1915 NSW Electoral Roll

[Jang]

Does anyone have access to the 1915 NSW ER? According to her son's death certificate, Mary Coulson was living at " Bayview", King St Tempe. I found references to it on Trove being a mental hospital and would love to know if Mary was a patient or if she worked there which is more likely as she had been a housemaid in a hospital previously.
Jan

[Bobby G]

In the 1913 Electoral Roll it says Residence - "Children's Hospital" and occupation - "housemaid". Polling Place Camperdown.

 If you want the doc PM me.

[Jang]

Thanks for the details, I knew she'd worked as a housemaid previously but couldn't find my reference.

[majm]

Hi there,

Sorry, I do not have 1915 NSW electoral roll, BUT ... the rolls were only printed after close of roll for an election.  I have CD for 1913 NSW roll.     NSW State Library would be the place to check, http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/ask-librarian

I can confirm the following :
Sands 1915 Directory.
Bayview Private Hospital
For Mental Disease, Tempe – Arthur J VAUSE, M.B. J.P. resident physician, Bayview House, King Street, Tempe.  Visiting days Tuesdays and Fridays.

ADD, from the 1909 Suburban directory for St Peters, Bayview House, King St Tempe, was on the 'even number side' with nearest cross street as Smith St, then Braden St, so I am suggesting that 750 Princes Highway, Tempe would be the likely 2016 address. 

JM

[Jang]

Thanks, JM, I'll email the library. Thanks also for the details about Bayview's location.

The odd thing is that Mary's son, Frank, died at "Fenham", Park Rd Greenwich, so not where Mary (single mum) was living/working yet she was the informant.

[sparrett]

The odd thing is that Mary's son, Frank, died at "Fenham", Park Rd Greenwich, so not where Mary (single mum) was living/working yet she was the informant.

You have not mentioned it here, but Frank was an infant.


Birth
14971/1915
COULSON  Frank
Mother MARY C
At NEWTOWN

COULSON Frank
18636/1915
Mother MARY
At ST LEONARDS
 
Why do you think it is surprising that mother was the informant?
I have ancestors who died in all sorts of places not their home, but a close relative gave details for the certification just the same.

Sue

[Jang]

Sue, Frank was the second of Mary's 3 illegitimate children - Enid born 1912 (disappears from records, probably adopted), Frank, died 21 November 1915 age 6 months, and Nancy Edith, born 1919, who stayed with Mary.

I was surprised Mary was the informant because he died in a different place to where she was living and I thought he'd possibly been adopted.

I've just found a funeral notice on Trove for an Edward Hogan who was living at Fenham at the time - 25 May 1915. The funeral notice says it was the residence of his daughter, Mrs H. J. White. Frank was born 14 May 1915 in South Sydney Women's Hospital, Mary was living in Castlereagh St. So what was Frank doing at "Fenham" in November?

It's very confusing :-(
Jan

[Jang]

The whites continued to live at Fenham, 19 Park Rd until 1943.

[majm]

It is worth considering that Mary may have 'boarded out' her son, as formal adoptions did not commence in NSW until the 1920s.  It is my understanding that meant she would find live in work to earn funds to provide to the fostering family in return for their care of her child.  I have a living relative (alert, probably will read this post later today as a guest, with younger living siblings), born 1910s whose parents raised several additional "brothers and sisters" (ie took in boarders)  in this way at Willoughby NSW.  Likely they fed these boarding children as though they were their own, so goats milk, vegetables from the garden, eggs from ducks and geese, meat from the fowls.  "All" women were proficient at needlework, darning, setting fires, etc.   

Before the Harbour Bridge there was a punt across from (Ferry Lane) Millers Point.
 
Tempe, Greenwich, Camperdown like many localities in the Sydney region were already well serviced by Sydney's public transport in the 1910s.  Omnibus, punt, ferry, steam trains etc.

Knowing that Mary was the informant on Frank's dc shows that she did not abandon him, and to me that is a good sign.

JM