New family photos

Recently I have had the excitement of new contact with the son of my Dad's first cousin, Grace Delbridge nee Adams.  

Warren replied to a message I posted 7 years ago on the genealogy forum rootschat.com where I had asked about any living descendants of my grandmother's eldest brother John "Jack" Adams.

Jack was the eldest living son of John Adams and Mary Agnes Morgan. 

Mary Morgan's parents had owned the original Cross Keys Hotel in Essendon.

My grandmother, Brenda Forsyth nee Adams, was the second youngest child of John Adams and Mary Agnes Morgan.

Jack Adams and May McGee married in 1915 at Ascot Vale, Victoria.

May Adams nee McGee

From the Australian records, I had found Jack Adam's birth in Sydney in 1889.   His marriage to May Maude McGee in Ascot Vale, Victoria in 1915, and his death in 1983 at Tullamarine, Victoria.

I was later able to find birth, marriage and death information for his 3 children but that was as far as I was able to go at that time.

Grace, born in 1915, was their first child and only daughter.
  Two years later her brother Morgan John Adams was born in 1917 and then in 1919 came their youngest brother Leonard.

Jack Adams was a woolworker and a storeman and the young family lived at Ascot Vale, then Flemington and later Brunswick West.  

Grace Francesca, Morgan John, and Leonard Adams. 

Otherwise known as Gugg, Apps or Apples and Woo.

Grace attended the Flemington Training school where she was one of the 5 best spellers.

Grace is front right in this photo

Morgan and Len 1934

Lenore Frost and Alex Bragiola worked on pinpointing the location of the school using the buildings in this photo.  Lenore has written about it in her post LITTLE ZION CHAPEL, FLEMINGTON

Grace Francesca Delbridge formerly Taylor nee Adams. 

In 1940 Grace married Geoffrey Francis Taylor who was very sadly killed in WW2 on the 14th of April 1941. It took Grace a long time to come to terms with his death. By 1943 Grace had moved to New South Wales, living at Cremorne and working as a textile worker. In 1947 Grace married Jack Albert Delbridge at Waverley in New South Wales. Jack was a RAAF Officer in the war. Jack Delbridge After the war, Jack was a real estate agent and they lived for many years at 15 O'Connell Street, Brighton -Le- Sands, which I think is now the suburb of Monterey. I am fairly sure this would be the house at 15 O'Connell Street. Image capture from Google street view 2017. Grace and Jack had two sons, Warren and Geoff. Morgan married Monica Gibbs. L-R Grace, May, Monica and Morgan. L - R Rona wife of Len,  Len Adams and Grace. Jack Adams died at Tullamarine in 1983 May Adams nee McGee died in Sydney in 1968. Grace Delbridge nee Adams died in 2009 I think at Narooma, New South Wales her husband Jack had predeceased her in 2000. Morgan John Adams died in Melbourne in 1996, his wife Monica in 1999. Leonard Adams died at Frankston in March 2010, his wife Rona just a couple of months later in June 2010. I can't thank Warren and Geoff enough for sharing the above photos with me.

ReplyForward

Len Adams birthday tribute

If he had lived on for another 9 years, Len Adams, my Dad's first cousin, would have celebrated his 100th birthday today.  

L - R Len's wife Rona, Len Adams, Grace Delbridge, Len's sister.

Len Adams was born at Hotham East, Victoria 100 years ago on this day the 25th of January, 1919 to parents John "Jack" Adams (my grandmother's eldest brother) and his wife May Maude McGee.

Len was the youngest brother of Grace Francesca Adams and Morgan John Adams.

We never had the pleasure of meeting Len but recent contact with his nephew Warren has brought him to life for us.  Warren has shared many wonderful memories of a loving uncle.

I love this early one - "Mum, (Grace), used to tell me a story about Len appearing on the front page (?) of one of the Daily Melbourne papers, 'sailing' a billy-cart down Sydney Rd (?) amongst the trams and the traffic.
Apparently, Len copped 'what for' when Jack arrived home with the afternoon paper. "

I've searched Trove for a possible article but no luck as yet, still searching.

For many years Len lived with his parents at 10 Zeal Street, Brunswick West, a suburb of Melbourne.
His occupation was Casemaker.

Len enlisted in WW2.  Service Number - V44347 and served in New Guinea where the photo of him boxing below was taken.

Len first married a lady by the name of Aileen but they didn't stay together.  I haven't found Aileen's maiden name or any information about her apart from that she was also living at 10 Zeal Street with the family in 1963. Len later married his sister's longtime friend Rona and they lived at Frankston, in Victoria's South.

Grace (left) and Len's wife Rona were longtime friends.

Len never had any children of his own. Warren says he was a very kind and loving man to all his family.

Siblings Grace, Morgan John and Len Adams possibly about 1927

Len January 1934

Morgan and Len January 1934

Len with a koala

Wazza (Warren) and Len

 Len passed away at the age of 91 years on the 10th of March 2010.

 Rona joined him not long after on the 21st of June 2010.

I am so grateful to Warren and Geoff Delbridge for sharing the above family photos and information for our future generations.