#52 Ancestors #Week 13 - In the Paper

#52 Ancestors #Week 13 - In the Paper

In Australia we are fortunate to have the wonderful website that is Trove.

Established by the National Library of Australia, trove.nla.gov.au gives access to a wealth of resources - across more than 90 million items - about Australia and Australians.

Trove’s content comes from more than 1000 libraries around Australia as well as other cultural and educational institutions and international collections with relevance to Australia.

Through Trove it is possible to search across pictures, unpublished manuscripts, books, oral histories, music, videos, research papers, diaries, letters, maps, archived websites and Australian newspapers from 1803 to 1954.

I have made some great discoveries through Trove.  I found the sad Coroner’s report into the accidental death of my grandmother’s older brother

From SMH 21 Jun 1887: CORONER'S INQUEST. The City Coroner, Mr. H. Shiell, J.P., held an inquest yesterday, at the Children's Hospital, Glebe Point, touching the death of a boy named Max Morgan, 6 years of age, who died in the institution on Saturday last. From the evidence adduced, it appeared that on the preceding Monday, while staying with some friends at Summer Hill, the lad was, through his own negligence, run over by a cart, and he suffered a fracture of one of his legs and other injuries. He was shortly afterwards taken to the hospital, where he died on Saturday, tetanus having supervened on the previous day. The jury returned a verdict of death from the effects of injuries accidentally received.

I have also been able to read the many accounts of the petty crimes of my great uncle Michael.  A barman in his father’s hotel, he had several arrests before the war for drunkenness, but after 1918, perhaps damaged by his war experience, there were other transgressions – drunk and disorderly, thefts of a bike and of small amounts of money (usually from other drunk soldiers) and one instance of smashing a window.

There are joyful discoveries too.  In country newspapers, weddings are described in minute detail.  There are lists of guests with descriptions of what they wore, with special attention to the outfits worn by the bride and her attendants, and the mothers of the bride and groom.  If you’re lucky you get this kind of detail (an account of the marriage of my great aunt, Violet White, in Lismore, NSW,) 

The Northern Star 28 November 1912

…The wedding cake, which was a work of art, was made and decorated by the bride's mother. The usual toasts were proposed and honoured, and the young couple were the recipients of hearty good wishes for the future from their friends. On a side table was a fine display of presents, both useful and ornamental. Among them was a silver sardine dish from the bridegroom's employers, Maloney and Wilson, and cut glass and sliver pickle jars from his fellow employees. Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith left during the afternoon for their home, the bride wearing a pretty costume of self coloured Flemish linen, revers and cuffs of blue, with touches of black ; a white chip hat was trimmed with lilies of the valley, Mrs. White, mother of the bride, wore black pailette, trimmed silk fringe, black hat with ostrich feathers; Mrs. Robert McKenzie, black satin, with coatee of Irish guipure : Mrs. C. McKenzie, royal blue chiffon taffeta, trimmed ruchings, black hat with touches of emerald green ; Mrs. C. Stanford, black silk, and hat to match. In the evening Mrs. White entertained a number of young people, and a merry time was spent.

Funeral descriptions often list the pall bearers, and who the wreaths came from which is all invaluable in piecing together relationships.

Obituaries in country newspapers are another source of family information, although it may not always be entirely accurate.  (I have lost count of the number of old residents who died in the 19^th century who claimed to have been “the first white child born in ….”)

I learnt that my 2 x great grandfather was a gardener, like his son:

The Northern Star 6 April 1898

A very old resident of the district, Mr. Charles White, sen., died on Monday at the age of 72. Mr. White a few weeks ago seemed strong and hearty, and as if he had many years of life before him, but a few days ago he had a paralytic stroke, from which he never rallied, and died at the residence of his granddaughter, Mrs. Kuskey, with whom he had been living for some time. Up till a few years ago Mr. White carried on a market garden at South Lismore, and was well known for the excellent produce he grew, which he generally exhibited at the Spring Shows. His wife died three years ago, and soon after that event he gave up the work of the garden. Messrs. Edward, John and Robert White, resident in the district, are sons of his, and another son resides in Sydney. Mrs. Robert McKenzie, of Lismore, is a daughter. The funeral took place yesterday, and in the procession were some of his oldest district friends.

One of my happiest discoveries was this one.  It’s an account in The Northern Star of a birthday party.  The birthday boy was Edwin Goldsmith, my father’s first cousin, so it’s not surprising to me that one of the guests was Miss M Gleeson, my father’s sister.  The real discovery was that the friend who presented the gift was my husband’s father and that also present was Miss K Keogh, my future mother-in-law.  My husband and I grew up in separate cities – it was a surprise to find that our families had connections long before we were born.

