Generation Nine
George Adams
b 1831 Saffron Walden
Parents Edward Adams and Susanna Harris
Died 17th Jan 1921 Flemington, Vic Australia, aged 91
Buried 18th Jan 1921, Fawkner Cemetery
Methodist Compartment B Grave 1093
Married
19th June 1853
Fremantle, Western Australia
to
Catherine Barry
b 1832 Limerick Ireland
Parents John Barry and Mary Boyle
Died 4th May 1884 Park St, Melbourne
Buried 6th May 1884 General Cemetery Melbourne
Georges early life
Georges life began in the village of Saffron Walden in Essex, England. He lived with his mother Susanna, his father Edward, half sister Caroline ( from his fathers first marriage ) and his younger sister Sophia. In 1840 around the age of 9 years, George sadly lost his mother. This must have proved very trying for his dad, as afterall, it was the second wife he had lost.
On the 1841 census, George was living at West side of Copthall Buildings in Saffron Walden. There, he lived with his father, half sister Caroline and sister Sophia. Also there at the time of the census, was a David Adams aged 6. Im not sure at this stage whether this David was the son of Edward, or the son of his brother David, who was living next door at the time.
On the 1851 census, George had moved out of home and was lodging with Thomas Bowler and family, at 24 Park St, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. He was 20 years of age and his occupation was Bricklayer Labourer.
The 1851 census was taken on the 30th March, so sometime after that date and before 1853, George has made the decision to pack up everything and move to Western Australia, although we don't know why. The Swan River Colony (Fremantle) where George emmigrated to, was founded in 1829 and was to be a colony for free settlers. During the first year of settlement however, the Colony struggled on a number of fronts. Initially too many people arrived too quickly, and then there were too few. Soon the population began to decline as disheartened settlers left for the eastern colonies. Between 1833 and 1834, twelve ships carried 1358 passengers away from the colony, leaving a total population in the Swan River settlements of less than 1400. The settlement suffered for many years, particularly during 1843 and 1844 when a major depression hit the colony. Hampered by the lack of transport, administrative and communications infrastructure, plus a severe shortage or workers, the growth of the colony’s pastoral and agricultural industries came to a halt. At this point the future of the Swan River Colony looked bleak.
In 1847 the York Agricultural Society, a group of wealthy pastoralists, petitioned the colony’s Legislative Council to consider the introduction of convict labour. They argued that convict labour would stimulate the economy and open up the state to farming and development. Many of the settlers believed that the introduction of convicts went against the principles of free settlement under which the colony had been first established. In particular the settlers who lived close to or in the main settlements feared the ‘convict stain’ and the crime and violence they felt convicts would bring to the colony.
The British Government however were keen to find a solution to the overcrowding of English prisons. Britain quickly agreed to send 100 prisoners in the last stages of their punishment to the colony. A dispatch was sent to the governor and on 6 November 1849 the West Australian Government Gazette published the official announcement that the Swan River Colony had been ‘constituted a penal settlement’.
At this stage, we dont believe that George was a convict and was merely lured by the promise of work and adventure in this new, exciting land.
Catherines early life
Meanwhile, across the Irish Sea, his future wife Catherine was living in Ireland. Born in Limerick to John BARRY and Mary BOYLE in 1832, we know little of Catherines early life, nor do we know the details of any other family members. What is known however, is the tragic events that lay ahead for Catherine and her family - The Irish Potato Famine.
In 1836 more than 2.5 million Irish people, more than a quarter of the population, lived in such poverty as to need some kind of welfare scheme. Were Catherine and her family enduring such poverty ? The answer to this question is not known at this time, however on Catherines Marriage certificate in 1853, her father Johns occupation is listed as "Servant", so we can only presume they were not a wealthy family.
The disaster originally began in earnest in 1845 when Catherine was aged about 13. Crops failed again in 1848 when Catherine was aged about 16. There was now nothing for the poor to eat. Although many had enough land to grow crops other than potatoes, they were caught in an impossible bind – they had to sell these crops to pay rent or face eviction. More than a quarter of a million labourers and tenant farmers were evicted between 1845 and 1854 and more than that number simply walked away from their homes, never to return, rather than face certain starvation. Thousands of evicted families roamed the country in search of food.
