PATFIELD: Alma… Chapter 5

The "Patfield" section of this site is in memory of my mother, Alma Maud STRONG (née PATFIELD). It is not intended to be a full account of the PATFIELDs, since this is covered by other publications. My narrow focus is on our part of this family. Please read in sequence by following the links at the bottom of each page or use the "Quick Nav" at top right. If you wish to select individual chapters, please click on the top left link to the "Sitemap" page. Note that it is intended that the chapters develop the story of our family and appendices will contain supporting data. The section is integrated with the Photo Gallery: “Alma PATFIELD… her father's & mother's lines.” This gallery illustrates Alma's early German heritage, her grandparents, parents & siblings, and her own life. Note the styles: links to individual images:…#26. See the index to all these images here. Thumbnail images are shown below. Please click on these, for the full images within the Patfield photogallery. Citation of sources is shown as…4).

Contents of this Website are subject to Copyright © by Philip Strong, & allow fair academic use. See here.

Do you have information, opinion or a question relating to either this site’s contents or its copyright? Please use the e-mail link available at the bottom of each page. I look forward to corresponding with you.

This chapter continues directly from chapter 4 and traces Alma Maud STRONG’s maternal ancestry (and mine).

Alma Maud STRONG’s Maternal Ancestry

Introduction:

This chapter is in the same style as the preceding chapter 4 and follows on from it. It is divided into separate parts, each with a body of text with citations, with a supporting descendancy report. These reports run sequentially from chapter 4. The descendancy reports are minimal and truncated and do not include cited references… all in an effort to reduce the size of this document and to focus on establishing Alma PATFIELD's maternal line and also indicating those people who might share it. The chapter differs from chapter 4 in that it contains more illustrations

Dora ROSE (b. 1859) & her First Family

I wondered over quite a few years why I could not find a birth certificate for my g-grandmother. I reproduce what what I have found on the index relating to her certificate to explain the difficulty: "Registration Number: 11069/1859. Family Name: ROSE. Given Name(s): (MALE). Father's Given Name(s): LEONARD. Mother's Given Name(s): MARGARET. District: PATERSON" …3). See the discussion of this certificate in the previous chapter 4 and the explanation of the inaccuracies and a transcription in the appendix.

I know remarkably little about g-grandmother Dora ROSE. It would be great to find her photo, or photos of more of her sisters. Can anyone help with photos or more information? See a photo of her sister Ottil (Matilda) aged about 28. …#60 and also a photo of her sister Selina Annie aged about 40. …#59

Search for g-grandfather Henry John LINDEMAN Junior

Image of view of entrance to Orange Cemetery. Photo Diane Tietjens. View of entrance to Orange Cemetery. Photo: Kind permission of Diane Tietjen.
Finding Henry's grave? Follow fence to the right. Henry is in section F, plot 44.
See the download of cemetery map for section F, and the photos below.

My mother told me my first bit of information, when she told me with great confidentiality that her grandmother Dora had an affair with one of the Lindeman sons from a nearby property and that her mother was illegitimate. There was no more information from my mother… for instance, no mention of her German ancestry, which was not surprising since we had just emerged from WWII at that time. As a little boy, this information was just absorbed and remembered with wonderment. Since we were a non-drinking family, the significance of the Lindemans was not apparent… though “illegitimate” was perceived as something doubtful and to be avoided! …4). My mother was a CofE minister's wife.

When I retired in 1995, my granddaughter asked me questions about my family and I started to seriously research my family history. One of the first certificates I obtained was a transcription of my grandmother's birth. Even at that early stage in my research I had worked out that the only way to get the records behind the records was to use a transcription agent who was not bound by the Registrar's official political correctness.

Transcription of Birth: Alice Maud ROSE. *Reg# 1878/20013.* Date of birth: 16 Jan 1878. * Birth place: Orindinna. *Name: Alice Maud ROSE - elder of twins, illegitimate. *Father's name: NOT LISTED.* Father’s occupation, age and birthplace: NOT LISTED. *Date of marriage, place, previous issue: ALL NOT LISTED. * Mother's Maiden name: Dora ROSE. * Mother’s age: 18. * Mother’s birthplace: Orindinna. * Informant: Mother. * *Accoucheur Nurse / and/or witness: Mrs Dora ROSE. * Registered: 18 Feb 1878, Paterson. * Comments: Minnie ROSE- Younger of twins. * …5)

I started a long lasting correspondence with Olga Marquet of Paterson …6), where we exchanged information and started rewarding discussions. Olga's letters usually had many pages and usually contained a huge amount of information. In 1999 she introduced me to Anthony J. (Tony) BENHAM of Glenmore Park …7), who gave me a ream of printout (old-fashioned tractor-feed pages) of descendancy reports for the ROSE & MARQUET families. I entered the relevant information into bound booklets in full academic style, which I sent to Olga. She forwarded my ROSE booklet to a ROSE historian, Beryl DAVIES of Maitland (d. 2013) who reviewed my work, and then kindly forwarded her ROOS and MARQUART German documents and translations through Olga. Olga took issue with my open disclosure of illegitimacy in our family which made me put any thought of publishing this work on the back-burner… out of a deep respect for Olga. Perhaps Olga represented my mother, Alma, in her attitude to illegitimacy. Olga has since died and I asked her son if he had any objection to me using Olga's material and he has approved my use. Perhaps we live in modern times where attitudes have changed on the human condition? Consequently I went ahead with this project.

Surprisingly, after all this introspection, I found that my mother's secret was out and well known anyway! It had already been published in Robert SOPER's book with inaccurate detail!

Robert Soper. The Dorset Sopers. Pompacalie; 2012: 186. “An interesting, if uncorroborated, story runs in this family about Dora ROSE. On arrival in Australia her father Johaan, worked for Dr Henry Linderman on his vineyard and it is there that young Dora grew up. Whilst there in her teens she became pregnant and gave birth to twin girls. It was always understood that the father of those girls was one of Linderman’s son but Thomas took them on board and they were brought up with the Soper name. The girls were called Minnie and Alice Maude. What happened to them we do not know.” Note: consistent bad spelling…8)

NOTE: This search was time-consuming and interesting but proved to be wrongly directed since the old people were wrong and Dora ROSE did not have illegitimate children to Henry John LINDEMAN Junior. This was shown by DNA matches to Edward MAHER described below. Perhaps even the LINDEMAN family and Henry thought Henry was the father and accordingly sent Henry to live with his aunt and enrol in 3rd term at Sydney Grammar in Sydney when Dora was heavily pregnant with twins? The remainder of Henry's story is presented for historical interest in an appendix. See here.

Sources… “Search for g-grandfather Henry John LINDEMAN Junior”:
 
4)     Oral history given by Alma STRONG to her son Philip.
5)      Birth of Alice Maud ROSE. *Reg# 20013/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
6)      Olga Irene Mary (Olga) MARQUET (née WILSON) of Paterson.
      Pers. comm. from about 1997 until her death in 2013.
 7)     Anthony J. (Tony) BENHAM of Glenmore Park. Pers.comm. about 2000.
8)       Robert Soper. The Dorset Sopers. Pompacalie; 2012; 186. “An interesting, if uncorroborated, story runs in this family about Dora ROSE. On arrival in Australia her father Johaan, worked for Dr Henry Linderman on his vineyard and it is there that young Dora grew up. Whilst there in her teens she became pregnant and gave birth to twin girls. It was always understood that the father of those girls was one of Linderman’s son but Thomas took them on board and they were brought up with the Soper name. The girls were called Minnie and Alice Maude. What happened to them we do not know.” Note: consistent bad spelling.

The new search for a great grandfather… Edward MAHER

This search would be for a young man who (i) lived in or visited Gresford at the time of Dora's conception of twins about 16 Apr 1877, (ii) Name unknown, (iii) transmitted a fair amount of DNA to his descendants which could reveal his descendant as my second cousin. See the table below for my DNA matches to Edward MAHER's descendants.

DNA Matches
# MAHER Descendant Where tested via E.MAHER's child Child's B-D Descendant's DNA cM
in order		 Descendant's DNA % DNA suggested relationship
1 diduever AncestryCom Mona Elizabeth 1903-1967 165 2 2nd cousin
2 Bryan Maher MyHeritage Matthew Jersey 1891-1970 158.4 2.2 2nd cousin 1X removed
3 David Heuston AncestryCom Mona Elizabeth 1903-1967 125 2 2nd cousin 1X removed
4 Alexander Heuston AncestryCom Mona Elizabeth 1903-1967 115 2 2nd cousin 1X removed
5 Christine Wild AncestryCom James Glendon 1885-1966 99 1 3rd cousin
6 June Robinson AncestryCom Gladys Helena 1899-1990 74 1 3rd cousin
7 Jodie Rapp AncestryCom Gladys Helena 1899-1990 44 1 3rd cousin 1X removed
8 Kingtancestors AncestryCom James Glendon 1885-1966 33 1 3rd cousin 2X removed
9 Sharon Feeney AncestryCom Florence Anne 1881-1957 12 1 3rd cousin 2X removed

Note: Edward Maher’s children to Amelia Shay in order: Florence Anne 1881–1957, Alice May 1883–1970, James Glendon 1885–1966, Edward Roland 1888–1961, Matthew Jersey 1891–1970, Walter Cyril 1896–1975, Ruby Eveline 1897–1957, Gladys Helena 1899–1990, Ivy Kathleen 1902–1961, Mona Elizabeth 1903–1967.

