Cecil Roy Hambridge 1898 1968 My Godfather His Parents Henry Hambridge 1865 1939 and Sibena Francesca Cullen 1867 1916 and Siblings

Uncle Roy's parents were Henry (Harry) HAMBRIDGE (1865 - 1939) and Sibena Francesca nee CULLEN (1867 - 1916) married in Melbourne in 1886 ; Henry had been a seaman, don't yet know when he settled in Melbourne exactly - last trace of him in England is the 1881 Census where he is resident in Homsey, Middlesex, at his family's home, occupation 'seaman'.

Roy's mother Sebina CULLEN (see previous Journal) born in Geelong marries Henry HAMBRIDGE in 1886 at St Brigid's RC Church, Fitzroy, married by Rev Father McKenna, and Henry is the eldest son of W H HAMBRIDGE of London, and Sibena Francesca the only daughter of the late Annie CULLEN, Geelong (her father was Denis CULLEN, an Irish immigrant who arrived at Hobson's Bay on the ship 'Joshua' in February 1852 age 19, and married Ann KINSELLA in 1864, and who may have become a drunkard living in the Horsham area until his death at the Ararat Lunatic Asylum in 1904.

Henry HAMBRIDGE and Sibena Francesca nee CULLEN have nine children :

1. Sebina Mary HAMBRIDGE born 1888 at Melbourne West

She married John W (Jack) ENGLISH on 13 October 1917 at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne and have found records for two of their apparently three children - Robert Henry (Bob) ENGLISH born 11 Aug 1918 at Sunbury, and Percival Willoughby (Percy) ENGLISH who dies at Ormond in 1964 at age 44 (so born ~ 1920) ; when Sebina's mother dies in 1916, she is described as working as a nurse at the Sunshine Asylum. A point to note is that Uncle Roy's wife, Rene HAMBRIDGE grew up in Sunbury, and her step-father (from 1914 onwards), Edwin STAGOLL was a warden at Sunshine Asylum (and previously at Arararat Lunatic Asylum, where Sebina's grandfather Denis CULLEN may have died in 1904).

Sebina's husband, John William ENGLISH, dies 16 August 1923 age 49 at 89 High St, Kew children given as Robert, Percival & Mary ; death registry gives that John William ENGLISH d 1923 at Kew, parents Robert ENGLISH and Jane WILLOUGHBY. He was born at Durham Lead, south of Ballarat, in 1874, his parents married in 1873, but that couple had three children earlier at Coghills Creek and Clunes, both towns north of Ballarat, and five after marrying (including John William) ; his father Robert was the youngest son of Edward ENGLISH and Mary nee HASKINS and his father was born 1849 or thereabouts, his father's older siblings born at Buninyong near Ballarat, and Kilkenny & County Wicklow, Ireland.

John ENGLISH's mother Jane WILLOUGHBY born around 1840 dies at Hawthorn, age 84, her parents John WILLOUGHBY and Eleanor HASKINS - don't know if her mother and her husband's mother also HASKINS were related ; and the notice for Jane's brother Henry's marriage with Ida RICHARDS at Mount Mercer (Ballarat area) in May 1887 gives that their father is John WILLOUGHBY, farmer of Queen's County (County Laois), Ireland.

I have found references to their father at Mayo, Killaban (now Arles) Parish, Laois, including the marriage of another of Jane's brothers, Samuel WILLOUGHBY 'fifth son of the late John Wiloughby, Mayo, Queen's County' with Anne Cooper (Nannie) at Coolkenno Church, Coolkenno, County Wicklow on 29th July 1890.

Sebina Mary ENGLISH dies suddenly 4 May 1953 age 65, 'children Bob, Percy and Mary (Mrs OLIVER), loved grandmother of Michael and Rhonda'. Cannot yet find records pertaining to her children, or of her daughter Mary's marriage to OLIVER, but a Family Notice in The Age on Tuesday 23rd March, 1948, announces the birth of Michael Kevin to OLIVER (English) on 19th March, 1948.