As the famine wore on towns became crowded with those fleeing the countryside and in search of food. They gathered in tenement areas but without money or work they found little refuge or escape and were ill equipped for life in a town. They brought with them diseases, mainly Typhus, Dysentery and Cholera, which few, in their weakened state, could withstand. Disease rather than hunger became the primary killer in urban areas. Even the wealthy were vulnerable to infection and many people died without ever knowing lack of food.
By 1851, the potato blight was over in most areas, leaving behind over one million deaths from either starvation or disease and 50,000 people evicted from their homes. Were Catherines parents or family the victims of this terrible tragedy ? That again, we still dont know. But something in the following year, made Catherine decide to up and move to the other side of the world to Western Australia. What that reason was, is another mystery. One theory could be that prior to the famine, it was customary for farmers to subdivide their farms and pass them onto all their sons. This sometimes resulted in ridiculously sized land holdings that were so small, the only crop that COULD be grown was the Potato. Obviously when the famine occured, these families were some of the worse affected as that was their only source of food. After the famine however, it appears they have seen the error of their ways and things changed. Instead of leaving their farms to ALL sons as they had in the past, they left it to just the one son. The other sons and daughters were left to marry out, to leave the family home for other employment, or to migrate. One of the rigid marriage stipulations of the time however was the fact that when women married, they had to have large dowries to give to their husbands family. This placed more strain on those families affected by the famine, so in a lot of cases it only meant one option, immigration.
I sense that Catherine would have had a feeling of hopelessness at this stage. Was she alone ? Had her family succumbed to starvation or disease ? Had her parents or siblings been part of the one million people who had emigrated to other lands ? Even if she did still have her family, she had minimal chances of getting work and an even smaller chance of getting married, so I imagine she felt quite helpless. Her future was looking quite bleak, until the day she saw or heard about this wonderful opportunity to go to a new land that was prospering. There was plenty of work, adequate food and and the men far outnumbered the women, so finding herself a husband was not going to be a problem, nor did she have to worry about finding a dowry. The bonus was, she could get there for free as the Government were willing to pay her fare in order to balance up the sexes in the colonies. But why did she choose Western Australia ?
Western Australia was the only penal colony in Australia never to accept female convicts, and so quite simply there weren’t enough women. Instead, the authorities asked the British Government to send more women among the free emigrants, which gave rise to the policy of exporting paupers from British and Irish workhouses on so-called Bride Ships. But it wasn’t successful. Between July 1850 and March 1855, 10 free-emigrant ships arrived at Fremantle carrying a total of 1,032 women, 656 children, and 622 men – not even enough women to slow the widening gender disparity. During the same period the population was swelled by the arrival of more than 3,000 additional male convicts.
So having decided her best chances were in Western Australia she made her way to Plymouth, England. We dont know if she went there herself or whether she went with her family. Of the one million people that moved from Ireland during the Famine, a lot of them ended up in England, so its quite possible that her parents had made the move at an earlier date. Although going to Australia would have given her some sort of hope, I can only imagine how hard it would have been for Catherine to say goodbye and board that ship, knowing full well, she would probably never see her family or her country again. I suppose the only bright side of it all was the fact that once she gained employment in Australia, she would be able to send money back to Ireland to help her family, which a lot of the emigrants were doing. Servant girls in Australia were earning up to £12 per year at that stage
And so it was on the 1st October, 1852 at the age of 20 that Catherine boarded the ship "Travancore" and set sail from Plymouth. At this stage, we believe that she travelled alone and had no other family members with her. ( The passenger list for the "Travancore" had 3 Barry's listed. There was Catherine, an Honora who is maybe a possible relative and a Mary Ann, but we have been able to discount her as a sibling) This ship arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia on the 13th January, 1853. On board were 210 imigrants, 115 of which were young single women, predominantly from Ireland. The remainding passengers were mainly men who were "mechanics". During this time period, a mechanic was either an artisan, a tradesman or a working man. I wonder if George could have been one of these men ?
When George met Catherine
You can only imagine how bewildered both Catherine and George must have felt when their eyes first set sight on their new homeland. She was used to the cold, green, rolling hills of Ireland, he the cobble stoned streets of London lit by gas lamplights and the hustle and bustle of the busy streets and docks. The scene they were confronted with upon their arrival in the colony, was completely different.
Fremantly WA in 1857
We know that upon Catherines arrival in Fremantle, she took up work as a Servant. George on the other hand was working as a Plasterer, but just how did they meet I wonder. The town of Fremantle was full of men and with the first arrival of male convicts beginning in 1851, the male population grew even further. The women were way outnumbered, so how did George end up with Catherine ? No doubt she would have had many willing suitors, a veritable smorgasboard of men to choose from, but it was George she chose in the end.