#52 Ancestors #Week 12 - 12

#52 Ancestors #Week 12 - 12

When I was 12 it was the beginning of my first year at High School.  I was given a watch for Christmas to mark this great milestone - laughable now in the days of cheap watches but it was a significant expense for my parents at that time.  I was excited at the prospect of High School - a new beginning with new friends and activities and the opportunity to study languages and history and science.

My grandmother Alice turned 12 in 1902.  For her it was a new beginning of a different kind.  Like most Australian children of her class and gender at the beginning of the 20th century, finishing Primary School marked the end of her schooldays.  She would stay at home, help her parents and eventually marry and have children.  Indeed there was no institution in the town where she lived (Lismore, NSW) where she could have continued her education.  The first High School opened there in 1920 and before that post primary schooling only became available in 1905 when the Lismore Public School became a "Superior School".

“Initially this was done by extending the primary school into a central or superior school, that was to provide vocational emphases in technical, commercial or domestic economy, balanced with some features of an early general secondary education. The objective was to provide preparation for semi-skilled work, vocational training or a technical education. But the difficulties of imposing this type of curriculum on schools dominated by the primary school curriculum and teaching ensured that in most States the vocational aspects would be surrendered inevitably to a general education, without sufficient or adequate preparation in the new work skills. Agricultural education was to suffer the most, but it was not alone, and gradually in States like New South Wales, vocationalism in secondary education was subsumed by a general academic curriculum in the superior public schools…

(Professor Gerald Burke and Dr Andrew Spaull  in AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS: PARTICIPATION AND FUNDING 1901 to 2000)

Alice's father was Robert White, an alderman of the Lismore Council who was later to advocate for the establishment of the South Lismore Public School and who held progressive ideas about many things - he was an environmentalist ahead of his time, and held strong views about social justice.  He seems to have been aware of the frustrations of his bright teenage daughter.  He encouraged her to become active in the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows and she acted for many years as its secretary.  Like him, she became active in the local branch of the Labor Party.  In 1907, he proposed that she act as honorary assistant secretary for the fledging Lismore Hospital, but after much debate a man was appointed.

Alice married in 1911.  Any ambitions she had were subsumed by the demands of her husband and growing family, but she was determined that her children would have an education.  She went to extraordinary lengths for my father, who was also a bright child.

Fortunately Dad won a State Bursary at the end of his primary schooling which enabled him to go to High School and he did well enough at the end to win a Teacher Training Scholarship to the University of Sydney (then the only University in NSW).  He wrote, " In my generation, there was little else that offered to a fairly bright student of limited means,  I completed my High School career in 1930, in the middle of the Great Depression.  It was always assumed in my family that I would apply for a Teacher Training scholarship because it was not much use thinking of the learned professions like Law or Medicine unless one could afford the fees and the living costs which, for a country boy, were an unscalable hurdle".

Alice arranged for Dad to board in Sydney with old family friends.  His living allowance, which began in 1930 as 80 Pounds per year was reduced by the Government in the 1931 budget to 64 Pounds and then again in 1932 to 52 Pounds.  This was really a starvation  allowance but his landlady reduced his board to One Pound a week, and his mother somehow managed to slip him a bit extra occasionally.  She was determined to see him through to graduation and the safe and secure job that would follow.  At the same time, she steered all five of her daughters into various careers, including teaching and nursing.

Life was never easy for Alice.  She endured many years of hardship and for several years was separated from her husband.  Nevertheless she maintained a strong interest in politics and current affairs and was always keen to debate on many subjects.  She was always proud of Dad, who became a successful High School Principal.  She was proud too that many of her grandchildren gained University degrees and professional accomplishments.

We wonder what she might have done with our opportunities.

                                                               Alice as a young woman.

#52 Ancestors # Week 11 - Large Family

#52 Ancestors # Week 11 - Large Family

This large family is the Stanford family of Lismore, NSW.  It was taken in 1899 and it shows Charles and Susan (nee Golding) with almost all of their family who were alive at the time. Fourteen (of 15) children, 2 sons-in-law, 2 daughters-in-law and 14 grandchildren.

At the centre of the photo (numbers 15 and 16) are Charles and Susan, aged 56 and 51.  They look much older to me, but 50 was considered old at a time when the average life expectancy in Australia was only about 54.  Susan did in fact die only four years after this photo was taken, of heart disease.  Perhaps having given birth to 15 children from the time she was 18 until she was 46 had something to do with it.  Charles lived to be 83 - a very old man by the standard of the times.