Her daughter, Mary, has a notice in The Argus of 8 March 1943 - 'Mary Francesca ENGLISH , only daughter of Mrs John ENGLISH and the late John ENGLISH, engaged to Irvine James BAGNELL only son of Mrs M DWYER and the late William BAGNELL" ; but at her mother's death in 1953 she is Mrs OLIVER, not Mrs BAGNELL - William Moore BAGNELL married Louisa Mabel TOWERS in 1921, William's father died in 1924 but William himself died in 1926 age 24 (Irvine James BAGNELL's late father in the engagement notice) at Melbourne East, his parents William Francis BAGNELL and Lilian JELETT.  His death notice gives the names of two children, Jimmie and Valda - Jimmie must be Irvine James BAGNELL, (sister Valda BAGNELL became a singer, a soprano with a career on stage and appearances on TV into the 1960s). Whether Irvine James - Jimmie - BAGNELL died before the proposed marriage with Mary ENGLISH, or the engagement was broken off for some other reason, is not known. William Moore BAGNELL's widow married Ernest John DWYER in 1927.

2. Henry Gilmore HAMBRIDGE born 1889 in West Melbourne

Henry married Louise Hannah DAVIS 1921, and died 1958  at Pascoe Vale. Louise's parents were Harry DAVIS and Annie (Cis), of 16 Holroyd street, Coburg, with siblings George (killed in action), Dick (Geelong), Rose (Mrs. S.A. McKay, Wangaratta), Lucy (deceased)

They have one child, a son, Eric George HAMBRIDGE born 1922 at Coburg, and dies 1986 age 64 at Reservoir - no record of a marriage or children.

3. William Percival (Percy or Mick) HAMBRIDGE born 1891at West Melbourne

Percy married Kathleen Regina ANDREWS (born 1897) at Essendon, her second marriage. Her first was to John David POORE born 1895 aka John David Hobbs alias Munro  - a completely dodgy character who served time for theft and fraud there is a Mug Shot taken Dec.1932 Prisoner 41704 Pentridge ; they married at St Mary's RC Church in Ascot Vale, in 1915, his parents were John POORE and Jean DOUBLEDAY, and they had four children :
Thomas HOBBS-POORE b 1916,
Kathleen Julia (Veronica) HOBBS-POORE b 1918
Jeanne Dorothy HOBBS-POOREb 1920
John Charles HOBBS-POORE b 1924, and married at St Mary's RC Church, Ascot Vale 1951

Whether he left her with the children (he'd left a previous wife and family, it turns out), or she left for their own good, is not known, nor whether there was a formal divorce. I have not found a marriage record for her second marriage with Mick HAMBRIDGE, either.

Percy HAMBRIDGE enlisted in May 1915, the first of the three brothers who enlisted (Percy, Les & Roy), occupation at enlistment 'skilled labourer' at Longreach, Queensland, and returned to Australia February 1919 - he had been admitted to hospital from December 1915 to March 1916 - his mother died 19th February, and her obituary in the Brunswick and Coburg Star of Friday 25th February 1916, says he suffered enteric dysentery and was hospitalized in Alexandria, Egypt . He was wounded in action in France, noted 22 Aug 1916, a gunshot wound to the side penetrating his liver, invalided to England and retrained in Signalling, promoted to corporal 1 June 1917

Percy HAMBRIDGE dies 4 October 1955 at age 63 at ' ... at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Percival William (Mick) HAMBRIDGE, of 3 Akeroa avenue, East Brunswick, dearly loved husband of Kathleen, loved pop of Tom and Kath [HOBBS-POORE], late of 1st AIF - Rest in Peace ', with a note of special thanks from his widow in his Family Notice to 'Postal & Returned Servicemen GPO Spencer Street.'

4. Alf Septimus HAMBRIDGE dies 1902 at Coburg 0 months old, mother Selina [sic] CULLEN

Previous children were born at West Melbourne, and there is a bill of sale in 1901 for 21 Miller Street, West Melbourne to Henry & Sibena HAMBRIDGE ; their next known house is 'Emetta' at 175 Bell St. Coburg.

