If you could meet your ancestors

All standing in a row,

Would you be proud of them

Or don't you really know?

Some strange discoveries are

Made in climbing trees, and

Some of them you know,

Do not particularly please.

Victorian Suffrage Petition of 1891 & Our Ancestors

I saw an excellent program on ABC1 last night and it left me feeling so amazingly proud of my courageous female ancestors who stood up to be counted and signed the huge (35,000 signature) Victorian Suffrage Petition of 1891 - which is part of this program. 


The program is called Utopia Girls-How Women Got The Vote and it's the "little known story of how Australian women became the first in the world to gain full political rights."


Here is the ABC1 link http://www.abc.net.au/tv/programs/utopiagirls.htm for you to watch the entire program if you're interested. 

Following are copies of the original signatures which you can view on the following website http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/WomensPetition

I've included a list (below) of our female relatives who we know signed the petition in Lilydale - there may well have been many more in other parts of Victoria and will check this out when I get time. [Most of the information on this list is thanks to John Leach, the rest [the Alway's] I've surmised]:

1891 Suffrage Family Information Lilydale

Alway, M

This person may be Mary Eliza 'Eliza' Alway (nee Wilson)(1840-1922), second wife of Robert Alway (1823-1894)? They had married in 1861. Eliza died in Lilydale so could have been living there in 1891 and at that time she would have been aged 51.  Info Mortimore family.

Alway, S. M.

This may be Susanna Martha Alway (1869-1933) - daughter of Mary Eliza & Robert Alway (above).  She also died in Lilydale and having such a forward thinking mother she probably followed her mother's lead and signed the petition. Susanna would have been aged 22 in 1891. Susanna married John Hutchinson (1870-1937) in 1893. Info Mortimore family.

Harman, Grace 


Grace Harman (1870-1935) of Main Street, Lilydale, was a daughter of Robert and Ann Harman, nee Williams, born in Lilydale, and a sister of Susan Leach (nee Harman).  In 1893 she married George Podger (1870-1936).  She'd have been about 21 when she added her signature to the petition.  She is buried in WA.  (p. 675, line 11) Info Leach family. 

Leach, L


Louisa Leach of Albert Hill (Lilydale), (nee Boucher) (ca 1855-1932), had married Thomas Leach (1861-1924) in 1882.  Originally named Sarah, she seems to have adopted Louisa as her name.  Believed to have been born in Sandhurst, Vic, she was the daughter of Joseph and Eliza Boucher, (nee Marsh), and was aged about 36 in 1891.  She and Thomas were members of the Lilydale Baptist Church, and are buried in the old Lilydale Cemetery.  (p. 678, line 32)  Info Leach family.


Leach, S


Susan Leach (nee Harman) (1863-1918) had married James Leach (1859-1921) in 1887.  She was one of the six daughters of Robert and Ann Harman, (nee Williams), and was born in Lilydale.  She'd have been 28 in 1891.  She and James lived in Victoria Road, Lilydale and attended the Croydon Church of Christ, known at that time as the Disciples of Christ.  In the late 1890s the family moved to Fremantle to escape the deep economic recession gripping the eastern states - James going first, followed some months later by Susan and children.  James and Susan had six children, and are buried in the Fremantle Cemetery.  Susan's father, Robert Harman (1839-1924) was sometime licensee of the Crown Hotel, a member of the Lilydale School Committee and of the Lilydale Cricket Club, and he owned property in Wandin Yallock.  (p. 678, line 35)  Info Leach family.

Mortimore, C (Main St)


Spelling either Mortimore or Mortomore in BDM indexes.


Caroline Eliza Mortomore, (nee Always) (ca 1865-1931) was the daughter of Robert and Mary Eliza Alway, (nee Wilson).  In 1886 she married Charles Mortomore (1864-1943), who had been born at Brushy Creek.  Caroline and Charles Mortomore were members of the Lilydale Baptist Church.  They had five children: Charles Robert (1887-1917), Florence Ethel (1890-1931), Robert Alway MM (1892-1917), Leonard Harold (1894-1965), and Cyril Ernest (1902-74), plus two adopted daughters, Amy and Mavis.  (p. 678, line 19)  Info Leach family. 