Edward Maher Edward Maher b. 22 Sep 1853 in Paterson, d. 29 Mar 1926 Singleton. Photo: Julieanne Thompson.

The MAHER family (including father Matthew and son Edward) lived at Irish Catholic Edward Kealy's Summer Hill grant…i) which was only 19km to Gresford via the Summer Hill Rd-> Glendonbrook Rd-> Paterson River Rd. Edward was born on 22 Sep 1853 which made him 23 at the time of conception of the twins to Dora ROSE about 16 Apr 1877 when Dora was almost 18. Two years after this on 12 Jul 1879 he married 18 year old Amelia SHEA/ SHAY at St Helen's Catholic Church East Gresford.…ii)-iii)-v)

Edward's home at Summer Hill had "become the centre of a cluster of Catholic families"…vi) which might explain why Edward would have had difficulty in marrying the Protestant Dora ROSE. Were there sectarian prejudices in the 1870's which would have caused problems with inter-faith marriages? As a child in the 1950's I remember these were significant issues in Sydney NSW! The Catholic Church's NSW attitude changed in the 19th century. Archbishop Polding, the first Catholic archbishop in Australia thought that a mixed marriage was better than none at all. However, in the latter half of this century the Catholic bishops led by James Murray, Irish bishop of Maitland diocese which included Gresford, made local prohibitions of mixed marriages.…x), xi), xii) Edward's liaison with Dora was at the wrong time!

In 1888 Gresford St Anne's Church of England and St Helen's Catholic churches still showed local sectarian problems when the C of E Rector's wife and its churchwardens James and Richard Boydell were criticised in the "Protestant Standard" for attending the local Catholic bazaar! They were said to have "taken their families to a Romish bazaar and spent their money to support Romish doctrines."…xii)

Edward died on 29 Mar 1926. The obituary gave details of his children.

DEATH OF MR EDWARD MAHER. There passed away at his late residence, 19 Harriett street, on Monday, an old and respected resident, in the person of Mr Edward Maher, Sen., at the age of 70 years. He was born at Paterson, and was held in high esteem by a large circle of friends. Deceased is survived by his widow and four sons and six daughters. The sons are: James G. and Mathew J. (Singleton), Edward R. and Cyril W. (Newcastle); daughters: Mesdames J. Jordan (Singleton), O. Clark (Greta), J. Fallins (Newcastle), J. and T. McNamara (Broke), and W. L. Heuston (Glenridding). There are 25 grandchildren. The interment took place at the Roman Catholic cemetery on Tuesday afternoon.…vii)

CONCLUSION: DNA has given a firm identification of the father of Dora ROSE's twins. NOTE: In 1877 there was no DNA testing but much rumour in Gresford. Perhaps even the LINDEMAN family with Henry LINDEMAN Jnr. and other Gresford families incorrectly thought Henry was the father and accordingly Henry was sent to live with his aunt and enrol in 3rd term at Sydney Grammar in Sydney when Dora was heavily pregnant with twins? The remainder of Henry Junior's story is presented for historical interest in an appendix. See here.

 

Sources… “NEW Search for g-grandfather Edward MAHER”:
 
i)     Paterson Electoral Rolls 1870, 1878. See: here.
ii)    Bryan Mather. Maher WikiTree: Edward Mather. See: here.
iii)   Julianne Thompson pers.comm 2025.
iv)   Birth of Alice Maud ROSE. Reg# 20013/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
v)   Marriage of Edward MAHER & Amelia SHAY. *Reg# 4447/1879. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
vi)   Brian Walsh. Vacy to Gresford: People and places. Chapter 5. Summer Hill and Bird Hill.
   Paterson Historical Society; 2024: 47-53.
vii)   Death of Edward Maher. Singleton Argus; 3 April 1926: 6.
viii)   Death of Edward Maher. Reg# 3221/1926. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
ix)   Edward Maher grave. Queen Street Cemetery, Singleton. See Find a Grave.
x)   Hans Mol. Mixed Marriages in Australia. Journal of Marriage and Family.
   National Council on Family Relations Vol 32 No 2; May 1970: 293.
xi)   Second Australian Provincial Council, 18-25 April 1869. See here.
xii)   James Murray (1828–1909); Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 5: 1974. See here.
xiii)   Gresford and the Rev. Alfred J.H. Priest. Protestant Standard; 14 Jul 1888; 8. See here.
 
Acknowledgments…Search for g-grandfather Edward MAHER:
Many thanks to my new cousin Julieanne Thompson for her correspondence and sharing information and the image of Edward Maher.

 

    Please click here for all the sources cited in the following “Dora ROSE & her First Family” section below

The twins’ life with the SOPERS

The twins were born on 16 Jan 1878 and a little over one year later on 30 May 1879, 22 year old Thomas SOPER married 20 year old Dora ROSE at Gresford …10). Thomas was the younger brother of George SOPER of "Cawarra" …11). Was this link to "Cawarra" an instance to the Lindemans looking after Dora when there were a number of courtcases in that area enforcing maintenance of illegitimate children by the father? Dora died on 4 Nov 1898 at Lennoxton Vacy …12)… details in next section.

NSW-Transcript Marriage 1879: Thomas SOPER & Dora ROSE
* Reg# 1879/4443. *Date and Place of Marriage: May 30th 1879, Gresford. *Names and surnames of parties: Thomas SOPER & Dora ROSE *Conjugal status: Bachelor; Spinster. *Birthplace: Lostock N.S Wales; Orinauma (sic) N.S Wales. *Usual occupation: Farmer; Farmer’s daughter. *Age: —; —. *Usual place of residence: Gresford; Gresford. *Father's name, mother's name and maiden surname: William SOPER, Mary Ann HIGGINS; Leonard ROSE, Dora MARQUET. *Father's occupation: Farmer; Farmer. *Married at Gresford *According to the rites of the Church of England. *This marriage was solemnised between us: Thomas SOPER X his mark & Dora ROSE Witness to this mark Frederick BIDNER. *In the presence of us: Faldeen Marquet, Matilda Rose, Frederick Bidner *By me: F.W. Addams Officiating Minister. …10)

Note: Interesting that all the witnesses were Dora ROSE's relatives and none from the SOPER family! Relatives were: Faldeen Marquet: first cousin on her mother's side; Matilda Rose: sister who later married Henry Sheldon / Schmutter; Frederick Bidner: brother-in-law married to her oldest sister Mary. They may have known who was the father of Dora's twins, as would the Sopers.

Dora ROSE's twin daughters Alice Maud and Minnie were fostered in Thomas SOPER's family, but never adopted. This was evident when Alice married a little over 2 months after her mother's death on 17 Jan 1899 as Alice Maud ROSE, also known as Alice Maud SOPER, in the "House of Samuel PATFIELD" at Paterson …13). Similarly, a few months later, Minnie married as Minnie ROSE on 7 Jun 1899 to the "boy next door" Alfred PRESLAND Junior at the "Residence of Thomas SOPER", Lennoxton Vacy …14).

Alice lived at Vacy at the time of her marriage in 1899, probably with her foster father Thomas SOPER photo …#31 and Lennoxton Vacy was shown as Minnie's and Alfred's address at the time of their marriage …13,14).

When Dora died in 1898 at Lennoxton Vacy, the Coroner did not include the twins amongst Dora's children …12). When Thomas died in 1937, his son Edward SOPER likewise did not include the twins amongst Thomas' children …15A).