And so it was, just five months afer arriving in the colony, George married his brided on the 19th June, 1853, in the Catholic Church at Fremantle. On their marriage certificate it states both George and Catherines usual address was Fremantle. George's father is recorded as Edward Adams, Plasterer and Catherines father as John Barry, Servant. The witnesses to the wedding were Thomas Casser ? and Mary Elgen ? The Australian Adams family now had its beginning.George and Catherine remained in Fremantle until at least 1854, where they gave birth to their first child, Susan
1854 - Susan Adams
b Fremantle, WA
bap Roman Catholic, Fremantle WA
Married in 1871, Albany WA to
John Tunney
died 18th Aug 1880, aged 25 years
Residence at time of death Woodside St, Nth Fitzroy VIC
Cause of death Effusion on the Brain and Puerperal Convulsions
Buried 20th Aug 1880, Melbourne General Cemetery.
The move to Victoria
The year following Susans birth, George and his little family packed up and headed to North Melbourne, Victoria. Victoria was experiencing labour shortages due to the mass evacuation to the Victorian goldfields which commenced in 1851. North Melbourne, or Hotham as it was originally known, was a working man's suburb, with employment in local industries and houses within walking distance of work. There was major construction going on at the time, such as Hotham Post Office and Town Hall, so maybe George worked on these and used them as a stepping stone to a later major work in Albany, WA. For the next few years however, he and Catherine lived in Provost St and it was here that they added to their family
1854 - Susan Adams
b Fremantle, WA
bap Roman Catholic, Fremantle WA
Married in 1871, Albany WA to
John Tunney
died 18th Aug 1880, aged 25 years
Residence at time of death Woodside St, Nth Fitzroy VIC
Cause of death Effusion on the Brain and Puerperal Convulsions
Buried 20th Aug 1880, Melbourne General Cemetery.
The move to Victoria
The year following Susans birth, George and his little family packed up and headed to North Melbourne, Victoria. Victoria was experiencing labour shortages due to the mass evacuation to the Victorian goldfields which commenced in 1851. North Melbourne, or Hotham as it was originally known, was a working man's suburb, with employment in local industries and houses within walking distance of work. There was major construction going on at the time, such as Hotham Post Office and Town Hall, so maybe George worked on these and used them as a stepping stone to a later major work in Albany, WA. For the next few years however, he and Catherine lived in Provost St and it was here that they added to their family
North Melbourne 1868
1856 - George Adams
b North Melbourne, VIC
Died 16th January, 1876, Benalla, VICaged 20 years
Cause of death falling from tree and breaking his neck
Buried 18th Jan 1878 Dookie Cemetery
1858 - John Adams
b 23rd February, Provost St, North Mebourne, VIC
Married 7th Nov 1887, Essendon, VIC to
Mary Agnes Morgan
Died Apr 1937 Heidleberg VIC aged 79 years
Buried 12th Apr 1937 Fawkner Cemetery Melbourne
RC Compartment O, Grave 2381
For more information on John and Mary Adams
click here
(Thanks Kerryn)
1860 - Mary Adams
b Melbourne VIC
Died 21st Apr 1878, Hotham VIC aged 18 years
Cause of death Congestion of the lungs
Buried 28th Apr 1878 Mebourne General Cemetary
1862 - Edward Adams
b 17th Apr Hotham, VIC
died 15th Jan 1933 Wellington, NZ
1864 - Catherine "Katie" Adams
b Melbourne VIC
Married 1885 Melbourne VIC to
John Thomas McFadyen
Died 1946 aged 82 years West Brunswick, VIC
1866- David Adams
b Hotham VIC
Died after 1921.
