Road trips and cups of tea

In the days before fast food outlets, refreshments were packed to take on your journey. I can remember taking my grandmother, Myrtle, on a road trip with my two young children in tow. We were taking her to visit her sister in New South Wales, the year was 1997.

She bought with her a red picnic case that held two thermoses, a china tea set, tins full of sandwiches and fruit. My children were aged eight and ten, we would stop often. I would take the children for a walk while she stayed with the car, at 90 years of age she wasn’t too keen on going for long walks, no matter how short they were. By the time we returned she would have peeled and cut up fruit and arranged the afternoon tea, it was quite magical. It was something that she had been doing since she had been a young mother.

 

Photographer unknown, Traveller’s stopping at a Road side picnic; circa 1927, New South Wales, Australia [W009]

Her daughter Judy remembers travelling as a young girl going on holidays with her parent’s Lincoln & Myrtle and her brother Warrick. Judy remembered the last trip that they all took together.

They had started early in the morning before the sun had risen leaving their warm beds. Lincoln, their father ushered Judy, and her brother Warrick to the back door, the sound echoing as their feet scuffed across the linoleum floor. The air was brisk as they slid into the back of the car onto the cold seat. She pulled her teddy bear with its articulating arms closer to her body. Judy could see her mother, Myrtle's figure through the open kitchen door as she bustled around in her apron under the bright electric light packing the last of the contents of their red picnic case. It held tin boxes laden with fresh sandwiches, flasks of hot tea and a bottle of cold water for the kids.

Every few hours they stopped during their journey on the side of the road to take refreshments. Myrtle spreading a small cloth on whatever flat surface was available, often on top of a blanket on the ground. Myrtle carefully arranged the chosen refreshments in careful proportions for each person not wasting, spilling or dropping a morsel from the picnic set. Judy released from her cramped confinement in the rear seat ran off amongst roadside trees to stretch her legs. Sometimes Warrick followed her but mostly he liked to stay near the car. The paddocks were lush and green this time of the year in the middle of winter. There weren’t many trees other than those on the road verge or the occasional single file of pines that created windbreaks along the barbwire fence lines. Judy crouched down and fossicked in the rubble but was cautious not to disturb any bull ant nests.

“Judy. Judy. Judith. Where have you got too? Come back to the car this instance,” shouted Myrtle

Judy sprang to attention, dropping her stick and began to make her way back.

“Why can’t you be more like your brother? Come along now, have something to eat. Your father wants to leave in a few minutes," Myrtle continued as Judy got closer.

“Now Myrtle she’s just full of energy,” Lincoln said as he winked at Judy “After all you don’t want them both to be carsick, do you?”

After a quick bite, it was back in the car and off again. The long drive was punctuated with storytelling and singing. Judy’s favourite song was “There's a hole in my bucket” but she also liked “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”. There seemed to be a never-ending list of ditties and songs. Lincoln told stories as he drove, and they’d play ‘Eye Spy’, it broke the monotony of the journey.

Many years later Judy would repeat the whole process herself with her young children.

Photographer Christine Filiamundi, Judy setting up family picnic during a road trip, c.1962, on the road between Bateman’s Bay, New & Benalla, Victoria, Australia. [W038] From Left Judith Todman, Sandra Williamson, Mark Williamson, John Palmer Williamson

Sandra also carried on the tradition during her own car trips.

Photographer Jessica, picnic on the way to Opera in the Outback, 1997, South Australia

The red picnic case in the foreground is the one that Sandra’s grandmother used when she travelled. Sandra’s friend Yumiko is holding one of the matching thermoses that were part of the original contents of the case.

Nothing like a bit of refinement for an afternoon tea break while travelling.

Sepia Saturday: Using Old Images As Prompt for New Reflections – Prompt 526

Friendships forged by Training Together

They all met for the first time at the Melbourne School of Nursing in 1953.