NSW-Transcript DEATH 1898. Dora SOPER. *Reg# 1898/15491. * Surname of deceased: SOPER. Other names: Dora.* Occupation: - * Sex and Age: Female 39 years. * Marital status: -. *Date of death: 4 November, 1898.* Place of death: Lennoxton. * Usual residence: -. * Place of birth: -. * Father- Surname: ROSE. Other names: Leonard.* Mother- Maiden surname: MATICK. Other names: Dora. * Place of marriage: Gresford, Durham, N.S. Wales.. * Age at marriage: 20 years. * To whom married: Thomas Soper. * Children of deceased: Matilda E. 18years, William G.T. 17, Elsie M. 15, Edward P. 12, Katie 10, Lilly 8, Aubrey A. 5, Cecil C. 2, Walter R. 1, Ernest Harry few hours living, 3 males deceased. [refers to Frederick Thomas (1885-1886), Lenard Lindon (1891-1892), Ernest Harry (1898-1898).* Informant: Theophilus Cooper, Coroner, Paterson. * Cause of death: Placenta Proevia (sic) * By whom certified: N. Faddy not registered. * particulars of burial or cremation: 6 November 1898 St Ann's Church of England Cemetery, Gresford. * Particulars of registration: John S. Brown District Registrar. Date: 5 November, 1898. Number: 29.* …12)

Burials in the Parish of Gresford in the County of Durham in the Year 1898-99-1900
Name: DORA SOPER Abode: Vacy When Died: Nov 5th 1898 When Buried: Nov. 6th at Gresford Age: - Quality or profession: - By whom the ceremony was performed: J.W. Boydell (in absence of Rev S. Taylor) …75)
Note: (1) Officiant at Dora's funeral was James William Boydell of Camyr Allen, St. Anne's Church's synod representative, senior church warden, lay reader, and Secretary. A lay reader could officiate at funerals in the absence of the minister Rev Stephen Taylor, who had just been appointed. …76)
(2) Location: Dora's grave was unmarked. There was a recent effort to place commemorative plaques relating to unmarked graves on the columbarium on the eastern wall of the church.…77)

The customs and attitudes of the times regarding births outside marriage led to labelling and stigmatising of the innocent with consequent lifetime concealment within the family, and confusion to the family historian. See the table below. The labelling of my grandmother and her twin sister became evident at their marriages, which should have been one of their happiest days. Alice's alias "Known as Alice Maud SOPER" was given and her father's name was not provided …13). The entry for Minnie's father in the marriage certificate was the word illegitimate 14)! Concealment in the family continued in the provision of death certificate information. In the table you will see that Alice's father was given as her foster father Thomas SOPER …15); and Minnie's eldest son gave the information that Minnie's father was Leonard ROSE and her mother was Mary Dorothea ROSE… who were actually her grandparents …16)!

Extracted BDM registration details for Alice Maud & Minnie ROSE
Name Registration Event Date Father's Name Mother's Name Informant Additional Note in registration
Alice Maud & Minnie ROSE Birth …5) 16 Jan 1878 Not listed Dora ROSE Mother Illegitimate
Alice Maud ROSE Marriage…14) 17 Jan 1899 Not stated Dora ROSE John Shaw (minister) Known as Alice Maud SOPER
Alice Maud ROSE Death xxxix)…15) 6 Jun 1916 Thomas SOPER Dora ROSE A. Skuthorpe (matron)  
Minnie ROSE Marriage…14) 7 Jun 1899 Illegitimate Dora ROSE John Shaw (minister)  
Minnie ROSE Death…16) 29 May 1931 Leonard ROSE Mary Dorothea ROSE A.J. PRESLAND (son)  

 

Identical twins?
Image of Dora ROSE’s twin daughters Alice Maud (L) & Minnie (R). Dora ROSE’s twin daughters Alice Maud (L) & Minnie (R).
Photo of Minnie: Kindly given by the MARTIN family… Fay, Trevor, Christine.

Were the twins identical? Unfortunately no conclusion could be made from the above photos (full images at …#34 and …#42). Minnie's hair is tied back showing her vertical forehead up to the frontal eminences. Alice's hair hides frontal eminences if they were present. Alice's daughter Alma has Minnie's forehead …#49, #53, as does Alma’s son Philip …#53. This reminds me of a genetics exercise in senior Biology in NSW where students are expected to suggest family relationships in a set of photos and discuss who is related and which features which may have arisen genetically rather than environmentally. The bottom line… can some kind person please provide a better photo of Minnie? Judy Soper kindly provided a problematic photo which might have been of the twins together giving a possible recognisable photo of Minnie as a young woman. Please have a look here and see if you have photos which are similar.

Alice Maud PATFIELD (née ROSE)

Further details of Alice Maud ROSE are found in chapter 2. Also see the images …#34, 39, 40.

Minnie PRESLAND (née ROSE)

Image of house in front of Minnie PRESLAND’s demolished home. Old house at 853 Gresford Rd, in front of Minnie PRESLAND’s demolished slab house home. ……17, 18). The PRESLAND home site & this old house are on land owned by the CARDOWs since 1925. The house is now second on the left, past the northern side of the Vacy bridge over the Paterson River and just past the sign indicating 31km Dungog, 9km Paterson & 14km Gresford.
Search for Minnie's home… the slab house
Image of Front gate of 853. Photo: Colin Horn. Front gate of 853. Photo: Colin Horn.

I thought we had found Minnie’s house, photographed above at 853 Gresford Rd! This house was on the 34 acres William John Sidney (Sid) CARDOW (1878-1948), bought immediately after the 1925 sale of Gilbert CORY’s Tackbear Estate from William DAGG …19,20). Sid's daughter Colleen Mary RYAN (née CARDOW) (1914-2009) continued living in the photographed house from the 1950's to about 2000…2). Minnie’s granddaughter Hazel Whiteford …17) identified the location of the PRESLAND home… she had lived opposite with her mother Ivy CROUCH (née PRESLAND), following the death of her father in a motorbike accident.

However, when I sent Hazel the above photo, she said that the PRESLAND house was not in the photograph, and she added that it was a slab house.…17). Hazel was born the year before Minnie died to Ivy CROUCH (née PRESLAND). Her family lived in a house owned by the HORNs on the other side of Gresford Rd, opposite the PRESLAND home. Hazel remembers playing in the PRESLAND home and wondering how the PRESLANDs fitted into such a small home …17). The HORNs' home was "Morella" and Colin HORN says that Alfred (Alf) John PRESLAND (Jnr) built this home…2) . Alf was described as a builder in electoral rolls…32) .

When did the PRESLANDs first live in this house? The electoral rolls give some idea of their occupancy… in 1904 Minnie & Alf lived in Paterson, and by 1913 they lived in "Tackbear"…32). This farm was part of the "Tackbear" Estate described below. They were there earlier than 1913… one of the old Vacy identities told Neville FOSTER that the slab house was where George PRESLAND (Alf & Minnie PRESLAND's first son) was born (in 1912) …18). George's birth certificate gave no exact location, only "Vacy Wallarobba Shire". Thus we can say that they lived there at least from 1912.

Neville FOSTER had lived in the immediate area and remembered the house in the 1950's. Neville had precise knowledge of the PRESLAND house and said that it was behind the present CARDOW house, next to a hay shed, could have been a slab house and could have been demolished about 1960. Minnie's grandson Ray Raisbeck said that his mother told him of life in her parents' house… the bit which stuck in his mind was the fabric ceilings and that snakes could be seen in the roof through the fabric! …34) Pioneers' slab houses very often had calico ceilings.

Archdeacon J.V.J. Robinson described his walk past the PRESLAND home in 1925, in the same month that the Tackbear subdivision was surveyed…28). See the next section for details of the Tackbear subdivision with a map showing the positions of the various houses on the Lots and a table describing each Lot. Robinson’s memoirs detail his walk on 10 May 1925 along Horns Crossing Road which he termed "the lane" to Gresford Rd. He told of crossing the footbridge over the river (Horn's Crossing over the Allyn River). Robinson then passed a house set back in the paddock on his right (Lot 5). Opposite the end of the lane (at Gresford Rd) he recalls a small store owned by Mr George Clarke (Lot 8). Then of significance to us, he said: “turning towards Vacy, before crossing the bridge over the Paterson River was another house (Lot 9) set back in the paddock and owned by people named Presland. Crossing the bridge, a quarter of a mile further was the village of Vacy.” …21).

We now have information on the precise location and structure of a PRESLAND home… see the photos beneath.

Image Overlooking the site of the demolished PRESLAND house. Overlooking the site of the demolished PRESLAND house at 853 Gresford Rd. Note the concrete block on the left which was the remains of a dairy, then the hay shed with slab construction which may have been built from the remains of the PRESLAND house,
then on the right… the back corner of the existing CARDOW house. Photo 2015: Dawn Studdert.
Image of Part of the PRESLAND slab house kitchen with the flue and its stone or brick surround. Photo 1952: Courtesy Ian Soper. Foreground… Ian SOPER in a pram. Midground R… Part of the PRESLAND slab house kitchen with the flue and its stone or brick surround. Midground centre… probably the dairy on the concrete block which was seen in the photo above. This photo and the one above were taken near the back corner of the existing CARDOW house where the SOPER family lived for a while. Compare the outline of the background hills in both photos to confirm the directions of the photos. Photo 1952: Courtesy Ian Soper.

