52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 3: Longevity

My Paternal great-great-grandfather, George ADAMS, was one of my ancestors favoured by longevity having lived until the good age of 90 years.

Last Friday (12th January) I had my first visit to the large Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne where many of my ancestors and family members are buried.
Thanks to their impressive website graves can be found and mapped before a visit.
George Adams and his second wife Sarah (formerly Oakley, nee Harman) are buried in the Methodist B section in grave number 1093.

When we found the spot I was a bit disappointed and rather surprised to find the grave unmarked.
I left flowers.

Their grave is situated between an A. Wilson on the right and I. Northway and S. Earle on the left.

 George was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, England in 1831 to parents Edward ADAMS and Susannah nee HARRIS.
He emigrated to Australia sometime around1852
(I think he swam as I haven't found a passenger record yet).

George married my great-great-grandmother, Irish born Catherine BARRY, at Fremantle, Western Australia on the 19th of June 1853.

They had 9 children, 3 of whom predeceased their parents.

Catherine died in Melbourne on the 4th of May 1884, aged 52. 
She is buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton.

Photo from the State Library of Victoria
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/284236

At the time of his death, George lived at 5 Brixton Street, Flemington.

Links to other stories about George

GRANDAD (Mr Adams, Byaduk, Victoria) - on this blog

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

Their story by Christine Stafford nee ADAMS, George's 3rd great-granddaughter.

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. 

GRANDAD (Mr Adams, Byaduk, Victoria)

I am hoping this post may one day catch the eye of someone who is connected to or knows about a Mrs. Fisher who may be a grand daughter of George Adams who lived at Byaduk in 1885.

Recently I received a message from Merron, author of the wonderful Blog  Western District Families telling me of a photo she had come across titled Grandad (Mr Adams, Byaduk, Victoria).

The photo was in a collection at the State Library of Victoria and all the details can be seen here  but in short, the picture is dated ca 1885, donated in 1987, with title and information given by donor, Mrs Fisher.

Merron has extensively researched people of the Byaduk area and the only Adams she knows of that may have a connection to the area was my great great grandfather, George Adams, whose second marriage was to Sarah Oakley nee Harman, a daughter of Merron's 4th great grandparents, Joseph Harman and Sarah Mulberry.

Could this be him?

As you can imagine my cousin Christine and I are wanting to claim him but we have never seen a photo of him.  We have been extensively researching our common ancestor George Adams who was born in Saffron Walden, UK in 1831.
In 1885 he would be 54.  Does this man look 54?

Merron says in those days they usually looked a bit older than they actually were.

The photos donor, Mrs Fisher, may well be a descendant but in all our research to date we haven't found a connection to the surname Fisher.  Although that would be her married name, we still can't connect it to any known grandchildren of our George Adams.

Our George came to Fremantle, Western Australia sometime around the early 1850s and married a young Irish lass by the name of Catherine Barry in 1853.

Their first child, Susan was born in Fremantle in 1854 and then they moved to Melbourne where their next child, George jnr was born in 1856.
Five more children were born to the couple in Melbourne, John in 1858 (my great grandfather), Mary in 1860, Edward (Christine's great great grandfather) in 1862, Katie/Catherine in 1864 and David in 1866.

Then we found George and Catherine had moved back to Albany in W.A. In 1868 George Adams and John Mattinson won the tender to build the Albany Post Office. Albany is where George and Catherine's last two daughters were born.  Margaret in 1868 and Annie in 1870.

The building of the Post Office and Customs and Court house was completed late in 1869.  Christine has written more in depth about George here.

They then moved back to Melbourne and sadly Catherine died at Parkville in 1884.

In 1885 in Byaduk George remarried Sarah Oakley nee Harman of Byaduk.  Sarah was the widow of Walter Oakley.  On their marriage certificate George was living at Byaduk but is "usual" residence was Parkville.  In the 1903 Vic electoral rolls George and Sarah are living at 5 Brixton Street, Flemington where they resided for the rest of their lives.

Merron found a George Adams, builder, listed at Byaduk in the 1885 Victorian Post Office Directory and this is why we think the photo is of our George Adams.

BUT ............

The State Library also has a photo titled "Mr and Mrs Adams's home at Byaduk, Vic" that is dated ca 1875 which is way too early for it to be George and Sarah's house.  This photo was also donated by Mrs Fisher in 1987.

Is the date just a guess?

I have asked the State Library if there is any further information on the photos but as yet have received no reply.  My request still seems to be in their pipeline.

UPDATE  This George Adams is my great great grandfather.  Mrs Fisher turned out to be the daughter of Sarah Selina Adams.  Sarah was George Adams and Sarah (Harman) Oakley Adams only daughter.  I spoke to Mrs Fisher a couple of times on the phone, she is currently a hale and hearty 90 years old and very busy with her local activities.