Climbing our Family Tree

John Fisher was born 24th August 1809 at Bradford, Wiltshire, England, son of James Fisher and Sarah. It appears that he was baptized at Holy Trinity, Bradford on 6th December 1909.

Ann Billett was born about 1808, and baptized 21st May 1809 at St James Church, Trowbridge; appearing to be the seventh child and third daughter of Thomas Billett and Ann Long.

John and Ann married 20th April 1829 at St James Church, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The witnesses were Sarah Pobjoy and John Billett. All left their mark, unable to write their names.

I have found nine possible children for this couple: Ellen (1830); Henry (1832); Sarah Ann (1834); Selina (1837); Harriet (1839); Daniel John (1841); Sarah Anne (1843); Charles James (1846) and Harriet (1848). It is fairly certain that this is the family of our Henry due to the reuse of these names in his own children.

1841 - John and Ann are living at Courts, Trowbridge. John's occupation is given as a Broker. Children home are: Ellen 11, Henry 8, Sarah 7, Harriett 3 and Daniel 4 months old. Daughter Selina is not at home, and both Harriett and Sarah Ann are deceased before the end of 1843.

1851 - John and children are living at Coal Ash Walk, Trowbridge. Ann is not at home, but John, 42, is listed as married, not as a widower. His occupation is a Pauper/Broker. Children at home census night: Selina 13, Daniel 8, Sarah 6, Charles, 4 and Henry 2 ½. I believe that the Henry here is actually the second Harriett who would be this age. It is clearly written as Henry on the census form, but must have been a misunderstanding by the enumerator. Perhaps she was called Harry.

1861 - we find John, widowed, aged 51, occupation a Dealer. He is lodging with the Connor family in Willis Street, Trowbridge. Ellen is married and living in Mortimer Street; Henry has emigrated nine years previously; Selina is married and living in Bristol; Charles is lodging with his sister Ellen; Daniel also emigrated to Australia; and I have lost sight of Sarah and Harriett.

I have no confirmed sightings of John after 1861, nor established the exact year of Ann's death.

Henry Fisher & Eliza Jane McMurray

Henry Fisher was born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England; appearing to be the second child of nine to John Fisher and Ann Billett. Henry was baptized on the 5th February 1832 at St James, Trowbridge.

Eliza Jane McMurray was born about 1833 in Tandragee, Armagh, Ireland - her parents named in her death certificate as John McMurray and Elizabeth Jane Donaldson. * * to be updated with new info from cousins.

Henry and Eliza Jane McMurray married on the 3rd January, 1856, in The Trinity Church, Adelaide, South Australia. Their fathers were not recorded on the marriage registration.

The first three children's births were registered at Bulleen, Victoria, the remaining ten at Kew - Daniel John (1858, died aged 5); Charles James (1859); Robert Henry (1861); Mary Anne Ellen (1862, Kew); William (1863); Dinah Selina (1864, died 1865); Squire (1866, died 1867); Eliza Jane (1868, died 1869); Frederick (born and died 1868) - presume that Eliza Jane and Frederick were twins, they had consecutive registration numbers); Harriet Sophia (1870); Squire (1872, died 1873, second child of this name); Kezia (1874) and Albert Ephraim (1875).

We have some discrepancies about Henry's occupation - Albert's birth registration says that he was a Dealer, Albert's marriage, in 1894, says he was a Miner, but in the same year Albert's older sister, on her marriage, says that Henry is a Gentleman.

Eliza Jane died of old age after six days of illness 9th June 1909, age 76.

Henry died 10th March 1914, aged 82 years and is buried in the Boroondara cemetery at Kew with Eliza. Their grave has a headstone.

Albert Ephraim Fisher & Mary Annie Caddy

Albert Ephraim Fisher was born 25th May 1875 at Bulleen Road, Kew. Present at his birth was Doctor Molloy and a nurse, Mrs Holbrook. Albert Ephraim was the last of thirteen children, six of whom had already died. He was the fourth surviving son of Henry Fisher and Eliza Jane McMurray.

Mary Annie Caddy was born in New Zealand, her birth registered 1875 at Wellington; the third of six children and the third girl, to Thomas Caddy and Elizabeth Williams. When she was about six years old, the family returned to Australia, having already been in central Victoria a few years before she was born.

Albert Ephraim and Annie married 12th October 1894, at Moor Street, Fitzroy. Albert was employed as a Grocer, living in Kew. Annie also lived at Kew, and was an Assistant. They both gave their ages as 21, but in reality they would only have both been between 19 and 20. By saying that they were 21 they did not have to supply their parents permission to marry.

Albert and Annie had three girls: Elizabeth Jane (1895); Alberta Daisy Myrtle (1896) and Annie Louisa Le Cour (1899). Then Albert they filed for divorce, citing adultery on behalf of Annie.. Their names appear in the Divorce Index for 1899 and 1900, there isn't a third person named. We do not have a copy of these proceedings from the Public Record Office in Melbourne as yet, but it appears from the filing that the divorce hearing did not go ahead because Mary Annie did not respond. Five more children were registered over the next eighteen years - Amelia Elvira Elizabeth (Vira) (1902); Thelma Rae (1906); Albert William Henry (1908); Clarence Maxwell (1910); Herbert Victor Kenneth (1912) and Beryl Jean Rosalea (1918). This last child was born after a six year gap - when Albert returned home from duty overseas during the Great War.