    Please click here for the sources cited in this “Dora ROSE & her First Family” section

Search for Minnie's final home

Minnie’s death notice said she had died at “Ashtonleigh” …22). Wal Kirkpatrick said that “Ashtonleigh” was a cottage on the edge of Vacy township and was built for Gilbert Cory's second wife Charlotte after her husband's death. Charlotte died at “Ashtonleigh” in 1924 …23). Charlotte CORY, her unmarried daughter Susan CORY, her divorced daughter Charlotte WORTHINGTON (née CORY) and her Worthington grandchildren at times lived at “Ashtonleigh” which was named after the Cory Estate in England …19,20,24. Gilbert CORY's Will provided that the Tackbear Estate was not to be sold during his wife Charlotte's life time. Charlotte's 1923 Will bequeathed all her property to Susan CORY of “Ashtonleigh” …25).

Image of Minnie PRESLAND’s death notice. Minnie PRESLAND’s death notice…22).

The locations of the various houses and properties on the Tackbear Estate were explored to see which houses on the Estate which could have been “Ashtonleigh” apart from the PRESLAND home. The auction sale on 30 Sep 1925 provided this opportunity.

The sale of Tackbear Estate, Vacy, realised record prices. The first farm was purchased by Chris. Somerville, at £30 per acre, the next by C. C. Hall, at £27/5/. Les Carlow (sic) purchased No. 3 at £35/15/, and No. 4 went to D. Horn, at £40/10/. The homestead went to Keath (sic) Corner for £420, also paddock of six acres for £122. The last farm -was purchased by W. Dagg, at £32/5/.…26)

 

This information was combined with data from the Tackbear subdivision plan etc as follows:

Summary of information from Tackbear subdivision plan, newspaper sources & SOMERVILLE documents
…xxxix)…t,u,v,w
Lot Area
(acres) 		Improvements Fencing Cultivation Initial Purchase 1925…19,20,26) Initial Payment 1925…19,20) On-sold Additional Note
1 1 — —   Henry & Stewart CORNER £50    
2 18 — — YES. Along Allyn R. Andrew Christopher SOMERVILLE £560.10.0   Present owners SOMERVILLE family
3 83 House YES YES. Along creek C.C. (Capp) HALL… cattle dealer from Gresford, "dummy bidder" for Wilson & Keppie auctioneers £2,280.15.9 Tom Irwin→ Dennis Parish→ Morris→ Present owners Andy GREY 1994-2016
4 96 House, hay shed, dairy YES. Much fencing. YES. Along Allyn R. Leslie C. CARDOW £3,463.4.6   Present owners
Ω CLEMENTS family.
5 23 House, hay shed, dairy, shed YES YES John HORN £1,170.9.5    
6 5 — — YES John HORN Included in above    
7 2 — — — Robert C., Roland L. Claude H. WORTHINGTON …Charlotte CORY's grandsons £185.0.0   ‡ Previous Vacy Creamery …27).
8 1R, 2P   — — George Amos HORN, …storekeeper of Vacy £540.0.0   George CLARKE's "Top Shop". HORN had already purchased the stock and good will from CLARKE in 1925…2,21)
9 34 House, shed. YES YES. Along Paterson R. William Simeon DAGG …of Dooralong £1,108.3.3 William John Sidney (Sid) CARDOW of Summer Hill Vacy… next day after DAGG's purchase. Site of Alf & Minnie PRESLAND's home…18)
Present owners CARDOW family
10 6 — — — Henry & Stewart CORNER £122.0.0 Sid CARDOW Added to homestead paddock
11 1 House — — Henry & Stewart CORNER £420.0.0 Sid CARDOW→ Dick MERCHANT Tackbear homestead “Ashtonleigh”…19,20)

Notes:
‡… Dungog Shire Council provides a detailed map of Vacy Creamery in their heritage report. Download here and see the final page …xxxix)…s.
Ω… Emily & Harriet Jane, sisters of Alfred PRESLAND (1862-1938) married James Frederick & Alfred CLEMENTS respectively..

See here for a sketch map of the whole Tackbear subdivision, and note the details of the southern section of the deposited plan beneath. Please use the sketch map to clearly identify the locations of the various Lots in the excerpt from the subdivision survey plan (beneath). The excerpt below shows (from N to S) part of Lot 3, Bucks Creek, the Lots 4-11. Note Sid CARDOW's lot 9 with the PRESLAND house in the location given in Dawn Studdert's photo above. Also note the house in Lot 11 which was "Ashtonleigh". A little further N, Bucks Creek crosses Gresford Rd in a W direction. Not shown on this map, on the W side of Gresford Rd and just 150m S of the creek is Dr Richards 1895 house in which Alf PRESLAND and his son lived after Minnie died.

 

Image of Southern section of Deposited Plan of Tackbear Subdivision, DP37244. Extract from plan of subdivision of part of John Cory’s 800ac portion 15: Tackbear Estate, Parish of Gresford, County Durham.
William Henry Foster licensed surveyor. Date of survey May 1925. Approved Wallarobba Shire Council 5 Aug 1925.
Southern section of Deposited Plan of Tackbear Subdivision, DP37244. Land and Property Information NSW.…28)
Final home found.

    Please click here for the sources cited in this “Dora ROSE & her First Family” section

The subdivision plan above showed that Minnie's final home in lot 11 was the first house north over Summerhill Rd on the western edge of Gresford Rd. This breakthrough in locating “Ashtonleigh” was made by Neil SOMERVILLE kindly sharing his late father George's meticulous historical records …19,20). George SOMERVILLE “lived through those times,  born 1914 , walked to school from “Ferndale”  past “Ashtonleigh” in the 1920s and often  saw  the Cory ladies sitting  on  the verandah. He was 12 when  the “Tackbear” sale took  place. He recorded his observations  and  carefully  researched the events in later life.”…19) George confirmed that the PRESLANDs occupied “Ashtonleigh” in Lot 11 at some time after Charlotte CORY died in 16 Apr 1924, after the CORNERs (flour millers from Paterson) had purchased the property and Susan CORY & Charlotte WORTHINGTON had left to live at Charlotte's son Roland’s home in The Corso, Manly Sydney …19,20,25). See George's photo… a serious boy in the right hand end of the back row of the 1925 Vacy students here. When this information is added to the newspaper report of the CORNER's purchase: “The homestead went to Keath Corner (sic) for £420, also paddock of six acres for £122.” …26) and also the DP above which located a house in Lot 11 adjacent to the 6ac Lot 10 …28)… we can finally say our search is complete. Perhaps the PRESLANDs moved to “Ashtonleigh” shortly before Minnie's death on 29 May 1931? The newspaper was inaccurate about the CORNER purchase… it was bought by Henry & Stewart CORNER and Keith was a son …19,20).

Hazel WHITEFORD said that her grandfather Alfred remained in their home for a few years after Minnie's death and then moved into Alfred Jnr's home in Vacy (see more details, including photo, below). However, there was a newspaper report only one year later in 1932 that "Mr and Mrs Keith Corner are now residing at "Ashtonleigh" Vacy" …29). This indicates that Alfred Snr only stayed about a year at "Ashtonleigh"after Minnie's death. George SOMERVILLE continues the “Ashtonleigh” story saying that the CORNERs did not stay long and the house was then occupied by a Mrs LEWIS …20). Keith CORNER gave a Paterson address two years later in 1934 …30). Sid CARDOW then bought the property, advertised the house for sale and it was moved away …20). More on Mrs LEWIS… Ella May LEWIS had sent flowers to Minnie's funeral …31)… everybody knew each other!

The 1903 Electoral Roll for “Tackbear” listed: CORY, Charlotte Elizabeth domestic duties; CORY, Susan Annie domestic duties; McCARTHY, Bridget domestic duties; McINNIS, Angus blacksmith; SMITH, Ada Mary domestic duties, SMITH, Ella Maud Susannah domestic duties; SMITH, REBECCA domestic duties; STEPHENSON, Arthur Oswald commercial traveller; WOODHOUSE, Maud May domestic duties; WOODHOUSE, William farmer; WORTHINGTON, Charlotte domestic duties. The population of Tackbear must have dropped off in later years. In 1930, only our PRESLAND family were listed: PRESLAND, Alfred dairy farmer; PRESLAND, Alfred John dairy farmer; PRESLAND, Minnie home duties …32). These numbers did not include people under the age of 21.

Minnie’s story

    Please click here for the sources cited in this “Dora ROSE & her First Family” section

Minnie ROSE  was  born on 16 Jan 1878 at Orindinna, NSW …33). Minnie was the younger of twins. Her elder twin was Alice Maud ROSE …5).  Her father was not listed in the birth registration and the twins were described as illegitimate. Further details about her parents are given in described in her twin sister Alice Maud’s story detailed here. Next year the twins were fostered by Thomas SOPER when Dora married him on 30 May 1879 at Gresford NSW …10)

On 7 Jun 1899 when Minnie was 21, she married a 36 year old Lennoxton farmer, Alfred John PRESLAND (1862-4 Aug 1938), son of Alfred PRESLAND (1829-1904) & Jane WELLS (2 Feb 1834-13 Jun 1881), in “The Residence of Thomas Soper”, Lennoxton Vacy NSW …14).

