Finding Clues in Unusual Places

On 27 April 1901, Louisa Williamson was interviewed about the health benefits of Clements Tonic. This interview became one of the many testimonials the company producing Clements Tonic used to market its product. Louisa signed a Statutory Declaration attesting that the Tonic had cured her of illness and that she received no payment for her testimonial.

1903 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 23 May, p. 14. , viewed 12 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197223637

The interview helped to furnish the following details about Louisa’s life:

She was living at 62 Harmsworth Street, Collingwood. which on investigation is the same address where her youngest living daughter, Phoebe Brooks, was residing with her husband Henry.[i] Before April 1901, she had been feeling poorly and had gone to Bulli in New South Wales for respite. Bulli is also where her eldest daughter, Rachael Croft, lived with her second husband.[ii] On the return journey home, she experienced a severe bout of illness which continued after she returned home to St Kilda. It seemed nothing could be done until someone recommended that she take Clements Tonic after which she began to feel better. As she got better, she moved to live with her daughter Phoebe where the interview took place.

In essence, the interview reveals the following details:

•          On 27 April 1901, she was residing at 62 Harmsworth street, Collingwood
•      She had lived in St Kilda for many years before moving to Collingwood
•         While living in St Kilda she went on a trip to Bulli, New South Wales
•          It was not until after her trip to Bulli that she moved from St Kilda to Collingwood

Louisa died (an old pensioner of 72 years of age) on 6 September 1901, three months after the interview, of an umbilical hernia, uncontrollable vomiting and exhaustion.[iii]

Although not published before her death, the Testimonial continued being published until February 1904. 

Useful links for background

WikiTree profile for Louisa (Walker) Williamson (1828 - 1901)

See below for links to original copies of the published Testimonial.

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The URL for this post is:  https://ancestralresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2024/10/finding-clues-in-unusual-places.html Originally published on 12 October 2024

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Copies of the Testimonial can be found in the following newspapers:

1901 'Advertising', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 7 August, p. 4. (WEEKLY.), viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70047585

1901 'Advertising', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 6 November, p. 4. (WEEKLY.), viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70047918

1902 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 1 March, p. 13. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197258709

1902 'Advertising', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 7 May, p. 4. (WEEKLY.), viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70048612

1902 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 21 June, p. 14. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199399115

1902 'Advertising', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 6 August, p. 4. (WEEKLY.), viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70048957

1902 'Advertising', South Bourke and Mornington Journal (Richmond, Vic. : 1877 - 1920; 1926 - 1927), 5 November, p. 4. (WEEKLY.), viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70049247

1902 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 11 October, p. 13. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187621752

1903 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 31 January, p. 17. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197897754

1903 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 23 May, p. 14. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197223637

1903 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 12 September, p. 17. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article189343355

1904 'Advertising', The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), 13 February, p. 17. , viewed 11 Oct 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197229004

Additional Sources:

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[i] Melbourne Directory (Sands) 1900, page 232, entry for Henry Brooks residing at 62 Harmsworth st, Collingwood, page 232

[ii] '''Birth Registration of Hiram Croft (grandson)''': "New South Wales Births, Deaths and Marriages"Birth Registration Number: 38358/1894; District: Woonona; [https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/births Births search page] (accessed 11 October 2024) citing Hiram Croft birth registered 1894 in New South Wales, Australia, son of George & Rachel.

[iii] Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia, Death Certificate Louisa Williamson, (Year 1901, Reference #9613)

Masonic Jewellery

Photographer Sandra Williamson, Masonic chain with emblems, undated, 2017, digital image, personal collection

 The chain is 15.5 cm long but there are no jewellery marks evident other than the 9ct stamp.

A decorated chain with Masonic emblems was found amongst my Aunt’s belongings when she passed away. The chain was tucked away in a small box with a lady's watch that has now been passed to my aunt's daughter Andrea Buckley nee Todman.[i]    

My Aunt had kept the chain safe for many years but had not shared or known who the original owner was.  So my cousin and I began to ponder on the original owner's identity. 

We identified the following possibilities:

1. An ancestor of my Aunt [who I am related to by marriage] – As of 16 September 2024 no ancestor of Judith Flux has been identified as a Freemason.
2. An ancestor of my Uncle who was a member of his local Camperdown Lodge in country Victoria. She may have become the default custodian of the piece when her husband entered a local nursing home before she died. Possible candidates are [ancestors of my Uncle] who are also been identified as Freemasons:

1. his paternal grandfather Walter Todman who left a watch when he died (which I have discussed elsewhere) for which no anchoring chain or ribbon had ever been found, could this be the missing anchor? 
2.  his maternal James Bassett, great grandfather, James Bassett born circa 1833 in Cornwall, England.  See below as to why I think this may have belonged to James.