WW1: Albert Ephraim enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force 29th December 1916. He was then 40 years and 7 months old, occupation Painter. He named his wife, Annie, as next of kin, residing at 525 Lygon Street, Carlton. He had no previous military experience. Albert Ephraim was described as 5 feet, 5 inches in height; weight 118 lbs; chest measurement 32 to 35 inches; fresh complexion; blue eyes; brown hair; and his religious denomination was the Church of England. His only distinctive mark was a vaccination scar on his left arm.

He was appointed to the Engineer Reinforcements, his rank as Sapper. The engineers built bridges, prepared access roads for the troops, probably also laying mines and blowing up bridges too. He began his training at the Royal Park Camp, then went on to Seymour. He left Sydney on the 8th August, 1817, arriving at Liverpool, England on the 2nd October. He was sent to Weymouth. Two months later he was sent back to Australia, on the hospital ship "Persic" embarking on the 21st December, 1917.

His war service file contains mention of a hospital admission from the 22nd to the 31st of January, 1917, in Australia, only weeks after enlistment. He was diagnosed with a 'deviated nasal septum' [something to do with the nose] and defective hearing. But the cause of his return to Australia was piles [haemorrhoids]. According to the medical report in his file, Albert's piles had began to bleed whilst at Seymour, but were not painful, and were only a problem when they 'popped out' as he had trouble getting them back in.. [Maybe he played down the trouble he was having so he could get a trip overseas.] Now he was complaining of bleeding, a sore back and having to get up three times through the night to pass water!

The finding of the medics was that he should be operated on and he was declared temporarily unfit for active duty for three months. This was dated 13th October, barely weeks after arrival in England. A further report, dated six months later, 15th April 1918, recommended that he be discharged as permanently unfit. He had had his operation just a few days beforehand. Albert was discharged on the 30th April, 1918.

Albert's file is full of this detail, in triplicate - and yet in Edward Stanley Simpkin's file there are only several fleeting mentions of his leg amputation, certainly no details of why.

So Albert Ephraim returned to Melbourne, and Annie Beryl would have had to be conceived almost immediately to fit into a 1918 birth registration year. By this stage their address was 178 Park Street, North Fitzroy. But a letter, informing him of the availability of his British War Medal for collection, sent to this address in August 1924, was returned undelivered. Photographs show Albert at daughter Vira's wedding to Robert Leslie Randall in 1926.

I have found a petition for divorce in 1922, this time a third person was named, a Michael Cummins. We do not have this file as yet to find out the details, but this time the divorce would most likely have been granted on the grounds of adultery by Annie.

We next find Albert again in the 1934 , living in Subiaco, Perth. He is listed in the Wises Western Australian Directories up until his death as a painter living at 22 Coolgardie Street.

WW2 On 8th June, 1940, Albert enlisted in the Australian Army. He was living at 22 Coolgardie Street, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia. He lied about his age, saying he was born 1880 instead of 1875. His next of kin is his new wife, Winnie Fisher. His occupation is a Painter and Decorator, religion Church of England. Albert's hair is now grey, and his eyes are described as grey, previously blue, dimmed with age as he has not long had his 67th birthday. He was detached to the West Como Training School, and then shortly after to another Training school. It appears that Albert was probably an instructor, having had training in the engineers in the first war.

29th April 1941, he was promoted to Acting Corporal, and at a later date to Corporal. He continued at different training schools having 21 days leave in June, 1841

Almost a year later, suddenly, 20th May 1942, Albert died. He became unwell and was admitted to the 110 General Hospital, but transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Subiaco, where he was dead within hours. He had Cebrospinal fever, Meningitis and finally, his heart failed. He was buried 22nd May at the Karrakatta General Cemetery, Perth, in a grave purchased by his wife, Winifred. Less than two years later, he was disinterred and reburied, 29th March, 1944, in an Australian War Grave in the War Cemetery at Karrakatta. His death certificate doesn't give any details of his marriages or his children, and has his father's name only. But we know for certain that it is our Albert because of the submission form for the Subiaco Roll of Honor submitted by Winifred, held by the Australian War Memorial. This gives his parents as Henry and Jane. The other evidence is in a letter that Winifred wrote in February 1951, to the Central Army Records Office. She was seeking information about Albert's certificate of discharge, as it was needed for her to apply for a War Home with the Housing Commission. They replied that he wasn't discharged, having died on service. Winifred had sent a similar letter to Melbourne, asking about his first war's experience. This second letter is filed in Albert Ephraim's 1914-18 war service file, she also used his middle name in this correspondence; probably aware that he had used it at that time.

Back to Annie, the first wife. Annie died 20th February, 1947 (almost 3 years after Albert's death) at St. Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy. She was 69 years old, and had a heart attack and died within days. Her usual address at this time was 92 Rossmoyne Street, Thornbury. Annie was buried 21st February in the Fawkner Cemetery, Church of England, Compartment T, Grave 5674. She is buried alone, grave unmarked.

In Western Australia, Winifred lived until 1963, passing away aged 83, on 20th May. Winnie is buried in the grave at Karrakatta that she purchased for Albert in 1942. It was a limited tenure grave, and having only paid for 50 years this grave expired on the 20th June 1992. Burial records show that she was also known as Winifred Casemento. I am yet to find out if this name was her maiden name or from another marriage - Winnie and Albert may not have actually been married; Annie's status on her death certificate was widow, no mention of divorce.

7 November 2006