Martha Ann Bunston

 

A small piece taken from my upcoming book - Bunston Family Revisited

Martha was born in Grey County, Ontario, likely around Egremont / Yeovil on July 21, 1870.  She was only around a year old when the 1871 census was taken.

She would continue to live with her parents and siblings through the 1880s and into the 1890s.  There is no occupation listed, but I would expect Martha to have helped on the farm and in the shop – if not she would have helped around the house.

On February 22, 1893, Martha married Jasper Whyte in Egremont.  They are both listed as living here on the marriage certificate.  While brother, Thomas Bunston, who was a witness, is listed as living in Yeovil.  Jasper was a farmer and was born to Jasper Whyte Snr and Ann Smith on April 26, 1867.

Jasper Jnr and his bride remained in the Egremont area, farming land just a few miles from Holstein on Con. 14.  They would have a family of three boys and three girls: Alexander, Annie, Percy, Josephine, Hilda and Jasper. 

The 1901 census states that 31-year-old Martha and her family were living with her widowed father-in-law.  She is listed as “wife”; however, the head of the household is her 67-year-old father-in-law, and the children are listed as grandchildren.  Jasper Jnr is listed as being 34 and the relationship is son.  Jasper’s mother, Ann, had died in 1881.

At the beginning of October 1905, Jasper Jnr contracted typhoid fever.  He was severely ill for two weeks before finally succumbing to the illness on October 17.  He was buried in Holstein cemetery.  At the time of his death, Martha was left to care for her 71-year-old father-in-law and six children under 12, the youngest being barely a month old when his father died.

Martha remained on the family farm after the loss of her husband.  Jasper Snr died four years later in 1909, after suffering months of senile deafness. 

In the 1911 census Martha and the children are recorded as all living together on the farm.  Martha and the older boys are listed as farmers. 

Martha was very close with her siblings and their families.  In early 1918 Martha went to Hanover to visit and help care for her gravely ill oldest brother, George.  I have not found a report, but I would expect that she also attended his funeral in April.  A few months later she would learn that her eldest son had died in the war in France. At the end of 1919, her niece Nellie spent the new year weekend with her.  She attended Nellie’s wedding in August 1925 and remained there for a while visiting with her brother John and his family.  In February 1926 Martha spent some time in Arthur, visiting her sister, Mary.

In the mid to late 1920s, Martha advertised her 200-acre property for rent – either as a whole or in portions.  With her son, Percy, she would spend the Christmas of 1930 with her brother John and his family, as well as her nephew Earl Bunston and his family.  Martha was also at John’s side, helping care for him, at the end of 1932 when he was very unwell.  She returned home when he began to improve in health.

Martha passed away at the age of 79 on December 14, 1949.  She is buried with her beloved husband, Jasper.     

Sepia Saturday 694

 

Family Portraits

Thomas Sloan and Sarah Jane Walters 

Thomas was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1854 to John Sloan and Marion Jackson. Sarah was the daughter of Mary Bunston and Jacob Walters (aka William Walters aka William Johnston aka Henry Freeman). Tom married Sarah in 1878 - she was 18 and he was 24.  The couple had 12 children and they farmed land near Pyramid Hill.  

Tom was well known in the area for his wheat threshing machine which was pulled by a bullock team.  He employed some other members of the Sloan family as well as Abe and William Johnston, Sarah's brothers.  Tom used to write poems about the people of Pyramid Hill.  He would annomously hang them around town.  When the locals started suspecting him, he wrote one about himself to throw them off track.  Sarah burnt these poems after Tom’s death in 1924.

After her husband died, Sarah moved to Hilston, New South Wales, where several of her children, a sister and brother in law  lived.  She later moved to Culforn, Victoria with her daughter Linda and her family.  They all travelled from Hilston in a Model T Ford with the help of Les Purton, Sarah’s son in law.  They lived with Les and his wife, Mary (Sarah’s daughter) for a while, before finally moving to Koondrook with Linda’s family.  Sarah died in 1935.

James Bunston and Elizabeth Brooks

James was born in Skipton, Victoria in 1864, the eldest child of George Bunston and Elizabeth Lyle Thompson. He was the first cousin of Sarah, mentioned above.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Lawrence Brooks and Hannah Abbott and she was born in Raglan, Victoria in 1865.  They were married in Skipton in 1886.  The couple had around 11 children, several of whom died as infants.  They would make their home at Tolmie, near Mansfield.