Return to Western Australia
After the birth of David, George and his now expanded family went on the move again. This time to Albany in Western Australia, where George was to leave a lasting monument for future Adams generations to admire.
b North Melbourne, VIC
Died 16th January, 1876, Benalla, VICaged 20 years
Cause of death falling from tree and breaking his neck
Buried 18th Jan 1878 Dookie Cemetery
1858 - John Adams
b 23rd February, Provost St, North Mebourne, VIC
Married 7th Nov 1887, Essendon, VIC to
Mary Agnes Morgan
Died Apr 1937 Heidleberg VIC aged 79 years
Buried 12th Apr 1937 Fawkner Cemetery Melbourne
RC Compartment O, Grave 2381
For more information on John and Mary Adams
click here
(Thanks Kerryn)
1860 - Mary Adams
b Melbourne VIC
Died 21st Apr 1878, Hotham VIC aged 18 years
Cause of death Congestion of the lungs
Buried 28th Apr 1878 Mebourne General Cemetary
1862 - Edward Adams
b 17th Apr Hotham, VIC
died 15th Jan 1933 Wellington, NZ
1864 - Catherine "Katie" Adams
b Melbourne VIC
Married 1885 Melbourne VIC to
John Thomas McFadyen
Died 1946 aged 82 years West Brunswick, VIC
1866- David Adams
b Hotham VIC
Died after 1921.
Return to Western Australia
After the birth of David, George and his now expanded family went on the move again. This time to Albany in Western Australia, where George was to leave a lasting monument for future Adams generations to admire.
Albany WA 1863
On 26 Nov 1867, tenders were called for the building of the new Post Office at Albany. Of the three received, the lowest submitted was by George and John Mattinson, for $4184/18/9. ($9,369.88) John, also from Hotham and had a general contractors business with a John Downie. This business was disolved in 1867, just prior to him going to Albany with George. We know that Mattinson was back in Melbourne by 1870 where he appears to have completed quite a lot of building work.
George and Johns Post Office tender was accepted and building commenced in April 1868 and completed ready for occupation in the middle of December, 1869. The building consisted of a Court House and Government Residents and other offices, Custom House and Post Office. These offices were the original building. The western half and the clock tower were not added until some 25 years later, opening in 1901.
.
George and Johns Post Office tender was accepted and building commenced in April 1868 and completed ready for occupation in the middle of December, 1869. The building consisted of a Court House and Government Residents and other offices, Custom House and Post Office. These offices were the original building. The western half and the clock tower were not added until some 25 years later, opening in 1901.
.
Albany Post Office upon its completion in 1870
Construction required the excavation of 7,000 cubic yards of sand and soft stone which was done by convicts and Crown Prisoners, followed by the erection of massive granite retaining wall with buttresses five feet thick. The retaining wall and the main north wall of the building were separated by an access passage so that problems of drainage of spring water from the hillside could be monitored. Local building materials were used for the building: bricks from the kilns at the top of York Street, lime from Limeburner Creek, south of the harbour, granite from Mount Clarence and timber and she oak for shingles from the King and Kalgan River areas.
Whilst in Albany, George and Catherine had the following children. The unusual thing is, on both these girls Birth Certificates, Georges occupation is listed as Shipwright.
1868 - Margaret Adams
b Vasse, Western Australia.
Marriage recorded on Death Cert to
James Mansfield
(no record can be found at BDM. She is mentioned in Georges will as Margaret Adams)
Died at Watters or Walter Street Albert Park VIC aged 58 years
Cause of death aortic aneurism.
Widow with no children.
Buried 22nd Nov 1926 Melbourne General Cemetery.
Fathers occupation on death certificate - Builder.
1870 - Annie Adams
b Albany, Western Australia
Married 1911 in Victoria to
Henry Sloan
Occupation 1930 - 1940 Owner of Babywear Shop
Brunswick Rd, Brunswick VIC
Died 1960 Ascot Vale, VIC aged 90 years
The Final Trip to Victoria
After the completion of the post Office in 1870, the Adams Family, eventually left Western Australia, minus their daughter Susan who had married in 1871and remained in the state. Unfortunately however, the return to Victoria, was to bring tragedy to their lives.
After their return home, their eldest son George was living in Devenish, Benalla VIC, which is situated about 230km north of Melbourne and was mainly an agricultural town. George was working in the district as a Labourer. On Sunday, the 16th January , 1876, it appears George has gone to the local pub in Dookie and drank himself under the table. On his way home in a drunken stupour, George decided it would be a good idea to climb a tree and pretend he was a Koala. Unfortunately, the branch could not hold his weight and he came crashing to the ground, breaking his neck. George died instantly. An inquest was held into his death on the 18th January and the Coroner found the cause of death was "Accidentally killed by falling from a tree". His Death certificate states his father as George Adams and mother as Catherine Adams, no further particulars known. He was buried on the 18th January at Dookie Cemetery. His death certificate also states the he had always lived in Victoria. When his parents went back to Albany, George was only 12, so he was obviously too young to fend for himself. Maybe George was left behind with a friend of the family, or maybe it is just another error on his death certificate. His death is recorded as "Page Adams" on the Victorian BDM's
Whilst in Albany, George and Catherine had the following children. The unusual thing is, on both these girls Birth Certificates, Georges occupation is listed as Shipwright.
