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| Above: Emma Blackman's registration of baptism on 30 September 1860 at Crayford, Kent: Name: Emma; Parents' Names: John & Charlotte; Abode: Crayford; Father's Occupation: Labourer Source: Ancestry - Bexley birth and Baptism |
Blackman info9a: Emma Smith née Blackman - her origins and life |
Emma BLACKMAN - John and Charlotte's tenth child.
Emma was born in September 1860 in Crayford, Kent and christened on 30 September 1860 (GRO Reg Dartford 21/245). The family departed Liverpool in June 1866 and arrived in Melbourne in August the same year.
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| Above: Emma Blackman's registration of baptism on 30 September 1860 at Crayford, Kent: Name: Emma; Parents' Names: John & Charlotte; Abode: Crayford; Father's Occupation: Labourer Source: Ancestry - Bexley birth and Baptism |
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| Above: A composite image of Charlotte Blackman and family immigration passenger list on page 5 of the Golden Empire Source: Ancestry - Victoria assisted and unassisted passenger lists 1839-1923 |
In 1865, following the death of their father, John BLACKMAN, William and George emigrated to Australia arriving on 24 August 1863. Charlotte with eight other children followed, including Emma. They departed the UK on 15 May 1866, arriving at Hobson's Bay, Victoria on 13 August 1866, after a 140 day voyage aboard the 1,158 tons clipper Golden Empire of the Golden Line/Black Ball Line. It is assumed that she followed her sons William and George to the goldfields near Ballarat.
Her marriage
On 19 June 1882 Emma married Robert Thomas SMITH. There is no obvious Vic BMD record of this marriage. The Ballarat Courier of 27 June 1882 reports her wedding.
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| Marriages SMITH-BLACKMAN - On 19th June, at the residence of the bridegroom's parents, the Rev. J. W. Inglis, Robert Thomas, third eldest son of Edward Smith, of Ballarat, to Emma, fourth eldest daughter of Charlotte Blackman, of Miners-rest |
Robert was born on 03 March 1858 to Edward SMITH and Sarah McBAINES in 'C'ham' /Carringham, Victoria (Vic BMD 12780/1858).
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| Robert died on 11 July 1903 in Carlton (Vic BMD 8919/1903) and is buried in Melbourne General Cemetery Plot info: MGC-PRE-Comp-R-No-503. |  |
| Emma died on 01 May 1934 at 17 Newton Parade, Moonee Ponds, aged 72 years (Vic
BMD 3677/1934).
Right: Emma Smith death notice The Age Wednesday 02 May 1934 page 1, also confirms her family |
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She was buried in Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North Plot info: MGC-PRE-Comp-R-No-503.
In July 1903 the family lived at 133 Lygon Street, Carlton, which has now been redeveloped as a shopping arcade.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records Emma's homes and occupation in the 1919 Roll as:
along with her son
but with no husband and several Emma Smiths it is difficult to be sure. The 1922-24 Roll shows a change of occupation and address:
together with her children of registration age:
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| Above: Emma Smith's home at 22 Bent Street, Moonee Ponds the site of the modern red brick building with 20 Bent Street in the traditional build |
In 1925-26 a change of address:
with Violet becoming a waitress in 1926. William Sydney and his wife remained at 22 Bent Street:
In 1927 most of the children has moved on:
In 1931 there was another change of address and only Violet was at home:
After Emma's death in 1934 Robert Thomas Jun remained at 17 Newton Parade.
Their children
Edward John - first child of Robert and Emma
Edward John was born in Ballarat in 1883 (Vic BMD 6631/1883) and died in Coburg aged 84 in 1968 (Vic BMD 359/1968). There is some question as to whom he married: Amelia Jane MASON or Amelia Jean MASON neither of whom has an obvious VIC BMD death record.
Vic BMD records Edward John marrying Amelia Jane MASON in 1908 (Vic BMD 545/1908) However, there is no obvious death of an Amelia Jane SMITH in the Vic BMD records.
