Berwick Footballers who enlisted to serve in the Great War

This is a report from the Berwick Shire News of March 8, 1916 which lists the 23 Berwick Football Club players who had enlisted for active service (even though the article says 24).

Berwick Footballers who had enlisted by 1916

Berwick Shire News, March 8, 1916  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92091769

I have done some research to try to work out who these men were . I have listed their Service Numbers (SN) so you can look up  their full record on the National Archives site www.naa.gov.au

Avard, Richard Hugo Turnbull  (SN 1851) Hugo was born in 1893 in Surrey Hills to Richard John and Helen (nee Blackie) Avard. He worked for the Post Office and enlisted on  September 11, 1915, his next of kin was his father, Richard who was the Post Master at Geelong.  He returned to Australia on September 26, 1917 and discharged on medical grounds (dilated action of the heart) in December 1917.

Bannan, John Joseph. (SN 1126) He is listed as Bannon on the War Memorial in High Street, Berwick and as Badnan on the Nominal rolls. John was born in Kerang in 1891 to Dennis and Mary (nee Maher) Bannan. He was a quarryman, and enlisted on June 14, 1915, aged 24. His next of kin was his wife, Mary Ann of Berwick. He died of disease (Malaria) on October, 16, 1918. John's two brothers, William and Francis, were Killed in Action during the War and his two nephews, John and Kevin Frawley, were Killed in Action in World War Two. You can read more about the family, here. 

Obituary of John Bannan

The Advocate, November 23, 1918 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152180895

Baxter, Frederick Edward (SN 4440) Fred, who was born in Windsor in Melbourne, enlisted on March 5, 1915 at the age of 22; his next of kin was his mother, Ellen, of Elsternwick and his occupation was a coach painter.  Fred was Killed in Action in France on August 22, 1918. 

Fred Baxter of Berwick, enlists

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, May 6, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66187622

Bragg, Arthur Robert (SN 2564)  Arthur was born in  Maitland in New South Wales and enlisted on August 2, 1915 at the age of 39. Arthur and his wife Emily had the Gippsland Hotel (now the Central Hotel) in Beaconsfield. He was Killed in Action on July 19, 1916.   Arthur is also listed on the Beaconsfield War Memorial and also has a tree on the Beaconsfield / Berwick Avenue of Honour; you can read about this Avenue here.

Brocklebank, Ralph Thomas. (SN 3012) Ralph was born in Rushworth in 1893 to Thomas and Kate (nee Burge) Brocklebank.  He enlisted on July 20, 1915 age 22, and his occupation was a bank clerk and he was based at Berwick.  His next of kin was his father, Thomas  of 54 Mathoura Road in Toorak. Robert attained the rank of Lieutenant and  Returned to Australia April, 27 1919.

Buchanan, Eric Alexander. (SN 1676). Eric, born in Yarrawonga in 1895 to Charles and Christina (nee McPhail) Buchanan, enlisted on July 14, 1915 age 21. His occupation was a clerk and his next of kin was his mother, of Station Street, Berwick. He Returned to Australia July 23, 1919. Eric is listed on the Narre Warren War Memorial, which I have written about here and there are also more details about him there. 

Clements, John William Henry  (SN 5995) John was born in Kensington in 1888 to Robert Charles and Julia (nee Ansell) Cements. He was a teacher at Officer State School when he enlisted on June 16, 1916 and his next of kin was his father Robert of 170 Scotchmer Street, North Fitzroy.  He returned to Australia September 25, 1919.

Crabtree, Walter (SN 242a). Walter was born in Rockdale, Lancashire in England and enlisted in Berwick on February 29, 1916. His occupation was a driver and his next of kin was his wife, Mabel Annie Crabtree, of High Street, Berwick.  He returned to Australia August 22, 1919.

Faragher, Leslie Victor (SN 2634) Leslie was born at Bloomfield in 1887 to Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Chandler) Faragher. He was employed by R. J Espie as a blacksmith before he enlisted on August 2, 1915 at the age of 28. His next of kin was his father, Thomas, of Drouin. Leslie was Killed in Action in France on May 16, 1916.

Obituary of Leslie Faragher

Berwick Shire News, June 14 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92093527

Fleer, Harold Edward (SN 3112). Harold was a farmer from Harkaway when he enlisted on July 7, 1915 aged 18. His parents Edward and Martha (nee Povey) Fleer, gave permission as Harold was under 21. Harold returned to Australia on April, 13, 1919.

Harold Fleer's give him permission to enlist.

National Archives of Australia www.naa.gov.au   

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920

Griffin, James Daniel (SN 26752) James, a 32 year-old labourer, had been born in Wangaratta, and was living in Berwick when he enlisted on January 17, 1916. His next of kin was his wife, Eliza Jane Griffin of Berwick. James Returned to Australia June 16, 1919.

Grigg, Donald Douglas (SN 85a) Donald, was born in Drysdale in 1883 to Thomas Tobias and Katherine (nee Williamson) Grigg. Donald was a farmer and was living in Berwick when he enlisted on March 24, 1915; his next of kin was his father, Thomas, of Werribee.  Donald Returned to Australia January 2, 1919.

Lewis, Frederick Archibald  (SN 3897) Frederick  was born in Eaglehawk in 1892 to  Caleb and Agnes (nee Dart) Lewis. Frederick was 24 when he enlisted on July 13, 1915.  His occupation was baker's driver and his next of kin was his father, Caleb, of Wilson Street, Berwick.  Fred Returned to Australia March 28, 1919. Fred worked for Donald Rowe, baker, of Narre Warren; you can read about Donald  here.

Loveridge, Alfred Ellis  ( SN 7880)  Ellis was born in Berwick to 1893 to Alfred Ellis and Emma (nee Crean) Loveridge. His father, Ellis, had arrived in Berwick in the 1890s and took over his father-in-law, John Crean's store and the Loveridge family operated stores in Berwick and surrounds for generations. Ellis enlisted at the age of 21 on June 15, 1915;  his occupation was a storekeeper and his next of kin was his mother of  Peel Street, Berwick.  Ellis Returned to Australia May 3, 1919, and moved to Ouyen, where he ran a store. 

Lyall, Edmund Ramsden (SN 3170). Edmund was born in 1899 to John Stephen and Lucy (nee Ramsden) Lyall  and he was a teacher at the Berwick State school when he enlisted July 24, 1915, aged 20 years, 11 months. His next of kin was his father, Edmund, of Jindvick. Edmund was Killed in Action, in France, on November, 11 1916.