Jim and Lizzie farmed land on Bunston Road.  They suffered many hardships as early pioneers in the Victorian high country - bushfires and droughts in summer and snow falls in winter.  Jim turned the rugged landscape into a viable farm that his sons took over after his passing.  They lived with no running water or electricity and only went to town occassionally for supplies or when illness struck.   Jim's brother George and sister Fannie would also settle in the area.   

Jim died in 1931 and Lizzie in 1943.  They are buried together in nearby Mansfield.

John Bunstone

A small piece taken from my upcoming book - Bunston Family Revisited

The youngest child of George Bunstone and Ann Patten was born in West Chinnock likely in December 1847.  His birth was registered in January 1848, and he was baptised there on January 16, 1848.  Like his sister, Sarah, John is listed in the 1851 census with a T in his surname (Bunston) where his parents and brother do not.  He was three years old at the time, with 12 years between him and his sister.

In 1861, 13-year-old John is listed as living with his parents and sister at 30 Higher Street, West Chinnock.  He was working as a yarn bleacher. Ten years later, John is the only one of the children still living at home with his parents.  Like his father, John is now employed as a carpenter.

On May 11, 1880, John married Anna Warry in West Chinnock.  Anna was a local of West Chinnock, being born there to George Warry and Elizabeth Norman on June 30, 1854.  She was baptised a month later in Mosterton, Dorset here her mother hailed from.  Some records list her name as Hannah.  The couple had seven children, though only six were found: William, Joseph, George, Elizabeth, Florence and John.  The seventh child likely was born and passed away between census’ being taken and I haven’t been unable to find birth or death records.  It should also be noted that the two eldest children were born several years before they married.

At the time of the 1881 census, John and Anna with their three eldest children were living in South Street, West Chinnock.  John was a carpenter in a sail cloth factory.  Anna had just given birth to their son, George, 19 days before the census was taken.  John’s widowed mother, Ann, was also living there at the time.  By 1891 the family had moved to Merriott, Somerset.  John was now 43 years old.  He still worked at a sail cloth factory as a carpenter.  His wife still lived with him as did the six children. 

The family was living at the sail mill at West Crewkerne when the 1901 census was held.  John was the foreman carpenter at the mill.  His wife is listed as Hannah, rather than Anna.  Only the three youngest children were still at home with their parents.  They still lived here in 1911 with 63-year-old John now listed as an invalid, with his occupation still as a carpenter.  Their daughters still lived with them and their granddaughter, Hilda, was also at their home at the time of the census.  Anna and John had been married 31 years by this time and this is where the record states that one of the seven children was no longer living.

John passed away nine years later, around March 1920, likely in Chard.  Anna lived in Lower Street, Chard with their daughter Elizabeth when the 1939 register was taken.  Anna also died in Chard, two years later around March 1941.    

Robert Lawless Info By Deklon (Georgie's son)

Robert Lawless was born on 3 December 1859, he was born in Teesdale as the son of John and Jane Lawless, he was their fourth child and third son.

 

He married Alice Houghton, she was the daughter of David and Ann Houghton, they married in 1883, Alice was 17, Robert was 23.

Name:    Robert Lawless

Gender:  Male

Marriage Registration Year:       1883

Marriage Registration Place:     Victoria, Australia

Spouse:  Alice Houghton

Reference Number:     1051

 

In 1904, he lived in Glenthompson, this is the first time there is evidence of him working as a Line repairer.

Name     Robert Lawless

Residence Year     1904

Residence Place   Victoria, Australia

Occupation   Line Repairer

 

In 1913, he moved to Koroit as a railway employee.

Name:    Robert Lawless

Residence Year:    1904

Residence Place:  Victoria, Australia

Occupation:  Line Repairer

Name:    Robert Lawless

Gender:  Male

Electoral Date:      1913

Electoral Place:     Koroit, Wannon, Victoria, Australia

Residence Address:      Koroit

 

Just a year later, Robert Lawless moved to a different house in Koroit.

Name:    Robert Lawless

Gender:  Male

Electoral Date:      1914

Electoral Place:     Koroit, Wannon, Victoria, Australia

 

After another large gap, Robert passes away aged 87 on 3 August 1947.

