Dear Tardis,
Thank you for your post which really enlightened us to our ancestry and how we were connected to the Hepburns, which I couldn't work out, although I knew Nan (Dorothy Jean King nee Tait; 1923-2008) was invited to the family reunion in the 1980s. My great great grandparents were Vezelea and John Rickard.
Vezelea and John Rickard had their eldest, son John Arthur Rickard, in Pleasant Ck 1869, conceived prior to wedlock, born after marriage, so that's why family history wasn't openly discussed by our grandparents. John Rickard's, brother James Rickard (often then called Rickards) was Mayor of Stawell in 1873. However, the brothers still were partners early on and John and Vezelia Rickard lived in Main St, Stawell in 1872 where their first daughter Anna Rickard was born. They subsequently had many more children Edwin Ernest Rickard 1 ( 1874-1876), Edwin Ernest Rickard 2. (1876-1877); Vezelia Rickard Jnr (1876-1945); George William Rickard (1877-1941); Edwin Ernest Rickard 3 (18778-1904 aged 26); Ida Maude Rickard (1883-1936); Burchess Nicholas Rickard (1885-1964); Elizabeth Rickard (1889) and Caroline Rickard (1890-1965). Their maternal grandmother was Vezelia ie Basila Patterson (which we now know thanks to your post and is buried in unhoused section of Ballarat cemetery as Bozila ie Vezelia Kelly- Howard- Patterson- Harris). Their maternal grandfather was James Harris who died in Ararat, uncle was Luke Harris, aunt Caroline (I'm unsure if it was Samuel Crane or Craig whom she married, as her death lists Craig, but the only 1875 marriage cert I see for 1875 for a Caroline or Carol was to a Samuel Crane. You would Know.
We were always a little confused about the origins of Vezelea as my nan Dorothy Tait knew the Hepburns as her mum's first cousins from Victoria (Nan's parents; Ida Rickard and James Tait were married in Lancefield in 1911, but surname was mispelt Tail instead of Tait, 1911 Reg 43; so even that was hard to find; I have a copy of their wedding photo). When she was young they had contact with some of Rickard first cousins and aunt Caroline and also knew some of her mother's first cousins, the Hepburns, so had been invited to the Hepburn family reunion. She had a memento book from that Hepburn reunion (which we were unable to locate when she died- my mum is an only child). However I remember that memento included a photo of Vezelea Harris/Rickard; I'm not sure of the actual spelling as it changes on each certificate. I remember seeing the copy of photo, when I was in primary school in the eighties or early high school. Nans mother, Ida Tait ( nee Rickard) had blue eyes and mid brown hair and fairer skin, than her mother Vezelea who was rather dark in hair colour and complexion, olive shin, as I have. My Nan spoke in whispers that she had come from Calcutta, which we thought was why we have the noses we have. We thought perhaps we have some Indian in us, so when Nans elder sister researched her to Ballarat we were surprised she was a Kelly from Ireland. Prior to that Nan suggested that perhaps English Richard Howard, had children with his nursemaid servant from Calcutta and hence the unusual name Vezelea. Speculation abounded. However your article enlightened us as to the real connection with Calcutta and Vezelea Harris'/ Howards' name changes, so l was then able to trace the death records.
Since I live 17km from Ballarat, I was able to go into the cemetery- no gravestone for Basila Harris, as listed as unhoused and family were all in Stawell, or Castlemaine goldfields, at that time in 1860s. However, she has a record in the gatehouse and certificate mentions she died in Ballarat hospital, was a Kelly as maiden name, and death from memory says from County Meath in Ireland ( friend traced it for me from her membership with Ancestry.com)
I wished I could have seen that Hepburn reunion memento book again, before Nan got very bad dementia and early onset senility, after her retirement from being a bookkeeper ( she was terrific at mental arithmetic and accounting). However it was lost or given away. My grandmother's elder sister Joyce Duncan had also looked into the tree at that time and had been quite confused as to all the different names, using the Ballarat library's microfiche. I was unsure as to how the Hepburns were related, exactly, if they were by blood, or by adoption. I thought that perhaps a servant girl named Patterson simply Brought Annie Howard to Australia, then met James Harris and had another three children that we know of, but raised Annie as her own. Your information then confirmed that she was indeed related partially genetically, owing to Vezelia Harris, Luke and Caroline, being half-siblings to Annie Minnie Howard. Thank you.
The Hepburn who had produced the reunion memento booklet had the Hepburn family bible with some history of Vezelea Howard/ Kelly and they may be able to tell you more information. However as I was primary aged at the time, in the eighties, neither my mother nor I can't remember the name of that man, Hepburn, and weren't quite sure of the connection as I've said. I'm grateful you've supplied details and thanks to you I now know Annie Minnie Howard was my great g g grandmother, Vezelia's, daughter to her first marriage Richard Howard, so thank you for clearing that up. I had searched for days to find her immigration records and was totally confused.
Thanks
