I purchased this postcard, sent in December 1910, because of the painted gum leaf on the front, but the letter on the back, from Arthur to 'dear Clara', turned out to be so romantic.
Friday Morning 12.20A.M. Leongatha Dec 30/12/10
My Dear Clara,
I received your welcome kind letter. I was so glad to get it my Queen. I hope that you are in the best of health and that you are looking well after your Precious self. I will be glad to see my love down the hill to meet me. Dear Clara I am baking to suit myself next week. Eddie don't mind. I told him that I wanted Monday night off. I will tell you all about [it] on Saturday my love one. Please excuse the writing my love you know that I wont write much on a card. Best love and kisses xxxx From you ever loving Arthur xxxxxx
At top - I bought a jug and two glasses for my love one like from? your mother.
Possible match for Arthur and Clara are Arthur Hugh McKenna and Clara Elizabeth Simpson. Married 1911, first child Joseph Purcell McKenna at Leongatha in 1912, others at Kyneton. Arthur is a baker ...
This was a great discovery on Marianne's part, so this is the story of Arthur and Clara.
We'll start with Arthur. Arthur Hugh McKenna was born in 1877 to Hugh and Sophia (nee Stevens) McKenna. Arthur was the second of four boys all born in Brighton - Hugh (1876, died aged 20 days old); Arthur; Frederick James (1879) and Horace Elliott (1882). (1) His father, Hugh, was a blacksmith and was found drowned at Brighton Beach on January 24, 1884, aged only 28 years old.
The Inquest into Hugh's death heard evidence from his brother Michael who stated that he knew of no reason why deceased would commit suicide as he was in good health, in a prosperous condition, and lived happily with his wife. The witness had seen deceased alive on the same day the body was found, and there was then nothing unusual in his appearance though he had been drinking a little. Sophia also gave evidence that he had been drinking to excess for some days previously. The Verdict - The Coroner having summed up, the jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict that the deceased was found drowned, but there was no evidence to show how he got into the water. (2). Hugh is buried at the Brighton Cemetery, in the Church of England section.
Sophia, being left a widow with three young boys, married Joseph Granger, a carpenter, in 1885 and had nine children with him - Joseph Francis (1886), George Edward (1888-1889), William John (1890), Ernest Stanley (1893), Emin Pasha (3) 'George' (1895), Charlotte (1898), Annie Isabella (1901), Henry (1903-1903), Roy (1903-1904). Francis was born at Prahran, George at Essendon and the others at Brighton. From around 1908, Joseph and Sophia lived at 2 Grant Street, North Brighton and they were still at that address when Joseph died on July 16, 1931 aged 77 and Sophia died on September 18,1933 aged 76. They are buried together at Brighton Cemetery, in the 'Other Denominations' section. (4).
Before he met Clara, in 1899 Arthur had married Mary Caroline James and they had three children - Hugh Arthur (born in Ballan 1901), Ruby Myrtle (Brighton, 1903) and Charles Gilbert (Avenel, 1906, died aged 6 months). On Arthur's marriage certificate to Clara it states that he was widower with the year 1905; I can't find a record of Mary's death, but it is possible she died in childbirth and little Charles died six months later. The next we know of Arthur is that he is listed in the 1909 Electoral Roll at Anderson Street, in Euroa, occupation baker. (5). Where the children with him or were they being looked after by their grandparents? I don't know.
By December 1910, Arthur had moved to Leongatha, where he was courting Miss Clara Simpson, of Kardella. Why did he move to Leongatha? That is something else I don't know.
Clara had been born in Nundah, in Queensland on September 28, 1887 to Tobias Percell Simpson, a plumber and dairy farmer and his wife, Clara Elizabeth Hosler. She had a brother Thomas William, born in 1884, another brother Tobias Percell born in 1885 and a sister Cordelia, born in 1889. The family then moved to Victoria where daughter Eliza was born in Collingwood in 1891. Kardella had been settled from 1893 as a Village Settlement, and it is likely the family moved to a property there around this time as the next five children had their births registered at Korumburra - Joseph Alexander (1895), William Henry (1897), Rachel (1898), Alex (1900) and Alice (1902). Ten children in all. (6)
Arthur's wooing of Clara was a success as they were married on June 28, 1911 at St Paul's Church of England, Korumburra. She was 23 and he was 33. Cordelia and Thomas were the witnesses (7). Charming though Arthur no doubt was, taking on a widower with a ten year old and an eight year old was a big task, however being the eldest girl in the family with seven younger siblings Clara would have been well trained in that area.
Kyneton as it would have looked when Arthur and Clara lived there from 1913 until 1919.
Mollison Street, Kyneton, c. 1914. State Library of Victoria Image : H90.140/633.
As Marianne discovered Arthur and Clara's eldest child, Joseph Percell, was born in Leongatha in 1912. He was followed by George Tobias in 1913, Alexander Horace in 1914 and William Frederick France in 1918 (8). The last three were born in Kyneton and the Electoral Rolls show that Arthur and Clara lived in High Street, then Mollison Street at Kyneton until 1919 when they moved back to Melbourne to 116 Moray Street, South Melbourne. (9). Even though Arthur was always listed in the Electoral Roll as a baker, it seems that in South Melbourne he operated a grocery shop, because in April 1920 he appeared at the South Melbourne Court House, having been charged with selling groceries after 6.00pm on March 24, 1920.