Name:    Robert Lawless

Death Date:   3 Aug 1947

Death Place: Ballarat

Occupation:  X Rly Ganger

Grant Date:   4 Sep 1947

Grant:     P

 

He was buried in Ballarat New Cemetery on plot Private F, Section 13, Row 2, Grave 23

Name:    Robert Lawless

Death Date:   3 Aug 1947

Cemetery:      Ballarat New Cemetery

Burial Place:  Invermay Park, Victoria, Australia

 

Before his death, he would have 12 children (Priscilla, Ada, Eva, Fanny, Robert, Olive, John, David, Pearly, Stephen, Cyril and Harold).

Henry (Harry) Bunston Info By Deklon Gratton (Georgie's Son)

 

Born in South Petherton, presumed birth 1826, born in 1822 (Find A Grave) Born officially sometime in early 1820s.

 

Baptized on July 2^nd, 1826, in South Petherton:

Original Name: Henry Bunstone

Gender: Male

Baptism Date: 2 July 1826

Baptism Location: South Petherton, Somerset

Father: Henry Bunstone

Mother: Mary

FHL Film Number: 1470976

Reference ID:  item 15 D/D/RR 376A p 78

 

Lived in South Petherton in 1841, Age 15 (probably)

Name:      Henry Bernson

Age: 15

Estimated Birth Year:       1826

Gender:   Male

Where born:    Somerset, England

Civil parish:      South Petherton

Hundred: South Petherton

County/Island: Somerset

Country:  England

Registration district:        Yeovil

Sub-registration district: South Petherton

Piece:        954

Book:        12

Folio:        13

Page number:  19

Family: Henry Bernson    50

Mary Bernson 50

James Bernson         20

Henry Bernson         15

Elizabeth Bernson   15

George Bernson       15

William Bernson      13

 

Moved to Launceston, Tasmania on 5 October 1842 aged 20 on the Bolivar.

Name:      Henry Bunson

Gender:   Male

Estimated Birth Year:       1822

Departure Port:        London

Arrival Age:      20

Arrival Date:    5 Oct 1842

Arrival Port:      Launceston

Ship:         Bolivar

Record Type:   Register of Arrivals under the Bounty System

 

On 19 September 1845, he sailed from Launceston to Port Albert, Gippsland. He sailed on the Alpha

 

Carted stores in diggings around Walhalla (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/201654619?searchTerm=bunstun).

 

Possibly moved to Sydney on 21 August 1856 on Maid Of The Valley.

Name:      H Bunston

Port of Departure:   Launceston, Tasmania

Port of Arrival:          Sydney, New South Wales

Voyage Arrival Date:        21 Aug 1856

Vessel Name:  Maid of The Valley

 

Married Susan Hooper on 16 September 1856, she was the daughter of Sampson and Elizabeth Hooper, she was 24, he was in his early 30s.

Name:      Henry Bunson

Marriage Date:     1856

Marriage Place:        Sydney, New South Wales

Registration Date:   1856

Registration Place:  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Spouse:    Susan Hooper

Registration Number:      536

 

In May 1862, he donated one pound to the Rosedale School. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/109905658?searchTerm=henry%20bunston)

 

In March 1866, he bought a few plots of land for farming with Henry Spencer. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61203829?searchTerm=henry%20bunston%20tarraville)

 

In May 1873, Henry paid a 1-pound subscription for Gippsland Hospital. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61493619?searchTerm=henry%20bunston%20tarraville)

In December 1875, Henry’s Bullock chains were stolen! The thief was William Rowley, who was sentenced to 1 month in jail and a three-pound fine. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/61912494?searchTerm=henry%20bunston)

 

In February 1879, A license was granted to him under the Land Act. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62026607?searchTerm=henry%20bunston)

 

On 28 April 1880, he owned 2 blocks of land on Willung Road, south of Rosedale, refer saved map, allotments 97, 98a & 202 - Henry Spicer was also 98

 

In February 1882, he bought 41 acres. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/170024576?searchTerm=henry%20bunston)

 

In 1903, he was a grazier (on electoral roll).

 

On 6 June 1904, he died at the age of 78 or over, he died in Rosedale as a farmer. The information below is in his will.

Name:      Henry Bunston

Death Date:     6 Jun 1904

Death Place:    Rosedale

Occupation:     Farmer

Grant Date:      4 Jul 1904

Grant:       P

-------------------------------------------

Henry was buried the day he died; he was buried in Rosedale Cemetery (Plot P1 – 92).

