived.
By 1901, eleven-year-old Christina was attending school. That same year, the McBean family welcomed the arrival of William. When the 1911 Census was conducted, Christina, now twenty years old, was still living at Cranmore Cottage. No occupation was listed for her, so it is likely that she helped her mother, Jane, with managing the family home.
I cannot claim to know the exact reasons, but I feel that the outbreak of World War I in 1914 likely inspired Christina to leave the comfort of Daviot and embark on her nursing training in Glasgow. This decision, motivated by a desire to help others, was overshadowed by profound heartbreak. Tragically, she faced the devastating loss of her brother Lachlan in 1918— a moment that would have surely shattered her heart. Her own death soon followed, leaving an immense void in the lives of those who loved her. It’s a poignant reminder of the heavy toll both war and pandemics take, not just on the front lines but within families and communities.
Christina’s death was registered by a fellow nurse who shared lodgings with her. Her remains were later repatriated to Daviot for burial.
After Christina’s death, her parents continued to live at Cranmore Cottage. Unfortunately, Jane passed away on Boxing Day in 1921, and Lachlan died on April 7, 1927. Both parents were buried alongside their daughter in Daviot Churchyard.
Sources: Ancestry, Find a Grave, Scotland’s People
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