From the Emerald Hill Record (10) -
Before Messrs. Kelly, P.M., M. J. O'Bryan, Machin, and Russell, JsP., at Thursday's court, two shopkeepers, named Howard E. Watt and Arthur H. McKenna, were charged with selling groceries after 6 p.m. on March 24th. Miss Elizabeth Michell, factories and shops inspectress, said that she bought half a pound of tea at 7.15 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24, in Watt's shop. Reports had been received at the department about Mr. Watt.
Mr Watt was found guilty and fined 20 shillings. Miss Michael continued her evidence -
Miss Michael stated that at 7 o'clock the same evening she visited McKenna's shop, which was open for the sale of confectionery. She purchased a packet of cocoa. When she spoke to the defendant he said, "The little girl who served you had been told not to sell groceries to anyone." He then said, that he would apply for a permit to sell confectionery. This had been granted to him on the condition that after 6 p.m. he must keep the groceries locked up.
Arthur was also fined 20 shillings. You forget how restrictive shopping hours used to be.
In 1924 they are listed at 153 Park Street, South Melbourne. That same year the family had a 'tree change' and moved to Goulburn Street, Cheltenham, when it was little more than a country town.
Cheltenham as it would have looked when Arthur and Clara moved there in 1924.
Charman Road, Cheltenham, c. 1915. State Library of Victoria Image H90.140/37
From 1926 the family are listed Chesterville Road in Cheltenham, where they remained. Ruby was also living with them, she had the interesting occupation of a book binder. Ten years later the Electoral Rolls tell us that their son Joseph was an engineer; Alexander a printer and George a sign writer. Through all this time, Arthur was still a baker. (11)
Arthur died on October 3, 1940 at his home 13 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham. His funeral notices showed he was a member of the Star of Victoria Lodge, No. 15, a United Ancient Order of Druids Lodge. (12)
Arthur McKenna's death notice
The Age October 4, 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204392290
Clara died September 19, 1950.She is buried with Arthur in the Brighton Cemetery, in the same grave as Arthur's father Hugh, who was found drowned at Brighton Beach all those years ago in 1884 (13).
Acknowledgment - Cannot thank Marianne Rocke enough for discovering who Arthur and Clara were.
Footnotes
(1) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages
(2) The Herald, January 26, 1884, see here.
(3) Emin Pasha - the name is from Mehmed Emin Pasha (1840-1892) who was born as Eduard Schnitzer, and while serving the Ottoman governor of northern Albania (1870–74), he adopted a Turkish mode of living and a Turkish name. He was a physician, explorer, and governor of the Equatorial province of Egyptian Sudan who contributed vastly to the knowledge of African geography, natural history, ethnology, and languages. Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mehmed-Emin-Pasha
(4) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages, Electoral Rolls on Ancestry and Brighton Cemetorians website https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/ Joseph's death notice in The Age, July 17, 1933, see here Sophia's death notice in The Herald, September 19, 1933, see here and the children are listed as - Arthur, Horace, and Frederick McKenna (deceased). Joseph, Edward (deceased), John, Stanley, George, Charlotte (Mrs Hunter), Annie (Mrs Stockwell), Roy and George (deceased). I was having trouble locating the Georges - then I found that the oldest George was born Emin Pasha Granger and I suspect that the youngest George is actually Henry, who was born in 1903, presumably Roy's twin.
(5) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate; Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(6) Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate; Index to the Victorian and Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages. Kardella - Victorian Places https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/kardella
(7) Arthur and Clara's wedding certificate
(8) Arthur's children with Mary James and then Clara Simpson - and any information that I currently know about them. Sources - Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; https://smct.org.au/; https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/; mytributes.com.au/notice/condolences/bill-mckenna/4534034/ ; https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/ww2Hugh Arthur born Ballan in 1901. Married May Josephine Oates in 1929 (died 1930), then married Rose Deane (nee Howie) in 1937. Died in Brighton in 1957 and buried at the Brighton Cemetery. Ruby Myrtle born Brighton in 1903. Married Bernard Charles Cameron in 1950. Died in 1960, cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. Charles Gilbert born in Avenel in 1906, died aged 6 months in Avenel. Joseph Percell born in Leongatha in 1912. Died in 1991; cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. George Tobias born in Kyneton in 1913. Married Patricia Constance Flinn in 1939. Served in the Australian Army in WW2 from November 1943 until June 1946, service number VX93731. Died in East Bentleigh in 1978 and buried at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. Alexander Horace born in Kyneton in 1914. Married Mary Teresa Armstrong in 1934. Served in the Australian Army in WW2 from March 1942 until October 1945, service number 31142 (VX77224). Died in Highett in 1983 and cremated at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. William Frederick France born in Kyneton in 1918. Died 2012.
(9) Index to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages and the Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(10) Emerald Hill Record, April 24, 1920, see here.
(11) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com
(12) Death notice The Age, October 4, 1940, see here; Funeral notice The Age, October 5 1940, see here.
(13) Brighton Cemetorians website https://www.brightoncemetorians.org.au/