They had the following children:
                  i.        Maud Eleanor (1898-1995)
                 ii.        Alfred John (1900-1979)
                iii.        James (1902-1952)
                iv.        May Elizabeth Jane (1904-1948)
                 v.        Florence Louisa (1906-1987)
                vi.        Minnie Rose (1908-1961)
               vii.        Ivy (1910-1988)
               viii.        George (1912-1975)
                ix.        Edna Grace (Girlie) (1915-1989)

The PRESLANDs’ nine children all attended Vacy Public School. See photos of Vacy school students here. Please have a look and see if you can identify the students.

 

Image of Minnie & Alfred PRESLAND with their youngest son George PRESLAND b.1912 (?). Photo: courtesy of Ray Raisbeck. Minnie & Alfred PRESLAND. Date of photo could have been 1915 with their youngest son George PRESLAND b.1912 (?), or even 1926 with their first born grandson, Herbert Alfred JACOB (b. 1923). Photo: courtesy of Ray Raisbeck. …34)

On 14 Nov 1923 Minnie was recorded as an inaugural member of St. John's Vacy Womens Guild, showing she was an active member of that church.…68)

By 1931 the children had mostly married and left the family home. In that year, Alfred, George, Minnie & Edna remained in Vacy, Florence (Eastcott) lived in Martins Creek and James, Maud (Jacobs), May (Raisbeck), Ivy (Crouch) had settled in Morpeth. Their mother Minnie was “nursing her husband Alfred, who was seriously ill, when she suffered a breakdown, from which she never rallied” …31,32,35). The electoral rolls suggest that she left her husband in Vacy and also moved in 1930 to Morpeth, changed her address effectively in the Roll by 1931, to live with her son James (painter) and daughter-in-law Jessie at Swan street and live near her daughters Maud, May and Ivy …32).  The same year (1931) she returned to Vacy to die …16).

Minnie died at “Ashtonleigh” Vacy, NSW, the first house north over Summerhill Rd, on the western edge of Gresford Rd, on 29 May 1931 at the age of 53. She was buried in Paterson Cemetery, Webbers Creek Rd Paterson. Significantly her cause of death was embolism of liver portal vein and lung for 7 days and chronic endocarditis for 26-29 years… thus the endocarditis commenced about 1905 …16).  It is a bit of a coincidence that Minnie’s twin sister Alice Maud was diagnosed with rheumatic fever commencing August 1907 and died in 1916 from puerperal septicaemia, and finally cardiac failure …15).  In those days before antibiotics, rheumatic fever was often a precursor to endocarditis and death.  Perhaps both twins had contracted undiagnosed rheumatic fever together, some time before their original diagnoses?

Minnie's death made an impact on the family, with annual "In Memoriam" notices up to 1939 …36). Her obit is quoted beneath. It includes details of the wreaths sent to her funeral, which makes a useful list of her relatives and friends.

OBITUARY.
The death has occurred of Mrs. Minnie Presland, wife of Mr. Alf. Presland, at the age of 53 years. Deceased, who was a daughter of Mr. T. Soper, of Paterson, was born at Gresford. A husband, three sons, Messrs. Alfred, James and George Presland, and six daughters, Mesdames Maud Jacobs, May Raisbeck, Ivy Crouch, of Morpeth, Florence Eastcott (Martin's Creek), and Misses Minnie and Edna Presland (Vacy) survive. A very sad feature is that Mrs. Presland was nursing her husband, who was seriously ill when she. suffered a breakdown, from which she never rallied. The interment was made in the new C. of E. cemetery at Paterson. …31,35)
The following wreaths were received: Father & family; Alf, May & family; Emily & family; Jim, Tilly & the girls; Mr & Mrs Soper; Alf, Edie & Flo; Mr and Mrs Butler & family; Harriet, Will, Bella & family; Donald & Ivy; Vera Wilson; Perc, Florry & family; Frank, Florry & family; Annie Joe & family; Ted, Ellie & family; Maud, Herb & family; George, Edie & family; Annie, Joe & family; Mr & Mrs D.J. Parish & family; Mr & Mrs Layer & family; Mr and Mrs Eveleigh & family; Mr & Mrs Gillespie; H.V. Stuckings; Mr & Mrs H. Stuckings & family; Mr & Mrs Hawkins; Mr & Mrs A. McInnes & family; Mr & Mrs S. Cardow; E.M. Lewis; Mr & Mrs Drew & family; Mr & Mrs W. Brooker & family; Mr & Mrs J. Eastcott & family; Mr & Mrs A.G. Woodhouse & family. …31)

 

It was previously established that that Alfred remained at the old Cory homestead “Ashtonleigh” for a year after Minnie's death and then moved into Alfred Jnr's home in Vacy. Alfred John (Snr) PRESLAND died on 4 Aug 1938 at the age of 76 at Alfred Jnr's home. He was buried in Paterson Cemetery, Webbers Creek Rd Paterson …39). George SOMERVILLE tells us that the PRESLANDs' new home after “Ashtonleigh” was Dr Richards 1895 house just N of “Ashtonleigh” …19),…20). (See George's photo… a serious boy in the right hand end of the back row of the 1925 Vacy students here.…2) George walked to school from “Ferndale”  past the PRESLAND homes in the 1920s.…19)) Satellite view shows Dr Richards' home on the W edge of Gresford Rd and just 150m S of Bucks Creek. George's son Neil SOMERVILLE says that the glass above the front door still has Dr Richards' name on it …19).

Alfred John (Jnr) PRESLAND (1900-1979) married Dorothy BOWD (1908-2008) on 31 Oct 1924…6). Electoral rolls tell us what the elector feels like telling. In general the PRESLANDs were taciturn and merely gave their location in general terms as “Tackbear Vacy”, regardless of where they were within Tackbear. However, Dorothy May BOWD was precise. She said that she lived at “Strathray” Vacy in 1930, which gives Dr Richards' old home a name…32). A search for “Strathray” Vacy came up with one hit in Trove. Mrs Ann Taylor died at “Strathray” on 22 May 1922…72). “Strathray” was not just a name used by the PRESLANDs! Dorothy’s records then showed her family lived at “Strathray” at least up to 1949 with 6 separate years of electoral records, and then moved to Cross St Forster by at least 1954…32).

Image of Dr Richards 1895 house just N of "Ashtonleigh" Alf PRESLAND (Snr & Jnr)’s home in 1932 in Dr Richards’ 1895 house just N of "Ashtonleigh",
at 935 Gresford Rd Vacy.

Notes on Major Dr Samuel Jabez Richards (1864-1915):
  18 Dec 1895.  Dr. Richards’ new residence at Vacy is almost completed. It is a nice commodious cottage, and we are heartily glad that the doctor has in reality settled among us, and we trust the new house and the doctor will grow old in our midst…37).
  28 Aug 1915.  A Queensland paper reports the death of Major Dr. S. J. Richards, at Gallipoli. Dr. Richards was a graduate of the Sydney University, and was at one time resident surgeon of the Children's Hospital, Glebe, and  for three years he practiced at Vacy, Paterson River, leaving that, place in 1896 for Mount Morgan where he was simply idolised by the people. He had command of the First Australian Clearing Hospital, and was present at the historic landing of the Australians at Gallipoli, when the losses were so severe. He landed with the men and worked attending to the wounded under rifle and shell fire, and had many narrow escapes. He did heroic work, but unfortunately contracted pneumonia and succumbed. He was buried at sea. He is affectionately remembered by many of the old residents of the Paterson …38).

Request:
Can any of Minnie PRESLAND (née ROSE)’s descendants provide more information on her life, particularly her early life with the SOPER family? Further details and photos of the PRESLANDs are here.

