52 Ancestors Week 26 - Halfway is Robert FORSYTH

I decided that my halfway subject would be whoever was born halfway between my earliest confirmed direct ancestor (1748) and myself (1958).

This turned out to be my great great grandfather, Robert FORSYTH who was born in 1852 at New Aberdour in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Robert's parents were Robert FORSYTH and Helen nee THOMSON.  The FORSYTH men were meal millers in Aberdeenshire for many generations.  

In fact back to my earliest confirmed ancestor, Robert's great grandfather James FORSYTH who was born in 1748 and perhaps even earlier generations.

In 1871 Robert FORSYTH was a meal miller at the Mill of Aberdour along with his father Robert FORSYTH senior.

Remains of the Mill of Aberdour.  Mill wall date says 1791.

On the 8th of February 1873, young Robert married Jessie FARQUHAR at the Manse of Aberdour.

Manse of Aberdour

Robert and Jessie then decided to emigrate to New Zealand.  Along with their first born son, Alexander Farquhar FORSYTH (1873-1943), they sailed on the ship Crusader to Littleton harbour in 1874.

Robert and Jessie went on to have another nine children born in New Zealand.

1. Robert (1876-1967)
2. Margaret Ann Hay (1877-1929) my great grandmother.
3. John (1879-1973)
4. George (1882-1882)
5. Ellen "Nell" (1883-1967)
6. Jessie "Nette" (1886-1967)
7. William James (1888-1971)
8. James "Jimmy"(1890-1966)
9. Jane "Jean" (1893-1981)

Robert wrote a letter home to his mother in September 1896.

My Dear Mother,

I now write you this few lines to let you know that we are all well at present hopping (sic) that this will find you all the same.  You will remember the Simpsons that lived near the Cranbog there is one of them come to live on our Island.  She is housekeeper for a man about 2 miles from us. She has been calling on us twice.  Maggie is her name she came out here about 12 years ago to keep house for her brother but we have never seen her till she came up here.  I hope Helen is getting on all right you was to write and let us know how she was but we never had any word so I suppose she is all right.  

I forget if I ever told you that there was another Aberdour man here Alex Mitchel a son of old Cork Mitchels the soutar.  He is a grocer to trade but is worse for drinking than the old man was.  I don't know what he is doing now I have not seen him for the last 7 or 8 years.  You was asking how Willie Dickie was doing Him and his wife have been separated for years.  She lives in Kaipoi (sic) and goes out washing and he goes about the country working and drinks all the money he makes.  Sandy Dickie is married and has a place about 40 miles from here.  He is fairly steady.  

We had a grand harvest here this year The best for years and very good prices but there was a lot of people that lived near the hills had there grain nearly all shaken out with the wind.  All round we can't complain.  We have had a very wet winter here more rain than there has been for the last ten years.  Last year we had plenty of snow but no rain.  

How is John always getting on with his farm.  I have never written to him yet but will have to make a start sometime.  Tell him he might write sometime he would be able to give us more news than we could give him.    How is George and his wife getting on.  

She has got a bad leg or something hasn't she. But I think he ought able to give you a little help when they have no family but just themselves two to keep.  

I ought to have written long before this time but it is better late than never.  We have been very busy for a good bit we have been having additions made to the house 2 new rooms ...?... that takes time & money to pay.   Must thankyou very much for sending the Peoples Journal.  No more at present but I herewith enclose you a post office order for two pounds.  Write soon with love to all.  We remain your loving son & Daughter

R . J  Forsyth

Robert FORSYTH died on the 20th of July 1897 and is  buried at Kaiapoi cemetery, Canterbury.

  

52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"

52 Ancestors Week 25 - The Old Homestead

There isn't any "Old Homestead" in my family that I know of. 

The closest place I could think of was the Hotel owned by my paternal Irish great-great grandparents, John MORGAN and Alice nee KELLY.

Old Photo of the Cross Keys Hotel, Firebrace Street (now Pascoe Vale Road)
North Essendon.
This photo is in the Coburg Historical Society Collection

North Essendon was formerly known as Hawstead and was in the Parish of Doutta Galla, County of Bourke.
The details of original ownership are a bit confusing, but basically it seems that John Morgan purchased the block of land from Crown Grantee, William Jones, on the 10th of October 1859 for ₤81.
Then John Morgan apparently sold the land to a John Calvert on May 29th 1860 and it was later conveyed to William Bergin in 1862.  John Morgan was first recorded as licensee in 1871 so I'm not sure what, if any, buildings were on the land before that.  Perhaps a house? Nor have I found out when the Morgan family bought back the land.
Finding Folio and volume numbers for the original land titles is proving elusive.  None are listed on the Wills of the Morgan family even though the Hotel was left to surviving family members.  Still searching.