1868 - Margaret Adams
b Vasse, Western Australia.
Marriage recorded on Death Cert to
James Mansfield
(no record can be found at BDM. She is mentioned in Georges will as Margaret Adams)
Died at Watters or Walter Street Albert Park VIC aged 58 years
Cause of death aortic aneurism.
Widow with no children.
Buried 22nd Nov 1926 Melbourne General Cemetery.
Fathers occupation on death certificate - Builder.
1870 - Annie Adams
b Albany, Western Australia
Married 1911 in Victoria to
Henry Sloan
Occupation 1930 - 1940 Owner of Babywear Shop
Brunswick Rd, Brunswick VIC
Died 1960 Ascot Vale, VIC aged 90 years
The Final Trip to Victoria
After the completion of the post Office in 1870, the Adams Family, eventually left Western Australia, minus their daughter Susan who had married in 1871and remained in the state. Unfortunately however, the return to Victoria, was to bring tragedy to their lives.
After their return home, their eldest son George was living in Devenish, Benalla VIC, which is situated about 230km north of Melbourne and was mainly an agricultural town. George was working in the district as a Labourer. On Sunday, the 16th January , 1876, it appears George has gone to the local pub in Dookie and drank himself under the table. On his way home in a drunken stupour, George decided it would be a good idea to climb a tree and pretend he was a Koala. Unfortunately, the branch could not hold his weight and he came crashing to the ground, breaking his neck. George died instantly. An inquest was held into his death on the 18th January and the Coroner found the cause of death was "Accidentally killed by falling from a tree". His Death certificate states his father as George Adams and mother as Catherine Adams, no further particulars known. He was buried on the 18th January at Dookie Cemetery. His death certificate also states the he had always lived in Victoria. When his parents went back to Albany, George was only 12, so he was obviously too young to fend for himself. Maybe George was left behind with a friend of the family, or maybe it is just another error on his death certificate. His death is recorded as "Page Adams" on the Victorian BDM's
The Melbourne Argus 18th January 1876
Thats not where the tragedy ended unfortunately. George and Catherine had just endured the death of their son, when shortly after, another inquest was being held on the death of one of their children. On Sunday the 21st April, 1878, Mary their daughter, aged just 18 years of age, passed away.
Her occupation at the time of her death was Dressmaker and her residence was Bridge Rd, Richmond Vic. Her death, just like her brothers, was put before the coroner and he found the cause of her death was " Congestion of the lungs from natural causes". Her parents are listed on her death certificate as George Adams,occupation Contractor and Catherine Adams, formerly Barry. Mary was buried a week after her death, on the 28th April a878 at Melbourne General Cemetery. It states she was born in Hotham and lived in Victoria for 18 years. Like her brother George, there is no mention of any time spent in Western Australia, so we are unsure if she actually went to Albany with her parents in 1867 / 68 or not. I could understand if this time was omitted from one of their certificates in error, but to be left off both ? I think thats more than a co-incidence and am of the belief these two children were left behind with somebody. Did either George or Catherine have other family members in the country that we dont know about ?
And so that brings us to Catherine, a woman who had endured famine, treacherous sea voyages to start a new life in a far off land, knowing she would never see her family or country again. She gave birth to nine children, from one end of this vast continent to the other, three of whom she had to see die before her. She must have endured such a hard, weary life, but back in Carlton VIC, she could finally rest......for good. Catherine died on the 4th May 1884 in Park St Melbourne (the site of the old Queen Victoria Hospital) aged just 52 years. The cause of her death was Abcess in the Abdomen and Peritonitis and the informant of her death was her husband George. Her parents were listed as John Barry - Gentleman and Unknown Barry. It states that she was born in Limerick, Ireland and spent 2 years in Western Australia (we know that it was a bit longer than that, possibly 3 years, due to the births of her children there) and 30 years in Victoria. She was married in Fremantle WA to George at the age of 20. The children are all recorded on her death certificate except for Edward. A deliberate omission or just a clerical error, we dont know, however, he is recorded on Georges death certificate.