Photographer unknown, Student Nurses, circa 1954, Melbourne School of Nursing, Mayfield Ave, Toorak, Victoria, Australia.[T346]  From Left: Back Row Barbara Lancombe, Louise Hamilton; Front Row: Judy Todman, Wendy Dolling, June Mar, Phyllis Walker.

In 1956 after three years of study, they successfully graduated together from The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Associated Hospitals School of Nursing after successfully sitting their final exam on the 29 & 30 June.

Photographer unknown, Graduating Nursing Students from Melbourne School of Nursing, August 1956, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia [T348] From the Left: Wendy Dolling, June Mark, Barbara Lancombe, Phyllis Walker, Judy Todman, Louise Hamilton

After three years of training together, they had forged friendships that would last a lifetime. Their first get together was soon after training before Judy travelled to New Zealand for an eight-month working holiday.

Photographer unknown, Catching up with Nursing friends, 1957, Hotel Elizabeth, 321 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, Victoria Australia (From left to right: July Todman, June Mark, Barbara Lancomb, Louise Hamilton, Wendy Dolling and Phyllis Walker.) [T316]

Over time they have shared their life journeys with each other. Indelible bonds were formed during those early years of intensive nurse training, that has lasted a lifetime.

Photographer unknown, 50th-year Anniversary lunch at Barb's place, 2003 (From left to right: Barb, Louise, Phyl, Wendy, & Judy) [T344]

There are not many people who can claim to have maintained 50 years of friendship and shared memories based on their early work experiences.

This Blogpost is an expansion of an early one I wrote entitled A Dinner Party Reunion

The Importance of Pets

Streak

Judy loved all types of animals in contrast to her mother. On a farm, animals had chores just like everyone else, chooks provided eggs, horses provided transport and dogs helped to herd the cows and keep the foxes away from the chickens. But Streak was special, rather than herding cows, he herded the children and followed them everywhere.

Photographer unknown, Judy & Diana with Streak standing on top of Leura Hill in Camperdown, Victoria, Australia [T351]

Bluey

Bluey was a good steadfast type of horse, reliable and gentle and when he not working around the farm Judy loved to ride him. Judy loved Bluey much more than her boyfriend’s motorbike.

Photographer unknown, Judy can’t remember the name of her old boyfriend but the horse’s name was Bluey, 1952, Victoria, Australia[ T333]

Digger

When Judy first went nursing and travelling, she couldn’t responsibly keep a pet. However, as soon as she started a family, she acquired a pet dog named Digger.

Photographer unknown, Digger the dog in the front yard, 1962, 8 Hope Street Benalla, Victoria, Australia [T352]

Digger joined the family sometime in 1962. He was a wonderful companion even though he was a bit naughty. During the day he would escape through the fence in search of toys for his young companions. After each escapade Digger would return with a different toy. The neighbours were very understanding and tolerant, they would visit and retrieve their children's toys at the end of each day. Some claimed that Judy had trained Digger to collect the toys, but when I spoke to Judy, she assured me this was not true. Digger eventually moved to live with Judy’s cousin Graham in Queensland, a much better match for such a lively canine.

Mrs Sabatini’s Cat

It’s often said that you never really own a cat, it just chooses who it will spend time with. Mrs Sabatini’s cat lived next door to Judy in Benalla.

Photographer Unknown, Sandra playing with the cat, 1962, Benalla, Victoria, Australia [T359]

The cat would visit daily to play with the children. Judy was delighted.

Butty Judy’s riding companion

Then there was Butty, a Stafford Bull Terrier who Judy trained to go riding with her. Butty would run alongside Judy as she rode.  He wasn’t afraid of the horse’s hooves and neither were the horses afraid of him. Butty would come back exhausted by the end of the day.

Photographer unknown, Judy riding with her Dog, 1982, Victoria, Australia [T360]

Sharing her passion for animals with her mother

Judy was mother was never keep on animals but when she came to live with Judy, her distain of pets began to soften. Myrtle who had disapproved of dogs inside in her younger years was happy to have her favourite friend in at night to watch TV. Perhaps it was because she didn’t have to tidy up after anyone anymore, she felt more comfortable to have a canine companion.

