The baptismal entry reads:
Henderson, Adelaide Mary Geary
Daughter of Robert and Hannah Henderson
Erskine Street, Sydney, Mariner
Born: March 28, 1855. Baptised: May 27, 1855
Rev. William Cowper, St. Philip's Sydney. (1)
Madeline was the second daughter of Robert Geary Henderson and Hannah (Wallbridge) Henderson. She was christened Madeline, but inadvertently registered by the Minister as Adelaide, the name given to another girl christened on the same day. All her life she was called Madeline but used Adelaide on official documents. At the time of her birth, her father was running small coastal ships for his father Robert and also assisting with the management of the Clarence Hotel, owned by his father. Madeline had an elder sister Catherine and in October, 1856, a younger brother, Robert Francis Geary Henderson, was born.
When only five years old, Madeline was playing in a cubby house with her young brother, who had got hold of some matches and managed to set fire to Madeline's long skirt. She was terribly burned, carrying the scars till her death. Mother told me that one buttock was dreadfully scarred and a doctor wondered how she ever had so many successful pregnancies. Grandma always wore long sleeved dresses which reached the ground. My cousin Nell Back, who lived with Grandma for years, told me that Grandma had the deep scars of rope burns on both wrists, where they had to tie her down while treating the burns. Grandma always said that the long dress with long sleeves, worn in the hottest weather, was to protect her skin from the harmful rays of the sun. It was said that grandma found it difficult to forgive her brother for this accident.
Family history has it that Robert Geary Henderson left his wife Hannah by the time Madeline was six and went to live at Woy Woy in a de facto relationship with Elizabeth Williams (or Delaney). Certainly he registered the birth of a son, Robert Frederick Henderson, by Elizabeth, on October 18, 1860. In fact it was felt that grandmother's shyness and extremely retiring disposition was due partly to embarassment about the numerous step-brothers and step-sisters, many born before marriage, who lived around the Gosford district. In all, her father married three times and had at least fourteen children that I can trace. In those days of Victorian morality, it would have been much talked about, particularly as the family was well known, and could explain grandmother's reluctance to act, later, as hostess for her husband at official council and similar functions. While Hannah and the children were still living in Erskine Street, Sydney, her father-in-law made over the licence of the Clarence Hotel to Hannah, to provide an income for the family's maintenance. (2)
On August 3, 1866 following a prolonged illness, Catherine Hargraves Henderson, Madelines's elder sister, died of phthisis. (3)
It was a disease from which her mother Hannah was also suffering and on September 17, 1867 when she could no longer run the hotel Robert snr. made her an allowance of ten pounds per week for life "subject only to good conduct on her part". (4)
Madeline's mother died at Kincumber on July 16, 1868 also of phthisis, from which she had suffered for four years, and she was buried at Kincumber. Madeline's grandmother, Catherine Henderson, put both children in boarding schools. The school Madeline attended was a "school for the daughters of gentelmen". at Newtown, run by a Mrs. Ashley. Later that same year, Madeline's grandfather called at the school to take her to see her grandmother, who was dying. Catherine died on December 19, 1868 and was buried at Veteran Hall Cemetery. Madeline was returned to school shortly afterwards. (6)
The following year, on November 11, 1869 Robert Henderson snr. died and was also buried at Veteran Hall Cemetery. In spite of the fact that Madeline's father was living and had re-married, and both her maternal grandparents, Luke and Sarah Wallbridge, were living in the Kincumber area, Madeline was made a ward in Chancery. This was partly due to the amound of property left to her by her grandfather and the complicated nature of his will, in regard to the bequest to his son Robert Geary Henderson. Some property he left to his son Thomas Henderson was to pass to Madeline if Thomas died without issue and without leaving a will, which happened only a few months after Robert's death. Part of this property was the land in Erskine and Sussex Streets, on which stood the Dove Inn and the Bethel Chapel.
In the Henderson box is this document:-
Robert Henderson Estate
Active Trust to administer.
(There is a map which I have not included in this document-kh.)
Corner block Erskine and Shelley Streets about 45 feet frontage to Erskine Street north side and about 78 feet to east side of Shelley Street with buildings. Whole let for 30 years from 1876, rental one hundred pounds yearly, estimate value £2500.0.0
Also Verteran Hall Estate consisting of three grants in area about 250 acres, with large water frontage, value approximately two pounds per acre.
Mrs. Manasseh Ward's portion of estate, no immediate active trust to administer.
(1) All that piece of land situate in City of Sydney having a frontage to the south west side of Sussex Street of 165'10" and 70 feet to Erskine Street.