The eldest of the children was Stephen (14) sitting beside his mother.  His wife Eliza (nee Lumley)(20) sits just in front of him, nursing their baby, Susan, and their other three children are also there.  Five year old Roy (10), seven year old William (12) and three year old Albert (28).  Stephen and Eliza went on to have three more children.  Roy and Albert both enlisted in WW1; Albert returned to farm at Ellangowan, near his parents, but Roy died in the Norwich War Hospital in England on 18 November, 1917.

Of particular interest to me are three generations of my direct line.  My great grandmother Elizabeth (18) was the second Stanford child.  She is aged about thirty two in this picture and is nursing her son Charles (Boy) White.  My grandmother Alice White (27) is in front of her - she's about eleven.  Her older sister Nellie (23) is also wearing a white dress and the other two children in white in the front row are sisters Eliza Jane (Weenie)(32) and Violet (34).  Interestingly, Elizabeth's husband Robert White, is the only son-in-law not in the picture.  Did he take it, I wonder?

Christina (3) was the third child.  She stands beside her husband Jack Adams (2) who is nursing their baby Herbert.  Their other children are Lorna (26) and Reg (11).

Fourth in the family was Clara (9) who stands next to her husband Jack Gray (8).  Their children are Fred (whose full name was Emerald Frederick((33) and Grace (32).

Sam Stanford (6) and his wife, Rose (7) had only been married a year when this photo was taken and had no children.

After Sam came Charles (17), Sara (22), Eliza (5), Amy (13), Arnold (4), George (24), Ida (25), Ettie (29), and Dyscha (30).

Born between Arnold and George was Violet, who died as a baby in 1886.

Most of the Stanford men stayed in the Lismore area and became farmers.  Many of the girls married locally too.  There are hundreds of descendants still living in the Northern Rivers of NSW.

#52 Ancestors # Week 10 - Bachelor Uncle

#52 Ancestors # Week 10 - Bachelor Uncle

My mother had two bachelor uncles, two of the 13 children born to her grandparents, Anthony and Charlotte Whitten.

The family lived on their property about 13 miles from the nearest town - a long way in the horse and buggy days, particularly was there were several creek crossings which made the trip impossible after heavy rain.

These two uncles spent all their lives in the bush - first on their parents' farm and then on their own neighbouring holdings.  They were educated in the bush school that their father had built for his family and taught by a series of (largely inept) itinerant teachers.

One member of the family told this story about their schooling:

"the pupils were liable to be thrashed by "Jackpot" Ward, the untrained travelling teacher, who was an Irish tosspot, prone to vent his spleen on the young Whittens.  Older brother, "H", on one occasdion intervened on Albert's behalf, and when a poetry exercise was demanded for homework they brought along an extract from the "Temperance Reader".  The schoolmaster showed he was not without some humour, his response being, "A stands for Anthony. silent and grim, Come all ye who drink, and listen to him!"*

The family outing of the week was to church in the nearby town, and then afterwards there was always a large lunch with the extended family, which lingered into the afternoon.  Then they all went to the evening service before travelling home.

Church was probably one of very few opportunities to meet girls, but there never seems to have been one in "H"'s life. My mother remembered him as quiet and shy, fond of his dogs and horses.  He seems to have been more outgoing with his nephews, who often visited.  I was very amused to hear that he used to assign them to different parts of the farm under the "three boy rule", which states that, "one boy is worth one boy, two boys are worth half a boy, and three boys are no good at all."  As a grandmother of three boys, I think I get it.

Uncle "E" was perhaps more interesting to the children because he had a good telescope and a passion for astronomy.  It was said that from the hill up behind the homestead he could read the time on the Post Office clock in Tamworth, a distance of some 40 ks.

In this photograph of him, other instruments on the verandah table include a barometer, sun clock, protractor, magnet and tape measure.  All the nieces and nephews were fascinated - it may well have been a factor in two of those nephews becoming scientists (although not astronomers).

Sadly there was a dark side to Uncle "E".  When my mother was very old, she told me that he had "put his hand in her bloomers" while on a family outing one day when she was 9 or 10 years old.  She was speechless with shock.  She never told anyone until years later when she related the story to one of her cousins who had also been a frequent visitor to the farm.  Her cousin replied with a similar story of inappropriate touching, and declared that she had been careful never to be too close to him ever again.

We will never know any more than this.

# This is a reference to the children's father, Anthony, who was a strict teetotaller.