Mortomore, Mrs

Spelling either Mortimore or Mortomore in BDM indexes.


Sarah Mortomore, (nee Shaw) (1825-1903), was aged about 66 in 1891.  Born in Thurlby, Lincolnshire, she was the daughter of John and Mary Shaw, (nee Williamson), who were Baptists; and she later became a member of the Lilydale Baptist Church.   She had first married Robert Jarvis (1849), then John Leach (1854), and lastly William Henry Mortomore, a Lilydale brickmaker (1863).  By her second marriage she was the mother of James, Thomas and Henry ‘Harry’ Leach; and she and William Mortomore had a further three children: Charles (1864-1943), Sarah (1865-1936) and Martin (1867-1942).  Martin and his descendants spell their surname 'Mortimore.'  At the time of her death in 1903, Sarah, aged 77, was living in Cave Hill Road, Lilydale; and she is buried in the old Lilydale Cemetery.  Her husband William Henry Mortomore (son of Wm Henry and Eva Mortomore (nee Talbot)) died at Lilydale in 1910 aged 79 years.  (p. 679, line 10)  Info Leach family.

Mortomore, S


Spelling either Mortimore or Mortomore in BDM indexes.


Sarah Ann Mortomore (1865-1936) was born in Lilydale, the daughter of William and Sarah Mortomore, (nee Shaw).  A life-long spinster, she kept house for her half-brother, ‘Harry’ Leach, who lived over his grocery shop in Main Street.  She joined the Lilydale Baptist Church in 1881; and she'd have been 26 in 1891.  Like her half-brother ‘Harry’ Leach, who never married, she is buried in the old Lilydale Cemetery.  She, and one other signatory wrote 'Lily Dale,' while everyone else wrote 'Lilydale.'  (p. 678, line 33)  Info Leach family.

Paternal Beginnings.....Hansen

The HANSEN's originated in Denmark, but our Frederick William HANSEN 
(my great grandfather) was born on 8 May 1833 in Rostock, Germany (then Prussia) 
of Danish parents, Frederick William HANSEN & Louisa Christina 'Christina' WOOLF. 
 [For much more information re dates etc go to HANSEN/JANS Website - see list]

Map is of Central & Western Europe in 1815 - the red line denotes where Germany is now.

This map shows Rostock in north-east Mecklenburg, Germany.

Frederick arrived in Victoria, Australia, 4 January 1855 aboard the ship ‘Tiptree’.

 married  

Maria Ellen CLARK on 13 Nov 1876 at 40 Gore St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

40 Gore St, Fitzroy in 1876 was the home of the Baptist Minister
and Frederick & Maria were married in the front living room
of the house.  These photos were taken of that house in 2008.

[On Maria's Death Certificate, Maria & Frederick's marriage is listed as having taken place at Mansfield, Victoria 

when she was 18.  They were, IN FACT, according to the Marriage Certificate, married at the home of the 

Baptist Minister, 40 Gore St, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia.  Other family members believe they were 

married at Jamieson, Victoria on 13 Jun 1863, but I have no idea where that supposition comes from]

THEY HAD THE FOLLOWING 12 CHILDREN:

1.   Louisa Maria HANSEN b. 31 May 1865 at McMahon's Creek, Warburton, Victoria; married (in a double wedding  ceremony) on 11 Feb 1882 at Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne), Victoria, Australia to Johann Jorgen Ferdinand 'John' JANS and they had 10 children

  

     

2.   Frederick William 'Old Bill' HANSEN b. abt 1866 at Warburton, Upper Yarra, Victoria, Australia; married #1 abt 1889 to Mary Jane WALSH and they had 10 children;  #2 14 Jul 1909 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Mary Ann JUDGE and they had 3 children

     

Frederick William 'Old Bill' HANSEN Jnr                    

3.   Ellen Theresa 'Nellie' HANSEN b. 28 Sep 1867 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married (in a double wedding  ceremony) on 11 Feb 1882 at Emerald Hill (now South Melbourne), Victoria, Australia to Andreas 'Andrew' JANS and they had 7 children.

