Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills & Mrs E Strother

[barry Jones]

I am not sure if I am heading in the right direction with this site... but here goes. I have found a letter amongst my Grandfathers war records in the National Archives. It is from a Mrs E Strother of Belvidere Street Bayswater WA dated Jan 11, 1919.
I am trying to locate the family of Mrs Strother to see what the connection may have been.
Any leads or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Barry Jones

 

[barry Jones]

Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills

I am looking for information regarding a Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills WA.
I found a letter amongst some papers in my Grandfathers army file at the National Archives dealing with a pay allotment from the Army.
The letter is dated 14 April, 1919. My Grandfather was in England ,returning from the war at the time, and she was trying to contact him via the War Office in Melbourne. I would like to identify what the family connection may have been. My Grandfather has long since passed on and we have limited family records. Its all a bit of a puzzle. Any information or suggestions where I can head to for information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Barry Jones

 

[gibbo]

Re: Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills

Hi Barry, are you able to give us your grandfather's name so we can have a look at his records please. We would need his name to be able to find a connection, if there is one, between him and the Stevens family.

 

[Ladybird1300]

Re: Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills

Hello Barry

Welcome to the forum

Amanda

 

[DaveHam9]

Hello Barry and welcome to the Forum.


Any other details you have will be of help.

Dave

 

[barry Jones]

Re: Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills

Hi, This is a bit of a strange situation. My Grand father was Angelo Giovanni Bussola. (Angel John or AJ Bussola) He emigrated to Australia from Italy in the early1900's. He was born about 1883.
His brother emigrated to Argentina at about the same time. The families (Italy, and Australia) lost contact with the Argentina connection about 1920. I am in the process of trying to locate the Argentine connection .

In the process going through the WW1 section of the National Archives I have located twol civilian letters amongst a load of military forms and records.
There is a letter from a Mrs F Stevens of Rathnally (a sheep property) near Wongan Hills in Western Australia dated April 1919. The letter is to the Army requesting how she can (on behalf of a friend) obtain an allotment from my Grandfathers army pay. (By this time he was in England having survived the trenches in France) She says that she is caring for the 2 year old illegitimate son of my Grandfather. She says the mother is in hard times as she already has other children....? The letter is a little indistinct.

There is also a letter from a Mrs E Strother of Belvidere Street Bayswater Western Australia requesting from the Army details of my Grandfathers location etc... Her letter is dated January of the same year.iIt seems that it likely that she may be the mother of the child, and that Mrs Stevens was helping her by following up with the Army.

Its all a bit of a mystery.

My Grandfather returned from the UK in about 1920 with a wife. They had two children. A daughter (my mother, who is now 94) and a son (who is now 90). Neither has any inkling that there may be (or possibly be ) a half brother some where. So there is some delicacy to the situation, and I am just trying to sort out what might be what in low key as possible manner!
.

Any leads would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Barry

 

[DaveHam9]

Angel John Bussola
Service Number: 30754
Rank: Driver
Roll title: 10 FAB [Field Artillery Brigade] - 2 to 10 Reinforcements (May 1916 - February 1917)
Conflict / Operation: First World War, 1914-1918
Date of embarkation: 23 November 1916
Place of embarkation: Melbourne
Ship embarked on: HMAT Hororata A20

Living in Perth (just says Perth, WA) - NOK a sister in Italy

Bayswater is a NW suburb of Perth.

No female E Strother in Electoral rolls in Perth.

3x Strother born 1916 - 1917 - assuming the birth was registered.

One in registered in E Coolgardie and one in Boulder.

One in index twice in 1917 in Perth as Strother and Strothers.

WA index does not list any parents for those.

Oh, last entry in Electoral rolls is 1972 and Death index closes in 1971.

Burial 30 Dec 1974, but I don't know if it is the right one.

 

[DaveHam9]

I can't find a Strother family in Bayswater area before or after 1919.

Very few in Perth or Fremantle area.

 

[barry Jones]

Thanks, yes I suspect that the first Strother mentioned ( as opposed to Strothers), I think its given as a Jack.. The age is about right. The file number is the same for Jack Strother and Jack Strothers.
My grandfather was known as Jack. Probably a coincidence.
On a separate forum there was a lot of activity for Strother.. about 4 or 5 years ago.
I suspect the best option is going to be to track down Mrs Stevens of Rathnally, Wongan Hills. I believe the property has been in the same family for many years. If so, I am hoping that they have historical diaries etc that might throw some light on who Mrs Stevens was and what she was doing on the station back in 1919. Could be family, or possibly domestic staff.
Barry

 

[DaveHam9]

First Name JACK FRANCIS Application Number
Last Name STROTHER
Names are only recorded in capitals
FC00004551
Fremantle Cremation
Aged (Years) 57 Date of Death 30/12/1974
Suburb SOUTH YUNDERUP

Ashes Request
MEMORIALISED AT FREMANTLE CEMETERY
(please enquire for a specific location) Completed yes

Memorial Type GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE
Memorial Location
yes FREMANTLE CEMETERY CREMATORIUM K K 0126
Completed
Cemetery
Garden, Wall or Path
Site
Position

He was married and a carrier and living in Jandakot. Several references in Trove.

Can't find him before 1949 Canning - Murray

Dave

 

[DaveHam9]

Just found these:

First Name EDITH MAY Application Number
Last Name STROTHER
Names are only recorded in capitals
FB00016505
Fremantle Burial
Aged (Years) 63 Date of Death 10/09/1947
Suburb JANDAKOT

Grave Location FREMANTLE CEMETERY
Cemetery
ANGLICAN
Area or Denomination
MON A7
Section
0310
Gravesite
Grant Number F0007364 Grantee EDITH MARY STEVENS
Grant Status EXPIRED
At today's date
Expiry 02/07/2012 **
Grant Expiry ** Please follow this link for more information regarding grants expiring on 2/7/2012.


First Name ERNEST ALFRED Application Number
Last Name STROTHER
Names are only recorded in capitals
FB00018374
Fremantle Burial
Aged (Years) 66 Date of Death 11/12/1952
Suburb JANDAKOT

Grave Location FREMANTLE CEMETERY
Cemetery
ANGLICAN
Area or Denomination
MON A6
Section
0383
Gravesite
Grant Number F0008750 Grantee JACK FRANCIS STROTHER
Grant Status EXPIRED
At today's date
Expiry 02/07/2012 **
Grant Expiry ** Please follow this link for more information regarding grants expiring on 2/7/2012.

 

[mumjulie]

Hello

I don't know if this is of any help however it' may be.

Jack Francis Strother b. 1917 d. 1974 was the sixth and youngest child of Frederick William Percival Strother and Edith May Eagle. I don't know if Edith was widowed or divorced however, her second partner was a Bill Stevens. It appears that Edith and Bill may have had two sons Allan, Frank and a daughter Eunice. You may find the connection there. I was told that there was a scandal with this line of the family.

Jacks father Frederick, b.1882 d.1916, and my Grandmother Dorothy Pearl Strother were brother and sister. I believe Frederick may have been killed in an accident. The family came to W.A. from S.A. chasing gold and lived in the Kalgoorlie area.

Kind regards

Julie

 

[DaveHam9]

Thanks Julie.

I'm puzzled why Jack would have been the grantee for Ernest Alfred.

Dave