More details on Dora ROSE

See the next section…

 

Sources… “Dora ROSE’s First Family”:
 
1)   Sales poster, Lennoxton Estate 1918. Subdivision Sale by Messrs Henning & Dampney of 1314 acres in 5 Farms. For Auction Sale at Lennoxton on Thursday 24th October 1918 at 9 A.M. Auctioneers E.W.Sparke West Maitland and Wilson & Keppie Paterson. Land and Property Information; Department Finance Services and Innovation, NSW: Catalogue# L-Z EIR, Ref# BC6979.
2)   Colin Horn. Pers. comm. 2015-16. Colin is the grandson of Bram & Elsie HORN. Lived opposite the PRESLAND house in the 1950’s.
3)  Birth of Unnamed male ROSE (Dora ROSE). *Reg# 11069/1859. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
4)  Oral history given by Alma STRONG to her son Philip.
5)  Birth of Alice Maud ROSE. *Reg# 20013/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
6)  Olga Irene Mary (Olga) MARQUET (née WILSON) of Paterson. Pers. comm. from about 1997 until her death in 2013.
7)  Anthony J. (Tony) BENHAM of Glenmore Park. Pers.comm. about 2000.
8)   Robert Soper. The Dorset Sopers. Pompacalie; 2012; 186.
9)   Jack Sullivan. Dr Henry Lindeman and Cawarra, Gresford (Part 1). Paterson historical society: 2014; 287, 131.
10)   Marriage of Dora ROSE & Thomas SOPER. Reg# 4443/1879. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
11)   Greville's Official P.O. Directory of NSW 1878-79.
12)   Death of Dora SOPER. Reg# 4443/1898. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
13)   Marriage of Alice Maud ROSE / SOPER & Ernest Montague PATFIELD. Reg# 1689/1899. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
14)   Marriage of Minnie ROSE / SOPER & Alfred John PRESLAND. Reg# 4127/1899. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
15)   Death of Alice Maud PATFIELD. Reg# 8166/1916. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
15A)   Death of Thomas SOPER. Reg# 22018/1937. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
16)   Death of Minnie PRESLAND. Reg# 9212/1931. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
17)   Hazel Whiteford. Pers. comm. 2015. Hazel is the granddaughter of Minnie and Alfred PRESLAND.
18)   Neville Foster. Pers. comm. 2015-16. Neville lived almost next to the PRESLAND house.
19)   Neil Somerville. Pers. comm 2016.
20)   George Christopher Somerville (b. 1915 Vacy d. 2013 Carey Bay NSW.) Unpublished Vacy historical records which include copies of Lands Dept deeds of conveyance.
21)   Robinson, John Victor James and Galagher, Rodney and Stevenson, Barbara and St. John's Anglican Church (Vacy, N.S.W.) and Church of England. Diocese of Grafton. Papers of John Robinson, 198?-1987 [manuscript]; 1987:20. See here..
22)   Minnie PRESLAND death notice. Maitland Daily Mercury; 27 Jun 1931: 8.
23)  W.J. Kirkpatrick. Gilbert Cory of Vacy Paterson: The Kirkpatrick family archives. See here.
24)   Jocelyn Lloyd. Pers. comm. 2015, 2016. Jocelyn is a descendant of Gilbert CORY. Note: Jocelyn Lloyd. The Corys of Paterson’s Plains. See here
25)   W. J. (Wal) Kirkpatrick. Pers. comm. 2015. Wal is a descendant of Gilbert CORY.
26)   Sale of Tackbear Estate. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 9 Oct 1925: 2
27)   Dungog Heritage Study Review 2014. Item 33, Vacy Creamery: page 5. See here.
28)   Plan of subdivision of part of John Cory’s 800ac portion 15: Tackbear Estate, Parish of Gresford, County Durham. William Henry Foster licensed surveyor. Date of survey May 1925. Approved Wallarobba Shire Council 5 Aug 1925. Deposited Plan of Tackbear Subdivision, DP37244. Land and Property Information NSW.
29)   Paterson: Personal. Maitland Daily Mercury; 25 Jun 1932: 2.
30)   Cattle from Paterson. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 11 Sep 1934: 2.
31)   Obituary of Minnie PRESLAND. Maitland Daily Mercury; 11 Jun 1931: 5.
32)   Electoral Rolls.
33)  Birth of Minnie ROSE. *Reg# 20014/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
34)   Ray Raisbeck. Pers. comm 2015-16. Ray is a grandson of Minnie PRESLAND.
35)   Obituary of Minnie PRESLAND. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 16 Jun 1931: 2.
36)   Minnie PRESLAND In Memoriam. Maitland Daily Mercury; 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939.
37)  District news Paterson: Dr Richards' new residence. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 18 Dec 1895: 3. See here.
38)   Obituary: Major Dr. S. J. Richards. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 28 Aug 1915: 8. See here.
39)   Death of Alfred PRESLAND. Reg# 20997/1938. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
40)   Jen Willetts. ADAIR family: Free settler or felon. See here:
41)   To let or sell “Lennoxton”. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 1 Feb 1854:1S
42)   Plan of Lennoxton, Cardoness and Creebank estates situated on the Paterson River, divided into eligible farms. Land sale of 10 farm allotments advertised in the Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser on Wednesday May 24th, 1854. See here.
43)   Cardoness Estate. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 27 May 1871 :4.
44)   Shooting of Samuel Craik. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 5 Jul 1879 :4.
45)   Estate for sale (Cardoness, Creebank & Lennoxton). Sydney Morning Herald; 7 Apr 1883: 17.
46)   Farm known as Lennoxton. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 7 Aug 1897: 1.
47)   Lennoxton sale. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 2 Nov 1918: 8.
48)   Pauline M. Clements. Vacy… one hundred & eighty years of history. Paterson Historical Society; 2003: 68-69.
49)   Judy Soper. Pers. comm. 2015-16.
50)   Marriage of Thomas SOPER & Louisa PRESLAND. Reg# 7012/1912. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
51)  Cameron Archer (ed). Heritage Photographs series 1: Historic Paterson NSW. Paterson Historical Society: 24.
52)   Death of Louisa SOPER. Reg# 4269/1934. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
53)   Vacy Late Mr Thomas SOPER. Maitland Daily Mercury; 12 Nov 1937: 2.
55)   Supposed suicide. Leader (Orange); 22 Apr 1911: 2.
56)   Solicitor's death. Daily Telegraph; 25 Apr 1911: 6A .
57)   Harry J. LINDEMAN. Registers of Coroners´ Inquests and Magisterial Inquiries, 1908-1913: 1911, no. 433.
58)   Death of Henry John LINDEMAN. Reg# 6930/1911. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
59)   Advertisement.O'Brien & Lindeman, attorneys, solicitors, proctors and conveyancers.
     F.W. O'Brien & H.J. Lindeman., George St Paramatta.The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate; 3 Mar 1894:8
60)   Orange Council cemetery records.
61)   NSW Law Almanac for 1911.
62)   Death from morphia poisoning. Sydney Morning Herald; 24 Apr 1911: 10.
63)   SGS Liber nominum 1857-1913 Sydney Grammar School. See here.
64)   Appointment of Sidney Alfred LINDEMAN, Clerk I/C printed papers. NSW Blue Book; 1876: Part II: p 11. See here.
65)   Map of Orange cemetery. Orange City Council. See here.
66)   Robin Osborne-Smith (granddaughter of Sidney Alfred LINDEMAN). Pers. comm. 2020.
67)   Supposed Suicide at Orange. Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate; 26 Apr 1911: 2.
68)   Archdeacon J.V. Robinson. St. John’s Anglican Church Vacy, NSW: A short history of the Church and the environment, compiled from various sources, to mark the 60th Anniversary of the foundation of St Jphn’s Women’s Guild, 14th November 1923. Private publication as a duplicated 3 page document: 1983. (Thanks to Garry Ninness for this document from his father Reg Ninness' records.)
69)   Death of Mr McCreadie. The Leader; 5 Jan 1911: 2.
70)   Occidental Hotel. The Leader; 31 Jan 1911: 3.
71)   Pers. Comm Beverley Singlehurst. 2021.
72)   Passing of a Pioneer at Vacy. Death of Mrs Ann Taylor at "Strathray". Maitland Daily Mercury; 29 May 1922: 4. See here.
73)   Death of Edward James Henry McCready. Reg# 2693/1911. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
74)   Streptomycin. TB online: Website of the Global Tuberculosis Community Advisory Board. See here.
75)   Burials in the Parish of Gresford in the County of Durham in the Year 1898-99-1900. page 9 of the .pdf file held by University of Newcastle Australia Living Histories, The University library special collections. Archives of the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle. See here.
76)   St. Anne's Church, Gresford. The consecration. Maitland Daily Mercury, 10 Nov 1898, page 2.
77)   J.A. & D.R. Jones. Cemeteries of the Gresford & the surrounding districts. Gosford Central Coast Family History Society; 2001: 65.
 
Acknowledgments… Dora ROSE & her first family:
Especial thanks to Olga MARQUET and Tony BENHAM, both described in the introduction above. Judy SOPER kindly provided photos of Alice Maud Patfield (née ROSE)'s grave. Jack Sullivan kindly had long phone conversations with me about the Lindemans and allowed me to use his photo of the Lindeman sons. The Martin family, Fay, Trevor and Christine, kindly gave me my first photo of Minnie PRESLAND (née ROSE)… one of the twins. I had been searching for this for years! I am most grateful for correspondence, photos and help from the descendants of early Vacy residents… Colin Horn, Wal Kirkpatrick, Jocelyn Lloyd, Ray Raisbeck, Ian Soper, Gloria Trowbridge, Hazel Whiteford and Neil Somerville. Dawn Studdert has also helped with visiting the “Ashtonleigh” site, taking photos and interviewing locals. Special thanks to Neil Somerville who kindly shared his late father George's meticulous historical records. All great people who have been very kind with their help.

