Bathia Steedman was born in Stirling in 1853, the fourth child of Rev John Steedman and Catherine Kinross Kerr. Her father seems to have been away on overseas missionary work a fair amount during her childhood. She was living with her aunt in Edinburgh in 1871, when she was 17.
At the age of 20 she married Rev William Proctor, like her father a minister in the United Free Presbyterian Church, in 1874 at her father's church in Stirling. William Proctor was exactly the same age as Bathia's brother William Steedman, who also became a Presbyterian Minister, and one assumes that Bathia met William Proctor through her brother.
She goes abroad with her new husband, as a daughter, Kate, is born in Penang in 1876. The family returns to Scotland, and is living in Oban when the next 2 children are born in 1877 and 1880. She moves to Dublin with the family in 1884, when her husband becomes Minister of the United Free Presbyterian Church in Lower Abbey Street.
They live most of the following 40 years of his ministry in Dublin at 28 Kenilworth Square, Dublin. When her husband dies in 1922 at Pau (I assume she was there in Pau at the time), she then leaves Dublin to live in Cheltenham with her younger daughter Ada (now married to George Robinson). She died in Cheltenham in 1926 aged 72
1851 Bathia, daughter of the Rev John Steedman and Katherine Kinross Kerr was born at Stirling on the 29 September 1853 and baptised on 8 November 1853 by the Rev David Stewart.1853
1861 census shows that John Steedman was not there at the time of the census. Catherine Steedman, age: 35 is given as the head of the household. Her occupation is listed as "Private". She is living at 17 Allan Park, Stirling. with the following members of the family. Maggie Steedman 9, Bathia Steedman 7, John Steedman 3, Catherine Steedman 1, Eliza J Steedman 3 Mo. Their eldest son is away listed in the census entry living with his uncle William Steedman and grandmother Bathia Steedman. The Presbyterian records for 1861 refer to Rev John Steedman journeying south to Algiers with a sick colleague Rev John More who, in fact dies in Algiers in November 1861. And there is also a report of Rev Gowanlock being appointed as successor to Rev John Steedman at Erskine Church, Stirling.
 |
 |
Erskine Church, Stirling |
17 Allan Park, Stirling |
1871 Scotland Census Bathia Steedman, Age: 17, born: Stirling is listed as Niece of Elizabeth Steedman, age 60. Living at 17 Henderson Place, North Leith. They are the only two in the household.
1874 Marriage of Bathia Steedman to Rev William Proctor. 2 April 1874 at Abercromby Place, Stirling after banns according to the form of the United Presbyterian Church
William Proctor, Minister Free Church, bachelor., age 24 of 11 Dean St, Edinburgh. Son of Adam Proctor, plumber, deceased and Eliza Proctor (nee Roger). married Bathia Steedman, spinster, age 20 of Abercromby Place, Stirling. Daughter of John Steedman (minister United Presbyterian Church) and Catherine Kinross Steedman (nee Kerr)
They have 5 children, only two of who reach adulthood (Eliza and Ada). Her children were:-
1876 Kate Proctor born 1876 in Penang. Died without issue.
1877 William Adam Proctor born in Oban. Died 1877 aged 0 in the Scottish death registers.
1880 Elizabeth Roger Proctor born 1880 in Oban Manse
1881 census shows Bathia is missing from her parents household in Stirling, even though her husband and daughter Kate are there. John Steedman, age 67, (born Milnathort, Kinross) and Catherine Steedman 55, his wife living at 12 Abercromby Pl, Stirling. is occupation is given as Minister Of Erskine U P Church. Also in the house on that date were:- William Proctor 31 son in law, Margaret G Steedman 29 (daughter), Mary Steedman 14 (daughter), Katie E S Proctor 5 (grand-daughter), Agnes Finlayson 16 (servant)
Bathia is at Oban Manse with their other child Elizabeth
1884 The family went to Ireland where her father, Rev William Proctor, became the minister of the Church of Scotland, Abbey Street, Dublin for "almost 40 years" until he retired in 1920.
1885 Ada M H W Proctor born in Dublin. Ada Proctor married George Robinson and they lived in Cheltenham after World War I. She had 2 children, Desmond Robinson (an unmarried schoolmaster, died 2005) and Peg, who married.
 |
 |
 |
| Interior of 28 Kenilworth Square,
Dublin, in 2007 |
||
1911 census, The Proctor family is living at 28 Kenilworth Square, Dublin and consists of
1917 Her daughter Eliza Proctor, married Charles Grant in Dublin.
1922 Her husband William Proctor dies in Pau, France. She then moves to Cheltenham and lives with her younger daughter Ada Robinson.
1926 Bathia Proctor died 13 Jan 1926 age 72 in Cheltenham (vol 6a page 551). She had been living with her daughter Ada, (married George Robinson). The family's address was Saxby Lodge, Gloucester Road, Cheltenham.