Arthur Herbert Withers was born at Gundagai, NSW on 14th July 1876 and died at Forbes, NSW on 29th July 1956. Arthur Herbert was a Chalfcutter owner. Some years after Ruth, his first wife ran off, Arthur remarried, he married Bertha Mills, eldest sister of my Grandmother Doris, eldest child of Alfred John Mills and Emma Louisa Sadler. My dad always said he had a Grandmother and an Aunty all in one! Arthur and Bertha had 5 children.
Ruth Maria Conn Buchanan was born in Narrandera, NSW on the 11th September 1877, it is not known when or where she died. Arthur and Ruth married on the 19th of April 1898 at Narrandera NSW, Barney, my Grandfather was born a month later. Two more children followed, Arthur Ernest in 1900 and Florence Amelia in 1903. Family story is that Ruth ran off when my Grandfather Barney was about 11 years of age, leaving two of her three children behind. She was never heard of again. After Ruth ran off, presumably with Florence, Barney and his father worked together chalfcutting and one day when they returned from working in the bush, they found Arthur Ernest gone. Arthur was being looked after by a relative and that relative had taken Arthur away.
Many many years passed and Barney was working at Lyles Hay and Grain Store in Melbourne when a chap by the name of Bill Woods walked into the store. The two men struck up a conversation and discovered they were both born in Narrandera. Bill had to come back into the store the next day and Barney asked him if he could bring some photo's which he agreed to do. The next day Bill came to the store and produced a picture of Arthur Herbert Withers, their father, so the two brothers were reunited at last. However, this was not a lasting reunion as Bill tragically died about six months (we think about 1946) later and only months after finally reuniting with his father. Arthur Herbert was extremely distraught when "Bill" died as he mourned the loss of his son all over again.
Alfred John Mills was born in Brockley, Kent, UK in 1863 and died in Liverpool, NSW on 2nd October 1954. Alfred was a bricklayer and labourer. When Emma died Alfred went to live with his daughter Phyllis in Sydney.
Emma Louisa Sadler was born, according to one of my uncles, on the Goldfields, somewhere in NSW about 1867. Emma died on 25th of April 1943 at Coburg, Victoria. I have not been able to find a registration of her birth or baptism. I have calculated her age from her marriage certificate and her children's birth certificates. When searching for documents my cousin found an entry for Emma Louisa Sadler and a sibling named Mary Jane Sadler who were admitted to the Randwick Asylum for Destitute Children on the 25th of June 1873. Emma's age at admission was 7 years which is the correct age for my Emma. Also, I was informed by one of my uncles that Emma's father was a drunk, who spent every cent he made at the pub, which might explain why the girls were admitted. Alfred and Emma married in Newcastle, NSW on the 15th of November 1887. They had 8 children.
James Edwin Dix was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 23rd April 1855 and died at Cheltenham, Victoria on 6th October 1933. James was a labourer who left Tasmania aged 20 and travelled to Victoria. Edwin Hooper Dix (see Great Great Grandparents), James' father was estranged from his son for some reason, perhaps because he married a chinese woman. James had a shop in Lower Fern Tree Gully which my mother recalls visiting when she was a child. James also drove a fruit and vegetable cart.
Elizabeth Maude Ah Chow was born in Emerald Hill (aka South Melbourne) Victoria on 25th February 1876 and died in Prahran, Victoria on 11th June 1919. Elizabeth Maude lived with her mother, father and siblings in Mossiface, Gippsland Victoria. When she was 19 years of age and working for a well to do family in the area, the master of the house took advantage of her which resulted in her giving birth to Herbert George Knight Ah Chow on 1st of August 1895, who was bought up like he was her brother. Herbert's father was rumored to be Henry James Knight, though it is unlikely that we will ever know for sure. Elizabeth married James on 17th October 1899 in Bairnsdale, Victoria, three weeks after giving birth to their first child Amelia Rosina Agnes (Queenie) - this is hard to believe when you see the size of her waist in the wedding photo below. James and Elizabeth had a total of 8 children before Elizabeth died, supposedly pregnant, during the flu epidemic in 1919.
Thomas William Jones (aka William Thomas) was born at Reedy Creek, Victoria on 27th February 1866 and died at Benalla, Victoria on 8th January 1943. Thomas was a farmer. When Thomas died he left one of his 10 children the farm on the original selection, which Thomas & Mary's two grandchildren still live on to this day.
Mary Roach was born at Nuggetty Gully, Victoria on 26 September 1864 and died at Maroopna, Victoria on 5th August 1936. Mary was the illegitimate child of Margaret Sago (father possibly James Wyatt), despite having the name Roach (see Great Great Grandparents). Mary helped with home births. Thomas and Mary married on 17th November 1887 at Benalla, Victoria and went on to have 10 children. Thomas and Mary moved onto their selection in Gowangardie Victoria and obtained their freehold title in 1900. My mother recalls the original house being a slab hut with a second room lined with hessian and newspapers.