Being a romantic at heart, Id like to think that George would have been heartbroken at the loss of the love of his life, that he didnt know how he could go on without her, but then the romance quickly fades when you learn that within a year, George had remarried. I suppose when you think about it, he was only 53 at the time of her death and so had a long life in front of him which he obviously did not want to spend alone
Married
1885 Hamilton Vic
to
Sarah Harman
b 11th Oct 1844
Melbourne, Cambridgeshire, England.
At the time of this marriage, George was 54, Sarah was only 41. She had been born in Melbourn, Cambridgshire and emigrated with her parents. Sarah had been previously married to William "Walter" Oakley in Byaduk VIC in 1864 and proceeded to have 4 children with him, the last being born in 1870.
So you would think at this stage George and his new wife could just sit back and relax and enjoy the rest of their lives together. That might have been the plan, but as we all know, the best laid plans often become unstuck. That "unstuck" was the birth of a daughter.
1886 - Sarah Selina Adams
b Kensington VIC
Residence from 1909 to 1914 living with parents
5 Brixton St, Flemington Vic
Married 1915, Vic to
Harold Charles Stone
Residence 1919 - till at least 1949
7 Brixton St, Flemington VIC (next door to parents house)
Died 1960 Ascot Vale VIC aged 90 years
From 1903, George and his new family lived at 5 Brixton St, Flemington VIC. It was here that George finally hung up his trowel as he passed away on the 19th January, 1921 at the age of 90 years. His occupation is listed as Builder and his cause of death was Chronic Heart Disease, Bronchitis and Heart Failure. His father is listed as Edward Adams, Bricklayer, Mothers particulars, not known. The informant of his death was his wife, Sarah Adams who was residing at the same address. His death certificate states he was born in England, spent 2 years in Western Australia and 66 years in Victoria. The details recorded for his first marriage states he was married in Perth, WA at the age of 24. To whom he was married to is recorded as "Not Known". Had George never spoken to his new wife about the life he had with Catherine ? Were his children estranged from him and his new wife ? Surely if the children were a part of his life, one of them could have informed Sarah what their mothers name was. Or was Sarah jealous of her predecessor and just didnt want to acknowledge her. It saddens me that after everything Catherine went through, she ended up being "Not Known" on her husbands death certificate. Anyway, I digress. His second marriage is recorded as taking place in Hamilton VIC at the age of 54, to Sarah Oakley (this was Sarahs surname after her first marriage to William Oakley ) All of his children are recorded on the death certificate, with again, only Susan, George and Mary listed as being deceased.
George was buried on the 18th January 1921at Fawkner Cemetery, Melbourne, located in the Methodist Section, Compartment B Grave 1093. His wife Sarah, died on the 3rd July 1931 at Flemington, VIC at the age of 87 years. She is buried with George at Fawkner Cemetery.
George had made his will out on on the 1st Novermber, 1920 and after reading it, it only poses more questions about how involved he was with his family in his latter years. George had obviously done quite well for himself over the years as the will is titled George Adams, Esquire and it states his occupation as Gentleman. His executors were Joseph Harman Oakley, Sarahs son from her first marriage and Henry Sloan, his son-in-law who was married to Annie. In his will, he has basically left everything in his house to his wife Sarah. She was also to receive all rents and income derived from all his properties in his estate for the term of her natural life. He also states that he permits her to live in any one of his properties if she so desires. (Obviously, George must have owned more property than just the house he was living in. )
Now here comes the interesting part. Upon Sarahs death, the executors were to sell everything in his estate and divide it in the following manner. His son Edward, who had been living in New Zealand the past 20 years or so, was to receive £75. (Edward is also the son that was left off his mother Catherines Death Certificate.) His other children John, David, Kathleen McFadyen (Catherine/ Kate / Kitty ), Margaret Adams (whose death certificate states she was married to James Mansfield. No record can be found of this marriage so maybe she wasnt legally married to him afterall) and Annie Sloan, were to receive £20 each. Everything else was then to be given to his daughter Sarah Selina Adams.
