Fleming brothers marry Mummery sisters

*"George William Finlay Fleming was born at Moyhu and was the 8th child of 11.  His parents were John Knight and Margaret Jane Fleming nee Splatt.  George started school at Edi and had to walk 5 miles each day, when the river was in flood the only way across was by a flying fox.  At about 6 years of age the family moved to a farm near Wangaratta.  They lived on several farms within this area during his school life.  George used to tell of how he would have to milk the cows of a morning before going to school in Wangaratta.  At the age of 19 he went to Melbourne for the show.  A group of them went for the evening and George had no partner so Edith Mummery agreed to blind date.  As she said " Thats how it all began."   We do not know for sure of the reasons, maybe he got tired of making regular trips to Melbourne - but about 2 years later George moved to the city where he got a job in a grain store.  He worked there for a short time until he got a more permanent job with Hoeffman's carting bricks to building sites - he carted the bricks to the memorial Shrine when it was being built.  In April 1936 he and Edith were married.  George became a warder at Pentridge - but he would joke that he always had a key to get out.  From there and his family moved to a farm at Timboon in the early 1950's.  He worked the farm and supplemented the farm work with building.  After leaving Timboon he moved to Kyabram for a short time then to Dandenong where he built flats, then about 1965 he returned to Kyabram.  His interests were fishing  and he was a keen shooter.  Graeme relates to a shooting trip to Queensland on which George hit the mark every time without a miss for 70 consecutive shots - he equalled his age which was a great achievement.  He loved the outdoors and he had an appreciation for nature and enjoyed travelling around Australia.  Towards the later years of George's life he would say we are not going up North this winter then the first frost would hit and George would start packing the caravan and be gone before the second frost arrived.  Alma Edith Mummery was known to most of us as Edie and she was born in Dandenong and was the 4th of 6 children.  She must have been a favourite of a particular Uncle, as he put her through Business College, after finishing Business College she got a job in the Dandenong Shire Office and from this she was teaching as a primary school assistant.  When Edie first met George she is quoted as saying " Thats the man I'm going to marry".  When Edie and George set some sort of record on a motorcycle from Berwick to Dandenong that Ron admits he hasn't been able to equal.  Edie was Secretary and President of the Ladies Guild.  She was always involved with the family and taught the grandchildren card games.  Unfortunately Edie was killed in an accident on Norfolk Island while on a holiday there with her sister Beryl."

I didn't find any engagement or wedding notices for Edith and George, perhaps because of the War.

Family Notices (1940, December 23). The Argus (Melbourne,Vic:1848-1957), p. 6. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11312053

A.C.F. Notes (1942, February 11). The Dandenong Journal (Vic:1927 - 1954), p.16. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215707398

*"Gordon Raymond Fleming was the son of John Knight and Margaret Jane Fleming nee Splatt and was the 10th of 11 children, he was born at Edi. After his schooling he worked on the family farm, and at the age of 21 he got a job at H.V. McKay Massey-Harris working on farm machinery and installing milking machines.  Earlier at the age of 20, he attended his brothers wedding as groomsman, there he met Beryl, the brides sister who was also a bridesmaid, five years later, after World War II had begun, they married.  Three months after the wedding Gordon was assigned to England with the Department of Agriculture to help assemble farm machinery and demonstrate the machinery to Land Army women.  He was there for two and a half years, and on his return worked as a mechanic and bus driver for three years.  In 1949 Gordon, Beryl, Joan and John moved to Myrtleford where Gordon worked in Robertson's grocery store for 5 years, he then worked at Price's Garage as a car salesman for eight years before returning to farming at Rosewhite.  Whilst in Myrtleford Gordon took a keen interest in local football and later in lawn bowls, and his interest in bowls lasted many years.  In 1965 the family moved to another dairy farm at Nanneella near Rochester, in 1970 they moved to Katunga.  In 1985 Gordon, Beryl, John and Jill moved into Numurkah township.  Gordon belonged to the Numurkah Masonic Lodge and was actively interested in the Numurkah Golf Club, his other interests were the Bowling Club, fishing and duck shooting expeditions.  He was also a keen gardener, with fresh vegetables all year around and a wonderful array of colourful chrysanthemums especially for mothers day."