Obituary of Edmund Lyall

South Bourke and Mornington Journal, December 21, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66191232

McKay, Albert Duncan (SN 4758) Albert, was a 37 year-old labourer, when he enlisted on February 2, 1916. His next of kin was his wife Agnes Louisa McKay, of Studley Road, Kew and later 64 Aberdeen Road in Prahran East; however the couple were listed in the Electoral Rolls at Berwick from 1905. Albert  Returned to Australia on June 6, 1918, and was discharged for 'family reasons' Albert was given a Welcome Home in August 1918, with two other soldiers, and it was reported that -  Private McKay responded on behalf of the soldiers, and gave a very interesting account of his experiences in.France, where he fought on the Somme and at Bullecourt, and of his sojourn in England. Private McKay was very popular in Berwick in musical circles in years gone by, and he was accorded a hearty ovation on the conclusion of his remarks. (Dandenong Advertiser, August 22, 1918, see here)

Munro, Robert (SN 6542, but indexed as 65421 at the NAA) Robert was a Quarryman and enlisted on June 5, 1915 at the age of 25; he had been born at Neilborough. His next of kin was his wife Ettie Munro of Berwick.  Not surprisingly, as he had worked in a Quarry,  he was a Sapper in the A.I.F. Robert returned to Australia April 13, 1919. 

O'Sullivan, William (SN 3867) William was a 27 farmer, when he enlisted on July 9, 1915. His next of kin was listed as his cousin, Maud Maynard, as both his parents were deceased. He died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound on July 19, 1916.  Bessie Edebohls, inserted a death notice for William in the Berwick Shire News (see below). The Henry and Christina Edebohls were early settlers in Narre Warren East, where they gave their name to Edebohls Road.  They had ten children born between 1856 and 1878, and I presume Bessie was a grand-daughter.  

Death notice for William O'Sullivan from Bessie Edebohls.

Berwick Shire News, September 6 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92091843

Randle, Henry George (SN 1274). Henry was born at Narre Warren in 1887 to William and Mary Jane (nee Harbrow) Randle. He enlisted on July 7, 1915 aged 27; he was an orchardist from Narre Warren North and his father was his next of kin.  Henry returned to Australia on May 15, 1919 and he is listed on the Narre Warren North War Memorial, you can read about this here. 

Sherriff, Arthur Mason (SN 4529)  Arthur was born in Molesworth and was 26 years old when he enlisted on December 24, 1915. His occupation was a  nursery man, and his next of kin was his wife Violet, of Narre Warren. He returned to Australia August 25, 1917 and was discharged on medical grounds in December 1917, due to having received a gunshot wound to the left wrist. He died in 1939, aged only 49 years old. Arthur is listed on the Narre Warren North War Memorial, you can read about this here, where I have more information about Arthur, also. 

Alf Sherriff, in camp at Royal Park with Charley Byrne

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, February 17, 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66189374

Smith, Clarence John (SN 107) Clarence, was born in Berwick in 1895 to Alfred and Hannah Lydia (nee Moffett) Smith. He enlisted in Berwick on February 4, 1916, his occupation was a horse driver, and his father Alfred, of High Street Berwick was his next of kin. Clarence was Killed in Action in Belgium on June 8, 1917. There were two lovely obituaries published for Clarence in the local papers. 

Clarence's obituary

Pakenham Gazette, June 29 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92156221

Another of Clarence's obituaries.

South Bourke & Mornington Journal, July 5 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66192331

Warne, Charles Frederick Peneligon  (SN 245) Charles was born in North Melbourne  in 1873 to Henry and Mary Anne (nee Carron) Warne. He enlisted at the age of 42 years, on January 29, 1916. His occupation was a painter and he worked in partnership with his brother John in a painting business; John was his next of kin. He Returned to Australia December 12, 1917 to be discharged on medical grounds due to nephritis. Charles died on June 22, 1918 at the Caulfield Military Hospital.

Charles Warne's death notice

The Age, June 24, 1918 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155088288

Young, Walter Leslie (SN 632) There is a Walter Leslie Young listed in the 1914 Electoral roll, occupation merchant, address Narre Warren North and a Walter Leslie Young, occupation grocer, who enlisted on February 9, 1916 so I believe that W. Young is this person. Walter was born in Diamond Creek, and his mother, Mary, of Diamond Creek was his next of kin. Walter, and other local soldiers, were farewelled at a social at Narre Warren North in April 1916, the report is below.  Walter Returned to Australia on May 27, 1919.

Farewell for Walter and other lads.

Berwick Shire News, May 3 1916 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92089861

This is a revised and expanded version of a post, which I wrote and researched, that appears on my work blog, Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years.

The patriotic Mr Rowe, baker, of Narre Warren

When I was Local History Librarian at Casey Cardinia Libraries, I started a blog - Casey Cardinia Commemorates: Our War Years - access it here -  in  January 2014 and wrote 151 posts, the last one being in October 2021, and I resigned from the role in the November. The year 2014 was one hundred years since World War One had started and the blog was originally to focus on the impact of that War on the communities in the old Shire of Cranbourne and Shire of Berwick (now the City of Casey and Shire of Cardinia). It was later expanded to cover other conflicts.  One of my earliest posts and one of my favourites (which is why I have updated it and am posting it here) was based on the following newspaper article, published in the Berwick Shire News in November 1915. 

Mr Rowe, the baker.

Berwick Shire News November 10, 1915 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92090828

Mr D. H. Rowe, baker, of Narre Warren, could provide a small Roll of Honor, bearing the names of his employes who have enlisted since the outbreak of war. The list includes eight names, and is probably a record when compared with the enlistments from any business place of like size outside of the metropolis. The names of those who have enlisted are :- Harry McGuire, Alf. Rooney, Harold Johnstone, Jack Lyons, Fred. Lewis, Vic. Chitts, Reg. Currie, and Geo. Forrester. All the men with the exception of the last two are at the front. There is no doubt that Mr Rowe has been considerably inconvenienced by the quick changes in his staff, but he has shown his patriotism in recognising that the needs of the Empire should have consideration before his personal requirements, and has placed no obstacle in the way of enlistment.

This is an interesting article as it illustrates the fact so well  that the whole community had to make sacrifices during the Great War.  Donald Hartley Rowe is listed in the Shire of Berwick Rate books from 1912 to 1922. His shop was owned by Sidney Webb, who had built some shops on what is now the corner of Webb Street and the Princes Highway in the late 1880s and which were leased from him and initially occupied by Albert Raduchel, a blacksmith; Thomas Woodley, a baker; Thomas Stones, a butcher and James Middleton, a storekeeper. 