Photographer Judith Williamson, Myrtle playing with Judy’s 3 dogs and a duck [T354]

Sepia Saturday: Using Old Images As Prompt for New Reflections – Prompt 525

An Unexpected Find

By the 1980s Myrtle Sharp was living in Mulgrave, an outer suburb of Melbourne.  I was her granddaughter,  and would visit her often. She seemed very old, so when she earnestly told me she would be dying soon, I believed her. I felt a sense of panic because after all she was 70, and that was “old” to me.

Photographer unknown, Myrtle, circa 1981, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia [b146]

With a sense of urgency, I began to help sort and label her pictures. Each time I visited we would work a little more on our pictures project.  

 We began by laying the photos out on the lounge room floor in a large around her in what I guessed were chronological rows. She would sit in her large recliner chair and oversee my efforts. Repeatedly I asked: who is this? where’s that? Did this happen before or after that? The photos were then moved around like tetra pieces, according to her responses. Labels were added and stories refined. Each visit built on the information of the last.

 One day when we were working together, she brought out a new tin that I had not seen before.  It contained more photos and some papers. We began the same process of sorting, examining one photo at a time, adding to the growing rows of those already sorted.

During another visit she suddenly she leapt out of her chair clutching a folded and very yellowed piece of paper to her chest and disappeared into the next room. I was flummoxed and had no idea what was going on. I followed her into the next room. Without explanation, she tucked the piece of paper into her pocket and came back out to begin working once again on her photos. I was intrigued by her actions but decided to respect her wish for privacy and focused on other things.

Photographer Sandra Williamson, Myrtle's Photo Tin, 2016, digital image.

 After several weeks I summoned up enough courage to ask her what was on the paper. She tilted her head sideways and peered at me and finally said that blood was thicker than water. The story about my family had begun, I had inadvertently uncovered my first family skeleton.

 Myrtle had grown up using the surname Bassett but it turned out that she could have quite justifiably used a number of possible surnames. William Bassett, whom she identified as her father, was listed as such when she was enrolled in Eaglehawk Primary School in 1913 at the age of six.[i]

When she married her first husband, she gave her name as “Myrtle May Crump Bassett”.[ii] Crump was her mother’s maiden name. When Myrtle became a widow and remarried, she listed her father as William Bassett as she did for her third marriage to Ivan Rupert Lance Sharp.[iii]

On Myrtle’s birth certificate her mother’s name was listed as “Lilian Manderson formerly Crump”.[iv] A search of the Victorian Birth Deaths & Marriages (BDM) reveals that Lilian Crump had a baby named Myrtle May, who is registered twice under the surnames of first Crump, and then Manderson (the year and registration number are identical for both names indicating that this is the same person).[v]

It wasn’t until 1967 that things came to a head for Myrtle when she applied for a passport to travel overseas. Myrtle found herself explaining to her youngest daughter, Diana, why her birth certificate did not bear the surname of her childhood.[vi] Later Myrtle would say that she had no doubt that William Bassett was her father as the family resemblance was strong.[vii]

Myrtle’s parents, William Bassett & Lillian Crump, became a couple, around 1905 but never married.  When Myrtle, their second eldest, was two years of age (in 1907) the family left Eaglehawk and relocated to Tasmania. William found employment in the mines and their only son, William, was born.[viii] [ix] They returned to Eaglehawk by 1912 for the birth of their fourth child Gladys Irene.[x] It was assumed the couple had married in Tasmania, but that was not the case.[xi]

Photographer unknown, Myrtle, William, & Doris Bassett , circa 1909, Tasmania, Australia [B437]

My Grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday on 2nd June 2007, with almost all of her descendants celebrating with her.  

Photographer Glen Watson, Myrtle at her 100th Birthday Party, 2007, digital image

She passed away on 19 June 2008. Her photos leave a wonderful legacy for future generations.

And that piece of paper that she was so earnest to protect was record of her mother’s only marriage. It was to a man who had left before Myrtle and her siblings were born.

