Tuesday … so it’s Trove Tuesday time. And again Trove has come up with an amazing tid-bit relating to my family. Ok, technically it’s Mr Lonetester’s family, but you get the point. And again it’s something I never would have thought of (of known about) if it wasn’t for the wonders of Trove.

The Age, 8 July 1947, p.3.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article206033519

here’s a photo of Richard John Tester, age 18/19

I will admit I haven’t done a whole lot of research on this side of the family, so am still learning a lot as I go, however I do know that Richard John Tester survived this accident and lived on for another 20 odd years, and is buried in the Warrnambool Cemetery in Victoria, Australia.

My regular readers will know that my 4x great grandma Charlotte Phillips and her husband Samuel Trewartha are two of my fav ancestors, and I’ve written about them from time to time.

Born in the 1820s, they grew up in Cornwall, England and in the English 1861 census Samuel Trewartha’s occupation was given as Copper Miner, while Charlotte’s was Confectioner. This is followed by an entry in the 1866 Directory for Redruth (England) where Samuel is listed as a Sugar Boiler, so obviously they were making candy to supplement his income from mining.

It was in 1867 that they made the lifechanging decision to move from England to the United States, ending up in Rockaway and Dover, Morris County, New Jersey, and they opened a candy store there … which from what I can tell was a wonderful store, with an incredible reputation and ran for at least several generations, with her son John and his wife Minnie running it in her later year, and I believe some granddaughters did after that, with Black Rock Candy being their signature treat.

While I know a fair bit about Charlotte’s life from records, one thing I didn’t have is any photos of Samuel,  Charlotte, the candy store. That is, at least until cousin bait worked, and some distant relatives saw my previous posts, and have sent me some photos, and have kindly allowed me to share them with you here.

So I must say a HUGE, HUGE thank you to Glenn Rush who sent me the photos below, and has allowed me to share them with you. And also to Eric Bullfinch who has sent me a map showing the exact location of the store in Sussex Street, Dover.

Mrs S. Trewartha’s Confectionery Store in Dover, New Jersey, late c.1800s
as for who is in the photo – possibly Zella (far left) and Minnie (far right) and possibly Charlotte (second from left)

a 1970s candy box of Trewartha’s Black Rock Candy, complete with biography of Samuel Trewartha “Candy Sam”

Charlotte and Samuel’s son, John Trewartha’s memorial card

obituary for Minnie Trewartha with photos of her and John

obituary for Minnie Trewartha

Zella May Trewartha, at age 20

1899 Robinson Map of Dover, Morris County, New Jersey – showing Sussex Street with Mrs Trewatha’s shop circled

So now I’m hoping that with help from my new family contacts, I’ll be able to construct a tree of the US side of the family, which of course are half-siblings to my George Phillips who emigrated to Australia.

To view my earlier related posts, you can find them here:
Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge: N is for … Never-Ending New Stuff and New Jersey
Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge: P is for … Charlotte PHILLIPS
Christmas Time at the Candy Store

Evelyn Phebe Randell was born on 24 June 1916 in “Caringa Private Hospital”, the first hospital in the small town of Gumeracha in the Adelaide Hills.

She was born in the town, grew up living in the town, went to the local school, and married at Salem Baptist Church in Gumeracha too, and is buried there too. Known as Ev to some, Lyn to others, Evelyn was my grandma.

Although she is no longer with us, having died a few years ago, I am remembering her on this day that would have been her 100th birthday.

When I was young, the apple orchards, and her place at Cudlee Creek were my second home. So I have a lot of memories from that era.

The daily morning and afternoon teas with Sao biscuits, the picnics on the side of the road, rock buns and jelly cakes, roast dinners, the old oven, the pantry, the outdoor loo, the small knife that was permanently in her bag to cut up a burger from McDonalds in half, the birds, the washhouse, her aprons, how she used a cup and saucer (rather than a mug), and the garden … oh she so loved her garden!!

