Australian help please

[kiterunner]

On a side branch of my tree, I have Ernest Arthur Bristow 1873-1902, son of Arthur and Laura. He married a Mary Tollis in 1899 in Waterloo, NSW. I have her down as being born 1875 in Waterloo, daughter of Reuben and Mary, but I don't think I ever found anything that would definitely confirm she is that Mary.

Ernest and Mary had two children - Charles A Bristow born 1899 and Dorothy A Bristow born 1901, both in Waterloo.

Ernest died in June 1902 in Waterloo and his funeral was 13th June 1902. Dorothy died 20 Aug 1902 in Newtown. But I haven't managed to find out what happened to Charles and Mary. There is a possible remarriage for Mary - a Mary Bristow married a Walter Brown in 1906 in Redfern, but I haven't managed to find out if it is the same Mary or not. I've been having a look through on Trove and found various Family Notices but none about Charles or Mary.

Any ideas, please?

[Mary from Italy]

I can't see a Charles A... Bristow on the electoral rolls for any state (NSW online elec rolls begin in 1930, though).

Mary isn't going to be easy to find with a surname like Brown.

If you're sufficiently interested to get some certs, Ernest's death cert should give the names of his surviving children.

[Mary from Italy]

There's only one death for a Mary Brown with parents Reuben and Mary in NSW: in Kogarah, Sydney in 1950.

[Mary from Italy]

I take it you know that Ernest's parents are shown as Arthur and Norah in the death index?

[Mary from Italy]

Here you go - Charles Arthur Bristow and Joseph Tollis were the executors of Mary Brown's will:

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/18158210?searchTerm=%22mary%20brown%22%20AND%20bri stow&searchLimits=l-title=The+Sydney+Morning+Herald...|titleid%3A35||| l-decade=195|||l-year=1950

[Mary from Italy]

In that 1950 probate notice, Mary's address is given as 729 Rocky Point Road, Sans Souci.
According to the electoral rolls, she, Walter Brown and Joseph Tollis were living at that address in 1949.

Charles isn't with them; there's a Charles Bristow living at 11a Burton Street, Mosman in 1949 who may be him.

[Mary from Italy]

Joseph Tollis and Walter Brown were still at the same address in 1954 (the online elec rolls don't go any further). Charles isn't with them. Joseph died in 1967, and there are several possible deaths for Walter.

[Mary from Italy]

I'm drawing a complete blank with Charles after that. I'm thinking he maybe wasn't in NSW. I don't think that one in Mosman can be yours, because the Ryerson Index has a death in 1973 for Charles Bristow "late of Mosman", and the corresponding death in the index is for the son of Charles and Maggie.

Can't find a service record for Charles (or Ernest).

[kiterunner]

That's brilliant, thanks so much, Mary! It's going to take me a while to catch up with all that lot...! I looked for a Mary with parents Reuben and Mary on ancestry's death index with no luck, but I must have forgotten to check on the actual NSW index.

And yes, I know it says Norah for Ernest's mother on the death index; someone must have misheard "Laura".

[Mary from Italy]

Always best to check the NSW index, because the Ancestry ones don't seem to be complete.

I've just been checking the new 1891/1901 census records, but I can't find an obvious candidate for the family. There's a Mrs E Bristow in Pitt Street in 1901, but it's not all that close to Alexandria, where they were living when Ernest died in 1902.

[Mary from Italy]

This is probably Mary's probate:

http://investigator.records.nsw.gov.au/Entity.aspx?Path=\Item\779120

Walter died in 1954:

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/27517799?searchTerm=%22729%20rocky%20point%20road% 22&searchLimits=

[kiterunner]

So Walter is the one age 77 at death in Rockdale district in 1954, thanks Mary. It says mother's name Kogarah on the NSW death index but I think that would be where he died.

[Mary from Italy]

Yes, that was the registration district for Sans Souci.

By the way, I was assuming that Joseph was Mary's brother, but after a quick look at the indexes I think he may have been a cousin.

[kiterunner]

Yes, I think so too, Mary.

[marquette]

Mary Brown died 1950, Walter Brown died 1954 and Joseph Tollis died 1967 all have their ashes buried at Woronora Cemetery south of Sydney. Lots of folk from the Kogarah/St George area, on the southern side of Sydney used Woronora Cemetery rather than Rookwood.

Di

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Marquette.