For further information see the following:

You can find more about Myrtle here on WikiTree

Writing Prompt by Amy Johnson Crow: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 25 - "Unexpected." 

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[i]  Eaglehawk No. 210  150 Years of education 1854-2004 (Eaglehawk Primary School 2004.  Compiled by :Ruth Claridge.). 

[ii]  Marriage Certificate of Lincoln Todman & Myrtle May Crump Bassett, married 21 September 1929, Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia. 9531/1929

[iii]  Original Certificate of Marriage for Stuart Rochford Taylor & Myrtle May Todman married 26 June 1943, Terang, Victoria, Australia; Original Certificate of Marriage for Ivan Rupert Lance Sharp & Myrtle May Taylor married 2 April 1960, Balaclava, Victoria, Australia

[iv]  Birth certificate of Myrtle May Crump born 2 June 1907 Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia. 10223/1907.

[v]  Results of girth search using the criteria child’s first name “Myrtle May” & mother “Lilian Crump” or children born Myrtle with the Marriages, Family history search - Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. [online] Online.justice.vic.gov.au. Available at: https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018]

[vi]  Diana Culley, in personal discussion with author, November 2017

[vii]  Myrtle Sharp, in personal discussion with author, c.2000

[viii]  NAA: B883, VX21203 Service Records for William BASSETT

[ix] "Australia, Tasmania, Civil Registration of Births, 1899-1912," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95P-WW47-3?cc=2400177&wc=3L7N-LGH%3A1584076518%2C1584076203%2C1584076802 : accessed 26 May 2020); Birth record for William Manderson born 17 September 1908 in Dundas, Tasmania, Australia, Entry 1290, registration number 3758, Register for Birth in the district of Zeehan, Tasmania, Australia; Zeehan > Births > 1908 > image 26 of 31; citing The Tasmania Department of Justice, Hobart. [no father included in the record, mother listed as Lilliam Manderson formerly Crump, age 24 years, born Victoria residing in Dundas]

[x]  Birth Certificate of Gladys Irene Basset  born 15 September 1912, Registry of Birth, Death and Marriages, Victoria, Australia. 19781/1912.

[xi] Myrtle Sharp, in personal discussion with author, c.2000

St Andrew’s Tennis Club

The 2½ mile bicycle ride into town was exhausting. 

“You’d be tuckered out before the tennis match even began.”

So initially, Judy tagged along and just with her brother and cousin Graeme.

Tennis can be played in all seasons, 1949, Camperdown, Victoria, Australia [T357]

But Judy was competitive by nature and as she got older playing her brother didn’t really interest her so she joined the local tennis team in Camperdown.

St Andrews Tennis Club, circa 1951-1953, Camperdown, Victoria, Australia T358

Although not the best in the team Judy enjoyed playing competitive tennis and the social life that went along with it.  Mixed doubles could be so much fun.

1951 'ST. ANDREW'S SUCCESSFUL JUBILEE TENNIS TOURNAMENT', Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 - 1954), 9 October, p. 4. , viewed 14 Jun 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28331883 

Judy and her partner were defeated in the first round of mixed doubles, but in the third round when she competed in the women’s doubles Judy and partner defeated their adversaries.  Was Judy not paying attention as she should have been in the mixed doubles? Was she distracted by the opposite sex? Whatever the answer she remembers how much she enjoyed playing tennis before leaving the country to do her nurse training. 

Sepia Saturday: Using Old Images As Prompt for New Reflections – Prompt 524

Going back One More Generation

With a little help from friends at the “IRISH - SPECIALITY RESEARCH” Facebook group, in particular Kelly Ocallaghan, I’ve been able to go back another generation this time in Ireland for the Williamson side of the family.

Population_density_of_Ireland_map2002.svg: *Ireland_complete.svg: Future Perfect at Sunrisederivative work: The Illusional Ministry (talk)derivative work: Sswonk / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ireland_trad_counties_named.svg]

Thomas was baptised on 12 December 1800 the son of George and Frances Williamson residing in Clones, Monaghan, Ireland.[i]

Thomas born in Monaghan has travelled to Dublin for work, likely becoming a dock worker, an occupation he continued after moving to England.