Close-up Detail

Figure 2 Photographer Sandra Williamson, Face of Square & Compass medallion, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

Figure 3 Photographer Sandra Williamson, Reverse of Square & Compass medallion, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

Square & Compass medallion is attached to the end of the chain with an 9ct Yellow Gold Albert Swivel Jewellery Catch Clasp

Figure 4 Photographer Sandra Williamson, Side 1 of Crimping bead, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

Figure 5 Photographer Sandra Williamson, Reverse side of Crimping bead, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

At the end of the triple chain is a crimp bead that holds the chains in place. The only marking to be found on the entire piece can be found on one side of this bead.  The marking is “9ct”, the reverse side of the bead has no marking.

Figure 6 Photographer Sandra Williamson, Sliding bead on enclosing the three chains, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

Figure 7 Photographer Sandra Williamson, powder horn charm, undated, 9ct Gold, 2017, digital image, personal collection

The iconography on the bead and powder horn charm pictured above appear to be Masonic in nature, but not ceremonial, according to a (2017) Australian Lodge member; this jewellery piece “is not part of Lodge regalia but it could be something that members of the lodge may have made up for themselves and possibly used as a watch fob chain or to attach to keys.”

The Circumstantial Evidence

The Funeral notice of James Bassett identifies him as a member of a Masonic Lodge.[ii] 

"EAGLEHAWK MASONIC LODGE 1,203, E.G. THE Officers and Members of the above and Sandhurst Lodges are requested to Attend a Meeting of this Lodge, at three p.m. This Day, at the Masonic Hall, for the purpose of proceeding to the internment of our late Brother JAMES BASSETT. H.E.TOLHURST, Hon. Secretary. Eaglehawk, 22nd March 1879."

According to Lane's Masonic Records, the Eaglehawk Lodge was probably around as early as 15 June 1865 but was formally recognised in 1867, and was wound up on 5 June 1889 becoming part of the Grand Lodge of Victoria.[iii]

As a member of the Eaglehawk Lodge James Bassett would have attended meetings in the following locations[iv]

• 1865 Catherine Reef Hotel, Eaglehawk (Bendigo), Victoria, Australia
• 1869 Camp Hotel, Eaglehawk (Bendigo), Victoria, Australia

 “At Eaglehawk (Victoria) 16 of the ‘Contributing’ members of the Masonic Lodge, No 1203, in its first six years, from 1865 to 1871 were miners, out of a total of 44.”[v]  One of those miners would have been my 2x great grandfather.  According to the Eagle Hawk Freemasonry Membership Register James Bassett was initiated on 4 January 1876 into the lodge at the age of 46, sadly only 3 years before he died on 20 March 1879.[vi][vii]  

Useful links for background

WikiTree profile for James Bassett (1834 - 1879)

Related Posts: 

• Locating the family through their children's baptisms talking about James' family of origin.

Blogpost Meta Data

The URL for this post is: https://ancestralresearchjournal.blogspot.com/2024/10/masonic-jewellery.html  originally published 5 October 2024.

Author 2024, Sandra Williamson

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[i] Andrea Buckley, in personal discussion with author, 2017

[ii] "Notices," Bendigo Advertiser, 22 March 1879, p. 3, col. 7; digital images, TROVE (http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88224693  : accessed 29 Aug 2017), Digitised newspapers and more

[iii] ‘Eaglehawk Lodge’, Lodge Number (1863): 1203; Lane's Masonic Records, version 2.0 (<http://www.dhi.ac.uk/lane>, 2020). Published by The Digital Humanities Institute, University of Sheffield: accessed 5 October 2024

[iv] ‘Eaglehawk Lodge’, Lodge Number (1863): 1203; Lane's Masonic Records, version 2.0 (<http://www.dhi.ac.uk/lane>, 2020). Published by The Digital Humanities Institute, University of Sheffield: accessed 5 October 2024

[v] Bob James of Newcastle, NSW, Creating Social Capital - Chapter 6 - Fraternal Secrets. (2017). Fraternal Secrets. Retrieved 20 August 2017, from https://www.fraternalsecrets.org/they-call-each-other-brother/creating-social-capital-chapter-6/  Accessed 29 August 2017

[vi] Ancestry, Membership record for James Bassett. Library and Museum of Freemasonry; London, England; Freemasonry Membership Registers; Description: Register of Contributions: Country and Foreign Lodges, 1121-1235. Accessed 16 September 2017 [The Eagle Hawk Lodge];

[vii] Death Certificate James Bassett died 20 March 1879 Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia 1108/1879