Amelia Christina 1875

Amelia Christina was born in 1875 just two years afterAmy . I do not know much about this two times great aunt, Millie. Therefore, I am hoping that others who are direct relatives will give me more information to add to this story.

Amelia married Neil Watt in 3 April 1899. Neil was born in 1872, and they went on to have six children -Keith 1899, Neil 1901, Robert Cunningham  1902 Kitty Gwyn, Edna May and a sixth child not surviving in 1915.

Amelia passed away on 8 April 1944 at age 68 in Waratah Newcastle NSW Australia. She was buried on 10 April 1944 in the Church of England portion of Sandgate Cemetery.

From my childhood, I remember the family name and I am sure I met Edna. Amelia’s children were first cousins to Austin and to Jean Rutledge.

Rose Bine 1879

Rose Bine was born in 1879 and died of meningitis on 31 December in 1881 at only the age of two. Until I started researching this part of the family I did not know of little Rose Bine’s existence. I wonder is she in that photo of the Smith’s in front of their house or not. 

When I first “met” Rose I was very exited as I knew Bine was not a common name in families with a British background, but it was definitely an abbreviated form of  Jacobine, a girls’ name in Denmark. Our ultimate goal is to find out who Robert Smith’s Danish parents are, and I was hoping little Rose Bine may hold a clue.  

Rose was sick for two weeks before her death. She is buried in the Anglican Portion 1, Section 03, Lot 21 now in an unmarked grave at Sandgate Cemetery. 

Emma Olivia 1881

Amy’s third sister was born on 6 August 1881 at Sand Hills Newcastle which would have in the area that Emma’s grandparents lived and would have been close to where Robert her father worked on the harbour. Originally he had been a seaman travelling internationally, but by the time the children were arriving, Robert was working for the Marine Board in Newcastle NSW.

In 1904 Emma married Martin Kingsley and they moved to Sydney . They went on to have five children. Clem, Frank, Colleen and Harold all outliving their parents.

On later documents Emma’s name was registered as Emma Olive . She was only 63 at the time of her death with the cause listed on her death registration as caused by Auricular Fibrillation and Diabetes Mellitus. Her final resting place is in the Roman Catholic Cemetery at Botany Sydney NSW.

Alice Maud 1888

Alice Maud was Amy’s sister that I did meet personally. As a young child I loved visiting her house on the corner of Annie and Hannell street Wickham. Her house had a cool and shady outdoor area that was encased in bottle green lattice and full of the most amazing Stag and Elk-horns. I am sure that it was visiting Aunty Alice that gave me too a love of these native plants.In 1912 Alice Married Alfred Ernst Bearby from Carrington. Alfred was part of the manufacturing family of Morris & Bearby. They had no children. 

Ruby Gladys Muriel 1890

Ruby was born on 11 October 1890 when Robert her father was recorded as being aged 47 and her mother Maria 37. Maria Rebecca, by 1890 had had eight children. Sadly already one son and a daughter Rose Bine had died prior to 1890, and little Ruby Gladys Muriel Smith also did not survive either. She died of convulsions only six days after her birth. Sadly records show that both her birth registration and her death were registered at the same day, 17 October 1890, by her father, Robert Christian Smith.

Who were Amy Smith’s five brothers?