In Dublin he gets married to Maria Murphy on 20 March 1821 in St. Nicholas' Catholic Church, Dublin, Ireland.[ii] [While living in Dublin it appears that Thomas has used the name Williams and dropped the ‘son’ and used the shorter surname Williams]

Children with Maria

1.          Jane Williams baptised after the 26^th  May 1823, St. Mary's (Pro-Cathedral), Dublin City, the daughter of Thos & M Ann Williams, residing in Britton St sponsored by Hariot Dyars[iii]

Maria dies in May 1828 and is buried on 13 May 1828 in St Mary parish, Dublin, Ireland (unfortunately no age is given at the time of her burial).[iv]

 It appears he's gone back to his home town more than likely for family support with his Jane. Four years later he is marrying Jane Robinson his second wife Jane Robinson in 1832 in Armagh, Ireland.[v]

The newly married couple have the following children

1.          John Williamson born 23^rd January 1832, Ireland.[vi]
2.          James Williamson born circa 1836 in Ireland.

By 1851 the family have moved to England and can be found in the 1851-1871 Census. His eldest daughter Jane re-joins the family in 1861 with her illegitimate son, James.

1851 Census[vii]
Wood Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK

1.          Thomas Williamson, aged 54, Dock labourer
2.          Jane Williamson, aged 50,
3.          John Williamson, aged 19, Tailor apprentice
4.         James Williamson, aged 15, ship carpenter apprentice

1861 Census[viii]
Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK

1. Thomas Williamson, aged 60 Labourer
2. Jane Williamson, wife aged 58
3. Jane Williamson, daughter aged 40 unmarried
4. James Williamson, son, aged 23, Ship carpenter
5. James Williamson, grandson, aged 8, scholar

1871 Census[ix]
8 L Court, Nelson Street, Maryport, Cumberland, England, UK

1.          Thomas Williamson, aged 70, labourer
2.          Jane Williamson, aged 69

The “Irish – Speciality Research” Facebook group is an “Australian based Irish Ancestral Speciality Research Group that offers Global Irish Only Research.”

More work to be done but we're off to a flying start.

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[i] Findmypast, Clones, Baptisms & marriages, 1682-1845 (images of typed transcriptions); Baptism of Thomas Williamson baptised in 12 December 1800 in the parish of Clones, Monaghan, Ireland, the son of George & Frances residing in Clones. Citing ffolliott Parish Registers transcriptions of the Clones Registers, 8th entry, page 82

[ii] National Library collection of Catholic parish register microfilms website, St. Nicholas', Dublin city; County of Dublin; Archdiocese of Dublin. Marriages, Mar. 1821 to Nov. 1821 (image database https://registers.nli.ie/ : Accessed 12 June 2020); Marriage of Thomas William & Maria Murphpy, married 20 March 1821 in Parish register St. Nicholas' (Without), Dublin City last entry for March in 1821 on page 73; citing Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Marriages [ https://registers.nli.ie/pages/vtls000633619_073 ]

[iii] National Library collection of Catholic parish register microfilms website, St. Mary's, Dublin city; County of Dublin; Archdiocese of Dublin.  (image database https://registers.nli.ie/ : Accessed 12 June 2020); Baptism of Jane Williams baptised after the 26th  May 1823, the daughter of Thos & M Ann Williams, residing in Britton St sponsored by Hariot Dyars 10^th entry on page 95; citing Ireland Roman Catholic Parish Marriages citing Microfilm 09150 / 02 [ https://registers.nli.ie/pages/vtls000633771_095]

[iv] Irish Genealogy.ie, Church Records search (database with images, https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/), Burial for Maria Williams died while residing in Coles and buried 13 May 1828, St Mary Dublin parish register entry 247, page 31, year 1828; [https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/display-pdf.jsp?pdfName=d-277-4-3-031 accessed 12 June 2020]

[v] Findmypast, Ireland Diocesan And Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes 1623-1866 (data with Index images); Marriage index entry for Thomas Williamson and Jane Robinson, married 1832 in the Diocese of Armagh, Ireland, 5th entry on unnumbered page beginning with the first entry on the page being Williamson Susan.