Click here to read a transcription of Georges Will
Id always been of the belief that George and Catherine were very family orientated afterall, you only have to look at the naming of their children to see that. I presume the kids have been named because of the following:-
Susan - named after Georges mother
George - named after himself
John - named after Catherines father
Mary - named after Catherines mother
Edward - named after Georges father
Catherine - named after herself
David - named after either Georges uncle or possible brother
My theory that George would have been close to his children however, is completely blown out of the water however when you read his will, as it is apparent, that his heart belonged to his latter family of Sarah and Sarah Selina. I imagine the children from his first marriage had their noses put out of joint severely at their half sister receiving the majority of Georges estate and this, along with other evidence, makes me think that Georges children from his first marriage were not a part of his life in his latter years. Maybe his children ostracized him, or was it him, or even his new wife Sarah, that ostracized them. Maybe the children werent happy with him marrying so soon after the death of their mother and just maybe they didnt approve of his new wife Sarah, or vice a versa. And why did Edward receive more than triple the amount of his brothers and sisters ? I doubt very much that Edward would have seen very much of his father since moving to New Zealand about 20 years prior to his death, so why the favouritsm ? Further evidence that the family may have been divided is Georges Death notice which appeared in the Melbourne Argus Newspaper on the 19th January, 1921. As you will see, there is not a mention of Georges wife Sarah, nor of their daughter Sarah Selina.
Her occupation at the time of her death was Dressmaker and her residence was Bridge Rd, Richmond Vic. Her death, just like her brothers, was put before the coroner and he found the cause of her death was " Congestion of the lungs from natural causes". Her parents are listed on her death certificate as George Adams,occupation Contractor and Catherine Adams, formerly Barry. Mary was buried a week after her death, on the 28th April a878 at Melbourne General Cemetery. It states she was born in Hotham and lived in Victoria for 18 years. Like her brother George, there is no mention of any time spent in Western Australia, so we are unsure if she actually went to Albany with her parents in 1867 / 68 or not. I could understand if this time was omitted from one of their certificates in error, but to be left off both ? I think thats more than a co-incidence and am of the belief these two children were left behind with somebody. Did either George or Catherine have other family members in the country that we dont know about ?
And so that brings us to Catherine, a woman who had endured famine, treacherous sea voyages to start a new life in a far off land, knowing she would never see her family or country again. She gave birth to nine children, from one end of this vast continent to the other, three of whom she had to see die before her. She must have endured such a hard, weary life, but back in Carlton VIC, she could finally rest......for good. Catherine died on the 4th May 1884 in Park St Melbourne (the site of the old Queen Victoria Hospital) aged just 52 years. The cause of her death was Abcess in the Abdomen and Peritonitis and the informant of her death was her husband George. Her parents were listed as John Barry - Gentleman and Unknown Barry. It states that she was born in Limerick, Ireland and spent 2 years in Western Australia (we know that it was a bit longer than that, possibly 3 years, due to the births of her children there) and 30 years in Victoria. She was married in Fremantle WA to George at the age of 20. The children are all recorded on her death certificate except for Edward. A deliberate omission or just a clerical error, we dont know, however, he is recorded on Georges death certificate.
Being a romantic at heart, Id like to think that George would have been heartbroken at the loss of the love of his life, that he didnt know how he could go on without her, but then the romance quickly fades when you learn that within a year, George had remarried. I suppose when you think about it, he was only 53 at the time of her death and so had a long life in front of him which he obviously did not want to spend alone
Married
1885 Hamilton Vic
to
Sarah Harman
b 11th Oct 1844
Melbourne, Cambridgeshire, England.
At the time of this marriage, George was 54, Sarah was only 41. She had been born in Melbourn, Cambridgshire and emigrated with her parents. Sarah had been previously married to William "Walter" Oakley in Byaduk VIC in 1864 and proceeded to have 4 children with him, the last being born in 1870.
So you would think at this stage George and his new wife could just sit back and relax and enjoy the rest of their lives together. That might have been the plan, but as we all know, the best laid plans often become unstuck. That "unstuck" was the birth of a daughter.
1886 - Sarah Selina Adams
b Kensington VIC
Residence from 1909 to 1914 living with parents
5 Brixton St, Flemington Vic
Married 1915, Vic to
Harold Charles Stone
Residence 1919 - till at least 1949
7 Brixton St, Flemington VIC (next door to parents house)
Died 1960 Ascot Vale VIC aged 90 years
From 1903, George and his new family lived at 5 Brixton St, Flemington VIC. It was here that George finally hung up his trowel as he passed away on the 19th January, 1921 at the age of 90 years. His occupation is listed as Builder and his cause of death was Chronic Heart Disease, Bronchitis and Heart Failure. His father is listed as Edward Adams, Bricklayer, Mothers particulars, not known. The informant of his death was his wife, Sarah Adams who was residing at the same address. His death certificate states he was born in England, spent 2 years in Western Australia and 66 years in Victoria. The details recorded for his first marriage states he was married in Perth, WA at the age of 24. To whom he was married to is recorded as "Not Known". Had George never spoken to his new wife about the life he had with Catherine ? Were his children estranged from him and his new wife ? Surely if the children were a part of his life, one of them could have informed Sarah what their mothers name was. Or was Sarah jealous of her predecessor and just didnt want to acknowledge her. It saddens me that after everything Catherine went through, she ended up being "Not Known" on her husbands death certificate. Anyway, I digress. His second marriage is recorded as taking place in Hamilton VIC at the age of 54, to Sarah Oakley (this was Sarahs surname after her first marriage to William Oakley ) All of his children are recorded on the death certificate, with again, only Susan, George and Mary listed as being deceased.
