So many names, so many dates, so many relations!

Above: Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins

Not a lot has happened in terms of research but the process continues to plod along. One of the things I did a couple of months ago was to join the Devon Family History Society although I have not yet had time to do much research online myself.

They did however send a very nice note welcoming me and since then I have had the help of one of their researchers, who has a family connection, which may well bear fruit. I started out looking for Charlie Ross, my Greek great-grandfather, and I still have that research to do, but I have been distracted along the way tracing the family of Mary Atkins Ross, his wife. That is partly because it is much easier to trace family who came from England than it is to trace them from Ithaca ... I think I am going to have to spend time there to do that .... but also because I knew nothing about that side of the family, other than the 'family story' which has been tantalisingly difficult to prove.

Then again, when I began this I did not have a photograph of my great-grandmother let alone great-great-gran Elizabeth and now I have one of each. And I have one of great-great-grandfather Edward Atkins. The sad thing is I do not have one of Greek Charlie Ross and that would be quite an achievement. But, who knows? I never cease to be surprised at how things come out of the 'woodwork' in this process.

So, here we are, with the list of names, dates and details growing longer by the month.
Sandra wrote:

I too have a connection with the surname of Mashford - my father's maternal grandmother was Catherine Mashford, born 1849 in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth. Incidentally that is also where my father was born! I can only trace my Mashford line back to a marriage of John Mashford at Kenton, near Exeter, in 1752. I have no leads as to where John was born, although I suspect that it was in the Coldridge (mid Devon) area.

I note that you also show your interest in the surname of Cann and from that I deduce that you descend from the marriage of John Mashford (son of John Mashford and his wife, Mary Labbatt) and Mary Cann. I am aware that several members of the family emigrated to Australia in the 1840's. John's nephew Joseph (only surviving son of John's brother Josiah) also married a Cann, namely Susan. Their daughter Ellen Jane Mashford married 1887 Charles Gove and emigrated to Queensland, Australia.


I am in intermittent contact with Fred Mashford of Whyall Norrie, South Australia and have been able to help him with his Mashford ancestors. His line backwards is the only one that poses few problems and is originally centred around Exbourne (mid/west Devon) and does not appear to tie in with those in the Coldridge area.

One of the problems with this sort of research is that weeks or months pass before any more work is done and names, dates and details disappear in a haze of different families, generations and events. I am thinking that I need to compile a name, date, event record as I go along. I have found that while the purpose of the blog was to record all of the research, and it does that, it is difficult to easily access records written in the past year or so.

Now, there is always a possibility that Fred Mashford is connected to our lot because Whyalla is in the mid-north, not far from Wirrabarra Forest, Gladstone and the Clare Valley. Sometimes the only way to make progress is to go off at a tanget and there are certainly a few tangents here. I sent a link to the blog which I am hoping will be forwarded to Fred Mashford just in case there are connections which are a little more concrete. The other course to pursue is the Queensland Canns, just in case they have information on Mary Cann Mashford.

Left: Edward Atkins

I replied:

Yes, my great-great-grandmother was Elizabeth Mashford, the daughter of Mary Cann and John Mashford. At least we think she is their daughter. A story has come down through our family that she was the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and she came to Australia because of this.... the wife of the said nobleman, urging it.


John and Mary (Cann) did have a daughter called Elizabeth who fits our Elizabeth's time frame and she was in her 20's when she emigrated which makes the 'story' a bit hard to believe. In addition, she travelled to South Australia with her mother Mary and her brothers George, John and Josiah and her sisters Jane and Mary Ann which also makes the illegitimacy story, or rather, the reason for emigrating odd. We have the shipping records listing them all, arriving in Adelaide in 1847.


I have wondered if perhaps Elizabeth was not a daughter but a niece although there are no death records for the Elizabeth born to John and Mary Cann so this seems unlikely.

I am now wondering if the illegitimacy story related to Mary Cann Mashford given that we have had one other family story proved correct but about Elizabeth herself and not her daughter Mary's husband, Charlie Ross, about whom it was told. The family story said Charlie died of gangrene poisoning but death records reveal he died of a heart attack and Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins died of gangrene poisoning. So this makes me wonder if the family story is true, but about the wrong person.


At this stage I am trying to find out more about Mary Cann. Her brother Stephen Cann signed her marriage certificate but I do not yet know Mary's mother's maiden name.
We have some guesses because her first born George has the middle name of May and given that John took Mary's maiden name and Joshua took the middle name of Labbatt or Labbett, there is a good chance that Mary Cann's mother was a May.

I have since looked into my somewhat incoherent files and realised that Luke Scane Harris had some information on Mary Ann Mashford as follows:

At some stage, Maryann Mashford moved to Victoria and married a William Mollison Strachan on the 14th July 1855 aged 24 years . She had four known children whose names are as follows :-

• Josephina Stranchan, Born Richmond 1856 .

• William Donald Stranchan, Born Richmond 1859 .

• Donald Stranchan Born, Richmond 1860 .

• James Stranchan, Born Richmond 1863 .

There is a record of a death of a Maryann Strachan in 1897 in Carlton Victoria .
 
He also lists Josiah Mashford's children although this does not include a Joseph Mashford so either he is not listed, or the record has not been found, or names have been mixed up. Yes, it does get confusing.
 
Josiah Labbett Mashford had four children, as far as we know, probably with Fanny Heyward whom he married in Adelaide in 1852, although not necessarily because  when he married Bridget O'Neil, on June 15, 1885 at St Ignatius Church, Richmond, Victoria, he lists himself as a widower, but wasn't and states on the marriage certificate that he had two children:.
 
The four names we have so far are:
 
• Mary Maria Mashford ,Born Maldon 1854 .


• Henry Charles Mashford, Born Coch? 1862 .

• George Herbert Mashford, Born Bealiba 1870 .

• Isabella Mashford, Born Bealiba 1872 .

Above: Mary Atkins Ross (left), Edward Atkins and Elizabeth Atkins Cox.

And today I had a reply:

Sorry for the delay in letting you know that I did get to the Record Office last Thursday but was unable to check Chawleigh registers as all the readers were booked. Will keep trying!