(2) Also 28¼ perches of reclaimed land and upon which John See & Co's wharf is erected. The whole of the above land is let upon lease to John See, as to the piece of land firstly described for the term of 50 years from the 20th August, 1886 at the yearly rent of four hundred pounds, and as to the piece of land secondly described, for the term of 90 years from the 1st October, 1886 at the yearly rental of 10/- if demanded. (8)
This document was obviously prepared after 1886, but does detail the land which was left to her.
Grandmother Madeline continued at boarding school, partly because her father
had moved to reside in Veteran Hall homestead with his second wife. She was escorted to social functions by a governess, Dolly North, and grandmother met Joseph Johnson Keele and was married from School. On July 29, 1875, aged 20,
Madeline married Joseph Keele, a clerk in the Railway service, at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. (9)
On December 11, 1875, five months later, he died of Scarlet Fever.His posthumous daughter Laura Josephine Keele, was born at Bayswater Villa, Double Bay, on June 22, 1876.
Following the birth of her daughter, Madeline moved to live with her brother, Robert Francis Geary Henderson. He owned land near the convent at Kincumber; this was possibly Blizard's original grant purchased by Robert snr., with a cottage on it. It was there that Madeline met Manasseh Ward. The family story is that grandma was treed by a dairy bull and grandfather rescured her.
Ward, Manasseh, Bachelor, born Brisbane Water, Teamster, Residence Brisbane Water, son of William Ward and Catherine Mitchell, Full age to -
Keele, Adelaide Mary Geary, Widow, born Sydney, residence Brisbane Water, Full age, daughter of Robert Henderson and Hannah Wallbridge.
3 July 1877 at St. Mary's Church of England, Balmain, Reverend Thomas B. Tross.
Witness: John William Alexander Ward (Brother)
Elizabeth Hannah Steadman. (10)
Housekeeping probably commenced in the old homestead at Kilcare, which Catherine gave Manasseh prior to marriage. Certainly in 1886, they lived for a year at Balmain and on returning to Gosford, bought land in what is now known as Wyoming, and built a house in Gertrude Street. They lived there (with one short break) for the rest of their married life.
There was a large family of 10 boys and 3 girls:-
| Madeline Hannah |
born 24 July, 1878. |
William |
born 21 February, 1880. |
Robert |
born 17 February, 1882. |
John, Thomas & Manasseh |
--all died in infancy. |
Roy Archer |
born 26 April, 1887. |
Ephraim McGregor |
born 17 June, 1888. |
Amy Gertrude |
born 22 September, 1889. |
Eric Stanley |
born 4 December, 1890. |
Laurence Keith Stuart |
born 7 May, 1892. |
Doris May |
born 3 April, 1894. |
Bruce Leon Clive |
born 25 July, 1896. |
|
There must have been a lot of hard work, with no labour saving devices, and a large family. Grandmother was fortunate to have a private income, of which she spent a large amount on items for her children. Two of them went to boarding school for various periods, and the family moved to Thornleigh for 18 months about 1902-3. One family story is that there were too many relatives attending the local school, whom grandmother did not wish her children to recognise. Help was available to her in the house; a laundress was always employed, considering the heavy work all the boys did, that job must have been a heavy one. Also, a seamstress came to the house on a regular basis and quite often, kitchen help was employed.
Grandfather always shielded grandma as much as possible. My cousin Nell told me that grandma was opposed to strong drink in the home and if any of the boys had been drinking, she preferred that they ate their meal in the kitchen, not the dining room. Grandfather used, however, to keep a supply of drink on hand for official entertaining and always had a glass of brandy on retiring, for his heart.
Madeline's interests were mostly family oriented and she greatly enjoyed doing fine needlework and crochet, working magnificent cloths, such as supper and table cloths and dressing table covers, in a variety of complicated stitches in white on white. I am the fortunate possesor of several of these beautifully worked articles and am sure that the quality of her work would automatically qualify her for membership of the Embroiders' Guild. Her fine crochet work, also, in white, was beautiful and even more remarkable when one realises that she used to sit, at night, working by candlelight. She did not care for the glare of electric light.
One can only wonder at her diligence- over the years, she made a tremendous quantitiy of this beautiful work, which she passed on to various members of the family. She believed firmly that idle hands were sinful and brought up her daughters, and granddaughters who came into her close orbit, in the same belief. My mother loved needlework, but had little time to sit at it, but always had some knitting on hand and turned out a large quantity of hand-knitted garments every year. Nell Back still does beautiful fine crochet, which grandma taught her, and says she well remembers being always reminded not to sit idle.