*The above notes were compiled by Mrs Jean Sharrad, a great-great granddaughter of William Finlay Fleming and Ann Jane Knight.  Jean has done an amazing amount of research and willingly shared her findings with interested family members.  She interviewed many family members although it isn't noted who supplied the above stories.
We thank you Jean

Read about the origins of Trove Tuesday at GOULD GENEALOGY HISTORY & NEWS

Private William Finlay FLEMING

On his enlistment into the A.I.F on the 4th of August 1915, at Seymour, William Finlay FLEMING was aged 22 years and 1 month.

*above photos used with permission from the owner at that time.

He was 5 foot 5 and a half inches tall and weighed 150 lbs.

His complexion was ruddy and eyes and hair brown. 

William's surname was spelt FLEMMING in some records.

Like his younger brother David Claude FLEMING, his religious denomination was Presbyterian.

William was the eldest son of Finlay FLEMING and Jessie nee SPLATT of King Valley.

Only 4 years before his enlistment he narrowly escaped severe injury in an accident that was reported in the local newspaper.

The North Eastern Despatch. 
Wednesday, March 22, 1911 - page 2
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A narrow escape - Wm Fleming aged 20, a son of Mrs. Finlay Fleming, King Valley, had a remarkably narrow escape from serious accident on Monday.  He was driving a draught horse attached by chains to a log, 8 feet long by about 2 feet in diameter, when the animal became fractious, and in an endeavour to regain control, Mr. Fleming fell.  The horse trod on his chest, but fortunately did not rest it's full weight on him.  As the animal moved away, the leg grazed the side of Mr. Fleming's body, making numerous bruises.  There was a good deal of internal bleeding and the sufferer was brought into D. Henderson, who found that his injuries were fortunately not serious.

further information at 

 8th Light Horse Regiment (Victoria) [3rd Light Horse Brigade]

William's unit the 8th Light Horse Regiment, 12th Reinforcement embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on 10 November 1915.

Troops on board HMAT Ascanius (A11), as it departs. A small boat is seen in the left foreground.

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

 This item is in the Public Domain

In December 1915 William reported for duty at Heliopolis. In February 1916 they marched out to Serapeum and some other places they were recorded at were Port Said, Abasan, Tripoli and later Moascar which was a hospital camp. 

I can't find any mention of why he was there.

At one stage at Port Said William was reported for being "Out of Bounds" and deprived of 28 days pay.

In August 1917 he trained as a Gunner and passed in the Hotchkiss gun course.

William returned to Australia per PT Sydney on the 5th of March 1919 and was discharged on the 21st of March 1919.

He died at the age of 80 years on the 24th of April 1974 at Wangaratta. It seems he didn't marry.

Tribute page for our Servicemen

Large Family - 52 Ancestors - Week 37

The largest family in my ancestry would have to be my Mum's FLEMING family.
Cousin Debbie FRANK says her Mum, Edna nee FLEMING,  told her she would probably be related to half of Victoria through the FLEMING family.  
I think she may have been right.

Our common great-great-grandfather, Willian Finlay/Finley FLEMING and his wife Ann Jane KNIGHT (above) had 13 children and many of those went on to have large families.

Ann Jane - (1853-1925) married Arthur THOMPSON and had 10 children
William James - (1855-1931) married Johanna FISHER and had 12 children.
Donald, my great grandfather - (1860-1921) married Margaret HART and had 11 children.
Alice - (1863-1944) married Thomas TUCKETT and had 7 children.
Finlay - (1864-1910) married Jessie SPLATT and had 9 children.
Moses - (1866-1939) married Mary HUGHS and had 9 children.
Matilda - (1870-1956) married Charles WORRALL and had 9 children.
John Knight - (1875-1954) married Margaret SPLATT and had 11 children.
Selina Maude - (1878-1952) married Samuel LAURENCE, they only had 2 children.

Ellen, Sarah, Ruth and Christina FLEMING all died in infancy.

William Finlay and Ann Jane FLEMING with 5 of their children.

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

Note from Amy - Did you know that all 10 of the most common birthdays are in September? (If you’re a chart geek like me, check out this heat map of birth date frequencies.) 

