Mary Ann Foster - Nurse(?)

[ric3188]

 ....accounting for a single woman travelling to a war zone.....

Thank you

The war ended in May 1902
She married 1903
You have said you do not know when she went to South Africa.

Sue

True, but her husband was an Irish soldier. He would have returned to the UK but for meeting Mary Ann.

[ric3188]

Hi
 ......and had met her husband, a soldier, John Leith...... 
 

If occupations are not shown on the marriage certificates in South Africa, how do you know he was a soldier?

Sue

I have his medals, attestation papers, all sorts. No question there! 

[wivenhoe]

An online tree has a document from Assistant State Statist, Richard N D TREACEY, 20 Aug 1902, being a statement of birth details for Mary Ann FOSTER.

TREACEY was State Statist, Victoria.

So Mary Ann was........somewhere ....in Aug 1902 and needing proof of....age?...nationality?....for some purpose.

This same tree has her marriage certificate, so presumably same family, so Mary Ann FOSTER in South Africa Aug 1902?

[ric3188]

An online tree has a document from Assistant State Statist, Richard N D TREACEY, 20 Aug 1902, being a statement of birth details for Mary Ann FOSTER.

TREACEY was State Statist, Victoria.

So Mary Ann was........somewhere ....in Aug 1902 and needing proof of....age?...nationality?....for some purpose.

This same tree has her marriage certificate, so presumably same family, so Mary Ann FOSTER in South Africa Aug 1902?

That sounds like what I have as her birth record, but you're right it's an official proof of birth isn't it. So I guess it was needed when she got engaged.

[ric3188]

So, looking on the Victorian archive site for passengers leaving Vic I found a record of a Miss M Foster leaving Melbourne bound for Fremantle in 1899 - right age, right sort of time, believable destination as her sister was married and living in Perth. However, when I looked on the WA archive site and managed to find the same ship arriving in WA, her name wasn't on it. Could the manifest have not been fully digitised?
Very odd.
Also not been able to find a digitised record of her leaving again (if indeed it is her) en route to South Africa.
Anyway, some progress has been made thanks to this forum, I just wish Perth/Melbourne wasn't half a world away!
Thanks,
Ric

[judb]

Is this the one?
Miss M FOSTER M, 28,  per WOLLOWRA, March 1899
for PORT ADELAIDE, ALBANY, FREMANTLE,

This Miss Foster is mentioned here:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/87785947

There is also mention of the voyage and the 20 heavy draught horses which were laso aboard"
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/82955601

I am not familiar with WA records and as you have already said can't readily find anything useful. 

Judith

[sparrett]

I wonder if Mary came home to Australia for a visit

LEITH M Mrs. Aged 50. Date of arrival Sept. 1923. Ship  ORMUZ.   F 512 003.

Interesting to note that her sister and husband Albert Henry EVANS were on the Electoral Roll in WA in 1903.  He was a plasterer of 9th Ave, Bayswater, Perth.

Marriage in Vic.
EVANS Albt Hy  (Birth Place ENG)
FOSTER Matilda
Year1889
Reg.  8712

He seems to have died around 15th July 1904 aged only 37 in WA.

EVANS Albert Henry
Aged   37
Parents Joseph Abraham &    Bulinaria Emma
Birth place Kent Eng
Reg    2140
Year   1904
                           
Funeral notice.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/25093394

Sue
   

[ric3188]

Thank you Sue,
Nice to have the marriage and funeral notice, thanks.
Yes, Mary did visit Australia again, a couple of times I think. After her husband died she travelled quite a bit visiting relatives in Aus, SA and Canada. She got stuck in London when war broke out and died in 1943 from breast cancer.

[boerwarnurses]

Hiya,

I do not have Mary Ann Foster on my Boer War nurses database: https://boerwarnurses.com/boer-war-nurses-database/ which includes the Australian nurses, and nurses who traveled to SA and were then employed by the military.

cheers
Keiron