FOSTER of Launceston, Australia, Chapter 6.

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Continuing story of Annie & her family (from Chapter 5)

Ann (Annie) FOSTER Photos

Associated with the information on this page is the Annie STEVENS (née FOSTER) Photo Gallery . The STEVENS gallery contains the outstanding photos originating from Annie STEVENS (née FOSTER), which are kindly shared by Jill Gooden, Lorna and Murray Barclay. In addition, Lynette Hill kindly took photos of the STEVENS grave. I am delighted to show you one of Lorna Barclay’s photos (beneath), which is also included in the photo gallery. This is of Annie’s family about 1904. A detailed caption is included separately in the photo gallery.

The Story

Annie FOSTER FamilyAnnie FOSTER’s family, c1904.
Courtesy: Lorna Barclay

The story continues………we take up the account of Sydney Pope STEVENS who would marry Annie FOSTER. Sydney had immigrated to NZ at the age of 14, and commenced working for the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department (P&T) at Dunedin, when he was 16 (May 1863). He left the P&T at age 18 (Oct 1865). The 1869 New Zealand Gazette describes Sydney living in Shortland in Nov 1868 (at age 21), when he was a shareholder in the "The Star Gold Mining Company”. The Star operated on the Karaka (river tenements) in the Thames Gold Field, with an office in Pollen Street, Shortland. Shortland had just been proclaimed a gold field in Aug 1, 1867 and the Karaka River was the boundary between Shortland and Grahamstown. This area had over 112 hotels to serve the influx of miners in the early 1870’s. Later, in 1881, Shortland combined with Grahamstown and was named Thames. The record says that Sydney Pope STEVENS married Elizabeth PAUL on 7 Sep 1871, aged 24. Sydney stated his occupation was a broker and one of the marriage witnesses was James Roberts PAUL, Publican of Shortland.

I was puzzled, since there was no record of divorce or the death of Elizabeth PAUL prior to Sydney Pope STEVENS’ marriage to Annie FOSTER. If the FOSTER marriage was bigamous, I felt I couldn’t record it on these pages…? The answer was on the Elizabeth PAUL marriage register. At the bottom of the copy of the register was: “NB See Letter from the Rev James WALLIS attached hereto”. A further enquiry to the Registrar-General and I received the letter attached to the register, which stated that the person concerned "passed himself off as Sydney Pope Stevens", and that the minister heard later that the false Sydney Pope had “a wife living in Parnell”. This letter would have been written to the Registrar, to protect the Rev. Dr. WALLIS’ position as a Marriage Celebrant. News travelled quickly…. Shortly after, notices of dissociation were placed on page one of the New Zealand Herald dated Sept 11 & 12, 1871 as follows:

"NOTICE. MARRIAGE, STEVENS—PAUL. The name of P.S. Stevens, so like my own, having been published, I beg leave to say I am not the person alluded to as having married a Miss Paul. SYDNEY POPE STEVENS, Queen-street.” Beneath this notice was another one, also signed by Sydney Pope. Perhaps it had something to do with the false marriage? This other notice said: “NOTICE. HERBERT V. STEVENS has no business connection with the firm of STEVENS & SON, Sharebrokers, nor has he since January, 1870. Signed FRANCIS W. STEVENS, SYDNEY POPE STEVENS."

What a mess! Presumably Elizabeth PAUL obtained an annulment from this fraudulent and bigamous marriage, without having to proceed to divorce, though dissolutions were not recorded on the Marriage records until after November 1920.

The real Sydney Pope STEVENS left sharebroking and was then re-appointed to the P&T in Nov 1873 as a chief clerk at Timaru. He was then recorded as Postmaster at Invercargill when he second married Annie FOSTER at the age of 29, on 1 Mar 1876 & then moved around NZ, due to the demands of the Postal Service. Sydney became accountant of the Money Order and Savings Bank Department at Dunedin . Probably while he was at Dunedin, he went overseas to San Francisco USA in 1883 . Sydney was promoted to Christchurch as chief clerk, subsequently becoming Assistant Inspector of Post Offices for the Dominion. School records for their son Sydney Foster show that they lived in East Christchurch in 1901 and then transferred to Pollen St. Thames, when Sydney Jnr. attended Thames High School in 1902, and where Sydney Snr took up the promotion position of the Thames Chief Postmaster. In 1904, he was the Chief Postmaster of Nelson , and subsequently in 1906 was appointed to the charge of the Christchurch office. Sydney retired from the P&T due to ill health in July 1911. He had just completed 40 years service on 28 May 1911, when he had an annual salary of £575, and had risen to the 3rd most senior postal officer on the NZ clerical list. Sadly, he did not live long after this. He had heart problems for some years, and died at the age of 65 on 3 Dec 1912 at 3 Harakeke St, Lower Riccarton, Christchurch, and was buried on 5 Dec 1912 in Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch.

 

Sydney’s obituary stated:

The late Mr Stevens was a most efficient officer, and an excellent disciplinarian, and possessed many friends in the Department (P&T). He was an enthusiastic bowler, and held office as president of the United Bowling Club.

Probate documents declared that the value of his estate was less than £3,000.

Annie remained at the family home at 3 Harakeke St, Christchurch, at least until the beginning of World War I, when her son Sydney Foster enlisted in the Field Artillery . After Sydney Foster returned from the war, Annie lived with him at his farm at Takapau, Hawkes Bay NZ, until she died at Takapau at the age of 77 on 20 May 1928. She was buried with her husband at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch on 24 May 1928. Regrettably, their grave was vandalised , in common with most of the other graves in Linwood Cemetery, having a headstone, which could be pushed over!

Annie and Sydney Pope had the following children :

  1. Sydney Foster (1890- 1990)
  2. Wyon Vickers (~1891- 1959)

The Story Continues