A set of Attestation Papers attributed to an Edward John SMITH says he was married to Jean and together they had had three children before 1918. However there is no obvious record, in the Vic BMD, of an Amelia Jean SMITH dying between 1942, when Amelia Jean is last recorded in the Electoral Roll, and 1963 when Edward John is first recorded as a single man living at 31 Grandison Street in Moonee Ponds. To complicate matters their three children, identified as living with Edward John at 31 Grandison Street show mothers of both spellings:
| Forenames | Mother's name | Place of birth | Vic BMD No. |
| Edward Alfred | Amelia Jane Mason | South Yarra | 22949/1909 |
| Sydney Stanley | Amelia Jane Mason | South Yarra | 35202/1913 |
| Daisy Jean | Amelia Jean Mason | Carlton | 19899/1915 |
There are six Edward John SMITH's in the Electoral Roll of 1919 but none to give a positive link back to his family, hence no hint of an occupation to trace him through the years.
If Edward John married Amelia Jane MASON the Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records their homes and occupation in the 1915-16 Rolls as:
In 1919 Edward John had moved house but is alone:
and in 1921-22 another change of address:
There is no obvious record of the death of Amelia Jane SMITH between the date recorded on the Attestation Paper of 1918 and 1930.
Checking the Attestation Papers for World War One, in the National Archives of Australia, gives one suitable Edward John SMITH, who is a baker. If this is the right Edward John SMITH, then he enlisted on 05 July 1918 as 783224 in the 14th GS R'FTS (V) - this was later changed to 14th (V) RMS. It is suspected that this means he was part of the 14th General Service Reinforcements from Victoria, being sent overseas as unattached to a specific battalion as the Australian army, being short of recruits, was contracting from four to three battalions per brigade. This gives his date of birth as 27 March 1883, his trade as a baker and his wife as Mrs Jean Smith. At that time Jean lived at Tyndale Villa, Foster Street, Dandenong but this was changed to 69 Wilson Street, Princes Hill an address adjacent to Carlton North. He records having three children. He embarked from Adelaide per HMAT A36 Boonah on 22 October 1918 and was discharged on 01 February 1919. There is little else in his Attestation Papers. 1 He was entitled to the the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977 for Amelia Jean SMITH for 1918-19 confirms this:
In 1924 the couple moved to Moonee Ponds, where Edward John's mother had lived since 1922 and where several of his siblings would live as:
Between 1931-54 they had moved to:
with, 1954 being Amelia Jean's last obvious entry. In 1931-37 a son lived at the address:
and between 1937-42 two additional children:
| From 1963 to 1967 Edward John lived at the same address but as a single man and
was still a baker. He died the following year.
There is no record of the death of Amelia Jean SMITH in VicBMD between her last recorded Roll entry and the first entry showing Edward John as a single man. Right: Edward John Smith's home at 31 Grandison Street |
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End notes
Robert Thomas - second child of Robert and Emma
Robert Thomas was born in Ballarat in 1884 (Vic BMD 14483/1884) and died in Moonee Ponds in 1969 aged 84 (Vic BMD 3017/1969).
After his mother Emma's death in 1934 Robert Thomas Jun remained at 17 Newton Parade in Monee Ponds.
In 1939 Robert Thomas married Clara Silvia TILLEY in 1939 (Vic BMD 16613/1939) who was born in 1913 at Jeparit, Victoria, which is three hours north-west of Ballarat (Vic BMD 4797/1913)
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records Amy's homes and occupation in the 1942 to 1967 Rolls as:
| Right: 19 Newton Parade Moonee Ponds next door to the Smith home, some of which can be seen. This is obscured by a tree and car. |  |
There is no obvious record of Clara Silvia SMITH's death in Victoria's BMD between 1967 and 1993.
William Sydney - third child of Robert and Emma
William Sydney was born on 16 July 1887 in Hotham (Vic BMD 19242/1886). On 19 April 1924 he married Ruby Sophia WILLIAMS in Ballarat (Vic BMD 3084/1924). Ruby Sophie was born in 1893 in Ballarat (Vic BMD 28586/1893).