Donald Rowe was born on Talbot in 1876 to Samuel and Bridget (nee Hart) Rowe. He married Isabella Mary Gibson in 1901 and they had two children - Frances in 1902 in Tungamah and Winifred in 1903 in St Kilda. Sadly, Isabella died on April 17, 1905 aged 28 years old. Donald married again in 1909 to Louise Isles and they had three children - Hartley William in 1912 in Hawthorn; Patricia May in 1914 in Elsternwick and Allan Gordon in 1917 in Elsternwick.

 Previous to moving to Narre Warren the Electoral Rolls show the following addresses for Donald: 1909 - Rusden Street, Elsternwick and in 1912 Henrietta Street, Hawthorn. After leaving Narre Warren - 1924 and 1928 - 133 Gipps Street, Collingwood and from 1931 until his death ay the age of 84 on November 6, 1958 -  118 Union Road, Surrey Hills. Donald is buried with Isabella at the Brighton General Cemetery. Louise died aged 74, on October 31 also in 1958, just a week before Donald, and her cremated remains are interred at Fawkner. 

Here is the list of Mr Rowe's eight employees who enlisted and their Service Number (SN), if I could find it. As you can see I have only (fairly confidently) identified five of the eight, based on address or the occupation. 

Chitts, Vic. You would think with such a distinctive name that Mr Chitts would be easy to identify, but not so. There was a Clarence, a Hector and a Russell Chitts who enlisted and served overseas - Russell was a painter from New South Wales who enlisted in July 1915; Clarence was a Dairyman from Sandringham but who didn't enlist until April 1916 and I have also found him and his wife Alice in the Electoral Roll both before and after the War and there is no local connection.  Hector Rudolph Chitts, was a farm hand, but he did not enlist until March 1916, and according to the article which was published in November 1915, Vic Chitts was already serving overseas.  I have just had another look in the Electoral Roll and in 1914 there is a Charles Victor Chitts, of 88 Yarra Street, Newport - occupation - baker. This seems likely to be him, but I can find no record of him enlisting. In 1917 a Charles Victor Chitts is at 6 Scott Street in Kew, occupation was a commercial traveller and in 1924 he was in Princes Street in Kew - but are they the same person as Charles the baker? So, 12 years after I first started researching Vic Chitts, I am no closer to identifying him.   

Currie, Reg (SN 1840)  Reg, born in 1893 in Barnawartha, was the son of Donald and Margaret (nee Doran) Currie of Reserve Street in Berwick and he enlisted on November 6, 1915, at the age of 22.  His occupation was Horse Driver. He Returned to Australia April 13, 1919.

Forrester, George (SN 4810)  George was born in Shepparton, in 1891 to Zephaniah  and Susan (nee Holbrook) Forrester. George, who was a baker, enlisted on November 6, 1915, the same day as Reg Currie, above. His father, Zephaniah, of Taradale was his next of kin. George Returned to Australia July 24, 1919.

Notice of Reg and George enlisting

Dandenong Advertiser, November 18, 1915 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/88663150

Johnstone, Harold. I cannot identify this man. I have looked for Harold Johnson, Johnston and Johnstone and cannot find a man who enlisted with a connection to the area or to the bakers trade.

Lewis, Frederick Archibald  (SN 3897) Frederick  was born in Eaglehawk in 1892 to  Caleb and Agnes (nee Dart) Lewis. Frederick was 24 when he enlisted on July 13, 1915.  His occupation was baker's driver and his next of kin was his father, Caleb, of Wilson Street, Berwick.  Fred Returned to Australia March 28, 1919. 

Lyons, Charles Jack  (SN 1394) Jack enlisted on September 14, 1914 at the age of 27. He was born in South Melbourne and enlisted in Tasmania, but his occupation was baker, so this is why I assume that he was Mr Rowe's employee. His actual occupation on his enlistment paper was 'stud groom and baker.' Charles' next  of kin was listed as his sister, Grace Blore, c/o G.T. Blore, Lands Department, Melbourne. Charles Returned to Australia on May 12, 1918, suffering from rhuematism and 'bad feet' and was discharged on medical grounds. 

McGuire, Harry.  I cannot identify this man. I have also looked at any Harry or Henry Maguires, but to no avail.

Rooney, Alfred George (SN 481) Alf was born in Ballarat in 1895, the son of James and Lydia (nee Day) Rooney. He enlisted at Ballarat on October 15, 1914 and his occupation was a labourer, and his next of kin was his father, James, of Ballarat East. I came across an article about Alf in the Berwick Shire News in March, 1917 and he was awarded the Military Medal for having carried ammunition and water under heavy fire in the desert fighting of August 9, 1916.  The article goes onto to mention that he was employed by Mr Rowe when he enlisted. He Returned to Australia on January 2, 1919.  

Alfred Rooney's Military Medal

Berwick Shire News, March 28, 1917 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article92090256

Sources

Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 at the National Archives of Australia; Personal notices in the newspapers on Trove; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Shire of Berwick Rate Books. 

Margaret Roth (1892-1936) - Secretary of Berry Street Babies' Home

In my last post (read it here) I looked at the way foundlings or abandoned babies were named, and many of these little ones ended up at the Berry Street Babies' Home. Miss Margaret Roth was the secretary of this organization from 1928 until 1936, I thought it was an interesting role and I'd find out more about her and her family.

Her father, Louis Roth was born in Blankenese, in Germany, around 1860. He migrated to South Australia, and was naturalized there in September 1884; his occupation was on his naturalization papers was listed as a bookbinder. (1)  By March 1886, Louis had moved to Sale in Victoria and established himself as a Hairdresser and Perfumer in Raymond Street and advertised  his services in the local paper Haircutting in English, French, and German styles most carefully done. Shaving easily executed with agreeable refreshment. Shampooing, especially in hot weather, much recommended. (2) 

Louis the hairdresser

Gippsland Times, March 10, 1886 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62271556

Two years later, the entrepreneurial Louis had branched out into selling stationery, tobacco, soaps and gifts and in the 1890s he had renamed his shop -  Louis Roth’s Fancy Goods Emporium. In December 1896, in an advertorial the local paper reported that - Mr Louis Roth, who has landed his importations of novelties from Germany and England, announces that he will keep his premises open until 10 o'clock every night up till Christmas. The display of Christmas goods at Mr Roth's is certainly a beautiful one. (3)

Louis' Fancy Goods Emporium

Gippsland Mercury, April 3, 1894 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article268336575