[vi] Headstone of Grave in St Kilda Cemtery, St Kilda, Victoria, Australia

[vii] 1851 English Census HO107 Piece: 2435; Folio: 561; Page: 11

[viii] 1861 English Census RG9, Piece: 3942; Folio: 17; Page: 27

[ix] 1871 English Census Series RG10, Piece: 5246; Folio: 77; Page: 35

Matters of Inheritance

I inherited a Fob Seal from my grandfather, Lincoln Todman, my cousin inherited the Fob watch. Both items were part of a set originally belonging to our great grandfather, Walter Todman. However, without the original anchoring chain, nothing tangibly keeps them together anymore.

A close up of watch & seal.

The watch and seal held by his widow were originally intended to be passed on to their eldest son, Walter Victor Todman, not the second son. The following family story explains why they didn’t. 

The eldest took his brother’s watch and sold it for monetary benefit, in response their mother gave the watch and seal to Lincoln as a replacement for the watch taken.

Walter wearing the Fob watch on his waistcoat, circa August 1926, Victoria, Australia[T150]

What happened Next

Warwick being only a child was unaware of the watches significance and took it apart to see how it worked. It was reassembled but has not worked since.

Before Judith received the Fob Seal her younger half-sister, Diana, found it in her mother’s drawer. Diana thought it was a stamp. She wanted to make an impression of the Roman Lion on the seal’s carnelian agate face and so applied ink this resulted in it getting a permanent blue tinge.

Now we the next line of descendants hold these precious family items. This story is an attempt to track their travel through time to the present day.

Where did Fob Seal come from?

No one knows anything about the history of the fob seal. It has no hallmarks or manufacture’s markings of any kind. One relative thought it was a Masonic symbol however, after much investigation this theory has been largely dispelled. 

For Further information see the following:

You can read more about the Watch & the fob here 

You can find more out about Lincoln Todman and his father Walter Todman on WikiTree

Writing Prompt for Week 24  by Amy Johnson Crow 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

#52ancestors and #wikitree

Leaning out windows

Queensland was a long drive but it was here that the family settled in 1965. John took on a new position at Comet Windmills after being dismissed from Reynold Chains in Victoria. It was time for a new start.

Everything was different, even the weather. Morning play outside for the children required beanies to guard against the crisp cool air. By lunch, Judy was swapping beanies for sun hats as the air began to warm and the humidity rose.

It was in the days before air-conditioning. The houses stood on stilts designed to catch a cool breeze during the hot and humid days. Windows were often left open to facilitate a "through breeze", to ventilate and cool the rooms within.

Judy made friends with the other wives, learning to play squash, meeting them at the gym and sharing the occasional lunch together. The kids were always with her except perhaps on the weekend when a few stolen hours could be spent alone at the shops. Life revolved mostly around meal and nap times for the children, creating a daily rhythm for life. 

One day after putting Paul down for his midday nap Judy went out to the shops leaving John in charge. Returning home, she parked the car in front of the open carport. As she got out of the car she looked up to see her baby boy leaning precariously out of the bedroom window.  He held his bottle in one hand and waved with the other. Milk dripped onto the car roof below. Oblivious to the danger he smiled delightedly.

Judy recalls keeping Paul in conversation as she moved carefully and slowly up the front stairs trying not to show too much alarm as her heart raced. Containing her panic, she made her way to his room. She chatted constantly with him, in an even voice willing him not to lean any further out the window. As soon as she was close enough, she put her arms around his chest and pulled him off the window sill.  The relief that followed was almost overwhelming.

Sepia Saturday: Using Old Images As Prompt for New Reflections – Prompt 523