He returned to Australia after the war.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records Williams's homes and occupation still in the family home of 1927-37 as:
In 1942-54 they had moved and set up their own home:
| Right: The Smith's marital home at 39 Thomson Street |  |
| William Sydney died at the Freemasons Hospital, Melbourne on 06 May 1966 aged 79
(Vic BMD 8537/1966).
Right: William Sydney Smith's headstone at Springdale Botanical Cemetery Courtesy: paulwuzhere |
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After William's death in 1967-77 Ruby moved house:
| Ruby Sophie died on 22 March 1991 aged 97 (Vic BMD 7489/1991) at Gaffney
House, Camberwell and her ashes were interred at Springfield Cemetery.
Right: Ruby Sophia Smith's headstone at Springdale Botanical Cemetery Courtesy: paulwuzhere |
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Their son Howard William was born on 17 January 1925. There is no obvious record in Victoria BMD. In 1949 he married Aylice Eleanor REYNOLDS (Vic BMD 8113/1949) who was born in 1924 in Devonport, Tasmania. There is no obvious record in Tasmanian Names Index. She died on 29 August 1983 at Burwood, aged 59 (Vic BMD 22299/1983). Howard William died on 01 October 1994 at the Cabrini Hospital, Malvern aged 69 and was interred in Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
Ancestry, records Howard's homes and occupation still in the family home of 1954 as:
In 1963-68 they had moved homes:
And again in 1977:
| Right: The Smith's marital home at 4 Keltie Street |  |
Howard and Alysia's son, Archdeacon Russell Howard SMITH, was born on 26 March 1951 in East Melbourne.
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He died on 06 May 2000, aged 49, in Mildura and was buried in Bendigo Public Cemetery,
Lawn 2 Grave 55893 Right: Russell Howard Smith's headstone at Springdale Botanical Cemetery Courtesy: Tom Jones |
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Amy - fourth child of Robert and Emma
Amy was born in 1888 in Hotham West, Victoria (Vic BMD 30454/1888). In 1914 she married Leslie Carnie YEWDALL (Vic BMD 80000/1914), who was born in Carlton in 1887 (Vic BMD 1653/1887) Amy died in 1934 in Melbourne aged 45 (Vic BMD 10352/1934) after her mother's death in May and Leslie died in 1968 (Vic BMD 13003/1968) also in Melbourne.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records Amy's homes and occupation in the 1919 Roll as:
In 1924 there was a change of address:
And again in 1925
And again in 1928
And again in 1931:
In 1936-37 Leslie Carnie was a widower and living alone:
In 1938 he married Margaret PEACH (Vic BMD 3240/1938). In 1942 the Yewdall family were together; Leslie with a new wife:
| Vernon Leslie, Amy's son, married in 1943 (Vic BMD 10714/1943). The
'immediate' Roll for 1949 is illegible but would appear to be 3 Churchill
Avenue as per the 1967-77 Roll:
Right: The Yewdall's home at 3 Churchill Avenue |
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Beryl May COX was born in Ascot Vale in 1922 Vic BMD 27863/1922).
In 1980 the family had moved:
Elsie May - fifth child of Robert and Emma
Elsie May was born in 1891 in Ballarat East, Victoria (Vic BMD 555/1891). In 1910 she married Frank Sydney SAVAGE (Vic BMD 5652/1910), who was born in Collingwood in 1889 (Vic BMD 30301/1889) to Emily Rose HEWITT. Elsie May died on 03 May 1975 in Geelong aged 84 (Vic BMD 1646/1975). Frank died in St Leonards also in 1975 aged 85 (Vic BMD 6760/1975).
In 1914 the couple lived at:
In 1915-19 the couple had moved to:
Between 1924 and 1928 there was a change of address and occupation:
| Between 1931 and 1972 the couple had moved down the street to 19 Clarence Street.