On March 11, 1890 Louis married 21 year-old Marguerite Elizabeth Bisson at the Lutheran Church in Melbourne, with the service conducted  by the Reverend Herman Herlitz; the occupation on his  marriage certificate was a bookseller. (4) Marguerite, who arrived in Melbourne on the Austral in 1888, had been born on November 14, 1868 in Liverpool in England, the daughter of Henri Charles  Bisson, a boat builder, and his wife Elizabeth;  Henri had been born at St Helier, on the island of Jersey. Marguerite had been baptized at  Our Lady of Reconciliation de La Salette, Liverpool, a Catholic Church, so it is interesting that she was married in a Lutheran Church. (5)

Louis and Margaret (as she was also called) had five children -  Margaret born in 1892 in Fitzroy; Louis, in 1893, in Sale; Ida, in 1896 in Sale; Nestor, 1898 in Sale and Freida Elsa, born in 1900 in  St Kilda. (6) During the family’s time in Sale, Louis was the bandmaster of the local German band; donated prizes to the pupils at the Wesleyan Methodist Sunday School; stood unsuccessfully for the local Council in 1895; and in 1897 proved his patriotism by presenting all his juvenile patrons in the hairdressing salon with a handsome gift to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.  In 1900, Louis sold the business and the family moved to Melbourne. (7)

In 1903, the Electoral Rolls show that he was a bookseller in Carlton; in 1906, still in Carlton, a stationer; in 1909 the Roths were living in Elsternwick and he was a commercial traveller and later an agent; by 1917 they had moved to Surrey Hills and Louis’ occupation was a Manufacturer’s Agent. (8) Louis died on September 27, 1922 at the age of 62 at his  home Maison Louie, 2 Grenville Street, Hampton.  His probate papers list yet another occupation, that of  leather manufacturer. (9)

Louis' obituary

Gippsland Times, October 2, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62600012

His wife Margaret died  on August 18, 1946, also at Maison Louis, and her death notice said she was the loving gran of five. Her grandchildren were Margaret, Pamela and Nestor Roth, the children of her son Nestor; Lionel Glenn, the son of Ida and her husband, James Glenn and Gelda Watson, the daughter of Elsa and her husband, Francis John Watson. (10)

Now to their eldest daughter, Margaret, who was born on February 23, 1892 in Fitzroy.  (11) As noted in the Electoral Rolls, Margaret had a few administrative jobs such as a book-keeper and a clerk, and in 1915 had a short stint as a junior teacher; however in 1928 she became the Secretary of the Berry Street Babies’ Home also known as the Foundling Home. (12) Established in 1877 as the Victorian Infant Asylum, in 1881 it moved to a building in Berry Street in East Melbourne.  In 1913, they purchased a property in Beaconsfield, and operated a second facility there.  Berry Street looked after abandoned babies and babies whose mother had died or could no longer care for them as well as helping single mothers and training mother craft nurses. It was a charity entirely financed  through fundraising  and donations. (13)

The role of the Secretary was interesting and varied and Margaret often appeared in newspaper reports connected to the activities of the Babies' Home, for instance promoting their annual appeal for eggs or talking about children available for adoption. (14) One of her duties was to interview prospective parents who wanted to adopt the babies and The Herald reported in 1929 that Never a day passes without the honorary secretary, Miss Margaret Roth, interviewing someone who is keen on adopting a baby. (15)

In an interview in The Herald in 1933, Margaret explained further the adoption process -

"The adoption is really the simplest section of our work," continued Miss Roth, "I think there is an affinity between prospective foster parents and the children. Frequently, I have watched a woman walk into our nursery, and without a moment's hesitation say, "There is the baby I have been waiting for!" "Often that particular child is one of the most unattractive in our eyes!"

"When our babies visit the Royal Show each year, they sometimes find foster parents among the crowds that file past our stand. Then sometimes a woman will walk up to the nurse, saying, "Here is Arthur. Do you remember, I adopted him three years ago at the Show?"

"But our system of adoption is not as haphazard as it sounds. Foster parents are compelled to produce two testimonials - one from a clergyman or a doctor, the other from some prominent citizen. Then we visit their homes, after which there is no interference from hospital authorities." (16)

There was another interesting interview with Margaret published in 1934, which highlights the sad circumstances some little children found themselves in, but also shows how resilient children can be.

 
Two Little Orphan Twins In Need of a Home.
Who has a home for two little orphan twins, Margaret and Kathleen, aged 5? Margaret and Kathleen were taken to Berry Street Foundling Home when they were babies. Foster parents were found for them, and in their care they were kept until December, when the adopting mother died. Now they are back at the Foundling Hospital and Infants’ Home at Beaconsfield. Although they are perfectly happy, the secretary (Miss Margaret Roth) feels that, as they have been used to home life, it is advisable for them to be placed in a private home.

Both children are auburn haired, bright eyed and interested in every thing. Slightly bigger than Margaret, Kathleen is a sturdy youngster with a roundish face and soft hair with a slight wave. Margaret’s hair is darker with a decided wave. She has a smaller oval face which looks up wistfully and keenly.

"Both children are extremely attached to each other. They are loyal, affectionate, and most intelligent,” said Miss Roth. “They are both going to school and are in the kindergarten. The reports we have received from the school are that they are doing well and are very popular. We are most anxious to find homes for them, but would prefer the two to be taken into the one home, as I am afraid they would fret for each other’s company,” continued Miss Roth.

Persons interested should apply to Miss Roth at the Berry Street Found ling Home, East Melbourne, for particulars. (17)

Margaret and Kathleen, the orphan twins. 

Sun News-Pictorial, March 6, 1934 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article276648198

Margaret retired from the role in March 1936, due to ill health and died at the age of only 43 on September 8, 1936. (18) She is buried with her parents in a double grave in the Baptist section at the Brighton General Cemetery.  Interesting that they are buried in that section as Margaret (the mother) was baptized as a Catholic; she and Louis were married in a Lutheran Church and Margaret, (the daughter) was baptized Lutheran, but was received into the Anglican Church at St Peters Eastern Hill in Melbourne at the age of 33. (19) Clearly a very ecumenical family.

Before we finish we will look at the four other children of Louis and Margaret Roth. Louis Carl, the second child, was born on December 4, 1893, in Sale, and is commemorated on the family headstone, having died during World War One. Captain Louis Carl Roth, M.C., served with the 2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion and Died of Wounds on October 6, 1918. This was his short obituary -

Captain Louis Charles Roth, M.C., of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion, died in France on October 6. Captain Roth was born in 1894, and in peace time had been 2nd Lieutenant in the 46th Senior Cadets, Elsternwick. He was also in the Brighton Rifles. Captain Roth was twice mentioned by Sir Douglas Haig in despatches. He was a native of Sale, and served through the Gallipoli campaign, was wounded at Armentieres in 1916, and received shell shock at Ballecourt last May. He is an old Caulfield Grammarian and a past student of the Working Men's College. His Military Cross was gazetted last New Year's Day. (20)

Captain Louis Roth (1894-1918)

Image: Australian War Memorial  Photograph H06637

Margaret was clearly close to her brother and as late as 1933, fifteen years after his death, she inserted this In Memoriam notice for him, signed as Margey.

The Argus, October 6, 1933 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11698864

Ida was the third child on the family, born May 5, 1896 in Sale. She attended Melbourne High School and became a teacher starting her career in March 1914 at Elsternwick State School; she had various other appointments, including a stint at Clydebank, near her birthplace of Sale, and then resigned in April 1926 as she got married to James Martin Glenn; they had the one son, Lionel. Ida returned to the Education Department for a few years during World War Two, when married women were needed as teachers as so many men had enlisted.  Ida died December 16, 1981 and James September 2, 1972 and they are buried in the family grave with her parents and her sister Margaret.  (21)

Nestor was born on February 9, 1898 in Sale. He married Doris Margaret Werrett in 1924 and they had three children, Margaret, Pamela and Nesta.  Nestor, who was an accountant,  died on April 2, 1956 and is buried at Box Hill Cemetery, with his wife Doris, who died in 1977. (22) 

The last child of Louis and Margaret Roth was Frieda Elsa, born July 29, 1900 in  St Kilda. Elsa, as she was called, attended University High School, and began a teaching career with the Education Department in March 1919. (23) She was an actress involved with the Green and Tan Dramatic Club, an amateur organisation consisting entirely of old pupils or members of the staff of the University High School, the colors of which are green and tan, hence the name. (24) One review of their performances noted that Miss Elsa Roth, as Lady Tonbridge, exhibited fine dramatic feeling. (25) 

Elsa resigned in August 1923 to marry Francis John Watson, M.A., M.Sc., who became the head  of the Chemistry Department at Melbourne Technical College.  They had the one daughter, Gelda Frieda. Francis died in October 1945, and Elsa (who had remarried to Lowe Martin Hanstein) died on July 2, 1987, and was cremated at Springvale. Their daughter, Gelda, who died in 2021, is buried in the Roth family grave with her grandparents and her two aunts - Margaret and Ida.  (26)

Footnotes
(1) Naturalization papers at the National Archives of Australia  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3182794
(2) Gippsland Times, March 10, 1886, see here. 

(3) Examples of his advertisements - Gippsland Times, April 16, 1888, see here; Gippsland Times, April 2, 1894, see here; Gippsland Mercury, April 3, 1894, see here;  Gippsland Times, December 14, 1896, see here.

(4) Roth/Bisson marriage certificate. 

(5) Unassisted passenger lists (1852-1923) at the Public Records Office of Victoria, VPRS 947; Marguerite's baptism record from Ancestry.com. - Liverpool, England, Catholic Baptisms, 1741-1919 and the 1881 British Isles Census Index

(6) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages.

(7) Gippsland Times, January 17, 1895, see here;  Gippsland Mercury, May 22, 1894, see here;  Gippsland Times, August 12, 1895, see here;  Gippsland Times, June 3, 1887, see here. Clearing sale -Gippsland Times, May 24, 1900, see here.

(8) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(9) Louis - death notice - The Argus, September 29, 1922, see here; Will and Probates papers at the Public Records Office of Victoria, VPRS 7591.

(10) Margaret - death notice - The Argus,  August 19, 1946, see here.  

(11) Birth certificate

(12) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; This is the first reference I can find of Margaret being Secretary - The Age, July 12, 1928, see here.

(13) Berry Street - https://www.berrystreet.org.au/about-us/our-story/our-history

(14) The Herald, October 25, 1928, see here.

(15) The Herald, November 30, 1929, see here.

(16) The Herald, July 25, 1933, see here.

(17) Sun News-Pictorial, March 6, 1934, see here. 

(18) Margaret - Death notice - The Age, September 9, 1936, see here; Obituary - The Age, September 9, 1936, see here

(19) Margaret - Brighton Cemetorians database, https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/; From Ancestry.com -  Victoria, Australia, St. Peter's Eastern Hill, Baptisms, 1848-1915

(20) Louis - Attestation papers at the National Archives of Australia, see here  https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=11545851 ; 

Death notice - The Argus, November 30, 1918, see here; Obituary - The Herald, November 30, 1918, see here.

(21) Ida - Teacher Record Books at Public Records Office of Victoria, VPRS 13579;  Brighton Cemetorians database, https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/. Lionel is the only child of theirs listed in his grandmother's death notice - The Argus,  August 19, 1946, see here. 
(22) Nestor - death notice - The Argus, April 3, 1956, see here; Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Find a Grave - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/123938728/nestor-roth 

(23) Elsa - Teacher Record Books at Public Records Office of Victoria, VPRS 13579.

(24) Hurstbridge Advertiser, June 20, 1924, see here; another mention of a performance -  The Argus, May 16, 1921, see here. 

(25) Hurstbridge Advertiser, June 20, 1924, see here. 

(26) Elsa - Teacher Record Books at Public Records Office of Victoria, VPRS 13579; The Herald, October 29, 1945, see here; The Argus, October 9, 1945, see here. SMCT database  - https://www.smct.org.au/ 

Brighton Cemetorians database, https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/ 

I can't find the date when Elsa married Lowe, but this is his and Elsa's death notice, which proves it - 

The Age, November 22, 1971, Page 16 from newspapers.com

The Age,  July 3, 1987, Page 24 from newspapers.com

Naming the Nameless - Abandoned Babies

This post looks at the interesting way that abandoned babies or foundlings were named and it all started because I came across this article in The Herald in February 1936, about a little baby girl being found in Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda  - 

Blue-eyed ten days baby found under palms
In a babes-in-the-wood setting, a 10-days-old baby girl, well clothed and nourished, was found by a young man on the lawn beneath a palm tree on the western footpath of Beaconsfield Parade, St Kilda, a few yards from Fitzroy Street, at 9.30 a.m. today.

