Family History Mysteries

When Isabel Lippe nee Horsfall died in 1921 her husband was not included in her will. He contested it and it went all the way to the High Court. Why did Isabel omit her husband from her will?

Arnold Resch featured in a breach of promise case in September 1925. Before  the Marriage Act of 1961 in Australia you could enact legal action for "breach of promise to marry",that is, suing for calling off an engagement. Arnold Resch was 44 when this case was put forward.

Mena Val was a notable Australian circus performer in theearly 1900s, recognized for her skills in slack wire walking, trick cycling and whip cracking.  *Warning – this episode covers has reference to domesticviolence and suicide.*

Catherine Isabella Webber, known as Kate, was the Female Blondin. Her stage name was "Ella Zuila" and she was known as the heroine of the high wire. She also used Ella Loyal and Ella Zoila as stage names. She was the most famous Australian public entertainer in the world in the last two decades of the 19th century - the toast of enraptured audiences across Europe and North America. She w...

Catherine Isabella Webber, known as Kate, was the FemaleBlondin. Her stage name was "Ella Zuila" and she was known as the heroine of the high wire. She also used Ella Loyal and Ella Zoila as stage names. She was the most famous Australian public entertainer in the world in the last two decades of the 19th century - the toast of enraptured audiences across Europe and North America. She wa...

Arthur Dredge married bigamously on the 19th Aug 1907 to Mabel Wright in Colac Victoria. He had married Anne McCann on the 24 July 1899 in Victoria and they had two daughters. He served 12 months in jail. He went onto marry Edith Gadstone at North Carlton on the 25 July 1914. Afrer serving in WW1, Arthur and his family lived in Castlemaine where he was an undertaker and a well loved citizen of the...

Billy Waite was born in 1880 on a sugar cane property at Breadalbane, Qld. When Martini's Buckjumping Show came to town Billy’s life changed dramatically. He joined Martini on tour and in 1906 took out the title of Champion Roughrider of Australia. In 1907 he went out on his own, touring Great Britain and then moved onto Canada after WW1 before settling in New York. *This episode refers to dec...

When doing Episode 275 on Simon Fraser, I came across Nangus Jack who made stockwhips. Simon described him as a master craftsman and clever teacher. Nangus Jack was born John Nangus Hughes and was of Aboriginal descent.

Alexander Rintoul died 24 March 1911. He was a second saloon steward who died on the wrecked passenger steamer Yongala that sank in a cyclone off the coast of Queensland, with the loss of all 122 passengers and crew aboard. When his wife applied for his probate, she stated that his will went down with the Yongala, and in the course of the investigation, another two wives were uncovered!

Simon Alexander Fraser was an Australian bagpiper, stock rider, and whip-maker of Scottish descent.   Simon was born on a boat in Port Arthur, Van Dieman's Land , on 13 February 1845, the eldest son of twelve children. By 1848 the Fraser family relocated to Barwite, Victoria(near Mansfield). He spent most of his life living in the district.

Lucy Benson was an Australian organist, musician, theatrical entrepreneur and conductor, when all the rest of conductors in Tasmania were men. Lucy produced over 30 major operas and musicals and was the most gifted and productive leading amateurs of her time. She was a friend of Nellie Melba and Amy Sherwin. Lucy’slegacy as a teacher, composer and director changed the musical and cultural landscap...

This is the final episode in an epic 5-part set of episodes for this man! William Henry Hayes, known commonly as Bully Hayes, was believed to have been born in 1827 in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He was an adventurer, swindler and blackbirder who sailed throughout the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and Australian ports from the 1850s until his death in 1877 aged only 50. He was a st...

This is a 5-part epic set of episodes for this man! William Henry Hayes, known commonly as Bully Hayes, was believed to have been born in 1827 in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He was an adventurer, swindler and blackbirder who sailed throughout the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and Australian ports from the 1850s until his death in 1877 aged only 50. He was a strange mixture of a man...

William Henry Hayes, known commonly as Bully Hayes, was believed to have been born in 1827 in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He was an adventurer, swindler and blackbirder who sailed throughout the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and Australian ports from the 1850s until his death in 1877 aged only 50. He was a strange mixture of a man. He was an astute entrepreneur and a mariner of gre...

This is a 5-part epic set of episodes for this man! William Henry Hayes, known commonly as Bully Hayes, was believed to have been born in 1827 in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He was an adventurer, swindler and blackbirder who sailed throughout the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and Australian ports from the 1850s until his death in 1877 aged only 50. He was a strange mixture of a man...

This is a 5 part epic set of episodes for this man! William Henry Hayes, known commonly as Bully Hayes, was believed to have been born in 1827 in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He was an adventurer, swindler and blackbirder who sailed throughout the Pacific Islands and New Zealand and Australian ports from the 1850s until his death in 1877 aged only 50. He was a strange mixture of a man...

Ernest Bonner Page, under the stage name Professor Bonner, was a self-styled hypnotist, who toured the eastern states of Australia in the early part of the 20th century. His most famous act was when Bonner would hypnotise one of his men, Sam Williams. Sam would be blindfolded and while hypnotised, would ride a carriage through the streets to discover an article previously hidden by one of the town...

Ernest Bonner Page, under the stage name Professor Bonner,was a self-styled hypnotist, who toured the eastern states of Australia in the early part of the 20th century. His most famous act was when Bonner would hypnotise one of his men, Sam Williams. Sam would be blindfolded and while hypnotised, would ride a carriage through the streets to discover an article previously hidden by one of the town&...

Mary Kearney was a publican in Deniliquin NSW. She tragically died in a fire at her establishment, the Commercial Hotel, in Deniliquin on the 14th February 1884.

Jockey Jack was a woman named May McDonald. In her early years she toured with circuses and buckjumping shows and then worked on properties. Jockey Jack got her nickname while working atGreg Greg station on the Upper Murray. The son of the station was Jack, and the family dubbed May as Jockey Jack because she rode as well as the other men, including Jack! Acknowledgment to Marion Taylor of the Alb...

On the afternoon of Tuesday 18 Sept 1883, Mr James Denham Pinnock, manager of the Ballarat branch of the Commercial Banking Company, prepared a gold shipment for transfer to the main office in Melbourne. The shipment contained 16 bars of gold (weighting over 120 pounds) and 670 pounds of mutilated notes which were sent to be destroyed. The shipment went with Pinnock rail then by carriage to the he...

Constance Ada Elizabeth Usher and her sister Beatrice Cottier Usher were quite well known in musical and theatre circles in Australia in the early 1900s. Their parents, Alfred and Elizabeth Usher raised their children in a middle-class household in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, steeped in artistic pursuits. Alfred and Elizabeth’s  involvement in local music scenes—her father as a member of the Ro...

Patrick John Daly, a showman, who was born at Barnawartha Victoria, had a string of horse stealing charges in the early 1900s in several states of Australia. He went by the professional names of P.H Montogomery, W.G Kemp and Professor Kemp.

This episode continues the story of Patrick John Daly, a showman, who was born at Barnawartha Victoria, had a string of horse stealing charges in the early 1900s in several states of Australia. He went by the professional names of P.H Montogomery, W.G Kemp and Professor Kemp.

This episode continues the story of Patrick John Daly, a showman, who was born at Barnawartha Victoria, had a string of horse stealing charges in the early 1900s in several states of Australia. He went by the professional names of P.H Montogomery, W.G Kemp and Professor Kemp.