Elsie and Frank had five children, the fifth being Frank Edward, born in 1912 in Carlton (Vic BMD 27673/1912) and who died in Geelong in 1976 aged 64 (Vic BMD 26786/1976). Right: Elsie May Savage's home at 19 Clarence Street |
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Sydney Stanley - sixth child of Robert and Emma
Sydney Stanley was born in 1892 in Ballarat (Vic BMD 19416/1892). He died in Heidelberg in 1912 aged 20 (Vic BMD 14596/1912).
| The Bendigo Independent, Wednesday 19 October 1910, page 5 |
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THE THEFT OF A BICYCLE. SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. Henry Brown and Rupert Bennett, two young, men with closely shorn heads, were before city court, Melbourne, yesterday for the theft of a bicycle belonging to Sydney Stanley Smith. After some evidence was heard, Bennett admitted the theft of the bicycle. Brown said he was with him at, the time, but did not take any part in the theft. In reply to witness he admitted that he kept watch. There were previous convictions against the accused, who were, each sentenced to six months' imprisonment. |
Daisy - seventh child of Robert and Emma
In 1926 she married Ernest George LEWIS (Vic BMD 5954/1926), who was born in 'R' worth' in 1895 (Vic BMD 32468/1895). Daisy died in 1964 in Heidelberg Melbourne (hospital?) aged 69 (Vic BMD 24971/1964). There is no obvious record in Vic BMD of Ernest George's death.
From 1927 to 1954 the couple lived at:
| Right: The Lewis' home for their married life at 13 Ardoch Street |  |
Violet - eighth child of Robert and Emma
Violet was born in 1896 in Collingwood, Victoria (Vic BMD 27083/1896). A Violet SMITH married James William GREEN in 1932 (Vic BMD 2665/1932). Violet GREEN died in Collingwood aged 77 in 1974 (Vic BMD 16974/1974) in a record that shows Emma BLACKMAN as her mother. A James William GREEN was born at Cassilis/Swifts Creek, in Gippsland, in 1896 (Vic BMD 2040/1896). He died in Morwell, Gippsland, in 1957 aged 61 (Vic BMD 18274/1957) . However, there is no record of a James William GREEN and a Violet GREEN living at the same address as recorded in Ancestry's Electoral Roll attributed to James William GREEN searched between 1932 and 1949.
In 1924 Violet was living at home:
with Violet becoming a waitress in 1926:
In 1931 Violet was still at home with her mother as a single persons:
George Clayton/Claxton - ninth child of Robert and Emma
George Clayton was born in Carlton, Victoria in 1899 (Vic BMD 16751/1899). He married Doris Emma WOODS, born in Essendon in 1903, (Vic BMD 17720/1903) in 1927 (Vic BMD 9621/1927) as George Claxton. He died in 1949 at Mont Park, Victoria aged 49 as George Clayton (Vic BMD 9423/1949) in Mont Park Asylum on 02 July 1949 and was cremated. The inquest of 11 August 1949, at the Asylum, records the cause of death as lobar pneumonia and pleurisy. Public Record Office Victoria ref: 1949/1160 George Clayton Smith: Inquest. (Accessed: 17 September 2023). Doris Emma died in Essendon in 1986 aged 83 (Vic BMD 22131/1986) and was buried in Fawkner Cemetery on 22 September 1986. Heather Schoffelen believes George had an amputation, perhaps two.
George enlisted with the Civil Constructional Corps 1 as CV105890. He enrolled from 81 Napier Street, Essendon at 275 Lonsdale Street on 03 May 1943 as a labourer until 16 June 1944. 2 However, his trade was given as storeman & packer with 15 years experience. He was passed medically fit to work anywhere. His record suggest he was posted to Alice Springs and Darwin on 28 May 1943.
His medical record records:
Between 28 February 1944 and 11 March 1944 George received a compassionate allotment of £6. George returned from Alice Springs to Melbourne on 02 June 1944: a five day journey.
The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records George's homes and occupation in the 1931 Roll as:
In 1934 the family had moved:
In 1936-49 the family had moved down the street:
The widowed Doris Emma remained at 81 Napier Street through to 1980:
There is no obvious record of a child living at the same address, though Heather records two children.
End notes
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| This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass |
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Version A7 Updated 25 December 2023 |
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