The Reyland Family

Susan and Edmund

Susan Bunston, the youngest child of Samuel and Fannie Monkton, was born in South Petherton, Somerset on September 10^th 1853.  Susan was the youngest sibling of George and Mary Bunston, who had left England for Australia in February1855.  It is a fair assumption that Susan would not have remembered her eldest brother and sister.

At the time of the 1861 census, seven year old Susan was attending school. She was living with her older siblings Jane, Henry, James, John and Joseph.  Their parents had already passed away by this time, Fannie in 1859 and Samuel in 1860.

The 1871 census has 17 year old Susan now living as a lodger with her sister Sarah Ann (married name, Masters) and her family. Susan was working as a Glover.

Seven years later on June 25, 1878 Susan married 26 year old Edmund Reyland at the parish church in Stratton, South Petherton, Somerset. Edmund was also born in South Petherton, on April 12th 1852 and here he was working as a labourer. Edmund was one of 15 children to William Reyland, a labourer from South Petherton and his wife Mary Anstice Vagg.

I have been unable to find Edmund in the 1861 census as he was not living with his family at the time.  Father William was working as a grocer at this time and living with him and Mary was three of their children.  I have been unable to find the family in the 1871 census.

On August 9 1878, newlyweds Edmund and Susan, left England on board the “Hesperus” and immigrated to Australia. Arriving in South Australia on October 24, they settled in Balaclava, South Australia, where their first child, Annie was born.  Two sons would also be born in South Australia. The family lived here for 11 years before moving to Victoria. Shortly after arriving at their new home, Susan gave birth to twin daughters Florence and Edith. The family resided at 27 Aitken Street, Clifton Hill - a suburb of Melbourne.  Here, Edmund was employed as a labourer. Their youngest child, Gertrude, was also born while the family lived here.

Altogether, Susan and Edmund had six children: Annie (1879); William (1883); Frederick (1885); Florence and Edith (1889) and Gertrude (1891). Though sadly the twins both died shortly after their birth.

Edmund, Fred, Susan, Gertie, Edgar and Annie Reyland

According to voting records, Susan was a house wife and Edmund was a labourer.  Edmund continued his occupation even as he progressed into old age. 

Susan died on February 26, 1913 aged 58 at Clifton Hill. She is buried at Coburg.

A few year's after his wife’s death, around 1918, Edmund moved from the house in Aitken street to a house in Kensington where he lived with his eldest daughter, Annie and her husband.  His son Frederick remained in the Aitken street house for a while with his wife. Sometime around 1927, he moved to Skipton in western Victoria where his youngest child, Gertrude, had moved to be with her husband. Edmund lived in a single room hut behind Gertrude’s house. Both the house and hut are still standing today.

Edmund died in Skipton on May 7, 1937 aged 85. He was buried on May 10 in the Coburg Cemetery with his wife, Susan.

Susan reunited with her older brother, George, and possibly her sister Mary as well.  Both daughters Annie and Gertrude married their cousins - George's boys William and Philip.

Annie

Annie May, the eldest daughter, was born at Balaclava, South Australia on March 25^th 1879.  She moved to Melbourne in 1889 with her family.  

On January 18^th 1905 Annie married William Bunston in Clifton Hill, Victoria. Their wedding party included Annie's brother Fred and sister Gertie.  The other bridesmaid could possibly have been Will's youngest sister Gean.  Will was the son of Susan's brother George and Elizabeth Lyle Thompson. He was born on October 1^st 1872 at Skipton, Victoria.  Voting records show that Will worked as a labourer and later as a municipal employee.  Annie was a house wife.

Will and Annie with Will's sister Gean

Together Will and Annie had three children: Winifred (1907); Alma (1910) and George (Peter)  (1914).

The family lived in Flemington, Melbourne. In the late 1930’s, Will’s niece, Esther Perry boarded with them for a while when she moved to Melbourne for employment.

Will died on August 9^th 1944 aged 71. Annie died 28 years later in Melbourne on September 17^th 1972, aged 93. They are buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

William Edgar

Edgar was born on September 11^th 1882 in Saints Station, South Australia. He moved to with his family to Victoria as a child.

Around the turn of the century Edgar moved to New Zealand, settling in Christchurch.  According New Zealand voting records, early on in life Edgar worked as a carter, after WWI has worked as a paper runner and in later life he worked as a cooper.  

Edgar served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War I.  He traveled to London in 1918 on board the "Tofua" with the 42nd Reinforcements A Company.

Before the war, Edgar married Eleanor Ada Frances (Nell) Allen in 1908. Edgar and Nell adopted a daughter, Joyce (1925). After 30 years of marriage, Nell died in 1938.

In 1942 Edgar married his second wife, Madge Madeline (possibly Faukner) in New Zealand. Madge was born around 1900. Madge and Edgar had a son together, Peter (1941).

Edgar died in Christchurch, New Zealand on December 23^rd 1960 aged 78. His second wife Madge died at the Christchurch Hospital on July 13^th 1988 aged 88. She was cremated the next day at the Cantebury Cremetorium, Christchurch.

Frederick Edmund

Fred was born on February 19^th1885 in Inkerman, South Australia.  In 1889 at the age of four he moved to Victoria with his family.

Voting records in 1909 showed 24 year old Fred living in Aitken street with his parents, he was employed as an estate agent.

Fred married Mary Ann Madsen in 1912.  Mary was the daughter of Marinus Madsen and Sarah Jane Warr.  She was born in Preston in 1887.  Mary and Fred did not have any children.  

Fred and Mary lived with Fred's parents in the Aitken street house, until his father moved in with Annie after the death of his wife.  In 1914 Fred was employed as a presser, while Mary worked as a machinist.

Five years later the couple were living in Tatura, central Victoria.  Here Mary was a house wife and Fred worked as a carter.  After living here for a little while they moved to Mooroopna, near Shepparton where Fred worked in the orchards as an orchard hand

By 1931 Fred and Mary had returned to the city, living in Collingwood.  Voting records now list Fred as being an invalid.  He died in Collingwood in 1940 aged 58.  Mary died in Northcote in 1961.

Gertrude May

Gertie was born in Collingwood on February 25, 1891.  Voting records from 1914 show Gertie living with her parents at the Aitken street home and working as a machinist.

A year later she and Philip Henry Bunston were married on October 27^th 1915 in Kensington.  Philip was born on December 6^th 1883 at Skipton.  In 1914 Philip was working as a farmer whilst living with his parents, George and Elizabeth. 

In 1919 Philip and Gertie were living on a property next door to Philip's parents farm.  Gertie was a house wife and Philip was a farmer.  Philip's father had given them part of his farm as a wedding present.  They lived here with their six children: Philip Edmund (Eddie) (1916); Reginald Henry (Reg) (1918); Alexander Herbert (Alec) (1920); George Lyle (1924); Thelma May (1925) and Alan James (1929).  The boys all lived to adulthood, but sadly their only daughter, Thelma, died in infancy. 

Front:Alan & George, Back: Eddie, Reg, Alec

 

After the death of Gertie’s mother Susan Reyland, Gertrude’s father moved into a single room hut behind their house. Gertrude died on August 8, 1955 aged 65. She is buried at the Skipton Cemetery with her husband who died ten years later on June 13^th 1965, aged 82.