Devon Family History Society has spent several years indexing all Devon marriages from 1754 to 1837, baptisms from 1813 to 1837 and burials also from 1813 to 1837. There is a very small proportion not covered as the registers are still at their respective churches but all our hard work has now been made available on Findmypast and I have a full subscription so can access these records at home. Nymet Rowland is one of the more unusual parishes in that burials have been taken for a wider period - hence the knowledge of the Stephen burial above.


In 1841 census Mary Mashford, nee Cann is shown as age 48 - do you have anything that might corroborate/refute this age? Also do you know if any of the Cann clan also emigrated?


Hmm, so the Stephen and Mary Cann birth records I found may not be our lot. Then again, they may be. The dates and place are close enough to be right.

My reply was:

According to our research, John Mashford married Mary Cann on May 29, 1818 in Coldridge, Devon. John died some 18 years later at the age of 39 and was buried on May 5, a few weeks before their wedding anniversary, in 1836 in Coldridge, Devon in the parish of Coleridge. Within eight months their youngest child Emma would be dead. One-year-old Emma was buried on January 25, 1837 in Coldridge, Devon.


Mary Cann Mashford was a widow with six surviving children: Elizabeth, aged 16; John Cann, aged 13; George May, aged 10; Josiah Labbett, aged 8; Mary Ann, aged 5 and Jane, aged 3.


She is next recorded as a publican so perhaps there was some money left when John died for this. Her son Josiah also became a publican in Australia so this is a link which suggests it is our Mary.


However, as we have found and I am sure you know, ages change frequently on marriage records at least and no doubt on census records. And they may well be wrong on death records but we have done better in our tracking birth dates by using age at death.


The next information we have is a report of passengers arriving in South Australia in 1847 on the Princess Royal:


This lists Mary Mashford and child (Jane, who remained in Australia and married and later moved to New Zealand)


Mary Ann Mashford (who also remained and married) Jane and Mary Ann sailed for Melbourne in 1848, returned briefly the following year and then returned to Victoria.)


Elizabeth Mashford (my great-great grandmother who married Peter Lewis in 1848 and Edward Atkins, my great-great grandfather in 1857)


George May Mashford (who died in Adelaide in 1855) NB. Later found to be September 14, 1850.
John Cann Mashford (who died in Adelaide in 1849.
Josiah Labbett Mashford (moved to Victoria, married twice, ran a hotel, went bankrupt, was cited for bigamy, died in Melbourne at an advanced age.)


We have found no record of Mary Cann Mashford's death in Australia although even as I write this I am thinking that we have not checked New Zealand where Jane moved in the 1870's or so. NB: Mary Cann Mashford died Adelaide, November 14, 1850.

So now it is a matter of waiting to see what else comes out of the research woodwork.

A respite of sorts

I have not been able to do much research and I am in the process of getting a UK researcher to do some hunting for me on Edward Atkins' origin and possibly, looking further into the Elizabeth Mashford story.

I am hoping that I will soon have Edward's death certificate and one for Jane Atkins McKinnon and that it may lead us further on the path.

I haven't had the time to do a Trove hunt which has been useful in pulling up information, but intend to do so soon.

Meanwhile, watch and wait. It is easy to forget how much we have learned so far while pondering how much we still do not know.

Treading lightly on lost lives

One of the things which hits home doing ancestry research is how often children died. We simply, in the first world at least, have no comprehension of this sort of continual grieving.

I have been trying to find out more about Margaret Atkins Newbery, whom we believe is Edward Atkins daughter and from what I can see Margaret and Jasper probably have no descendants because none of their grandchildren survived childhood.

It must have been so common, for all of the reasons I have discussed in earlier posts; lack of adequate nutrition; lack of adequate hygiene and of course the scourge of things like syphilis which took a terrible toll on babies and young children in the first few years of their lives without their parents suspecting it as a cause; or perhaps even knowing they were infected.

I think it was syphilis which accounted for the deaths of three of Chrysantheous Christus's children given the details of sexually transmitted diseases his army records revealed.

But, whatever the cause for him or for Edith and Elizabeth (Newbery) Baldock the records reveal a tragic tale of small lives lost. Elizabeth married Charles (Ted) Edward Bee Baldock in 1907 and they had three children, none of whom survived to adulthood.

Edward Joseph was born May 1908  and died in September of the same year. He wa buried in Port Pirie Cemetery on September 9.

Hartley Bee was born in Bangor on February 18, 1912 and died just over a year later in Booleroo Centre on February 28. Buried with his brother in Port Pirie Cemetery.

Eric James was born in 1910 in Booleroo Centre but died at the age of seven. He was buried in Port Pirie Cemetery on October 8, 1917. How it must have broken their hearts to lose their one remaining child.

Edith and James Baldock fared little better. They married on March 15, 1913 at the home of Elizabeth and Ted in Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia. Solomontown was home for us also during three of the four years we lived in Port Pirie in the early 70's.

Sylvia Edith was born barely a year later on April 18, 1914 and died at the age of two months in June of the same year. She is also buried in Port Pirie Cemetery.

Dorothy May was born the following year on July 5 and died at the age of six months on January 7, 1916 and was buried with her sister in Port Pirie Cemetery. (See pic below)

There is a possibility that a third daughter was born with the unusual family name of Living, which is symbolic in the saddest way and perhaps the origin of the name for the family,  but there is no record of her birth date or any death date. She is said to have married a William Gleeson and had a daughter, Living Gleeson but again, there are no dates or details for any marriage or any child.

Within a ten year period Edith and Elizabeth had buried all of their children and probably brought to an end the ancestral line from Edward Atkins and his unnamed 'wife' through their daughter Margaret.

I am reminded yet again of how deep are my ancestral connections to Port Pirie and the mid-north of South Australia .... something of which I was completely unaware when I lived there. Well, unaware at a conscious level. Who knows what work our subconscious and unconscious does to take us where we need to be.

Port Pirie, Gladstone, Booleroo Centre, Wirrabarra, Hamley Bridge, Clare and South Australia's mid-north form part of my ancestral home.