George was buried on the 18th January 1921at Fawkner Cemetery, Melbourne, located in the Methodist Section, Compartment B Grave 1093. His wife Sarah, died on the 3rd July 1931 at Flemington, VIC at the age of 87 years. She is buried with George at Fawkner Cemetery.
George had made his will out on on the 1st Novermber, 1920 and after reading it, it only poses more questions about how involved he was with his family in his latter years. George had obviously done quite well for himself over the years as the will is titled George Adams, Esquire and it states his occupation as Gentleman. His executors were Joseph Harman Oakley, Sarahs son from her first marriage and Henry Sloan, his son-in-law who was married to Annie. In his will, he has basically left everything in his house to his wife Sarah. She was also to receive all rents and income derived from all his properties in his estate for the term of her natural life. He also states that he permits her to live in any one of his properties if she so desires. (Obviously, George must have owned more property than just the house he was living in. )
Now here comes the interesting part. Upon Sarahs death, the executors were to sell everything in his estate and divide it in the following manner. His son Edward, who had been living in New Zealand the past 20 years or so, was to receive £75. (Edward is also the son that was left off his mother Catherines Death Certificate.) His other children John, David, Kathleen McFadyen (Catherine/ Kate / Kitty ), Margaret Adams (whose death certificate states she was married to James Mansfield. No record can be found of this marriage so maybe she wasnt legally married to him afterall) and Annie Sloan, were to receive £20 each. Everything else was then to be given to his daughter Sarah Selina Adams.
Click here to read a transcription of Georges Will
Id always been of the belief that George and Catherine were very family orientated afterall, you only have to look at the naming of their children to see that. I presume the kids have been named because of the following:-
Susan - named after Georges mother
George - named after himself
John - named after Catherines father
Mary - named after Catherines mother
Edward - named after Georges father
Catherine - named after herself
David - named after either Georges uncle or possible brother
My theory that George would have been close to his children however, is completely blown out of the water however when you read his will, as it is apparent, that his heart belonged to his latter family of Sarah and Sarah Selina. I imagine the children from his first marriage had their noses put out of joint severely at their half sister receiving the majority of Georges estate and this, along with other evidence, makes me think that Georges children from his first marriage were not a part of his life in his latter years. Maybe his children ostracized him, or was it him, or even his new wife Sarah, that ostracized them. Maybe the children werent happy with him marrying so soon after the death of their mother and just maybe they didnt approve of his new wife Sarah, or vice a versa. And why did Edward receive more than triple the amount of his brothers and sisters ? I doubt very much that Edward would have seen very much of his father since moving to New Zealand about 20 years prior to his death, so why the favouritsm ? Further evidence that the family may have been divided is Georges Death notice which appeared in the Melbourne Argus Newspaper on the 19th January, 1921. As you will see, there is not a mention of Georges wife Sarah, nor of their daughter Sarah Selina.
Melbourne Argus 19th January 1921
I may be reading into things but the fact Georges first wife Catherine is recorded as "Not Known" on his death certificate, plus the fact the children he had with Catherine have been practically snubbed in his will, plus the blatant omission of his wife and daughter in his death notice, tells me something wasnt quite right in the Adams household. Another peice of "evidence" that backs this up, is the recollection of one of Georges grandsons, who was staying with one of Georges daughters in North Melbourne at the time. He recalls someone pointing to a man and saying " See that man walking on the other side of the road. Thats your grandfather".
And so that is the story of George and Catherine, but this is not where their story ends. Its just the beginning. Every future generation of the Adams family writes another chapter.
And so that is the story of George and Catherine, but this is not where their story ends. Its just the beginning. Every future generation of the Adams family writes another chapter.
