Velly
My great grandfather was Albert Duncan, born 19 July 1877, Collingwood Victoria Australia, son of Robert Duncan. Albert moved to Perth Western Australia, but I haven't quite worked out what happened to Robert (He seems to have been alive when Albert married in 1904 - but his wife is listed as a widow in the 1911 electoral rolls).
North Perth electoral roles 1/9/1911 show’
o Albert Duncan 382 Bulwer St Nth Perth storeman , married.
o Elizabeth Duncan 384 Bulwer St Perth, spinster
o Georgina Duncan 382 Bulwer St Perth, married (to Albert)
o Mary Anne Duncan, 384 Bulwer St Perth, widow
o Rose Duncan 384 Bulwer St Perth, spinster
The Duncan’s were in Perth by 1904, however were still in Victoria when Rose was born 1882.
Date of coming to Australia is prior to 1869 when Georgina (Duncan not Bristow) was born.
His wife Mary Ann (nee Hoban) died in Perth Western Australia on 13 September 1928, Her death certificate showed that she was born in Victoria and had lived in Western Australia for 20 years. (Family story says though she came from Cork Ireland and Albert's birth record shows her place of birth as Kilkenny Ireland.) Her death notices can be found online by searching 'Trove" for West Australian Newspapers - “At her residence 384 Bulwer Street Perth. Mother of Elizabeth, Mary Washing, Florence Gordon, Rose and Albert of Perth; Robert of Mt Barker; Georgina Dalgeish, Amy Graham of Melbourne."
The family story is that Robert Duncan was a tailor by trade- but only made and mended for the bishops and priests. He lived in the back of an old house in Aberdeen Street Perth Western Australia and the Afghan Camel Drivers of the day lived at the front. When relatives visited relations in Scotland many years ago they reported that the Duncan's were part of the Gordon Clan.
I have started putting bits that I have onto wiki-tree and you can see what I have through searching Duncan-5285 which links to Robert.
Albert married Georgina Bristow, my great grandmother who was born on 23 April 1881 in Aberdeen Scotland. She met Albert through Rose Duncan who was her friend. It took quite a bit to find Georgina as she ended up in the House of Bethany (orphanage) in Aberdeen and then came to Australia on SS Surrey a 'bride-ship' in 1901 and they divorced on his return from the war. Her marriage certificate also had erroneously recorded her mother as Margaret Taylor-rather than Catherine Taylor. I found that on some of the ancestry sites most people have inferred that a Yorkshire born, Georgina is Albert's wife; but my family stories and the documentation I have shows she clearly came from Scotland (with her father from Buckinghamshire England).
To summarise the Robert Duncan family:
Robert and Mary Ann DUNCAN had eight known children. (Not sure about Jennie whose name pops up but may be a nickname.
• Albert born c 1877 (Reg1877/17089) in Melbourne Victoria died 5/12/1938 Perth.
• Rose born 1882 Collingwood Victoria (Reg No.1882/ 08325) , died 2/2/1965 without children unmarried. Rose is buried with sister Elizabeth and mother Mary Anne in Anglican section RA132 Karrakatta Cemetery. Rose brought up Albert’s children.
• Robert, born c. 1867, died 9/4/1941 in Mt Barker Western Australia. No known children or marriages. Robert is buried with his brother Albert in Karrakatta Cemetery Anglican LB154. Cemetery records say 58 years old at time of death. The story is he couldn't marry the woman he loved because her brother had been hanged.
• Mary born 1878, died 7 October 1935 in Perth Western Australia, Married name Peter WASHING. Family story says she married a Chinese man WA SINGH shortened to above. Was member of Chung Wah Assn. Mary was mentioned deceased in death notices for Albert in 5/12/1938. There are a fair few articles on the Washing family on TROVE
• Amy (Emma) born 1875 Melbourne Victoria (Reg 1875/17803), died 13 February 1932 in Victoria. Amy was mentioned deceased in death notices for Albert in 5/12/1938. married surname GRAHAM.
• Florence born Collingwood Melbourne 1880 (Reg 1880/1645), died
(1928 - after 1938) in Perth?, married surname GORDON. (Lived Mt Lawley Western Australia in 1938)
• Elizabeth Mary born 1871(Reg 1871/4025) in Melbourne, died 22/04/1959 in Perth WA, possibly unmarried. Buried in grave with Mary Ann (mother) and sister Rose.
• Georgina born Butterworth Victoria 1869 (Reg 1869/818), died ? Melbourne, married surname DALGEISH. Interestingly Georgina does not show in Albert Duncan's death notices 5/12/38 although other deceased sisters do.
Be interested where you fit the picture Velly.
All the best
Pete