Ellen Theresa 'Nellie' HANSEN at her farm

4.   Elizabeth Anne 'Lizzie' HANSEN b. abt 1869 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1890 to Robert JONES and they had 3 children

5.   Alice Maude 'Maude' HANSEN b. 19 Apr 1871 at McMahon's Creek, Victoria, Australia; married on 2 Jul 1891 at East Warburton, Victoria, Australia to James BRANSON and they had 13 children

6.   Robert George 'George' HANSEN b. abt 1872 at Warburton East, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1896 to Esther HARRIS and they had 2 children

7.   Ada Christina HANSEN b. 02 Jul 1876 at McMahon's Creek, Warburton, Victoria, Australia [*My Grandmother*]; married on 25 Mar 1897 at Lilydale, Victoria, Australia to Martin MORTIMORE and they had 11 children

   

8.   Samuel Roderic HANSEN b. 19 Jul 1878 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married on 10 Jul 1912 at Tasmania, Australia to Christina Naismith 'Tina' POLSON and they had 2 children

9.   Albert Henry 'Bert' HANSEN b. abt 1880 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married abt 1909 to Minnie DON and they had 4 children

Bert HANSEN & Chris HARVEY with Bert's pet wombat

10. Dora Amelia 'Amelia' HANSEN b. abt 1883 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia;  d. abt 1883 aged 5 months

11. Thomas Talbot 'Tom' HANSEN b. 07 Jun 1884 at McMahons Creek, Victoria, Australia; married on 1 Jun 1921 at St Cuthbert's Anglican Church, Glenlyon Road, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia to Janet Olive 'Olive' JOHNSON and they had 2 children

  

12. Ruby HANSEN b. 03 Dec 1886 at Warburton, Victoria, Australia; married on 14 Jan 1907 at Myrtlebrook Farm, Cement Creek, Victoria, Australia to Christopher HARVEY and they had 6 children

FAMILY LIFE

The HANSEN’s lived at the gold diggings at Mansfield, Woods Point, and Reefton/McMahons Creek. At the time of their marriage their address was given as Sale in Gippsland. Frederick & Maria HANSEN established a property known as ‘Myrtlebrook Farm' at Cement Creek, near Warburton, which was one of the first freehold properties selected in the district.   ‘Myrtlebrook Farm' passed into the hands of their 9th child, Albert Henry 'Bert' HANSEN, and he sold it in about 1914 to Lamprieres, shipping agents from Melbourne.  Eventually the property was compulsorily acquired by the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works. and in whose hands it remains to this day.

c.1910 Believed to be Maria HANSEN (nee CLARK) and some of her

children feeding the animals at 'Myrtlebrook Farm'.

Frederick HANSEN was one of the group of men who turned the river at the Big Peninsula, anticipating that alluvial gold would be at the low spot but, unfortunately, their dreams of a rich gold find were never realised. Although he owned 'Myrtlebrook Farm' Frederick HANSEN still gave his occupation as that of a Miner. 

It is believed that Frederick & Maria HANSEN were the ones who built, operated and then moved the Reefton Hotel (originally it was the general store, in the times when miners brought in their gold to be weighed on the grocer's scales¹) from it’s original position (It used to be on the opposite side of the road and a mile further up the road) to where it now stands.  It is said to be in it’s present position because they couldn’t get it across McMahon’s Creek.. 

[¹These same grocer’s scales are now in the possession of Thomas HANSEN’s grandson, Laurie RICHARDS - see below]