One of grandmother's hobbies was gardening and she carried on an active correspondence with people of similar interests in all parts of the world, exchanging seeds, information and ideas. At the side of the old home "Myee" in Gertrude Street, she had a magnificent garden, with a special fragrance section. When my mother visited her in later years, I remember her coming home laden with an armful of perfumed flowers. A particular recollection of mine is of a huge tree growing in front of the house, which carrid enormous bean-shaped brown pods, which an opening revealed seeds as large as chestnuts. I wonder if it was a Cape Chestnut? There was also a wonderful burst of golden-orange colour from a creeper tumbling over the walls and roof of the old coachhouse at the back of the house-possibly it was bigonia. In a contrtadiction of terms, grandmother was always strictly moral and honest- yet my mother always made me laugh by telling me how grandmother used to say that "the cutting that you pinched over someone's fence always grew better than a plant you bought".
Nell Back lived as a child with her grandparents following the death of her own mother. She has many recollections of both grandparents and recalled that as a child, she used to hide under an enormous velour cloth with bobbles, which covered the very large dining table, the object being to steal butter when no-one was looking. There is a very old violin which is a treasured possession of Nell's granddaughter Sharon. It was made in France in the last century and has a lovely tone. It belonged to great-uncle John, Manasseh's brother (I don't know if he could play it!) and he left it to Auntie Aggie Beattie. Aggie knew that Nell loved music and had no musical instrument, so gave the violin to her. Nell's daughter Susan and her granddaughter both have Nell's musical talent, Susan playing the piano and Sharon plays violin with the Sydney Youth Orchestra. When young Nell followed grandfather around like a shadow. She said he was the kindest man who ever lived.
My own recollection of grandma is of the last few years of her life, a tiny lady who seldom left her bedroom. She had beautiful hair, long, thick and very wavy, with no apparent silver on it. She loved to cook cakes and made wonderful fruit cakes and lovely light pastry and scones- I still use her old green glass rolling pin.
Grandmother's property included wharves at the foot of Sussex Street, Sydney, which were leased to John See & Co. for 90 years. The Government decided to resume land in that area for public wharves, and as the holders of a 90 year lease, practically all the compensation was paid to John See & Co. The land on which the Dove Inn stood was leased for 50 years. Further land at the corner of Erskine & Shelley Streets was leased out for 30 years. (11)
The following document is from the Henderson box:-
In the matter of Darling Harbour resumptions , The Permanent Trustee Co. of NSW.. Trustee of the will of Robert Henderson, deceased:-
List of deeds handed to the Crown Solicitor on completion:
| 1847 Nov. 30 |
Attested copy of grant to George Allen |
Reg. No. 81, p. 257 |
1865
Mar. 20 |
Attested copy of release of Dower George Allen & wife to George Wilgram Allen
Additional abstract of title |
-- |
1865
Jun. 29 |
Conveyance George Allen to Robert Henderson |
Reg. No. 86, Book 94 |
1877
Jan. 13 |
Lease Messrs. Spiers & Clarke to Mrs. Mary E. Prescott |
Reg. No. 419, Book 178 |
1903
May 6 |
Release Permanent Trustee Co. of NSW to the King |
-- |
Registration copy ditto. Received 19.12.1903
Draft Release ditto. J.J. Reid for Crown Solicitor. (12)
Memorandum of Lease, York Street, Sydney, property, 12 August, 1851 and release.
(Note 1: Spiers (Speers) & Clarke were Robert Henderson's original trustees and executors and Mrs. Mary Pescott leased the Dove Inn from the estate. Both the Dove Inn and the Bethel Chapel were on the land resumed. The York Street property may have been the Mossman property. subject of a court case.)
The resumption preceeded, with most of the compensation going to various lessees. The trustee company purchased blocks of semi-detached dwellings in Glebe Road and Harris Street on grandmother's behalf and continued to administer the estate for many years after her death. It should certainly been wound up after her death, but by then, some of her children had sold their interest to other parties and it was not finally wound up until approximately 1960. The dwellings were not new when originally purchased and were expensive to maintain and to administer. The Housing Commission resumed some of the property and did not pay compensation for a number of years, and then only a value made at the time of resumption. Two of the beneficiaries of the wharves resumption were the cattle king, Kidman and the Premier of New South Wales, Sir John See. It seems to have been a somewhat mis-managed estate, but grandmother had no business training and grandfather possibly felt that the trustee knew better than he did. Robert snr's will had also made specific mention as to accountability of the trustees, which left them some latitude.
