Mary COLVILLE nee Douglas

[alan14578]

Mary Colville nee Douglas {born 1885)was the widow of Alexander Colville who died during the 1st World War. He married Mary Douglas in Selkirk scotland on 5th October 1906 .It would appear that in 18-9-1920 after the war she emigrated from London to Brisbane on the "Osterley" 128287. The record shows Mrs M Colville and master David{aged 3 in 1911 census}, Miss May. Miss M,and Miss M. with a destination of Sydney  although the ship was to Brisbane.  Somewhere along the line Alexander Colvilles 1st world war medals arrived in NZ and the current owners would like to hand them back to the family. Alexander is one of the many listed on our local War Memorial.
If you can help to hand back the medals it would be appreciated.
alan14578

[judb]

Do you know any parent names for Mary?  Do you know birthplaces for the children, or have any further clues as to birthdates/places for the girls?

Most indexes and certainly BMD records in Australia contain information about parents so these extra details may be useful. 

Judith

[alan14578]

Judb, In the 1911 census for Selkirk the mother and all the children are shown as born Selkirk. David aged 3yrs(1908) May aged 1(1910) Alexander aged 1 month but died 1918.    Obviously there were 2 more girls with initials M as shown on the ships list with destination Sydney. There is no newer census record than 1911 but i will try and find their names and let you know. They must have been born between 1911 and 1920 when they emigrated presumably also Selkirk.
alan

[alan14578]

Judb a quick check on Scotlandspeople shows 2 births as suspected one in 1912 for a Margaret Douglas Colville and another in 1915 for a Magdalene Ponto Colville.  (The Ponto is possibly Ponton as only a part name is shown and there is no image to see.
Marys parents were Moses Douglas and Marion Johanna Sanderson     Alexander parents were David Colville and Jane Isabella Jamieson, and were married in my old church at Selkirk on October 5th 1906 when Mary was 23yrs and Alex 26yrs.
hope this helps
alan

[judb]

Just looking for further info now, but haven't time for a proper search until later in the week - however, are you sure that they didn't go on to New Zealand in 1920?

The UK Outward Passenger List for their voyage shows that Mrs Colville, housekeeper, with Master D (12), Miss M (10), Miss M (7) and Miss M (4) left on the Osterley 18 September, 1920, contracted to land in Sydney.  In the column "Future Permanent Residence" the country given is New Zealand.  There are many others on this manifest who also give their next permanent residence as New Zealand.

The Osterley arrived Sydney 2 November, 1920, and was sent into quarantine at first.  90 of the passengers had been booked through to New Zealand
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/16873448

However there is no mention of the ship they were booked on as the Osterley was returning to London via Suez.

Judith

[Maggsie]

Hi all,
There is a tree owner in Ancestry, I have contacted them, It is Alexander's eldest sister Jane Isabella Jameison Colville's line.
They have people still living in Galasheils, this is where Alexander was born.
I have searched for the M Colville children, can't seem to find them.
I will let you know when I hear from them.
His Army records only list the returned items to his wife. the ref: number for this is 515172.
Maggsie 

[jorose]

www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
A possible remarriage in 1926 for Mary to Percy Sadler
A possible death in 1932 for David Jameson Colville aged 24 (b. about 1908)
A newspaper record suggests his death was suicide:
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19320607.2.126&srpos=13&e=-------10--11-byDA---2David+Jameson--
A possible death in 1926 for Magdalene Ponton Colville aged 11
A report on Magdalene's tragic death gives her mother as "Mrs Mary Saddler"
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19261120.2.129&srpos=1&e=-------10--1-byDA---2Magdalene+Ponton--

The 1931 marriage of a "May Colville" is not the right one, that girl was born in NZ in 1912.

Percy's probate documents.
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-30635-7081-21?cc=1865481

On image 106, a daughter of Percy and Mary Sadler, Phyllis Mary Englebretsen,  gives the information that Mary Sadler, her mother, pre-deceased Percy (by a couple of months - she died October 1960), and gives loads of information about her father's two marriages, divorce, death of his first wife, the kids he had with Mary after the marriage, etc.

It doesn't mention the Colville kids, but it does lead us to a correct death for "Mary Sadler" - 1960, aged 77.
Phyllis May Englebretsen died 1974.  Some of the other kids mentioned in the probate records might still be living, though.

http://www.wanganui.govt.nz/our-services/cemeteries-and-crematorium/Pages/Cemetery-Search.aspx?surname=Sadler
 - burial for Percy, Mary, and their son Douglas who died in 1959 are all here.

[judb]

No wonder I couldn't find them on Oz records.  Looks as though they went on from Sydney to Wellington per the Ulimaroa.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AG19201103.2.26&srpos=6&e=02-11-1920-31-12-1920--10--1-byDA---0osterley--

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=ODT19201105.2.15&srpos=19&e=02-11-1920-31-12-1920--10--11-byDA---0ulimaroa--

Two sad deaths for the children.

Judith

[jorose]

They don't seem to have made the Ulimaroa, or at least don't see them:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12320-201919-10?cc=1609792&wc=MP7K-L27:119260101,119030002,119128401

Could have been delayed slightly - either chose to spend a little while in Oz or one of the family was ill and they had to wait and catch the next ship.