John B HELSDON & Adeliza/Adelina STEWART QLD

[ambers]

Can anyone help me trace the wife of Captain/Pilot: John Benjamin Helsdon b 1850 Norfolk......Adeliza/Adelina Stewart b1864 Australia,.
Her parents were John Stewart and Margaret Fraser from Glasgow, they Emigrated in 1862 on the Sultana.

John and Adeliza married in 1880 Brisbane (certificate gives her name as Adelizer), and  had 5 children:  We have traced all the children, John Benjamin's death 1908, & Will, and a her mother living at Warren Street, Valley in1901.....the only thing we can't find is  her
They Divorced  c1892, the Divorce went against her.  He told all the children that she had died, and until I got together with my new found cousin in Australia and started searching they were unaware of the Divorce. ...her mother was quite shocked.

I can't find any death or Shipping records in that name, and the last sighting of her was in the Brisbane Courier 26/10/1892.
A Writ was issued against John from the Supreme Court of Queensland on her behalf regarding property in the County of Stanley, Parish Enoggers., saying that the property will be sold unless the terms are executed.....nothing more in the paper after that!
The newspaper cutting is headed : Between John Benjamin Helsdon, Petitioner and Adaliza , Respondent.

After that she dis-appears. 

We have searched high and low, but without Electoral Lists were stuck.

Ambers

[tropicalj]

Hello there

As you say she divorced, do you know on what grounds the divorce was issued?  If you  have  that details and there was another party involved perhaps she could have married him or just lived with him

thanks Jenn

[ambers]

Hi Jenn,

We have only been given a brief account as the person checking didn't have a lot of time...hope to learn more next.

He divorced her in 1892 for an affair she had in 1883  saying he had only just learned of it.
He denied being the father of a child born and died in 1883, saying he had been away three years and couldn't have been the father. I have seen a shipping record showing he was there in 1883    but she did admit to the affair and said he had always known about it. He made  threats about what he would do to her if she tried to stop the divorce .

So it looks as if there wasn't anyone else involved at the time of the divorce.

Ambers

[sparrett]

Did JOHN STEWART and MARGARET (nee FRASER) have any other children? Siblings to ADELIZA.  If so, where were they living?

It is a common thing in these circumstances for families to close ranks and stick together and she may well have moved to the home of family members and even changed her name to put the past behind her.

Do the deathor other  certificates of the children you say you have traced give any clues at all?

Sue

[ambers]

Hi Sue

I don't have the original certificates, all information has been gathered by either myself or my cousin through on-line BMD's or Newspapers.
My cousin is the ggrandchild of Adeliza and so knows a lot about the background of the Helsdons as they kept in touch over the years.

Two of John and Adeliza's children were tragically killed in an accident at their home at Kenmore, Indoorroophilly in 1901. Their Funerals left from the home of their Grandmother  at Warren St, Valley (Adeliza's mother) The only two Funeral notices in the paper were from John and their Grandmother Margaret Stewart...the paper gives her initial as J   So the Stewart family lived in Brisbane.
No mention was made of their mother at the Inquest, it just said that the children resided with him and his Housekeeper.

So if her daughter had died back in 1892 surely their would be a Funeral notice from her own mother, Adelzia was using the Helsdon name at that time we know. The daughter of Adeliza lived until she was 71 always believing her mother died when she was six, you would think someone would have mentioned something in later years if she hadn't!

I understand that people do want to put the past behind them, and yes, family do close ranks sometimes

I guess if she changed her surname, and who could blame her, I will never find her as you can't search the BMD's on a first name only. She had many siblings and I am trying to follow through on their marriages and hopefully spot them on a Electoral list.

Ambers
 

[sparrett]

Grandmother Margaret Stewart...the paper gives her initial as J   AMBERS

Being married to JOHN STEWART makes her MRS J STEWART whether  JOHN is alive or deceased.

So not unusual

Sue

[ambers]

Hi Sue

Thank you ,  I had forgotten about the way woman used to be addressed with their husbands initials.

I thought it was odd to have a printing mistake on a Funeral notice.

Ambers

[suomi]

Hi this my first attempt at this so I hope get it right.
I live in Brisbane Qld and have also started to look for information on Adaliza. I have read her divorce statement and that of John Helsdon (her husband) who claimed that Adaliza had a baby in 1883 which wasn't his and the reason why he wanted a divorce in 1892.  I have found out that Adaliza's first child Mabel Mary Helsdon b1883  d1883 was buried in South Rockhampton cemetery on 25th october 1883, aged three weeks and 21 days and cause of death athropy. Rockhampton is a about a seven hour drive from Brisbane (where Adaliza lived) in a car now, so back then it would have been a long way to travel.  She did admit to the affair.  I am having trouble finding anything about her after the divorce as well. I am in touch with someone else who is also trying to find information about Adaliza and we have both hit a wall. One of Adaliza's eleven siblings is my husband's great grandfather. I am hoping  to go back to the QLD State Archives to hopefully get a copy of her divorce statement and to read it again.  Apparently her husband was quite a violent man at times.

Tuula

[tropicalj]

Hello there Tuula and welcome to Rootschat

Does anyone have either  of  Adaliza parents death certificate, as I am wondering if she is listed on either as living or dead.?

Even a funeral or death notice may hold some clues as to her whereabouts?
Jenn