A descendant of William Bergin has told me that the Bergins lived next door to the Cross Keys Hotel for 40 years and her great grandmother, Catherine Bergin married a James Power and they lived in a house on the corner, where the car park is today, until around 1907.
The surnames Bergin and Power crop up in the families history with a Nicholas Bergin (son of William) witnessing Michael Kelly's Will in 1898 and a Fred Power witnessed John Morgan's Will which was written in 1879. 
On a visit to the existing Cross Keys Hotel in Essendon in about 2005, I was told by the then owner that they thought the old Hotel actually stood on the opposite corner where the Strathmore railway station is now.
I didn't think this was the case though because when I checked the old map on the website of the State Library Victoria it shows the name Jones on the same section of land as the Hotel currently stands.

I have since been told it was not the Cross Keys Hotel on the opposite corner but another hotel.

"The owner of the Cross Keys was right about an old hotel being across Pascoe Vale Road from the Cross Keys but wrong about assuming that it was the original Cross Keys. It was on the site of Melfort Avenue,the block at Hawstead granted to John Haslett. Ellen Haslitt, National Hotel, Moonee Ponds. Granted. 
(P.6, Argus, 16-4-1856.)
Sam Merrifield's Annals of Essendon had an entry circa 1888 about a fellow called Robinson who apparently had just bought the hotel and was advertising some sort of race (bike?) to promote his hotel which he must have renamed as the Melfort. 

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/101979  
Title: Township and suburban allotments at Essendon & Hawstead in the Parish of Doutta Galla, County of Bourke [cartographic material] / lithographed at the Public Lands Office, Melbourne ; Oct 8th 1858 T. Ham, Lith.

Below is a wonderful description of the area from an article in the Australasian newspaper in 1898

• JOHN MORGAN would have been about 40 years old when he first held the license for the Hotel in 1871
• After John's death in 1880, his wife, MARGARET (ALICE) KELLY who was known as Alice, held the license until her death in 1904. In 1880 she would have been around 46 years old.
• The license then passed to her son JOHN FELIX MORGAN then aged 34. John tragically drowned in a water tank at the hotel in 1907.

• The Hotel then passed to his wife MARGARET MORGAN NEE O'MEARA.  Margaret was licensee in 1917 when she was prosecuted for opening the Hotel door in prohibited hours. Margaret died in 1937.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A transcription of an article in the Argus newspaper on 5th Feb 1929 states that the Hotel was to be demolished.  
The actual newspaper copy is quite hard to read so I have transcribed it below.

"An old landmark, the Cross Keys Hotel at North Essendon, has been demolished.  This hotel was the first built North of Melbourne and was owned by the Morgan family for more than 70 years.  It stood on the old Sydney road, which was one of the busiest roads in the days of the gold fever.The diggers passing to and from the gold fields spent their money freely and buckets were used as tills and safes. There being no local banking facilities in those days, great difficulties were experienced in finding any safe place in which to keep the cash until the gold escort came to transfer it to the bank in town. Bushrangers threatened to raid the hotel but it was known that John Morgan was well armed and a straight shot and no raid was ever made. Today the Cross Keys is the property of the Misses Raynor who have had a modern residential hotel erected on the site of the historic old Inn".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The newly built Cross Keys Hotel still operates in the same position today.  I visited there about ten years ago and the owner at the time gave me the following photos.  

None of the people have yet been identified.

  52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"

George Adams (1831-1921) and his sister Sophia (1836- 1914)

http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/284236

George ADAMS was born 1831 in Saffron Walden, Essex, England to parents Edward ADAMS and Susannah HARRIS.

Edward (1798-1874) had three marriages, first to Sarah RICHARDSON in 1821. They had a daughter, Caroline (1822-1901)

Sarah possibly died in childbirth as her death was recorded in 1822.

He then married Susannah HARRIS in 1828. They had two children. My great great grandfather, George and his sister Sophia born 1836.

Susannah died in 1840 and in 1842 Edward married Sophia Andrews LOMER (1800-1880)


Young George emigrated to Fremantle Western Australia where he married an Irish lass named Catherine BARRY on the 19th of June 1853. They went on to have nine children and travelled back and forth between Victoria and Western Australia.

George was a successful tenderer for the building of the Albany Post Office and Customs House in 1868-69 during which time their youngest daughter Annie was born at Albany.

1. Susan Adams (1854 –1880) married John TUNNEY in 1871

2. George Adams (1856 –1876)

3. John Adams (1858 –1937) married Mary MORGAN in 1887 (my great grandparents)

4. Mary Adams (1860 –1878)

5. Edward Adams (1862 –1933) married Selina Rose CLIFTON in 1883

6. Catherine "Katie" Adams (1864 –1946) married John MCFADYEN in 1885

7. David Adams (1866 – ?) a mystery

8. Margaret Adams (1868 –1926) partner was James MANSFIELD

9. Annie Adams (1870 –1960) married Henry SLOAN in 1911

After the death of his wife Catherine in 1884, George married Sarah OAKLEY nee HARMAN.


Sarah's first husband had disappeared and after being missing for seven years she was legally able to remarry.