Adult children of Finlay Fleming and Jessie nee Splatt

Adult children of Finlay Fleming and his wife Jessie nee Splatt

William Finlay born 1893 Barwo (Kotupna/Nathalia) Victoria died 1974 Wangaratta, Victoria.

Elizabeth Ethel Linda born 1900 Nathalia, Vic died 1976 Clayton, Vic married first Dudley Norman Porter in 1920. They had six children.  Dudley died in 1945 and Elizabeth remarried Albert Ernest Cameron.

Jane/Jean Margaret born 1895 Barwo died 1981 Armadale, Victoria married Nelson Burns in 1917.  They had four children.

Vera Finlay born 1901 Moyhu, Victoria died 1992 Wangaratta, Victoria married Leonard Forge in 1921.  They had five children.

Mary Ann Sarah "Maisie" born 1904 Moyhu, Victoria died 1996 in New South Wales married Walter T Edwards at Mosman in 1930.  He died in 1960 and she remarried Jim O'Grady in 1966.

David Claude born 1897 Barwo, Victoria died 1978 Sorrento, Queensland married Agnes Frew Johnston.  They had two daughters.

Ethel Maude born 1899 Barwo, Victoria died 1976 Mildura, Victoria married John Lewis Burrell in 1918.  They had ten children.

Jessie Madeline "Madge" born 1903 Moyhu, Victoria died 1978 Parkville, Victoria married James Frederick Murphy at Wangaratta in 1929.  They had two daughters.

One daughter deceased so missing from the photo is Christina Florence Fleming born 1898 Barwo died 1953 at Mildura.  She married Garret Lyons in 1917 and they had two sons.

Their father, Finlay Fleming was the son of William Finlay Fleming and Ann Jane nee Knight.  He was born in 1864 at Spring Hill, Victoria and died in 1910 at Wangaratta.

He married Jessie Splatt at Echuca, Victoria in 1893.  Jessie was the daughter of William Edgar Splatt and Jane Margaret Simpson.  She was born in 1867 at Rokewood and died in 1942 at Whitfield, Victoria

The Fleming's had settled at Kotupna, near Nathalia in Northern Victoria, in the 1870s and in 1901 they moved to the King Valley in North East Victoria where the boys followed farming pursuits.

Finlay/Finley and Jessie are buried at the Whitfield, also known as the Hyem cemetery in North East Victoria, with their young grandson Phillip Burns who died in 1927

Wangaratta Despatch, August 6th, 1910 - Death of King Valley Farmer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The death of Mr. Finlay Fleming, a well known and much respected farmer of the King Valley, caused surprise and regret in the district on Wednesday.  The deceased was in his usual health last week, excepting for a cold to which he did not give much attention.  On Saturday, however, he became ill, and was brought to the Wangaratta hospital, where it was found he was suffering from pneumonia, he gradually got worse, and died about midnight on Tuesday.  The late Mr. Fleming, who was the fifth son of Mr. W.F. Fleming, of Edi (who celebrated his hundredth birthday in January last) was born at Creswick, but spent most of his life at Kotupna, where Mr. Fleming senior, settled after he gave up mining.  About eight years ago the parents and several of the sons moved to this district,  where they secured farms, and Mr. Finlay Fleming's residence on the King River dated back to that time,  he was a very industrious man, a good farmer, and possessed of excellent personal qualities that made him very popular.  His death at the early age of 46 years has been heard of with great regret for the deceased had many friends,  who regarded him as an acquisition to the Edi district.  His unexpected death comes with crushing effect, too upon his wife, who is left with a family of nine children, the eldest of whom is 16 years of age, and the youngest 5, the great sympathy has been expressed for her and the other relatives on this untimely bereavement,  Messrs. James, Donald, and Henry Fleming of Edi are deceased's brothers, another being resident in New South Wales, while Mrs. Lawrence (Whitfield), Mrs. Thomas (Albury), Mrs. Tuckett and Mrs. Worrall (Melbourne) are sisters.  The remains of deceased were interred in the Whitfield cemetery, the coffin being taken by train to Hyem stopping place on Wednesday afternoon.