The young man, agitated over his discovery, stopped Mr and Mrs F. Coillet (1) in Beaconsfield Parade and asked what he should do with his find. "My daughter and I stood watch over the baby while the men got a policeman, " Mrs Coillet said today. "I caught only a glimpse of a black head, and she didn't cry until the policeman picked her up. She was wrapped in a pink bunny-rug, and in the darkness looked like a paper parcel, lying just off the footpath on the grass. We had passed the spot - 100 yards from Fitzroy Street - 10 minutes earlier, and I don't think the baby could have been there then."

The baby was taken by Constable M. P. Vernon to the Berry Street Foundling Hospital, where little time was lost by Matron McGain in supplying the waif with a name. Taking Beaconsfield and Vernon as a basis, it was easy to evolve "Verna Field."

It is believed that the child was left beneath the palm only a little while before it was found. It was not in need of food and had not suffered from exposure. "Verna" has blue eyes and does not cry.

No home has been found yet for "John Nolan," who was discovered on the doorstep of the nurses home at the Police Hospital, St. Kilda Road, on August 30. He has grown into a fine healthy child in the months of waiting, the foundling hospital reported today. "Stephen Bell," the last waif taken to the hospital, found at the gate of the institution by a nurse on October 4, was reunited with his mother through police inquiries. (2)

Verna Field, the foundling baby, with Sister Mandeville-Halls at the Berry Street home today.

The Herald, February 14, 1936 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article244822295

The name of John Nolan, mentioned in the above article, came from the fact that the Police Hospital, where he was found,  was on the corner of Nolan Street and St Kilda Road.  Stephen Bell, who was found at the Berry Street Home gate, was probably named for the bell at the gate.

In 1922 the Weekly Times, reported on the Berry Street Babies' Home or Foundling Home, in East Melbourne, under the headline - Naming the Nameless - the article is partially transcribed below -

Naming the Nameless

[In] one of the spotless nurseries of the Foundling Home in Berry street, East Melbourne, there you will find babies in abundance, there are 33 of them at present. Every one of them seems anxious to

discover the good things that life holds for them. Some of them have only found the unhappy things so far.

To the Foundling Home come babies who have no real home. Abandoned on doorsteps, in public places, in parks, they find their way to the institution. When a mother dies, or is unable to care for the tiny newcomer, the child may, if necessary, find sanctuary there. Some, indeed, are born there, little nameless outcasts...

Many of the foundlings are anonymous gifts to the institution, and for these names must be found. Here is where the ingenuity of Matron A. Mowbray Flack, who is in charge, manifests itself....She chooses the names from the circumstances of the babe's discovery.

One laughing infant hails the stranger with a crow expressive of extreme good-fellowship. Blue-eyed and fluffy-haired, he lets you know that the world is a jolly old place after all. Yet he was found on an old verandah by a police constable and has seen his share of life in a courthouse. Therefore he has been named Bobby Court. So frail was he at first that for many weeks he lingered between life and death. But he was a sturdy little fighter, and now he howls for his favorite brand of baby's food as lustily as any.

One of the babies at the Foundling Home.

Weekly Times, September 2, 1922 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224006459

Worthy of a Heroine

A demure young lady toys with her rattle a few cribs away. She was found on the doorstep of the Home last March. She is Dora March. Lorraine Palmer has a past worthy of a heroine of melodrama. She was picked up in Palmer street, East Melbourne, one dark, cold night, when the rain was beating down in sheets. The miserable clothes which covered her were drenched.

Matthew Door was found on the back doormat. Belle Lane was found at the tradesmen's entrance to the Home, which has a bell and is in a lane Albert East - well, everybody knows Albert street, East Melbourne. (3)

Another Foundling Home baby

Weekly Times, September 2, 1922   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224006450 

In November 1935, the Sun News-Pictorial reported on the naming of two abandoned babies -

Abandoned Babies Named

The seven-weeks-old baby girl, found on the Swanston Street steps of St. Paul's Cathedral on Monday night, has been named Pauline Flinders by the police, who have transferred the child to the Royal Park home.

Another girl of the same age was found abandoned on the steps of the Broadmeadows Foundling Hospital at 9.30 p.m. on Monday. The child has been called Noeline Auburn. The surname was inspired by the color of the baby's hair. (4)

It was a sad reality of life that in the days before the single parent benefit and with the stigma of having a child out of wedlock, that many women thought abandoning their baby was the best option; but there was some sympathy for these mothers; the Sun News-Pictorial reported in 1924 -

Too many babies! Abandoned Ones

Although policemen are not without soft spots in their hearts for the mother who abandons her baby, knowing that it is often the climax of a despairing struggle with circumstances, the order has gone forth that too many babes are being abandoned, and that fuller inquiries are to be made in all cases reported in future. (5)

Trying to find the mother was essential, as having just given birth, she may have needed medical attention; and also she may have changed her mind, after the event. Many of the mothers made an effort to leave their baby in a safe space, such as the Foundling Home or, in the following case, on the door step of the home of Mrs M.T. Weilant (6), of Dryburgh Street in West Melbourne. The following is from a report in The Age from July 1922, which was very sympathetic towards the mother - 

A Child Abandoned. Mother's sad plight

A story was unfolded in the Criminal Court yesterday concerning baby Wellington, who, barely a month old, wrapped in warm clothing and a rabbit fur coat, with a feeding bottle and tin of lactogen tucked beside him, was gently laid in the night on a strange doorstep in West Melbourne. The child set up a yell that caused the occupants of the house to pull aside the window blind and look out. They saw him, and with the assistance of another neighbor picked him up. That cry secured him simultaneously a home and shelter at the country's expense and provided the ground work for the defence of his unhappy mother, who was lurking in the shadows on the opposite side of the road, and who, immediately she saw her baby safely picked up, disappeared in the night.

The mother of the baby, Ivy Wellington, of Footscray, was charged with abandoning a child, under the age of two years. As the paper  reported  the Wellington family had fallen on evil times - her husband had left her and was an admitted criminal. Then Ivy, with a child two years old and this new-born infant boy to care for she became desperate. She had no means. She went to the East Melbourne home, but they would not take in the child. Fearing the infant must starve, she resorted to desperate measures. She pawned her boots, and bought a feeding bottle and a tin of lactogen. Placing these beside the child, wrapping it up warmly, she tramped to West Melbourne, and selecting a house in Dryburgh-street she placed the infant on the doorstop and went across the road to watch....then she saw the woman come out and lift the baby. Then satisfied the baby would be cared for she went away.