Sarah and George had one daughter, Sarah Selina ADAMS (1886- 1977). She was known as Sadie. George died at the age of 90 in 1921 at 5 Brixton Street, Flemington where he and Sarah had lived for many years. In 1915, their daughter Sadie had married Harold STONE (1890-1924) and she lived next door at number 7 Brixton Street for many years. 

It seems that both houses belonged to her parents. Sadie and Harold have one daughter.

George's sister Sophia also emigrated to Australia, possibly around 1858, as her death certificate states she lived 55 years in Victoria.

Sophia married James LORIMER (1835-1919) on the 26th of January 1861 at Kew, Melbourne, Victoria.

They lived all their married lives at 28 Davis Street, Kew and had two children. 

James Edmund LORIMER 

James was born in 1861 at Kew and died in 1948 at Moonee Ponds. He married Emma MERRETT in 1887. 

James and Emma had one daughter, Fairy May Sophia LORIMER (1895-1985) 

Fairy married Henry William COLE (1892-1973) in 1921. They have one daughter. 

Lucy Sophia LORIMER. 

Lucy was born in 1872 at Kew and died there in 1961. Her first marriage was to Joseph Henry THOMPSON in 1917 and second to David PETCH. 

I haven't found any children for Lucy. 

52 Ancestors Week 24 - Heirloom

I treasure the "fancy dress" my maternal grandmother made.  

I have an original photo and the dress.

I don't ever remember seeing the hat though.

photo possibly taken about 1930

photo taken 2014

  52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"

Frank Cartledge BALL and his wife Alice Graham Agnes nee CHRISTIE

I received the card below amongst articles that belonged to my great grand uncle, Alexander MORGAN of Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand.

Grand Canal Venice April 1927.  
"Dear Mr & Mrs Morgan, with Christmas greetings from Alice and Frank Ball.  Christmas 1928."

Frank Cartledge BALL (1868-1934) was a journalist and he and his wife Alice Graham Agnes nee CHRISTIE lived at 98 Riversdale Road, Camberwell, Victoria.

Any connections out there?

52 Ancestors Week 23 - Wedding - Daisy Morgan and Archie Fleming 1932

My maternal grandparents were married on the 8th of October 1932.

A quiet but pretty wedding was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents "Willow Bank" Moyhu, on Saturday, October 8th, when Daisy Marion, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, became the wife of Mr. Archie W. F. (third son of Mrs. D. Fleming "Valley View", King Valley, and the late Mr. D. Fleming).

The Rev M.C. Day of Wangaratta officiated.  The charming bride, who was given away by her father, was tastefully gowned in ankle length white satin with a yoke of silk lace.  A fitting bodice and slender skirt with fullness given by inlet pleated flares.  Her beautiful veil of embroidered tulle (lent by her sister Mrs. D. Jones) was worn cap fashion, and held by a wreath of orange blossom.  She also wore a necklace of crystal beads, and carried a bouquet of semi-sheaf arum lilies, intermingled with maiden hair fern and white satin streamers.  The bride was attended by her sister Miss Mavis Morgan, whose pretty ankle-length frock of powder blue  satin, with puff sleeves, looked very attractive with her head band of satin and flowers.  Her pretty posy was of arum lilies, maiden hair fern and pink satin streamers.  Mr. H Fleming was best man.  Immediately after the ceremony satin horse shoes were placed on the arm of the bride by her little brother Bert, and little Graeme McLaren (nephew of the bridegroom) and Caroline Jones (neice of the bride).  After the ceremony a reception was held at the home of the bride's parents.  The tables looked charming, the central decoration being a tiered wedding cake.  The bride's travelling frock was of maroon crepe-de-chene with hat to tone.  The bride's gift to the bridegroom was a travelling rug and that of the bridegroom to the bride a xylonite toilet set and to the bridesmaid a xylonite clock.  Many beautiful presents were received, including many cheques.  The future home of Mr. and Mrs. Fleming will be at "Greenfields" King Valley.

52 Ancestors week 22 - School commencement

I first attended Gowrie Street Primary School, Shepparton in 1964.  

I'm in the front row, right hand side of the board, stretching my arms out.

The photo below is of Myrtleford State School grade 3 & 4 possibly about 1947.  

My mum, Joan Fleming, is far right in the back row and her sister Margaret is first left in the back row.

Below is a school photo for my maternal grandfather, Archie Fleming, who attended King Valley State School.  

He is far right in back row and would have been eleven years old in 1920.

My Dad started school in 1945 at Girgarre East Primary school in Northern Victoria and as the family moved around nearly every twelve months he attended many schools.

I don't have any school photos for him

The admission date for my paternal grandfather to the primary school at Belfast  Canterbury, New Zealand was the 25th of September 1911.   

His father also attended Belfast school, as did his siblings.  

Below are some school reunion photos.

Belfast school reunion - my great grandfather, James Christopher MUSSON is in the back row,  just to the right of the centre door.

my grandfather's eldest sister, Jessie MUSSON is in the back row, the second lady from right with the white hat.

I'm still searching for more school records for my other grandparents.

  52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"