AUS-NSW-PILLIGA-L Archives
Archiver > AUS-NSW-PILLIGA > 2008-05 > 1211095586
From: "Paul Minton" <>
Subject: Re: [AUS-NSW-PILLIGA] Martin, Harris, Rope, Johnstone, Coonamble,Gilgandra, Bugaldi, Coonabarabran, Tooraweenah
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 17:26:26 +1000
References: <683ef7750805172026s129e471dye4c402243103dac0@mail.gmail.com>
Hi Shelley,
I can offer some information about Victoria's family as my great grand
mother Beatrice Pearl Botfield (nee Martin) was her sister.
Victoria had two brothers and eight sisters. Their names were William James
(1876), obviously named after his father, an unnamed brother and an unnamed
sister who died at birth (1895), Lily (1878), Sarah Jane Waberley (nee
Martin) (1880-1968), Beatrice Pearl Botfield (nee Martin) (1884-1970), Daisy
Cooper) (1887-1930), Valentine (1890), Pansy Neylon (nee Martin)
(1892-1944), Irene A (1899)
Maria Jane Rope and William James Martin were married in 1876 at Mudgee
(BD&M rego no. 3334/1876).
If your interested I can provide more information on Victoria's siblings but
I have no further information on her parents at this stage.
Regards
Paul Minton
----- Original Message -----
From: "shelley ..." <>
To: "aus-nsw-pilliga" <>
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2008 1:26 PM
Subject: [AUS-NSW-PILLIGA] Martin, Harris, Rope, Johnstone,
Coonamble,Gilgandra, Bugaldi, Coonabarabran, Tooraweenah
> Hi,
>
> Desperately searching for info about my great grandmother* - Victoria May
> Martin* (Daughter of *Maria Jane Rope* & *William James Martin*) from *
> Coonabarabran* region.
>
> b. 1897, *Coonamble* NSW
> d: Unknown (rumoured to be *Tooraweenah*)
>
> Known Children:
>
> 1. *Harriet Olive Martin*, b. 1915 Coonabarabran
> 2. *Vera Evelyn Martin*, b. 1917 Coonabarabran
>
> Father is reported to be *Walter Henry Harris* (*Bugaldi*, NSW, Grazier).
> I
> have not however confirmed this through any records. My aunty (deceased)
> who
> worked for BD&M somehow gathered this information that I have not been
> able
> to find. (maybe on his death certificate?, it is not on the birth records
> for Harriet or Vera, it simply states "father unknown").
>
> Both children were taken into care for reasons unknown by me between
> 1917 -
> 1922. According to stories from my grandmother , the girls were sent to a
> 'childrens home' in North Sydney, and were trained in domestic duties by
> 'nuns'. She had no idea that Vera was her sister until the year she died.
> They were raised to not know that they were siblings. My Grandmother was
> not
> adopted to a family until 1931, *when she was 16??? *Anyone know why this
> might be?
>
> Victoria May Martin reportedly worked in the Tooraweenah pub (but not
> confirmed).
>
> Victoria May Martin went on to marry *Charles Henry Lloyd Johnstone* in
> Gilgandra circa 1930's, I cannot find any children from this marriage. In
> a
> census record Charles H L Johstone is listed and Victoria M Johnston(no
> e)
> is listed above him with the address differing from her 'husband', the
> address says: *c/o L.E. Semmler, Gilgandra. *(Which I believe is Ludwig
> Ernest Semmler).
>
> My Grandmother was supposedly visited by detectives some time ago when she
> was searching for her mother (Victoria May) and was told to "stop
> searching,
> as you'll be very dissapointed". (again, rumour, not confirmed).
>
> My Grandmother reported to us before she died that she had memories of her
> father (Walter Henry Harris - Bugaldi, Grazier) riding very distressed
> behind the train as she was taken away (Not sure if this is true or not).
>
> Walter Henry Harris apparently left her land when he died, which she later
> sold.
>
> If anyone has ANY information (or opinions!) on the above, they will be
> most
> welcome and appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Shelley.
>
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> with the word 'unsubscribe' without
> the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
This thread: