MY WALDER FAMILY

Louisa Walder is a descendant of John Walder, born 7 Oct 1546 in Sussex, possibly in the Horsham area. Click here for a full descendants chart of John Walder

Louisa appears on the 1851 Census as a 6mths old child living with her parents and brother Philip 2 years old at Newick, Sussex.

I have checked the QLD Birth and Country Death Indexes for any Walders. Here are the results:-

DEATHS           FATHER    MOTHER        CERT.
                                         NO.
Adelaide Maud  1889  John Walder  Annie Maria      1663
Walder                            Elizabeth Kriger

BIRTHS
JOHN WALDER = ANNIE MARIA ELIZABETH KRIGER
John Frederick Walder   5 Aug 1895    Cert No. 95/005658
Louisa Maud Walder     21 Aug 1892    Cert No. 92/003998
Adelaide Maud Walder   14 Oct 1887    Cert No. 87/003168
Helena Walder          13 Dec 1889    Cert No. 89/003755

WILLIAM WALDER = MARY MATILDA PATTISON
Lily Walder             9 Apr 1889    Cert No. ?

Louisa Walder's Birth Certificate shows she was born at Newick on 6 September 1850. Her parents are shown as James Walder, a farmer, and Ruth Walder formerly Selden. Her parents were shown as living at Newick, which is located 6 miles ESE of Hayward's Heath and is now in the Sub-District of Chailey, County of Sussex. Her Pension Papers indicate that she was born at Chailey.

Newick is a village with a good selection of handsome houses and cottages and a carefully restored church, St. Mary's, with a perpendicular sandstone tower. The Bull's Inn, beside the green, is named after the papal bull or seal, a reminder that Newick lies on the Pilgrim's Way from Winchester to Cantebury. The modern A272 Motorway follows this route for a good part of its way.

She arrived in Brisbane Qld. on 24 May 1872 aboard the Silver Eagle which had previously docked at Sydney on its way from London on 20 May 1872. Her travelling companion was Miss O'Reilly. Louisa's Pension papers state that her travelling companion was a G. Neilly, although it is difficult to read the writing.

THE QUEENSLAND EXPERIENCE
The Life and Work of 14 Remarkable Migrants
Edited by Maximilian Brandle

Also arriving on the Silver Eagle were Bishop James Quinn, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Queensland, and Chiaffredo Fraire a 19 year old Italian layman recruited by Bishop Quinn. They were travelling from London to Sydney arriving in Sydney on 22 May 1872. Fraire travelled in a second class berth in the company of a Roman sculptor, Achille Simonetti; an artist, Giulio Anivitti; an engineer/architect, Giuseppi Canali; a cabinet maker, Pietro Gagliardi; Dominico Gagliardi, a bootmaker; and, Bernado Rinaldi, a butcher. In first class accommodation with Bishop Quinn was a priest Pietro Capra. The party then completed the journey to Brisbane in the coastal steamer Lady Young.

Louisa Walder married 100 years to the day before her great great grandson Simon James Dunn (my son) was born. Qld. Country Marriage Certificate No. 666.74. Louisa and her husband Henry were both living at Gracemere just prior to their marriage.

The witnesses at her marriage were William Watson and Annie Josephine Cripps. Henry and Louisa worked for the Archer family at Gracemere for many years. They eventually left and lived near Scrubby Creek. Louisa, like her husband, also suffered a paralytic stroke.

The 1909 Commonwealth Electoral Rolls for the Division of Capricornia, Subdivision of Rockhampton, show Louisa Dunn living at Mawdsley Bridge, Scrubby Creek, on home duties. Her husband Henry Dunn does not show on the 1909 rolls. He died on 13 Jan 1909.

Terry Stratford has the original copy of Louisa Dunn's Pension Claim papers which were filled out on 29th October 1910.

-=*=-

PENSION CLAIM FOR LOUISE DUNN (NEE WALDER)

Where were you born?                   Chailey, England

When were you born?                    Sep 6th 1850

When did you arrive in Australia?      24 May 1872

From what port did you sail            Gravesend
for Australia?

What was the name of the ship?         Silver-Eagle

At what port did you land?             Brisbane

Were you a passenger or immigrant      Passenger, companion to
or member of a crew?                   Miss C. Neilly.
                                       (possibly O'Reilly)

Since you first arrived in             No
Australia have you visited New
Zealand or any other country?

Are you single, married,               Widow
widow, or widower?

If you are married, what is            Henry Dunn
the full name of your husband
or wife?

Where and when were you married?       24th Oct 1874

If you are a widow or married          Lousia (sic) Walder
women, what was your maiden name?

Names of Children           Dates of Birth   Places of     Places Where
                                             Birth         Births
                                                           Registered

Florance Mary McLelland     Dec 24th 1875    Gracemere     Rockhampton
Albert Henry (dead)         March 10th 1877  Gracemere     Rockhampton
Jane Ruth (dead)            Oct 4th 1878     Gracemere     Rockhampton
Ellen Louisa Kime           Dec 12th 1879    Gracemere     Rockhampton
Ruth Martha Thorsan (sic)   Aug 20th 1881    Gracemere     Rockhampton
Maud Maudsley West          Dec 9th 1883     Rockhampton   Rockhampton
Henry Joseph Dunn           Oct 21st 1887    Rockhampton   Rockhampton
Bernard Joseph Dunn         March 30th 1890  Rockhampton   Rockhampton
Mary Alice Dunn             May 11th 1893    Rockhampton   Rockhampton
James Henry Dunn *          Aug 29th 1895    Rockhampton   Rockhampton
Ethel Emma (dead)           April 28th 1886  Rockhampton   Rockhampton

* The correct name is James Joseph Dunn.


What are the names and      Mrs. W. McLelland      Gladstone St.
addresses of your           Mrs. F. Kime           Gracemere
children now living?        Mrs. F. Thorsan (sic)  Gracemere
                            Mrs. W. West           Gracemere
                            H.J. Dunn              Gracemere
                            B.J. Dunn              Gracemere
                            M.A. Dunn              Gracemere
                            J.H. Dunn              Gracemere

Have you within the last 6 months      No
been refused an Old Age Pension?
If so, when, and where?

Were you born a British Subject?       Yes

Did you receive board or lodging       No
besides money wages?

How much did each of your children     nothing
not living with you contribute
towards the maintenance of the home
during the last twelve months?

How much did each of your children     nothing
living with you contribute towards
the maintenance of the home during
the last twelve months?

Do you keep a shop or lodging-house    No
or boarding-house or conduct a
business of any kind, or have you
an interest in any shop or business?

What is the nature of the same,        selling eggs
and what profit did you make
during the last twelve months?

Has anyone agreed to maintain          No
you in whole or in part or to
make any payments to you in
consideration of property you
have transferred?

During the last twelve months          -
did you receive free board or
free lodging or both?

What other income have you             -
received during the last twelve
months?

What house or land property            one house at Gracemere
do you own?

Where is it situated?                  Rockhampton

What is the nature of the title?       -

What is the full Capital Value?        about 130 Pounds 

If you own only one house,             one house, live in it.
do you live in it?

If you own more than one house,        -
which of those mentioned above
do you live in?

Is any of the property mortgaged       No
or otherwise encumbered?

Have you a share or interest           No 
in any other property?

What is the nature and value           -
of such property?

Do you own any horses, cattle,         1 horse
sheep, or other livestock?

Do you own any furniture,              a very little one cart
vehicles, &c.?                         to come to town in.

Have you any money in any bank,        100 Pounds in C.S. Bank?
savings bank, building society
or other financial institution?

Is your life assured?                  No

Have you any money or property         No
not previously disclosed?

-=*=-

Louisa used to lease part of her land to a Chinese Market Gardener called Quong Mow. They both signed an Agreement on 10 January 1916. The lease involved land situated in the County of Livingstone, Parish of Rockhampton, Subdivision 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Portion 236 containing 20 acres and 20 perches being part of land contained in Certificate of Title No. 62739 Volume 426, Folio 229.

The lease was for a 5 year term commencing on 1 October 1915 for equal quarterly payments for a yearly rental of 40 Pounds. The Agreement was handled by Hobler and Powell, Solicitors, Rockhampton.

Louisa sold her property at Gracemere to her son-in-law Albert Charles Barnes for the sum of 500 Pounds on 6 February 1919, approximately 2 years before she died.

Louisa spent seven painful years in bed at her daughter's house (Mrs. Mary Alice Barnes) at Gracemere road, Gracemere. Her Death Certificate states that she died at Scrubby Creek, Gracemere aged 71 years. She died from Arterio Sclerosis, Hemiplegia and exhaustion. Her Death Certificate gives her mother's name as Ruth Selwin not Alwin. The informant on the Death Certificate was her son-in-law A.C. Barnes. The Certificate also states that she had been in Queensland for about 55 years.

She was buried by Father Sweeney beside her husband and three of her children (Albert Henry, Jane Ruth, and Ethel Emma). There is no headstone on the grave but it is surrounded by a cast iron fence. Her death left 8 remaining members of the family (all married).

The town of Haywards shown on her Marriage Certificate is probably Haywards Heath in Sussex. Almost all Sussex villages date back to Saxon times. Louisa changed her religion to become a Catholic. Her middle name may be Mary. In 1988, Jim Archer, recollected his mother talking of a Louisa Dunn who was a maid at Gracemere. Jim Archer's mother was born in 1890.

DEATH NOTICE
DUNN. - On the 1st December 1921, at Scrubby Creek, Gracemere, Louisa Dunn, after a long and painful illness, in her seventy-first year. AT REST

OBITUARY
(The Capricornian, 17 December 1921,
also in another local paper on 9 December 1921)

Our Gracemere correspondent writes:- Another very old resident of Gracemere has crossed the Great Divide, namely, Mrs. Louisa Dunn, widow of Mr. Henry Dunn, who predeceased her by about thirteen years. Mrs. Dunn was born in Sussex, England, on the 6th of September, 1850, and came to this country in the ship Silver Eagle, landing at Brisbane on the 24th May, 1872. She was married in Rockhampton in 1874, both she and her husband were among the trusted employees of the Archer family for very many years. They left to take up their residence near Scrubby Creek. In their declining years, however the hand of fate descended very heavily on them. Mr. Dunn was stricken down with a paralytic stroke and for seven years - six of them confirmed to bed - he suffered until the end came in his sixty-seventh year. Nor were the fates kinder to his wife, who was stricken down with the same malady. Nursed by the loving care of her own family at the residence of her daughter, Mrs A. Barnes, she, too bore seven years of bed-ridden illness with christian fortitude. Her mortal remains, followed by a very large vehicular cortege, were laid to rest on the 2nd instant beside those of her husband in the private cemetery on the estate of Messrs. Archer Brothers, where also three of her children are buried. The Rev. Father Sweeney officiated at the graveside. The eight remaining members of the family, all of who are married, are highly respected residents of this district, and for them there have been many expressions of genuine sympathy in their many days of trouble.

Can anyone help me with more information?

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This page first produced 3 May 1997

This page last updated 22 February 2020