Helen or Ellen or Nellie Gemmell or Skimming was born in Kirkmabreck in 1873.
On her birth certificate, her surname was Gemmell and her father's name was not recorded.
Helen's mother Jessie Gemmell married John Skimming in 1876.
Helen was using the surname Skimming by 1894 when her daughter, Jessie was born.
Helen had one daughter, Jessie Gordon Skimming, with Thomas Richardson in 1894 one year before marrying William Neil.
Jessie was brought up by her grandparents, John and Jessie Skimming.
Helen and William Neil had six children all born in Borgue. William died in 1917 and Helen married again in 1920 to George Thomson.
Helen died in Kirkcudbright in 1937.
Helen was known by different names on several documents as shown on the timeline below:
| Year | Name | Document | Comment |
| 1873 | Helen Gemmell | Birth Certificate | Father's name not recorded |
| 1881 | Ellen Skimming | census | Daughter of John and Jessie Skimming |
| 1891 | Ellen Skimming | census | Living with grandparents Robert and Elizabeth Gemmell |
| 1894 | Helen Skimming | Birth of daughter Jessie Gordon Skimming | |
| 1895 | Nellie Skimming | Marriage to William Neil | Parents: John and Jessie Skimming |
| 1895 | Ellen Skimming | Register of Corrected Entries | Paternity of Jessie Gordon Skimming |
| 1901 | Nellie Neil | census | Wife of William Neil |
| 1911 | Nellie Neil | census | Wife of William Neil |
| 1920 | Helen Neil | Marriage to George Thomson | Daughter of John and Jessie Skimming |
| 1937 | Helen Thomson | Death | Daughter of John and Jessie Skimming Wife of William Neil Wife of George Thomson |