She would elbow my grandpa to wake him up during church, she would comment on what people wore, and the way she and my grandpa would sit in the car in their driveway on a Sunday afternoon, if it was cold but sunny. I remember how she got hooked on watching both Home and Away, and Punky Brewster, and was quite upset when it was taken off, even writing to the TV station. When she wasn’t cooking, cleaning or in her garden, she was crafting – taking up knitting, hobbytex, quilling, paper tolle, leather crafting, beadwork and tapestry to mention a few.

I could go on and on …

Ella Randell (nee Sinkinson), together with her oldest daughter Ella ‘Annie’ Randell (age c.22), and youngest daughter Evelyn Phebe Randell (age c.6)

Evelyn with her three older sisters, Anne, May and Dorothy, c.1924

Evelyn Randell, age about 20

wedding of Evelyn Randell and Cec Hannaford, 31 May 1941

Cec and Evelyn Hannaford, Dec 1988

Happy Birthday Grandma, we’re still thinking of you …

Obituaries (aka obits) are fabulous if you can find them. While browsing around on Trove (aka Troving) recently I came across this obit for Private Charles Spurgeon McCullough. This gent is one of my great grandma’s (Dorothy McCullough) brothers – so that makes him my great grand uncle.

It’s not a long one in comparison to some – but you really have the be in awe of the detail that this obit includes.

While this is a great read for anyone (family or not), for this post I have decided to extract each detail one-by-one to highlight just how valuable an obituary really can be. And while newspapers may not be 100% accurate, they can be used as a guide.

Australians in Action, Roll of Honour
PRIVATE C. S. McCULLOUGH, 14 August 1915 Chronicle, p. 42.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89149212

So let’s start …

1. we know his name – the article names him as C.S. McCullough – no it doesn’t give his actual name, but it doesn’t just list him as Private McCullough or Mr C. McCullough either. It has both initials, so that’s a bonus.
2. and says that he was in the Australian army and in which battalion – the article lists him as a Private in the army “who left with the 4th Reinforcements for the 6th Battalion of the A.I.F.”
3. we learn his position in the army – “Private C.S. McCullough”
4. this was in World War 1 – the newspaper date was in 1915
5. the date of his death – the article lists his date of death as 13 July
6. no year of death given but it is inferred that it is the same year as the newspaper (1915)
7. he has an older brother as he is listed as “the second son”
8. his parents are listed as Rev. R. and Mrs McCullough
9. his father’s title is Reverend – so his father is a minister
10. it also mentions where his father was a minister – Mitcham, [South Australia] and Burnie, Tasmania – “recently left the pastorate of the Mitcham Baptist Church for Burnie, Tasmania.”
11. and that his family has recently moved to Tasmania
12. it mentions which religion – Baptist
13. his age is mentioned – “just over 30 years of age”, based on that we can assume he would have been born around 1885
14. his education is mentioned – “was educated at Queen’s School (Hobart) and Parkside School” [South Australia]
15. this also give clues as to where the family was living – Adelaide and Hobart
16. his employment is also mentioned – “employment was with Messrs. Cowell Bros. and James Marshall & Co. Prior to offering his services to the army he had been with the Union Steamship Company.”
17. he had four sisters, two were married, two not
18. the sisters are all listed with their place of residence at the time (1915) – “He left four sisters, Mrs. Ralph Hannaford, Narracoorte; Mrs. P. Willmott, Sydney; Nurse McCullough, “Walwa” Hospital, Fullarton; and Miss E. McCullough, Burnie
19. one of his sisters was a nurse
20. and she worked at the “Walwa” Hospital, at Fullarton, South Australia
21. C.S. McCullough also had two brothers – “Mr. R. L. McCullough, of Messrs. Elder, Smith & Co., Adelaide, and Corporal A.G. McCullough,
    who left this State with the 3rd Expeditionary Force.”
22. one of who worked for Elder, Smith & Co. in Adelaide
23. and the other was also in the A.I.F., and fought with the 3rd Expeditionary Force.
24. his brother, A.G. McCullough was living in South Australia prior to serving in the A.I.F.

So you see just how much information can be gleaned from just one obituary. And based on this info, there’s a lot here that can be followed up on – military records, ministry records, school records, and employment records for numerous family members. Possibly even land records and local history for the area the family lived and/or worked.

Here’s hoping for more family obits!!