And the mystery deepens as mysteries can

In that way of things with family research, one thing leads to another possibility. The 'clues' if you like are littered throughout the dross and dregs of history; called into place by conjecture.

I was doing a search on Edward Atkins yesterday, trying to find a marriage for him in England between 1844 and 1849 and birth records for Jane or Margaret Atkins. I had no success with the latter but I did come across a marriage for Edward Atkins and Mary Welch, July 30, Swinford, Worcester which fits with Cousin Luke's search area and birth certificates he found for a Jane and Margaret Atkins.

But more than that, the name Welch struck a chord. My great-grandmother Mary Atkins Ross had an illegitimate son in 1877 whom she named Edward Welsh (close to Welch and either could be a misprint) Atkins and whose father she gave as Edward Welsh. Co-incidence? Of course it might be but it also might be a clue as Cousin Luke suggested when I raised it with him.

Here is his theory which actually makes a lot of sense and would certainly explain the clearly massive rift between Edward Atkins and his wife, Elizabeth Mashford Lewis Atkins and their children, Elizabeth, Mary and James and the 'blanket of silence' which was dropped over Edward's three older daughters.

 I did see the name Welch some time go, wrote Luke, and believed it may have been a match but I found the connotations disturbing. What I am beginning to think more and more, and hence why it disturbed me so much, is that Mary Ross nee Atkins was giving a clue to everybody about who the real father of her first child was. She names her first child Edward Atkins and listed the father as Edward Welsh. I have never come across the name of Edward Welsh in any of the research I have done so far. EG no birth, death, marriage, shipping record etc. Things just do not add up.



It may be the case that the real father of Mary Ross nee Atkins first child was her father Edward Atkins. This may make sense for a number of reasons.


1) Incest happens today so it certainly happened in the 1800s especially in country area


2) Mary Atkins gave birth to her first child Edward Welsh at Gladstone in 1877 and not at Wirrabara where Edward Atkins was living. Did Mary Ross nee Atkins and her mother leave Edward Atkins by 1877? If they did why?


3) John Lewis died at his mother residence at Gladstone in 1888. Thus, Elizabeth Atkins had her own home separated from her husband. It is known that in 1875 she signed over some land in Gladstone to her son George Lewis so she may have been a woman with some financial means and could have lived in her own home in Gladstone separated from her husband.

And I would add here that Edward Atkins may have signed over property and money to his wife Elizabeth in order to keep the shameful secret a secret. This could explain why he was living with one of his daughters at the time of his death.


4) When Mary Atkins married Charlie Ross in 1888 she left her father's name out of her marriage certificate. Her father was alive at the time of his daughter marriage so this could be a clear indication that Mary Ross nee Atkins had disowned her own father. Maybe Edward Atkins was the father of his own daughter’s first child and it was keep a secret between the family members and was the reason why Elizabeth Mashford left her husband.


5) It may also explain why not one of Edward Atkins’ children or his wife placed an obituary in the papers. (At least, not one that as yet been found). They disowned him and wanted nothing to do with him. Edward Atkins died at the residence of his daughter and son in law Margaret and Jasper Newbery at Whyte Park. It may be that his other daughters saw Elizabeth Mashford as the wicked step-mother and was telling lies about her husband (their father) to protect the reputation of her own daughter. This could also explain why Mary Ross nee Atkins never mentioned she had step-sister. The story of the Lewis step-brothers passed down as oral history, but never the step-sister. May be the step-sisters took their father's side and did not believe Mary Ross nee Atkins side of the story.

6) Mary Atkins named her first child “Edward” the same name of her own father and named the father’s last name as “Welsh.” “Welsh”and “Welch” are so close in terms of spelling that Mary Ross nee Atkins could have got the spelling wrong. Was she giving a clue as to who the real father was by using the maiden name of Edward Atkins’ second wife? This would also be insulting to her step-sisters and a reason as to why no story ever came down in the family oral history because the step-sisters may have had nothing to do with the children of Elizabeth Mashford.


Maybe I am wrong and Edward Atkins is no longer around to protect himself from my theory so I am some what apprehensive to mention it to you. However, if Edward Atkins did marry a “Welch” the association, at least for me, is disturbing.


What do you think?

I think Luke may definitely be on to something. If we can find the name Welch or Welsh mentioned in regard to any of his three older daughters or for a confirmed marriage for Edward Atkins, then this theory gains solid ground.

There are always reasons as to why things happen and there is enormous satisfaction in being able to understand what those reasons were. The fact that Edward and Elizabeth were clearly and irrevocably separated and that there was also a major split between him and his three children by her indicates that something major happened to bring it about.

On a Baldock family site I found details of a Jasper Newberry, born 1842  who married Margaret Atkins, born 1847 in the residence of John Pole, Booleroo Station, South Australia on December 24, 1872. They had two children, Elizabeth born November 5, 1880 in Wongyana, South Australia and Edith born October 5, 1889, in Glenorchy, near Wirrabarra, South Australia. This is of course the area where Edward Atkins lived and worked first as a blacksmith and later as a shepherd. (See photos above.)

The Newberry (Newbery) girls married the Baldock brothers and ended up in Port Pirie, a town where I lived for four years in the early seventies. I had family there and did not know it. Elizabeth married Charles (Ted) Edward Bee Baldock in 1907 and Edith married Arthur James Bee Baldock in 1913.

I have sent an email off to the descendant noted on the Baldock website and while it is slim, there's a chance he might know more about Margaret Atkins which will help us fill in the picture. But we have come a long way.

NB: Stephen Knowles replied to my email and said:
The reason I have Jasper NEWBERRY & Margaret ATKINS in my file is to illustrate the fact that their daughters Elizabeth & Edith are sisters. The brothers who Elizabeth and Edith married are my wife Kim's 2nd cousins 3 times removed.



The only extra info which I have which isn't shown online is that Margaret's father is Edward. I've noted that Jasper is also spelt Gasper, and his father is William NEWBRY (sic).

And he has promised to keep me in mind should any further information come to hand. In the meantime Luke is sending off for a birth certificate for the Sarah Atkins he found and I await death certificates for Edward Atkins (trying again with more detailed information as last time it came up with nothing) and Jane Atkins McKinnon and Margaret Atkins Newberry.