The Jury, after hearing the evidence quickly returned a verdict of not guilty. Sadly, after this Ivy was also charged with breaking and entering.  I have no information as to what happened to her baby and toddler, but it is a tragic story all round. (7)

In another case, from 1928, a mother gave her baby to a woman whom she probably perceived to be a motherly type - 

Mother of 12 fosters abandoned baby. Put In Her Arms In Street

While standing on the comer of Lennox and Victoria streets, Richmond, at about 10 p.m. on Friday, Mrs H. Lewis of Oak street Richmond, was approached by a young woman carrying a baby and a parcel. "Will you mind my baby and parcel for one minute? I have caught my husband with another woman opposite. I want to catch him," she said.

Mrs Lewis took the baby and parcel; and the woman ran down Lennox street, apparently in pursuit of a man and woman some distance away. About 50 yards away a car was waiting, and the woman jumped into this and was driven in the direction of Kew. Mrs Lewis took the baby to the police station. It was dressed in expensive clothes. The parcel contained a number of good clothes and a note saying "Be kind to Beryl."

The baby, which is well nourished, is a girl, about a fortnight old. Richmond police are anxious to communicate with the mother, who could be identified by Mrs Lewis. In the meantime Beryl is finding a happy home with Mrs Lewis, who is married, with 12 children. Her husband is out of work. (8)

In May 1938, a little girl was named after the two policeman - 

Foundling Baby named after Police Officers
A baby girl, two hours old, found in a shelter at the corner of Beaconsfield Parade and Pickle Street, South Melbourne, on Monday night and taken to the Berry Street Foundling Home by Detective Wight man and Plainclothes Constable Hillman, has been named May Wighthill. Hearing a faint cry in the shelter, a woman found the baby wrapped in a paper parcel. She weighs 6 lb. and, according to her nurse at the hospital, “has the loveliest blue eyes.” Efforts are being made to trace the mother. (9)

Little abandoned baby, May Wighthill

Sun News-Pictorial, May 4, 1938 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277676363

In two more examples - in 1934 a little girl found in Carlton was named Madeline Carlton, after the street and suburb where she was found. (10) Madeline Street was originally the northern extension of Swanston Street, from Victoria Street through Carlton to its intersection with Keppel Street. (11) In May 1949 a baby boy was found abandoned in Royal Park and taken to to Berry Street and he was named Charles, after Prince Charles, the new Royal baby, who was born in November 1948. (12) There could hardly have been a larger contrast in the circumstances of their birth, than foundling Charles and his namesake Prince Charles.

There are no winners in any of the many stories of abandoned babies -- the mother was desperate, the children were unwanted. The Berry Street Foundling Home was only for young babies and they had an uncertain future because as soon as the babies begin to toddle about, the time has come for them to go. Some of them are boarded, numbering 140 at present; some go to other institutions, and some are adopted. (13)

In a report in 1933 of the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Berry Street Babies' Home, the Secretary, Miss Margaret Roth (14) explained how the procedure for placing the babies worked -
"The adoption is really the simplest section of our work," continued Miss Roth, "I think there is an affinity between prospective foster parents and the children. Frequently, I have watched a woman walk into our nursery, and without a moment's hesitation say, "There is the baby I have been waiting for!" "Often that particular child is one of the most unattractive in our eyes!

"When our babies visit the Royal Show each year, they sometimes find foster parents among the crowds that file past our stand. Then sometimes a woman will walk up to the nurse, saying, "Here is Arthur. Do you remember, I adopted him three years ago at the Show?" 

"But our system of adoption is not as haphazard as it sounds. Foster parents are compelled to produce two testimonials - one from a clergyman or a doctor, the other from some prominent citizen. Then we visit their homes, after which there is no interference from hospital authorities."

"If a baby finds no foster parents for some reason, we try to board it out. In my opinion, this is more satisfactory in every way than leaving it in some Institution for the first 14 years of its life. Again we take the utmost care in the boarding-out system. Alter selecting the home, the members of the hospital committee visit it periodically to ensure the child is happy." (15)

Miss Roth also said this about abandoned babies - 

"Foundlings occupy only a small percentage of the hospital cots. The last foundling, baby Constance, who was discovered in a city park was adopted before she had been in the home for three months. Another was left on the Tandara verandah with the note, "This is Leslie. Please be kind to him." (16) Tandara was Berry Street's Mothercraft Training School in East Melbourne.

I can only hope that Verna Field, John Nolan, Stephen Bell, Bobby Court, Dora March, Lorraine Palmer, Matthew Door, Belle Lane, Albert East, Pauline Flinders, Noeline Auburn, May Wighthill, Madeline Carlton and all the other abandoned babies like little Leslie, had a happy life. 

Footnotes

(1) Mr and Mrs Coilett were, I believe, Francis Hilaire Coilett, a carpenter, and Olga Beatrice Coilett, listed in the Electeral Rolls at  74 Patterson Street, Middle Park.

(2) The Herald, February 14, 1936, see here;  There is also a report of finding Verna in The Age, February 15, 1936, see here.

(3) Weekly Times, September 2, 1922, see here.

(4) Sun News-Pictorial, November 27, 1935, see here.

(5) Sun News-Pictorial, September 3, 1924, see here.

(6) Mrs M.T. Weilant, was Myrtle Frances Weilant, who lived at 38 Dryburgh Street, West Melbourne,  with her husband Fred, junior, who was a butcher. (Source: Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com)

(7) The Age, July 18, 1922, see here.

(8) The Herald, January 3, 1928, see here. Other cases of babies abandoned in a safe place (or hopefully  a safe place) The Age, October 2, 1942, see here and The Argus, November 10, 1949, see here.

(9) Sun News-Pictorial, May 4, 1938, see here. 

(10) The Herald, April 12, 1934, see here.

(11) Carlton Community History Group http://www.cchg.asn.au/faq.html

(12) The Argus, May 11, 1949, see here.

(13) Weekly Times, September 2, 1922, see here.

(14) Miss Margaret Roth - died on September 8, 1936, aged only 43. She had been the secretary at Berry Street for eight years, until her resignation in the March. (Death notice, The Age, September 9, 1936, see here; short obit - The Age, September 9, 1936, see here.) I have written about her and her family here https://victoriaspast.blogspot.com/2026/05/margaret-roth-1892-1936-secretary-of.html

(15) The Herald, July 23, 1933, see here.

(16) The Herald, July 23, 1933, see here.

The sad death of George Ernest Biggs (1888-1914)

On Saturday, October 24, 1914, 26 year-old George Ernest Biggs of 65 Cecil Street, Williamstown, went to the picture show held at the Williamstown Mechanics’ Institute. Sadly, by early next morning, he was dead.