Dora ROSE & her first family… Descendancy Report:

…continued from earlier report in chapter 4.

Dora ROSE’s Second Family

    Please click here for the sources cited in this “Dora ROSE & her Second Family” section

On 30 May 1879 when Thomas SOPER was 22, he first married 19 year old Dorothea (Dora) ROSE, daughter of Johann (Jakob) Leonhard (Leonard) ROOS (ROSE) (25 Jul 1826-20 Jan 1900) & Maria Dorothea (Dora) MARQUARD (17 Jul 1833-2 Mar 1913), in Gresford. …10)

Dora died at the age of 39 on 4 Nov 1898 at “Lennoxton”, from complications giving birth to Ernest Harry SOPER who died several hours after his birth. Dora's oldest child when she died was Matilda aged 18. Dora and Thomas had 12 children including 3 males who had died by the time of Dora's death… Frederick Thomas (1885-1886), Lenard Lindon (1891-1892), Ernest Harry (1898-1898). Then of course, she had the twins Alice Maud and Minnie before she married Thomas. It was a hard life! Her death was referred to the coroner and she was subsequently buried on 6 Nov 1898 at St Ann's Church of England Cemetery, Gresford …12).

As described in the previous section, “Lennoxton” was shown as the family home when Dora's daughter Minnie married the "boy next door" Alfred PRESLAND on 7 Jun 1899 at the "Residence of Thomas SOPER", “Lennoxton”, Vacy. Alfred's sister Louisa PRESLAND was one of the marriage witnesses …14) (Louisa married Thomas after Dora's death). Alfred PRESLAND's father died on 6 Mar 1904 at “Lennoxton”.

Perhaps details of “Lennoxton” (below) might give insight into the family life of Thomas and Dora SOPER and also the PRESLANDs?

Image of Lennoxton sale brochure This "Local Sketch" is from an auction sale brochure for the 1918 subdivision of the Lennoxton Estate (area in red outline). It shows the localities of importance to Dora ROSE and her family… ie Lennoxton, Vacy bridge and the road to Gresford going north from the bridge, and Paterson. The continuing story is below.
Kindly forwarded by Colin Horn. 1,2)

“Lennoxton” is 2.5km WSW from Vacy… see the above locality sketch. A brief history of “Lennoxton” is as follows: The ADAIR brothers received grants for adjacent estates including "“Lennoxton”, all situated on the Paterson river. “Lennoxton” was owned by Samuel Adair", Cardoness" by George Adair, and "Creebank" by James Adair. “Lennoxton” was a grant made to Samuel Adair in 1829 who died in 1852 …40) and the ADAIR estates were advertised in 1854 by the agent Henry Ferris of 291 Pitt-street, Sydney. See the “Lennoxton” section of the advertisement below:

TO LET OR SELL, “LENNOXTON”

Contains about 1700 acres, 200 acres being cleared and in cultivation, and is rich alluvial soil, divided into cultivation paddocks.
There are three farms let off this property to respectable tenants ; each farm has a bush paddock to it, securely fenced.
THE HOMESTEAD.— has a Verandah Cottage, containing ten rooms, has just been newly shingled and put into a thorough state of repair, and fit for the reception of a gentleman’s family; Kitchen, Stabling, &c., &c.
THE ORCHARD.—four Acres full of the choicest Fruit Trees, Oranges, Lemons, Apples, Pears, Plums, etc., &c.
THE VINEYARD.—four Acres, in full bearing, and has recently been staked with iron-bark charred stakes, which will last many years. The wine made from this vineyard is excellent.
THE GRAZING LAND.—is capable of feeding 1000 sheep, with a herd of cattle and brood mares.
COPPER ORE.— strong indications of Copper Ore have been found on this estate, the surface samples having yielded by assay 1½ and 2½ by different assays. It is possible a lode may be found at some future day, when labour becomes cheap.
With this property the Working Bullocks, Drays, Draught Horses, Harness, Milch Cows, Farming Implements, Ploughs, Scarifiers, Wine Tubs, Wine Butts, &c., &c., may be taken at a valuation, if required. …41,42)

Henry Ferris then bought all the ADAIR estates and subsequently advertised "Cardoness" for sale in 1871 …43), selling it to Samuel A. Craik, who also bought "Lennoxton" and "Creebank". Craik was shot in the face while quail hunting in 1879 …44) and subsequently went blind. He advertised the three ADAIR estates in 1883 …45) and sold to Walter Clifton Churchill Tucker. Tucker advertised "Lennoxton" for sale in 1897 …46), and sold to Edmund Henning and Gerald Dampney who finally subdivided "Lennoxton" and offered a clearing out sale in 1918 …47).

The above account was made to show how many tenant farmers might have been on "Lennoxton" and also to provide information on the change of owners which might have affected Thomas and Dora SOPER's tenancy at "Lennoxton" …48). Did the SOPERs remain at "Lennoxton" after 1897 or did the final owners Henning and Dampney not renew the SOPER lease in 1918?

 

Image of house in front of Minnie PRESLAND’s demolished home. Excerpt from brochure for the "Lennoxton Estate subdivision sale by Messrs. Henning & Dampney of 1314 acres in 5 farms. For auction sale at Lennoxton
on Thursday 24th October 1918 at 9a.m. Auctioneers E.W. Sparke West Maitland & Wilson & Keppie Paterson."…1)Thanks to Colin Horn …2).

This brochure tells us the locations of the homesteads and cottages. Would it be reasonable to guess that the cottages were used by the tenant farmers SOPER and PRESLAND? Lot 1 has “Woodlands” homestead; Lot 2 has the main “Lennoxton” homestead; Lot 3 has a cottage down near Lennoxton Rd… no improvements apart from 3 fenced cultivation paddocks; Lot 4 has a cottage on its W boundary near the river with a fair river frontage, a fenced lucerne paddock, garden, 5 sheds including a piggery, dairy, milking yards and a cultivation paddock S of the Lennoxton-road near a creek.

 

Image of Thomas SOPER and son Cecil in an outdoor slaughter yard. Thomas SOPER (Dad) with his son Cecil and a number of other men with a pig in an outdoor slaughter yard. It is possible that from Cecil's appearance that the photo is about 1918? Judy SOPER suggests that the other men are also SOPERs.
Photo: Kind permission of Judy Soper …17). From the Olga Marquet collection.

If all the men in this photo are SOPERs, then we could say with greater confidence that this photo on the SOPER farm. This might locate the SOPER farm on Lot 4 of the Lennoxton Estate which had a piggery and a cottage (for tenant farmer?). Then we could say that Lot 3 which had a cottage (for tenant farmer?) and minimal improvements, was occupied by the PRESLANDs and this lease was relinquished on Alfred PRESLAND's death in 1904… accounting for minimal improvements by 1918? On the other hand, the photo might show Thomas SOPER & Cecil gathering with other Lennoxton Estate tenants on someone else's farm, or even at Paterson which was Thomas SOPER's later home. Can anyone help with identification of the people in the photo and a better guess of the time the photo was taken?

At the very least we know the SOPERs and PRESLANDs were on the Lennoxton Estate, even if we don't know on which farms! Can anyone help with the exact locations on Lennoxton?

Thomas SOPER re-married much later when he was aged 55 to Louisa PRESLAND (mentioned above) on 5 Jun 1912 at "Summer Hill", Vacy …50). The electoral rolls record him at Paterson from 1926 to 1936 where he describes himself as a dairy farmer and fruit grower …xlii). His wife Louisa gives the more precise location in the rolls as "Commercial road Paterson" …32). A photo of elderly Thomas and Louisa is included with a photo of their house at Commercial road in a Paterson Historical Society (PHS) publication …51).

Image (probable) of elderly Thomas and Louisa SOPER. Probable photo of elderly Thomas and Louisa SOPER. Photo courtesy: Judy SOPER.…49)
Compare Thomas with below photo. Can anyone confirm that this is Thomas and Louisa,
or even identifiy the other two people in the photo?
Image of Thomas SOPER of unknown origin. Thomas SOPER. The photo is of unknown origin. Courtesy Jeffrey Greber. …54). He looks the same as the Paterson Historical Society photo,…51) but here his face is more visible.

There is another photo of Thomas to use for comparison… this is with his sons Walter & George, thanks to Fay Alexander,from her mother Lorna WHITTEN’s album. See here.