 

Henry had 8 Children (James, Sarah Ann, Elizabeth, Samuel, John, William, Thomas Charles and Ellen).

Ellen Margaret Rodford

 

A small piece taken from my upcoming book - Bunston Family Revisited

Ellen was born in Torquay, Devon around September 1867.  She was three years old at the time of the 1871 census when she lived at the family’s lodging house with her parents and younger sister.

In 1881, Ellen was a 13-year-old schoolgirl.  She still lived with her family.  By 1891 the 23-year-old had no occupation listed.  She still lived with her family, so I would assume she would help with the family business. 

Five years later, around October 1896, Ellen married Robert Henry Skinner.  Bob was born on January 23, 1864 in Barnstaple, Devon.  He was likely the son of Robert and Mary Ann Skinner.  The couple would have one daughter together named Dorothy.  The year before their marriage, on January 14, 1895 Bob was initiated into the Freemasons at nearby Dartmouth.  His occupation is listed as modeller.

In 1901 Ellen, who was 32, was living at 5 Oxford Terrace, St Mary’s Church, Torquay.  Her baby daughter was also with her.  She is listed as being the wife of the head of the household in the census.  Since the 1911 census states Bob is a commercial traveller, I believe he was away working at the time.  The Skinner family did indeed still live in Oxford Terrace in 1911, Bob and Ellen hd, by now, been married for 14 years.  As I mentioned, Bob was employed as a commercial traveller.  He worked for the famous Longpark Pottery.

Over the years Bob would become a company director of Longpark.  He had a long history in the industry, with his father and brothers also being potters.  To quote studiopottery.com – “The name of Bob Skinner is notable - he ran the pottery from around the start of the first world war until production ceased in the second world war. The two designs that Longpark is most famous for - the cockerel and the kingfisher - became firmly establish in the years between the two wars.”

Ellen passed away in Torquay on July 20, 1937.  By this time, they had moved to 118 Teignmouth Road.  Bob and daughter Dorothy still lived here at the time of the 1939 register.  Widow Lucinda Pook was their housekeeper.  Bob is listed as a master potter.  He died 10 years later, on July 11, 1949.

Kate Sandiford

 

A small piece taken from my upcoming book - Bunston Family Revisited

Born in Islington, London in June 29, 1972, Kate was baptised on August 18, 1872.  She lived with her family at 10 Isledon Road and was going to school with her sisters at the time of the 1881 census.

By 1891 Kate had started work as a milliner’s apprentice.  She was still living at home with her parents at the time of the 1891 census when she was 18. 

Four years later, on January 19, 1895 Kate married Horace George Hope in Emmanuel, Islington.  Horace was from Ramsgate, Kent and was born at the end of 1868.  He was baptised on April 5, 1869.  He was the youngest of five children of George Hope and Mary Ann Hodges.  Horace lost birth parents very young.  He was only a few months old when his father died, and he was five at the time of his mother’s death.  He and his siblings were living with the aunt, Mary Hope in 1881 and were likely raised by her and their uncles and aunts.  There uncle Alfred Hope and two of his sisters, Sarah and Ellen, lived next door to them.

Kate and her husband would have three children together: Winifred, Elsie and Douglas.

After they married, Horace and his bride settled in his hometown of Ramsgate.  At the time of the 1901 census Horace was listed as a retired ironmonger.  He and his young family lived with his aunt, Ellen Hope.  By 1903 the family had moved to Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.  By 1911 Horace was no longer retired; he was back working as an ironmonger.  He and Kate had, by now, been married for 16 years.  At the time of the census, Kate’s brother Herbert was visiting with his family. 

 By 1926 the couple were living at 4 Clifton Terrace, Dorking, Surrey.  It was in Dorking on March 9, 1938 that Horace would die at the age of 69.  His estate was left to his widow, Kate, her brother, Herbert and his son Douglas.  Kate remained in Dorking the rest of her life. 

 In 1939 Kate was living by her own private means at 40 West Bank, Dorking.  Her eldest daughter was living with her, and they had a boarder with them named Alice Wood.  Edith Sandiford, Kate’s sister, was also there at the time of the register being carried out.  

 Kate passed away at home nearly 25 years later, on April 28, 1962.  Her estate as left to her children, Elsie and Douglas – eldest daughter Winifred had passed away eight years prior.