The program of films on the night of October 24, 1914 

Williamstown Chronicle October 24, 1914 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69979633 

The program for the evening included The Leaves of Memory and seven other films; good value at price. George sat next to off-duty constable, William Black on the night, who gave evidence at the Inquest into his death. You can read George's Inquest at the Public Records Office of Victoria, here.  

I have transcribed the report of  George's Inquest from the Williamstown Chronicle of October 31, 1914 (1). After the article I have added some information about George Biggs and his family and the people mentioned in report. 

Man Drinks Disinfectant. Dies in an hour.
Seated side by side at the Mechanics' pictures last Saturday night for some time were Constable Black and George Ernest Biggs, aged 26, coal-heaver, of Cecil-street. The latter entered into conversation with the officer, at the same time producing a bottle of disinfectant from his pocket, remarking, "I'm going to put this down my neck to-night, an you will have a job taking my corpse to the morgue." Black replied, "Don't be a fool." Biggs then remarked it was only a joke. The officer was however, startlingly reminded of the conversation later by an untoward incident in the death of his companion of the moment.

On Thursday Mr. T. Lonsdale, J.P., held a magisterial inquiry into the surroundings.

Dr. C. Fetherstonhaugh stated that on Sunday, 25th inst., he performed an autopsy on the body of George Biggs, who died at 12.30 a.m. The corpse was that of a well-nourished man. The lungs, heart, liver and kidneys were all healthy. In the stomach was a strong smell of disinfectant. The cause of death was shock caused by swallowing a quantity of irritant, which is a product of coal tar oil, and is very poisonous if taken internally.

Jane McFarland Biggs, mother of deceased, deposed her son was born on October 1st, 1888, and had always resided with her. He had left home at7.30 p.m. on Saturday in apparently the best of health. Witness did not know of any trouble that would cause him to commit suicide.

Constable J. F. Smith said that he was on duty at the Mechanics' pictures last Saturday night. At about 9.30 p.m. he was told a man recently in trouble was worrying over his case and was going to drink poison. He inquired from another man if this person (who was a relative of the deceased) was about the hotel, and was told "No." Later he saw Biggs, who spoke about having a bottle of poison. Witness said, "Do you intend to take it?" His reply was "I've just come out to have a drink." Deceased walked back to the Mechanics' with him. He seemed to be in his usual health, was cheerful and in good spirits. Witness had shown the bottle produced to a local chemist, who stated that he could not identify it, as he had sold a dozen bottles of the same disinfectant that day.

T. D. Compton, secretary, described how, about 11 o'clock, he had discovered a man groaning in Electra street. The man remarked, "I have taken it," pointing to a bottle on the ground. Witness at once proceeded to the telephone and advised the police.

Mrs. L. levers [sic], married woman, said that Biggs at 10.25 p.m. had called at the hotel and had a glass of beer. He seemed quite sober. Later he came back and remarked, "I have done it," throwing a bottle on the counter which her husband had picked up and handed to the police. Constable T. J. Walsh told how he had taken deceased to the hospital in a state of collapse in Dr. Maclean's motor car. Biggs died in about an hour.

The Acting Coroner returned a finding: "That George Ernest Biggs died from an irritant poison self-administered, but that there is not sufficient evidence to show the state of his mind at the time."

So this is the sad tale of George's death. 

Dramatis Personae
Biggs Family - George was born, as his mother attested at the Inquest, on October 1, 1888 and was the sixth of ten children of William Biggs and his wife Jane McFarlane Dick. They had married in 1877 and had the following children - the first two were born in Warrnambool, and the others in Williamstown - Martha Jane (b. 1878); Anna Maria (1880); William Frederick (1882); John Benjamin (1884); James Henry (1886); George Ernest (1888); Clarice Edith (1891); Mary McFarlane (1892); Millicent Alma (1894) and Eileen Victoria (1897). William died on December 5, 1907 aged 53 and Jane died July 18, 1919, aged 63. They are both buried at the Williamstown Cemetery, as is George. (2)

The Disinfectant was Lysol.

 

Lonsdale, Thomas  Justice of the Peace, the man who conducted George's inquest. He was  also an undertaker; President of the Williamstown Hospital and a prominent Freemason. He died in 1929 and you can read his obituary in the Williamstown Chronicle of November 23, 1929, here. 

Black, William David - the constable who sat next to George at the pictures at the Mechanics' Institute; he was off-duty at the time. He gave evidence at the Inquest. 

Smith, John Ferrie - the Constable who was on-duty at the Mechanics' Pictures; he also gave evidence at the Inquest. 

Fetherstonhaugh, Charles - a doctor of Ferguson Street, Williamstown, who performed the autopsy. You can read his obituary in the Williamstown Advertiser, of January 6, 1917, here. 

Compton, Thomas Duncan - a secretary of Electra Street, Williamstown. He was a Freemason, secretary of the Williamstown Hospital and of  the Williamstown Mechanics' Institute. You can read his obituary in The Argus, of August 19, 1938, here. 

Ivers, Lily Elizabeth on the Morning Star Hotel, Electra Street, Williamstown. Married to Joseph Ivers, whose father Edward had the lease and the licence of the Hotel from July 1910.  By coincidence Joseph died on September 4, 1915 at only 32 years of age,  and his father two days later. Lily was born in 1884 to John and Elizabeth Booth and had married Joseph in 1911, they had no children. Lily remarried in 1927 to Sydney Davidson, who was employed by the Railways. They lived in Donald and she died in Ballarat on June 21, 1972, aged 87. She is buried at the Donald cemetery with Sydney, who died in 1962. (3)

Note: I came across this story when I was looking for something to fill a page in Useful Knowledge, the newsletter I do for the Mechanics' Institutes of Victoria  Inc.; you can read the back issues here  https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3179681849 You can see our soon to be replaced website, here  https://mivic.org.au/index.html

Footnotes

(1) Williamstown Chronicle, October 31, 1914, see here.  The Williamstown Advertiser, of October 31, 1914 also has a report of the Inquest. see here.

(2) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; William Biggs death notice - The Argus, December 6, 1907, see here; George Biggs death notice - The Age, October 26, 1914, see here;  Jane Biggs death notice - The Age, July 21, 1919, see here.

(2) Hotel notice - Williamstown Advertiser, July 9, 1910, see here; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Find  a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232389752/lilian-elizabeth-davidson; 

Ivers In Memoriam notice - The Argus, September 4, 1916, see here;