Pondering mysteries of an Atkins kind

Photo: The Clare Valley where Edward Atkins lived and later married Elizabeth Mashford Lewis. It is now one of South Australia's premier (and prettiest) wine regions.

Luke Scane Harris has been pondering the missing daughters of Edward Atkins. The death notice revealed another three of which we knew nothing but clearly he was living with one of them at the time.

Elizabeth and Edward must have had quite a crowded house in the early years of their marriage with  Elizabeth's two sons George and John; the three daughters from who knows what marriage or relationship for Edward and the small children, Elizabeth, Mary and James from his marriage to Elizabeth.

It does not look as if these three unexpected daughters are from his marriage to Hannah McLeod as there are no birth records for them in South Australia.  But, there is always the possibility that he and Hannah returned to England and she died there and these are her daughters. There is no death notice for Hannah in South Australia which adds weight to this suspicion.

Since Edward re-appeared in South Australia, in the Clare Valley in 1849 these girls would need to have been born during a five year spectrum. Did Edward return to Australia alone leaving three small girls aged five, three and one in the care of relatives in England only to send for them later or did he return with them (and no doubt the assistance of a female relative)?

Whatever the answer it suggests that in 1857 when he married Elizabeth he had three children aged somewhere from the age of 13 to nine. There's a good chance that at some point there were eight children living in the house in Wirrabarra Forest and there seems little doubt that Mary Ross would have known her stepsisters even if she never talked of them.

But back to Luke's detective work:

'The mystery of Edward Atkins missing daughter was on my mind,' wrote Luke. 'I just could not work out where another three daughters came from. It would mean he had another marriage and no stories ever came down from the family of him having five daughters and three marriages.

My Grandmother knew Mary Ross nee Atkins very well and you would think that a story of three marriages would be passed down the family as oral history. Anyway last weekend, out of frustration, I just goggled “Edward Atkins” and “Penwortham” to see what would happen. You never know your luck.  I came across a website about the Mckinnon family tree and there was a reference to a Jane Atkins 1845-1923, Married John McKinnon 25/12/1867 at the Presbyterian Church Clare, Father Edward Atkins. That got me thinking, what are the chances of somebody getting married in Clare in 1867 with a father called Edward Atkins who is not one of our relations????


I went onto Ancestry.Com and looked up all the marriage records for people called “Edward Atkins” between the years 1843 and 1857. I decided that the years between 1843-1857 were the best because 1843 for when Hannah McLeod died (we think) and 1857 when Edward Atkins married Elizabeth Lewis, nee Mashford. I call the gap between 1843-1857 as the missing years for Edward Atkins.


I was expecting hundreds of results to show up, but surprisingly they were not that many results, only about 10 of them. I had a look at all the Counties or District of Registration of each one. There was no result for Gloucestershire. I then decided to cross reference the Counties or District of Registration of marriages for all the people called Edward Atkins and compares these Districts of Registration with records of birthplaces for the missing daughters.


The results are below.
Edward Atkins, Year of Marriage 1844, District of Registration Stourbridge, County, Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. I image that the District of Registration called “Stourbridge” covers the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire.


There were two matches for the missing daughters:
Sarah Atkins, Year of Registration of birth 1850, County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. Edward Atkins could have conceived Sarah Atkins in 1849 and still returned to South Australia to be listed as living in the Clare Valley. This would mean Sarah Atkins did not arrive in South Australia with Edward Atkins when he returned to South Australia.

Jane Atkins, Year of Registration of birth 1845, County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. (Perhaps our Jane Atkins who was married in Penwortham Church (see left) like her father Edward Atkins).


Margaret Atkins. There were no match with Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire. However, there is a Margaret Atkins born Avon Gloucestershire in 1848. This could be a match because of the Gloucestershire connection.


As a result, I think that Edward Atkins was back in England sometime between 1843-1844 to remarry and at least two daughters may have been born at the same place he remarried at.

I looked up the 1841 and 1851 Census and there are no matches for a family unit with the name of Edward Atkins, or the 3 missing daughters. This would make sense if Edward Atkins was not in England until 1844 and missed the 1841 census, and by the 1851 Census his wife had died and Edward Atkins was back in South Australia. I have tried to look for his daughters in the 1851 Census with no result. There are just to many females with the names of Sarah, Jane, and Margaret Atkins all over England and if they were living with other family members of friends because there father was not around in 1851, it just makes it to difficult. Or his daughters may not have even been in England for the 1851 Census because they could have been on there way to South Australia or even living in South Australia in 1851. Therefore many hours of research could turn up nothing and I do not think it is worth the effort.


Edward Atkins may have come back to South Australia by himself and left his daughters in the care of his family if his wife had died. He may have then established a home for himself in the Clare Valley and then arranged for his daughters to come to South Australia.


I have had a look at TROVE and there is no reference of “Atkins” arriving in South Australia in 1849. However, there are references of the name “Atkins” arriving in South Australia between 1850-1860. However, the papers just states things like “Atkins (2)” or “Atkins (3)” there are no first names or sex stated so it is impossible to state that these people called Atkins were the daughters of Edward Atkins.


I just have to decide if I want to purchase the marriage and birth certificates. Edward Atkins marriage certificate will show his father name and if it has a “Joseph Atkins” listed then it will be a definite match. It will also show his wife name so I can then try to look for a death certificate. It will also pinpoint his place of residence at the time of his marriage which may give us more clues to his life. The birth certificate will also show place of residence for Edward Atkins. The problem is if I am wrong about the matches then I have wasted my money because it will coast about $50 Australian Dollars.


As a result, I have also thought about purchasing the death certificates of Jane McKinnon nee Atkins 1845-1923, and Margaret Newbery nee Atkins 1847-1911. They will be available in South Australia. Death Certificates between 1907-1937 will show Birth Places, and length of residence in Australia. This would then make it easier for me decided whether to purchase their birth certificate from England if their place of birth on their death certificate matches with County Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Middlands, and Worcestershire.'

While Luke has done a lot of work for so far, little result, the reality is that progress is slowly being made - which is the way of it with ancestry research. I have said I will get copies of the death certificates and we can go from there.

