Bessie Tait, Oxford, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Circa 1891-1893

This is another photograph from the Mary Harrison Photo Album that I've mentioned in previous posts. This one was labelled, "Bessie Tait, Oxford."  Further into the album there is a strikingly similar image of a woman in the same dress.  It's inscribed, "Mary Tait."  At first I thought they were the same person, but there are slight variations in features.  As well, Mary seems to be a few years older. But they could almost pass as twins! 

Bessie Viola Tait was born on the 24th of January 1873 in Oxford, Cumberland Co., Nova Scotia, to Dixon Tait and Bertha Gilroy Tait¹.  Bessie's sister, Mary, was three years older².

On November 21st, 1894 Bessie married James S. Van Buskirk³.  James was a shoemaker and the family lived in Oxford until at least 1911⁴.

I believe this image of Bessie was taken in the early 1890s, and probably before 1894.  The standing puff sleeves and high collar on her dress were popular at that time. Bessie passed away of heart problems at the age of 77 years in Oxford on the 19th of February 1950⁵.

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1 "Canada, Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F247-RFX : accessed 10 Oct 2012), Bessie Viola Tait, 24 Jan 1873; citing reference item 1 p 186, FHL microfilm 1298667.^↩
2 "Canada Census, 1881," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MVXQ-FCF : accessed 10 Oct 2012), Bessie Tait in household of Dixon Tait, River Philip, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, Canada.^↩
3 "Canada, Marriages, 1661-1949," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F2L3-CYV : accessed 10 Oct 2012), James S. Vanbuskirk and Bessie V. Tait, 21 Nov 1894; citing reference P128 CN181, FHL microfilm 1298866.^↩
4 1911 census of Canada, Oxford, Cumberland, Nova Scotia, population schedule, district #42, enumeration district (ED) 17, subdistrict # 17, p.1 (penned), dwelling 1, family 1, J. Sydney Van Buskirk family, digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed Oct 10, 2012), citing microfilm LAC microfilm T-20326 to T-20460.^↩
5 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics, digital image, (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1950-1865&Event=death&ID=341870; accessed 10 Oct 2012), Deaths, Bessie Viola Van Buskirk, Year: 1950 - Book: 1950 - Page: 1865.^↩