Family History Mysteries

Isaiah Fletcher was born in MAR 1824 at Willenhall,Staffordshire, England. He was charged with bigamy more than once, after he came to Australia.

Linda Lyons Bentley was born on 30 MAY 1907 in Alpha Queensland, west of Emerald, to Phoebe Catherine Bentley. She was the oldest of Phoebe’s children. It seems James Patrick Lyons was her father – her middle name also stronglyindicates this was the case!

Count de Rossi was born Francis Robert Lewis Rossi in 1823 at Port Louis, Mauritius. His father, Francis Nicholas Rossi, accepted the post of superintendent of police in New South Wales, offered him by Earl Bathurst, in August 1824. In 1828 Francis purchased land near Goulburn NSW, calling it 'Rossiville'. In 1896 Francis Robert obtained his grandfather’s title of comte de Rossi, following...

Sheila Chisholm was referred to in the papers of the day asa notable Australian socialite. In Cairo in 1915, she met FrancisEdward Scudamore St Clair-Erskine, formally known as Lord Loughborough. They married on the 27th December 1915 and Sheila became Lady Loughborough.

The fake lord at Hadley's Orient Hotel Hobart: A colourful character the hotel saw through its doors was Lord Lymington, but not all was as it seemed. "This was a guest who checked in and announced himself very proudly to be Lord Lymington and he was apparently very charming and influential. But it all happened to be a case of false identity — he wasn't a lord at all. He had completel...

Berkely Basil Reylonds Moreton emigrated to Australia in 1855. He became the 4th Earl of Ducie in 1921.

The fake lord at Hadley's Orient Hotel Hobart A colourful character the hotel saw through its doorswas Lord Lymington, but not all was as it seemed. "This was a guest who checked in and announced himselfvery proudly to be Lord Lymington and he was apparently very charming and influential. But it all happened to be a case of false identity — he wasn't a lord at all. He had completely m...

George Longmore stated that his wife duped him when he filed for divorce in Nov 1938.

In St Michael’s Church in Deniliquin there are a number of stain glass memorials. One of these was dedicated to Theodore Perrignon from his mother. Who was Theodore Perrignon and what was his connection to Deniliquin?

Harcourt Frederick Payne was in fact Annie Payne – Annie hid her gender for 51 years and married twice!

On the 24 July 1880, John Greer shot his wife, Annice, Annice’s lover M. A. Louis Soudry and himself at the Melbourne Opera House. He died a few days later while his wife and her lover survived.

Margaret Vyner was an Australian-born actress, model anddramatist from the 1930s until the 1950s when she teamed up with her husband to write plays, some that became very successful. Acknowledgment to https://forgottenaustralianactresses.com/2019/09/24/margaret-vyner-a-very-modern-australian-woman/ which gave a good grounding of Margaret to present this episode

On the 24 July 1880 John Greer shot his wife, Annice,Annice’s lover M. A. Louis Soudry and himself at the Melbourne Opera House. He died a few days later while his wife and her lover survived.

Alice Adeline Woodbry, known as Dolly, was born in Tenterfield NSW in 1898. She was charged with stealing as a young woman, had a number of aliases and then committed bigamy!

Pretty Dulcie was one of the many names the press coined Dulcie May Markham. She was attracted to, and associated with, many major criminals of the 1930s, 1940's and 1950s. She closely involved with Sydney’s razor gang in an era of organised crime. During her criminal career, she had amassed 100 convictions in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia for prostitution, vagran...

In 1936, Ernest Montague was described in thenewspapers as a ‘callous bigamist’ who had four aliases – Ernest James Kendrick, Graeme Monte Winston Chisholm, Kenneth Raymond Kelsey and John Montague.

Pretty Dulcie was one of the many names the press coined Dulcie May Markham . She was attracted to, and associated with, many majorcriminals of the 1930s, 1940's and 1950s. She closely involved with Sydney’s razor gang in an era of organised crime. During her criminal career, she had amassed 100 convictionsin New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia for prostitution, vagranc...

The McCaughey brothers were prominent pastoralists who emigrated to Australia from Ireland. They were the sons of Francis McCaughey, farmer and merchant, and his wifeEliza Wilson.

Joining me in this episode is the most prolific true crime author in Australian history (Herald Sun & ABC Radio) Roy Maloy. A proud Wadawurrung man, and Melbourne based crime writer who has published a volume series of true crime books called “The Dawn of Crime”, including the bestselling biography of Squizzy Taylor. He has over 18 true crime biographies published, with his focus being on crim...

The Countess of Belmore was born Gloria Anthea Harker in 1915 in Perth WA. She was the daughter of Herbert Bryant Harker, a merchant clerk who was born in England, and Lilian Morris. Gloria married Major Galbraith Armar Lowry-Corry in 1939 in India and in 1949 Galbraith became the 7th Earl of Belmore.

Montague Charles Burney was born in Hampshire England in September 1852, but his birthdate changed with every charge he had in Australia! He was born into a respectable English family, but after a charge of forgery in England in 1872, he came to Australia, assumed many aliases and continued with his misdemeanors, being charged with forgery, false representation and larceny across three colonies.

In 1926, Nell Stead and her sister boarded a ship from Melbourne to Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka). Their father organized the trip after Nell and Erin had been nursing their ill mother in the final two years of her life and felt they needed a trip. On this trip Nell had a chance encounter with a handsome young naval officer by the hotel swimming pool in Colombo and this changed everything. This myste...

An article featured in the Illustrated Australian News in November 1867, titled “A LADY SWINDLER”: "It appears that for a length of time the lady has been in the habit of visiting lodging houses and inquiring for apartments. Having agreed to take the lodgings she proceeds to pay a deposit, when on feeling in her pocket, she cries, ‘I’ve lost my purse; they have stolen my purse,’ and forthwith...

An article featured in the Illustrated Australian News in November 1867, titled “A LADY SWINDLER”: "It appears that for a length of time the lady has been in the habit of visiting lodging houses and inquiring for apartments. Having agreed to take the lodgings she proceeds to pay a deposit, when on feeling in her pocket, she cries, ‘I’ve lost my purse; they have stolen my purse,’ and forthwith...

Christopher Ballerstedt and his son Theodore started building the house known as  Fortuna Villa  in Bendigo in the mid-1850’s. The estate is actually located atop of the rich New Chum reef. Fortuna Villa is an outstanding demonstration of the wealth and prosperity of Bendigo and Victoria during the gold rush period. The property was then sold to George Lansell who made marked improvements to the h...