These 'extra daughters' may well enable us to trace more accurately the English origins of Edward Atkins and the best lead at this point is Jane Atkins (pictured above second from left at the back)who married John Mckinnon. According to the McKinnon family site, John married Jane Atkins, daughter of Edward Atkins and Unknown, on 25 Dec 1867 in Presbyterian Church, Clare SA. Jane was born on 9 Oct 1845 in England, died on 21 Nov 1923 in Clare SA at age 78, and was buried on 22 Nov 1923 in Clare SA.

The family records also show that she arrived on 6th December 1858 at Pt Adelaide on the boat "Melbourne", which left from Liverpool, on 4th September 1858. Master of the "Melbourne" was Captain Brodie. This was a year after Edward Atkins married Elizabeth Mashford Lewis and this Jane Atkins, yet to be established as ours but looking very likely, would have been 13.

I have been in touch with a family historian on the McKinnon website, Marcelle, and she has kindly sent me two photographs of Jane Atkins McKinnon. She has no information on her mother so I will have to continue to pursue this until we have clear links established. There is however a likeness between Edward Atkins and Jane Atkins McKinnon as the photographs demonstrate.

Left: Edward Atkins in 1860 and below, Jane Atkins McKinnon aged, from the look of it, in her thirties so circa 1870 or more.

John McKinnon was the son of Donald  and Mary McKinnon. Donald was born in Morvern, County of Argyll, Scotland. And here we have another link. My aunt Lottie, Charlotte Jean McKinnon Simper,  was a grand-daughter of Donald and Mary and therefore, Jane Atkins McKinnon would have been her aunt, just as she was my grandfather's aunt although he did not know it.

The website also states that Auntie Lottie was a major force in compiling the McKinnon family history. If only I had known when she was alive but of course I wasn't particularly interested in it at the time; we had more in common though than we knew. I did always like her. She was a no-nonsense sort of person but given her childhood that is hardly surprising. She was also a seriously devout Catholic which would no doubt have had her seriously Presbyterian grandfather turning in his grave!

Donald's father was Hugh Mackinnon and his mother Betty Cameron. Mary was born in Gorbals, county of Lanark, Scotland. Donald and wife Mary, with eldest son Archibald, left Greenock on 31st October 1839, arriving at Pt Adelaide on 11th March 1840 in the 428 tonne Barque "Tomatin". The Master of the ship was Daniel Wingate with a crew of 24. Stores they carried included 100 gallons Brandy, 300 lb Tobacco, 10 Gallons Whisky, 100 Gallons Gin and 63 tons Salt. Donald's embarkment number 3787 was issued on 22nd July 1839. Immigration numer 5545. His address at the time was Sleat, Isle of Skye. Aged 29yrs married, wife 21years.

Upon arrival in the colony Donald and Mary, solid Presbyterians, settled in South Australia, where they raised their family. They worked at Hill River Station just outside Clare. He died at 11 Wright St, (Hope Cottage) Clare. Mary died at Hill River Station. In the mid 1800's Mackinnon became McKinnon. Records from State Records Adelaide, show that he owned 110 acres in Amargh, via Clare S.A. Section 3027, 138 which had 40 acres in crop and a hut.

And one of the witnesses at the marriage of Edward Atkins to Elizabeth was from Armagh. I shall have to look more closely at the records because from memory the signature was unintelligible but there's a good chance that it may have been McKinnon, perhaps a family friend to Edward even before he brought his young daughters out from England to join him in South Australia.

Left: Jane Atkins McKinnon in 1920.

John McKinnon was an overseer on Fishers run at Dry Creek prior to moving to Melrose as an overseer on another run. He then moved to Clare where he carried on a chaff mill and wood merchant business until his death in 1889. He worked as a farrier and he and Jane had 11 children which would certainly help in terms of the unexpected 'grandchildren blowout' as revealed in the death notice for Edward Atkins.

In 1891 at the time of his death, Edward had 47 grandchildren. Given that Elizabeth, Mary and James were just starting their families  and probably had half a dozen between them, that's a goodly number of grandchildren to be sourced elsewhere. Jane and John McKinnon's brood would have contributed nicely. That just needs  a couple of dozen more to place.

But the family numbers keep swelling via great-great grandfather Edward Atkins and if Jane is our girl, which I think she is then the following join the ranks of 'family':

 Edward Henry McKinnon was born on 14 Oct 1868 in Hill River Station, Clare SA and died on 12 Apr 1934 in Prospect SA at age 65.

Albert George McKinnon was born on 5 Mar 1870 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died on 20 Nov 1949 in Clare SA at age 79, and was buried on 21 Nov 1949 in Clare SA.

Jane McKinnon was born on 12 May 1872 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died on 13 Sep 1949 in Hill River Station, Clare SA at age 77, and was buried on 15 Sep 1949 in Clare SA.

Duncan John McKinnon was born on 21 Jul 1874 in Hill River Station, Clare SA, died in Feb 1942 in Broken Hill NSW at age 67, and was buried on 4 Feb 1942 in Broken Hill NSW.
Alfred William McKinnon was born on 18 Nov 1876 in Dry Creek SA, died in Aug 1942 in Broken Hill NSW at age 65, and was buried on 4 Aug 1942 in Broken Hill NSW.

Arthur William McKinnon was born on 11 Mar 1880 in Clare SA, died on 27 Oct 1965 in Clare SA at age 85, and was buried on 29 Oct 1965 in Clare SA.

Donald Archibald McKinnon was born on 6 Sep 1881 in Clare SA, was christened on 21 Jul 1882 in Clare Presbyterian Church, Clare SA, died on 2 Aug 1950 in Broken Hill NSW at age 68, and was buried on 3 Aug 1950 in Broken Hill NSW.

Agnes McKinnon was born on 11 Dec 1883 in Clare SA, died on 12 Mar 1952 in Clare SA at age 68, and was buried on 13 Mar 1952 in Clare SA.

Clara McKinnon was born on 23 May 1886 in Clare SA, died on 2 Jul 1973 in Clare SA at age 87, and was buried in Jul 1973 in Clare SA.