Thomas' wife Louisa died on 26 Dec 1934 …52) and Thomas died at the age of 80 on 7 Nov 1937 at ‘Glen Albyn” Vacy, where his son Edward was informant with the same address. He was buried at the Church of England Cemetery, Paterson …15A). His obituary said:

VACY 
Late Mr. Thomas Soper
The late Mr.Thomas Soper passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, November 7, in his 81st year.
An old and esteemed resident of the Paterson and Gresford dlstrlcts, where his father was one of the old pioneers, Mr. Soper had been confined to his bed for fifteen months at the home of his son, Edward, of Summer Hill Vacy, where he was affectionately attended to by his daughter-ln-law Mrs E. Soper.
The funeral cortege left the residence of his son, Edward, and the remains were interred in the Church of England cemetery, Paterson, the Rev. Broughton Stephenson officiating at the graveside. Two sons and two grandsons acted as pall-bearers. William, of Dungog, Is his only surviving brother. The chief mourners were George (East Maitland), Edward (Summer Hill, Vacy) and Cecil, (Krambach) sons, Mrs, J, Kldd (Lorn), Mrs. K. Greber (Wlngham) and Mrs. L. Slade (Llsmore) daughters.
Floral tributes were recelved from Tllly, Jlm and girls; Cecil, Matilda and family; George, Edle and family; Ted, Ellie and family; Alf, Edle and family; Bella, Dave, Thelma and family, Presland family, Will, Hannah and family; Will, Bella and family; Donald and Ivy; Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and family; Mr. and Mrs. G. A.Horn; Mr. and Mrs. Cardow; Mr. and Mrs. C. Eyb; Mr. and Mrs. B. Horn; Mrs. Murphy and family; Mr. and Mrs G. Buscombe; Frank, Eliza and Clarrie, Saul, Gladys and family; Alice and family. …53).

Sources… “Dora ROSE’s Second Family”:
 
1)   Sales poster, Lennoxton Estate 1918. Subdivision Sale by Messrs Henning & Dampney of 1314 acres in 5 Farms. For Auction Sale at Lennoxton on Thursday 24th October 1918 at 9 A.M. Auctioneers E.W.Sparke West Maitland and Wilson & Keppie Paterson. Land and Property Information; Department Finance Services and Innovation, NSW: Catalogue# L-Z EIR, Ref# BC6979.
2)   Colin Horn. Pers. comm. 2015-16. Colin is the grandson of Bram & Elsie HORN. Lived opposite the PRESLAND house in the 1950’s.
3)  Birth of Unnamed male ROSE (Dora ROSE). *Reg# 11069/1859. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
4)  Oral history given by Alma STRONG to her son Philip.
5)  Birth of Alice Maud ROSE. *Reg# 20013/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
6)  Olga Irene Mary (Olga) MARQUET (née WILSON) of Paterson. Pers. comm. from about 1997 until her death in 2013.
7)  Anthony J. (Tony) BENHAM of Glenmore Park. Pers.comm. about 2000.
8)   Robert Soper. The Dorset Sopers. Pompacalie; 2012; 186.
9)   Jack Sullivan. Dr Henry Lindeman and Cawarra, Gresford (Part 1). Paterson historical society; 2014; 287.
10)   Marriage of Dora ROSE & Thomas SOPER. Reg# 4443/1879. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
11)   Greville's Official P.O. Directory of NSW 1878-79.
12)   Death of Dora SOPER. Reg# 4443/1898. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
13)   Marriage of Alice Maud ROSE / SOPER & Ernest Montague PATFIELD. Reg# 1689/1899. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
14)   Marriage of Minnie ROSE / SOPER & Alfred John PRESLAND. Reg# 4127/1899. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
15)   Death of Alice Maud PATFIELD. Reg# 8166/1916. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
15A)   Death of Thomas SOPER. Reg# 22018/1937. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
16)   Death of Minnie PRESLAND. Reg# 9212/1931. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
17)   Hazel Whiteford. Pers. comm. 2015. Hazel is the granddaughter of Minnie and Alfred PRESLAND.
18)   Neville Foster. Pers. comm. 2015-16. Neville lived almost next to the PRESLAND house.
19)   Neil Somerville. Pers. comm 2016.
20)   George Christopher Somerville (b. 1915 Vacy d. 2013 Carey Bay NSW.) Unpublished Vacy historical records which include copies of Lands Dept deeds of conveyance.
21)   Robinson, John Victor James and Galagher, Rodney and Stevenson, Barbara and St. John's Anglican Church (Vacy, N.S.W.) and Church of England. Diocese of Grafton. Papers of John Robinson, 198?-1987 [manuscript] 1987. See here..
22)   Minnie PRESLAND death notice. Maitland Daily Mercury; 27 Jun 1931: 8.
23)  W.J. Kirkpatrick. Gilbert Cory of Vacy Paterson: The Kirkpatrick family archives. See here.
24   Jocelyn Lloyd. Pers. comm. 2015, 2016. Jocelyn is a descendant of Gilbert CORY. Note: Jocelyn Lloyd. The Corys of Paterson’s Plains. See here
25)   W. J. (Wal) Kirkpatrick. Pers. comm. 2015. Wal is a descendant of Gilbert CORY.
26)   Sale of Tackbear Estate. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 9 Oct 1925: 2
27)   Dungog Heritage Study Review 2014. Item 33, Vacy Creamery: page 5. See here.
28)   Plan of subdivision of part of John Cory’s 800ac portion 15: Tackbear Estate, Parish of Gresford, County Durham. William Henry Foster licensed surveyor. Date of survey May 1925. Approved Wallarobba Shire Council 5 Aug 1925. Deposited Plan of Tackbear Subdivision, DP37244. Land and Property Information NSW.
29)   Paterson: Personal. Maitland Daily Mercury; 25 Jun 1932: 2.
30)   Cattle from Paterson. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 11 Sep 1934: 2.
31)   Obituary of Minnie PRESLAND. Maitland Daily Mercury; 11 Jun 1931: 5.
32)   Electoral Rolls.
33)  Birth of Minnie ROSE. *Reg# 20014/1878. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
34)   Ray Raisbeck. Pers. comm 2015-16. Ray is a grandson of Minnie PRESLAND.
35)   Obituary of Minnie PRESLAND. Dungog Chronicle : Durham and Gloucester Advertiser; 16 Jun 1931: 2.
36)   Minnie PRESLAND In Memoriam. Maitland Daily Mercury; 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939.
37)  District news Paterson: Dr Richards' new residence. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 18 Dec 1895: 3
38)   Obituary: Major Dr. S. J. Richards. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 28 Aug 1915: 8.
39)   Death of Alfred PRESLAND. Reg# 20997/1938. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
40)   Jen Willetts. ADAIR family: Free settler or felon. See here:
41)   To let or sell “Lennoxton”. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 1 Feb 1854:1S
42)   Plan of Lennoxton, Cardoness and Creebank estates situated on the Paterson River, divided into eligible farms. Land sale of 10 farm allotments advertised in the Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser on Wednesday May 24th, 1854. See here.
43)   Cardoness Estate. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 27 May 1871 :4.
44)   Shooting of Samuel Craik. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 5 Jul 1879 :4.
45)   Estate for sale (Cardoness, Creebank & Lennoxton). Sydney Morning Herald; 7 Apr 1883: 17.
46)   Farm known as Lennoxton. Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser; 7 Aug 1897: 1.
47)   Lennoxton sale. Maitland Weekly Mercury; 2 Nov 1918: 8.
48)   Pauline M. Clements. Vacy… one hundred & eighty years of history. Paterson Historical Society; 2003: 68-69.
49)   Judy Soper. Pers. comm. 2015-17.
50)   Marriage of Thomas SOPER & Louisa PRESLAND. Reg# 7012/1912. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
51)  Cameron Archer (ed). Heritage Photographs series 1: Historic Paterson NSW. Paterson Historical Society: 24.
52)   Death of Louisa SOPER. Reg# 4269/1934. Registrar of BDM, NSW.
53)   Vacy Late Mr Thomas SOPER. Maitland Daily Mercury; 12 Nov 1937: 2.
54)   Jeffery Greber. Pers.comm. 2016. Jeff located an image of unknown origin of Thomas SOPER.
 
Acknowledgments… “Dora ROSE’s Second Family”:
 
Especial thanks to Olga MARQUET and Tony BENHAM, both described in the introduction above. The most significant breakthrough was enabled by Colin Horn who has a special interest in Lennoxton. He very generously gave me a copy of the sale brochure of the 1918 Lennoxton Estate subdivision sale, which gave a clear insight about where our family lived.
 

Dora ROSE’s second family… Descendancy Report:

…continued from earlier report.

Contact

It would be great if descendants of the ROSEs, or people with knowledge of this family, could make contact with me. I know remarkably little about g-grandmother Dora ROSE. It would be great to find her photo, or even more photos of of her sisters. Can anyone help with more information? See the e-mail link at the bottom of this page.

 

The Story Continues