Grandfather for a great many years was involved in local government on various Councils in the Gosford area. The public decided to acknowledge his services upon the occasion of the celebration of Madeline and Manasseh's silver wedding anniversary. About 150 people were invited by the couple to a function at the School of Arts on July 3, 1902. For the occasion, Madeline wore a gown of white brocade with a train, which she only ever wore on this occasion. The invitations were printed in silver, an unusual idea for that time. To show the public's appreciation of their service to the district, Madeline was presented with a massive silver tea and coffee service and Manasseh with an illuminated address.
A special edition of the Gosford Times, in silver letters on purple silk, dated July 11, 1902, was printed to mark the occasions. (13)
Madeline and Manasseh were both family minded, naturally hospitable people, and I know of at least four grandchildren who had permanent homes with them for a number of years. Nell and Frank Ward, children of Ephraim and his wife Margaret Callaghan, lived with them until they were adults. Bruce Ward and for a time, his sister Joyce, children of Bruce Ward, also grew up at "Myee". There seemed always to be at least one extra guest at most meals, and while the ten children were growing up, the family seemed to keep open house, with a spare bedon the verandah always ready for use.
Nell tells me that grandma was superstitious about the number 13 and would not sit down to dinner with that number at the table-someone ate in the kitchen, I suppose, to make the numbers right!
Although quiet and retiring, grandmother would never turn anyone away from her door who was hungry. After grandfather's death in 1923, she would occasionally gop out driving with her daughter Amy in the Ford car, but infinitely preferred the horse and sulky. She allowed a telephone to be installed on the side verandah but would not use it herself. She had, throughout the old house at Gertrude Street, some beauiful ornaments from Asia, brought back by her grandfather, her father-in-law and her brother-in-law, from various voyages, but many of these were lost track of over the years. She had some pieces of jewellery, which was given to her daughters, and now her great-granddaughters, my two girls each have a piece of jewellery which she wore. Each of them wore their keepsake on their wedding day.
Madeline died at her home at Gertrude Street, Gosford, on May 2, 1934 at the age of 79, of chronic cardio-vascular disease and cerebral thrombosis, hemiplegia, and was buried at Veteran Hall cemetery on May 4, 1934.
The information on her gravestone is incorrect as to both birth and death dates. It states that she was born on 22.3.1855 and died on 2.7.1934- it should be 28.3.1855 and 2.5.1934. Her gravestone was broken, I understand, by fishermen trying to get the lead out of the wording: the restored gravestone shows the incorrect dates. Her husband Manasseh is buried at St. Pauls church of England cemetery at Kincumber. Madeline was survived by all ten of her children who attained adulthood.
| 1. |
T.D. Mutch Index 1815/1957 HEA/JOH- Mitchell library |
2. |
List of publicans' licences- state archives |
3. |
Veteran Hall cemetery and Mutch index |
4. |
A5360 Primary Sources Henderson box-Mitchell library |
5. |
Births, deaths and Marriages Register |
6. |
Births, death and Marriages Register |
7. |
Births, deaths and Marriages Register |
8. |
A5360 Primary Sources Henderson box- Mitchell Library |
9. |
T.D. Mutch Index-Mitchell Library |
10. |
Register of Births, death and Marriages |
11. |
A5360 Primary Sources Henderson box- Mitchell Library |
12. |
A5360 Primary Sources Henderson box- Mitchell Library |
13. |
Gosford Times Friday 11 June, 1902 |
14. |
Death Certificate |
|
Madeline and Manasseh's 13 children-
ISSUE:-
(1) Madeline Hannah Ward
Born: 24 Jul, 1878.
Died: 17 Feb, 1967.
(2) William Ward
Born: 21 Feb, 1880.
Died: ----------
(3) Robert Ward
Born: 17 Feb, 1882.
Died: 4 May, 1947.
(4) Thomas Ward
Born: 24 Mar(?)
Died: 26 Mar, 1880.
(5) Manasseh Ward
Born: Jul, 1885.
Died: 25 Jul, 1886.
(6) John Ward
Born: (Stillborn)
(7) Roy Archer Ward
Born: 26 Apr, 1887.
Died: -----------
(8) Ephraim McGregor Ward
Born: 17 Jun, 1888.
Died: 19 Sep, 1975.
(9) Amy Gertrude Ward
Born: 22 Sep, 1889
Died: 15 Jun, 1970
(10) Eric Stanley Ward
Born: 4 Dec, 1890.
Died: 11 Oct, 1965.
(11) Laurence Keith Stuart Ward
Born: 7 May, 1892.
Died: 24 Jul, 1945.
(12) Doris May Ward- (Joan Taylor's Mother).
Born: 3 Apr, 1894.
Died: 1 Jan, 1973.
(13) Bruce Leon Clive Ward
Born: 25 Jul, 1896.
Died: --------
© Joan Taylor 2000