Annie McKinnon was born on 14 Aug 1888 in Clare SA and died on 7 Sep 1888 in Clare District SA.

Walter Richard McKinnon was born on 14 Aug 1888 in Clare SA, died on 7 Sep 1946 in Clare SA at age 58, and was buried on 9 Sep 1946 in Clare SA.

And I suspect the reason why Luke's grandmother never heard the story of the 'extra daughters' from Mary Ross was because it is clear that at the end of his life Edward Atkins was estranged from his wife Elizabeth. She was living in Gladstone and  had certainly been there for three or more years because the death notice for her son John lists her residence as Gladstone and he was living in Wirrabarra with one of his 'mystery daughters' and his son-in-law.

There is always the chance that there was 'bad blood' because Edward handed his inheritance to one or other or all of his daughters from the earlier relationship. That would have brought down the barriers. Or perhaps the breakup of the marriage was nasty and Elizabeth's children simply would not or could not forgive their father?

Given that there was 'no mention at all' down through the family of the 'other branch' comprised of Edward's three daughters it's a pretty fair bet that neither side wanted anything to do with each other. Then again, our side of the family had never heard of the Lewis family either; the descendants of Elizabeth's oldest son by Peter Lewis. And it is not as if we are not good at handing down stories!

No doubt Elizabeth Lewis Atkins wanted to hear nothing of her stepdaughters and a great blanket of silence may have dropped over that part of the family history. After all, it was not Elizabeth's family nor that of Mary Atkins Ross. Although that does not explain the silence regarding George Lewis's family!

Was it an effort to ignore, to hide, to dismiss or was it the fact that the different branches of the family went their own separate ways and everyone was simply too busy trying to raise their families and survive to bother about the rest?

I wonder, if such a substantial piece of information can be hidden from view why is it that the story of illegitimacy was handed down so tenaciously through the generations?

The almost Mashford murder story

The report on Peter Lewis's attempt to shoot George Mashford has come up on Trove. There is no doubt that Peter was a violent drunk and this gives credence to the earlier theory that Elizabeth Mashford Lewis may have left him or perhaps he left her.

It is clear there were problems from the beginning of the marriage although she did go on to have another two sons after this incident and there is no reason to believe Peter Lewis was not the father.

And it is clear that poor Elizabeth got short shrift from the judge who suggested that she find ways to 'temper' her husband's temper! These were the days when women had little in the way of rights and even less hope of making their way in the world without the support of a father, brother or husband.

LAW AND POLICE COURTS.

POLICE COURT. Thursday. 7th December, 1848.


Peter Lewis was charged with threatening to shoot George Mashford, his brother in-law, at Kensington, on the 3d instant. '

George Mashford made a lone statement, from which it appeared that his sister (the prisoner's wife) was afraid to live with him, he having repeatedly threatened her, and even on one occasion attempted to choak her.

On last Sunday evening he came to witness's house demanding to see his wife. He then went to the Chapel looking for her, and created a disturbance there. He made use of the threats complained of on that occasion, and he had circulated the most abominable stories of witness and his sister.

Mrs Lewis stated that she feared her husband would sometimes put his threats into execution, particularly as he was in the habit of getting drunk purposely to increase his violence. She was willing to support herself and child without troubling him. The prisoner admitted having called and asked to see his child, which was denied him. He declared he had no wish to hurt his wife or her brother, but hoped his Worship would order them to let him see his child. His Worship could say nothing to that. He would require him to give bail to keep the peace for six months.

And to the wife he said she should endeavour to soothe the violence of her husband's temper. Her bargain might be a bad one, but she should make the best of it After entering into recognizances, the man again applied for an order to see his child. His Worship declined to give it, and admonished him not to resort to any violent means to effect that object.

In September of 1851, Elizabeth had other problems as well as her husband. There is another legal notice indicating that  she is sueing for unpaid rent. It was probably Josiah who  is the Mashford mentioned, who headed off to Melbourne later that year and seems to have been less reliable as a brother than George May.

But one wonders why she was doing the sueing and not Peter Lewis and if they were still living together? But clearly they were still in a relationship.Little George was three and John Mashford Lewis had been born the previous year. Henry would arrive in 1854 so clearly there was some sort of complicated 'dance' going on between the two of them. Unless of course they were 'sharing' a house but not as husband and wife and Henry was the result of violent, unwanted advances.

Given the two years between George and John and the four between John and Henry this may well have been the case.

As recorded in the South Australian Register:

September 4, 1851.
Lewis v. Mashford. Action for £9 1s. 6d., for board and lodging. Plea — That plaintiff was a married woman, and could not maintain an action; and that more money had been already paid than due.  Several witnesses were examined, and a judgment of 5s. per week for the full amount and costs given.

Elizabeth must have been feeling increasingly alone.  In March of 1848 barely a year after the family arrived in South Australia, her sisters Mary Ann and Jane had sailed for Melbourne on the steamship Juno.  Her brother John Cann Mashford had died a year later in 1849 and, the following year, on September 14, her beloved brother and protector, George May Mashford died, and eight weeks later, to the day, her mother, Mary Cann Mashford died. Barely a month after losing her mother, her remaining brother, Josiah Labbett Mashford sailed for Melbourne on the schooner Amalia.

He is listed in the CLEARED OUT section of the South Australian Register:


Friday, December 12, 1851— The schooner Amalia, 136 tons, Funch, master, for Melbourne. In ballast. Passengers — John Williams, ................... Josiah Mashford.

His departure may have had something to do with another notice in the Register where Josiah had been assaulted by a man named Mara on November 4.

From the Register: Owen Carroli and Daniel Mara— Did assault Thomas Chalk, onthe 5th November; and also, Mara did,' on the 4th November, assault Josiah Mashford.


The Shipping Intelligence as noted in the South Australian Register does show Josiah Mashford returning to Adelaide on Saturday, March 20, 1852 on the Brigantine Rattler. On this journey he was in a cabin as opposed to ballast so one presumes that he had fallen on his feet in Melbourne. He is also noted in the April of that year as secretary to The Adelaide Band of Musicians:

THE ADELAIDE BAND OF MUSICIANS under the' superintendance of Inspector Stuart pro poses to march and meet Mr. Commissioner Tolraer and tne Overland Escort at Glen Osmond. In returning thanks for the subscriptions already raised, the Adelaide Band of Musicians respectfully inform their friends, that they have no connection with Mr. George Bennett, and that sub scriptions will continue to be gratefully received on their behalf, by Mr. Peter Smith, Red Lion Inn, Rundle-street, by Mr. Clisby, Rosina-street, and by Mr. Mashford, Peacock's
Buildings. JOSIAH MASHFORD, Secretary to the Band. April 27, 1852. '

However, by June of 1853 the Adelaide Post Office was recording unclaimed letters for J. Mashford.  One wonders if he did a runner with some of the takings from the Band but I have yet to stumble upon a report in the Register. Josiah does seem to be something of a shifty character.

It would take five years for George May Mashford's estate to be finalised.

Coming Soon:
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Monday 20 August 1855 p 1 Advertising


... Demand on the ESTATE of the late GEORGE MAY  MASHFORD, are requested to send in their respective...... 12115 words


George May got three years in the new colony of South Australia and with his death, as far as we know, Elizabeth Mashford Lewis found herself alone, without the support of family and with a violent husband.

Even more tragically, she had lost her youngest son, Henry Lewis just three months earlier at the age of fifteen months. Was this when she moved to Rocky River?   Henry Lewis died at Marryattville so Elizabeth was living in Adelaide at the time of George's death. And clearly she and Peter Lewis were still in some sort of relationship  up until the time Henry was conceived.. Henry was born at Marryattville on January 22, 1854.

Perhaps the loss of her tiny son and the brother who had clearly been a protector was more than she could bear.  With George's death there is every chance that no member of her family remained in Adelaide. Within two years she would marry Edward Atkins in Rocky River and Peter Lewis would have disappeared from her life.

There is another note which has come up on Trove and has yet to be fully uploaded, indicating that Josiah Mashford applied for a timber licence in 1849:

1. TIMBER LICENCES. Colonial Secretary's Office, August 28, 1849. [coming soon]
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Saturday 1 September 1849 p 4 Article

..... Josiah Mashford ' 23 201. ... 1167 words

The Rocky River/Wirrabarra Forest area may well have been where his timber licence operated. If that is the case, there may have been links with people living in the area, including with Edward Atkins, where Elizabeth could take refuge from her husband and find the support she would need as a woman alone with two small sons to raise.

Edward Atkins was a Gloucestershire lad!

This week has brought important progress in terms of tracing Edward Atkins. The National Library's Trove section has recently recorded a death notice for him and it is as follows:

ATKINS.— On the 15th November, 1891 at the residence of his son-in-law, Whyte Park, 'Wirrabara, Edward Atkins, aged 84 years A colonist of over 50 years, leaving 1 son, 5 daughters, 47 grandchildren, and 3 greatgrandchildren to mourn their loss. Gloucestershire papers please copy.

And the all too obvious ommission in this is Elizabeth Mashford (Lewis) Atkins, his wife, who was well and truly alive and living in Gladstone. The fact that she is not recorded at all is a good sign that they were well and truly estranged. There is no mention of another wife so perhaps Elizabeth packed up and moved to Gladstone and Edward continued to live on in Wirrabarra Forest with his daughter and her husband. And, given the fact that Elizabeth does not rate a mention I am thinking that Edward Atkins was living with one of his older daughters, presumably, although not necessarily, from his marriage to Hannah McLeod.

So he was a Gloucestershire lad and roamed the countryside (see pic above) which contains the Cotswolds... one of my favourite parts of England. Interestingly, while my research has not yet begun I have also noted a Haynes family in Gloucestershire and am hoping that particular little mystery will also be laid to rest.

If James Haynes Atkins was his only son then there is every chance that Edward Atkins' mother was a Haynes. In fact,  a Joseph Atkins married Ann Hai(y)nes in Cirencester, Gloucestershire on August 14, 1809. If Edward's birth date was correct then perhaps this was a child born to Ann before she married Joseph Atkins. Conjecture of course but something to check.

So his birthplace must be Gloucestershire which will help enormously. I am wondering if the other three daughters were from Hannah McLeod or a third marriage? And that is an enormous amount of grandchildren and even three great-grandchildren which makes me think that the three other daughters were by Hannah MacLeod because Elizabeth, Mary and James Haynes were not old enough to be grandparents.

As another 'treasure' found in the Trove indicates, Elizabeth was living in Gladstone in 1888 where she nursed her dying son, John Mashford Lewis. That is some three years before her husband's death.

February 16, 1888
LEWIS.—On the 14th January at his mother's residence, after a long and painful illness, John Mashford Lewis, the second-eldest beloved son of Elizabeth Atkins, Gladstone, aged 37 years.—"For so He giveth his beloved sleep."

I am struck by the connection with John and Mashford and early deaths. John Mashford was 39 when he died and his son, John Cann Mashford died  at the age of 26 and then his grandson, John Mashford Lewis died at 37.

And on its way is another interesting 'jewel' from the National Library of Australia's Trove collection:

1. LAW AND POLICE COURTS. POLICE COURT. Thursday, 7th December [coming soon]
South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839-1900) Saturday 9 December 1848 p 4 Article


... LAW AND POLICE COURTS. POLICE COURT. Thursday, 7th December, Peter Lewis was charged with threatening to shoot George Mashford, his brother in-law, at Kensington, on the 3d instant. George Georee Mashford made a long statement, from which it appeared that his sister (the prisoner's wife) was ... 842 words

Our Elizabeth will speak!! Well, about her husband trying to kill her brother but at least we will have some 'words' from our great-great-grandmother!

The other newspaper report I found on Trove concerned James Haynes Atkins in a fracas with the Chinese cook at a hotel in Gladstone where Annie Clavin, who later became his wife worked as a waitress. Interestingly at the end of it all the cook got off with a mild sentence, due no doubt, to the sensitivity of the judge who felt that he, like many Chinese, had been 'driven' to the attack on Atkins.

Fascinating stuff. Luke, who is descended from James Haynes said he knew of this story. He went on to add that Annie Clavin and James Haynes lived on Booyoolie Station , just outside of Gladstone, where James worked as a horse breaker and that Annie continued to live there after James died.

But here is the report from the South Australian Register:


GLADSTONE, October 11, 1885.

Some excitement was occasioned last night at the Commercial Hotel by the report that a man named James Atkins, employed at the Booyoolee Station bad been stabbed by a Chinaman named Ah Chuck, a cook at the hotel. It appears that some days since the cook threatened Atkins that if he caught him in the kitchen he would scald him with water; Atkins went in on Saturday night, and the Chinaman threw lukewarm water over him. The Chinaman raised ' a row, and Atkins followed him outside, where a blow was struck.

The Chinaman then used a butcher's knife, which he had previously sharpened, causing a wound at the elbow joint. The wound is a very nasty gash. Dr. Hamilton stiched up the arm, and Atkins is getting along well. Although today his arm is much swollen. Chuck was arrested by the police while in bed, and Yook his blanket with him under his arm. He was surprised to find at the station that he was not allowed the use of the blanket. He will very likely be tried to-morrow.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?l-title=%7C7&q=Atkins&s=20BOOYOOLIE STABBING CASE.

At the Gladstone Police Court on Monday last, before Mr. O. Homer, J.P., Joe Yook, a celestial, was charged on the information of James Atkins, of Booyoolie station, laborer, with unlawfully and maliciously wounding him with a knife. Mr. Bonoaut appeared for the prisoner. James Atkins said on the previous Saturday night he went to Mullers hotel kitchen. Heard prisoner order the servant girl out, to which she replied that she had as much right in there as Yook bad. She refused to go out.

Heard prisoner say he would scald her, and then ordered me out, to which I replied that I would go when Mr. Muller ordered me to do so. Prisoner threw a dipper of water on me and ran away, when I followed. He went to the passage door, when I caught him, and be tried to hit me with the dipper. Put up my arm and received a blow on the elbow. Yook then ran back again into the kitchen, where he remained for about ten minutes before coming out the second time. Then he came to the door, and said—" You b… I will kill you." Was standing at the passage door at the time. During the time the prisoner was in the kitchen I heard him sharpening something on the steel, but could not say whether it was a knife. When he said he would kill me told him to come down to the back.

Was walking close ahead of him when he made a run at me. I turned round as he did so and hit him. He then struck me; the blow was like a sledge hammer. Lost all power of my arm, and felt a sore feeling through it. The coat (produced) I had on at the time, and also my white shirt and undershirt were all marked with blood. Alter the blow I went out the back and to the front of the hotel. Accused the prisoner of stabbing me and he replied "Ah .

Went to the doctor and had the wound stitched. By Mr. Boucaot —Will not swear that I did not say I had no desire to bring' the case in. Told the Chinaman in the court that I did not wish it. Prisoner told me once to go out of the kitchen. Mr Muller never did tell me, nor did prisoner say he wanted to go on with his work. Prisoner may have been speaking to both the girl and I when he ordered her out of the kitchen. Bid not stake him. Think I laid hold of him by the coat. When prisoner struck me I called out, " You have stabbed me."

Annie Clavin, waitress at the Commercial Hotel, said she went into the kitchen on Saturday night to get a candle, when prisoner ordered her out and threatened to scald her. He threw water at Mr. Atkins and some fell on my arm. Yook ran out, and Atkins caught him at the kitchen door. Heard prisoner call Mr. Muller, but he did not answer.

Left the kitchen and went into the passage, and returned, but did not see prisoner. Miss Muller enquired what the row was about, and I said. "Cook and Jim were having some words." Saw prisoner with a butcher's knife which had a black handle, bat could not swear that the knif e produced was the one. Subsequently was standing in the passage, and thought everything was over, when I heard prisoner sharpening a knife.

Prisoner went to the kitchen door and said to Atkins "I will kill you," and Atkins replied, "If you want to fight come to the back." Atkins took the lead and prisoner followed. Prisoner made a leap at him when his back was turned, but could not say whether they struck one another. Saw Atkins's arm drop down by bis side, and afterwards saw his coat cut and blood on the arm of his shirt. By Mr. Boucaut—Was always friendly with the cook till lately, when he threatened to stab me with a fork.

 He has previously told both of us to go out of the kitchen. Cant say whether there were any fowls to kill that night. They are generally killed before dinner by the ostler and never at night. Dr. Hamilton said Atkins had an incised wound about an inch and a half long on the outside of the right arm, which looked as if it bad been inflicted wtth a sharp instrument. The knife produced would have caused the wound, which I stitched up. It was not dangerous.

P.C. Harris gave evidence as to the arrest. Searched the kitchen for the butcher's knife, but could not find it, and afterwards discovered it in prisoner's bedroom underneath some clothes in the corner. Prisoner said —** I could not help it, Mr. Harry; he struck me first" Red spots were on the knife, which had been newly sharpened, judging from the keen edge.

Compared the size of the holes in the coat and shirt, and Mr. Boucaut asked for a dismissal on the ground that the information was bad. Defendant should have been charged with a common assault only. They all knew how Chinamen were kicked and cuffed about, but they were as much entitled to protection as any English subject.


LEFT: Booyoolie-Gladstone area.

The case was a trivial one, in which he should use his discretion, and deal with rather than send it on. The Crown Solicitor had fully explained only a few days ago how the law was administered by justices, and this was a case in point. The Chinaman was justified in self-defence in going to extremes, and if Atkins struck against the knife it served him right.

 He would point out that the wounding was neither wilful nor malicious. The court declined to accede to the request Adolph Welch said he was ostler at the hotel. He ought to have killed some poultry during the day, but did not do it. Prisoner asked me to help to kill some at night when he was finished in the kitchen.

By the Police—Saw the prisoner playing cards from 9pm. Don’t know why the fowls were not killed before . There was no poultry killed that night! Mr. Homer having intimated that he would send the case on, Mr. Boucaut declined to call the prisoner to give evidence, and applied for bail. Committed for trial at the next sittings of the Glad- Stone Circuit Court, bail allowed, prisoner in £50, and two sureties of 50 pounds each.