5 Clarence Leslie (Les) HAMBRIDGE born 1894

Les marries Jean Gwendoline DAVIDSON 1919 ; dies age 50 " ... suddenly 31 October 1944 at Bridgewater on Loddon (Central Victoria) late of 61st Battalion First AIF, wife Jean. " and is buried at Burwood Cemetery, Melbourne, in a Returned Serviceman's grave.  

He enlisted in June 1915 age 21, giving his occupation as 'Driver' and his father's address as ' c/o Chillingollah PO' ; looking at his Service Record, Les suffered "shell shock" noted on 29/9/1917 and "He was one of a group amongst which a shell burst causing several casualties. Case classified "Shell shock. Wound" " ; a month later he is noted as still "˜sick, not as yet diagnosed' on 20/10/1917

Six months later he is again wounded in action noted on 25/4/1918, with a severe gunshot wound to his foot, and sees no further action.

He returns home on 14 December, 1918 and marries shortly after, Jean Gwendoline DAVIDSON in 1919, no children.

In 1920 he is finally discharged from active duty as medically unfit "˜Disability due to active service' ; I find myself wondering if the wound to his foot which (thankfully) ended his active involvement in theatres of war, following an experience of shell shock, is connected to the suddenness of his death whilst WW2 is raging, in 1944 "?

Jean HAMBRIDGE d 1985 at Rosebud, age 88, born Penola SA, parents James William DAVIDSON & Annie JONES.

Jean's brother, Hedley James DAVIDSON, dies January 5, 1949, suddenly, at Queenscliffe so born around 1905 at Penola SA, parents James DAVIDSON & Annie JONES ; Uncle Roy and Auntie Rene retired to Queenscliff in the late 1950s - Uncle Roy's sister-in-law's brother dying there makes a connection with Queenscliffe

6 Eileen Olive (Elly) HAMBRIDGE (1896 - 1964)

Elly marries John Cyril Fookes LEWIS (1894 - 1965) in 1918, and who dies at South Yarra age 71.

Seems to be one child, Edna May (Bonnie) LEWIS who married Malcolm Kitchener ENGLISH in 1939 (born 1916 parents Samuel ENGLISH who married Elisabeth Frances ELLIS 1908 - note the Edna May's aunt Sibena also married into a seemingly unrelated ENGLISH family) ; her husband enlisted in the army for in WW 2 - his records give : M K ENGLISH born 22 Jun 1916 at Glenferrie, enlisted 6 Jan 1942 - Service number VX71057 - with posting at discharge to the 2/2 Pioneer Battalion.

Edna May ENGLISH d 1961 at Footscray age 43 so born around 1915 parents John Cyril Fookes LEWIS and Eileen Olive HAMBRIDGE

Eileen Olive ENGLISH dies at Hawthorn in 1964 age 68. Her husband John Cyril Fookes LEWIS father was John James [Fooks] LEWIS who died 29 Dec 1911 at South Melbourne age 78, whose parents in turn were John Thomas LEWIS born Hobart Town, Van Diemens Land, & Matilda Louisa FOOKS born c 1833 Weymouth, Dorset, England).

John Thomas LEWIS & Matilda Louisa FOOKS children :
1 Charles Albert LEWIS c 1855 - 1932 dies at Melbourne South age 77
2 William John LEWIS 1857-63, dies at Sandridge age 6
3 Thomas William LEWIS c 1864 dies at Carlton North age 32
4 John James Fooks LEWIS 1869 - 1948 dies at Melbourne age 71 ; John James LEWIS born 1869 at Sandridge dies 1948 Hawthorn East, and married Agnes Riley LEWIS born about1868 Carlton, Melbourne and died 1945 age 77 at St Kilda, Melbourne (buried 21 March 1945 at Fawkner Cemetery, Grave 283 Lewis, C of E Compartment D)
5 James Fooks LEWIS c 1872 - 1953 d at Kew age 81
6 Henry Watson LEWIS c 1874 - 1878 d at Carlton age 4
7 Eliza Fooks LEWIS 1875 Melbourne age 1

John James Fooks LEWIS (1869 - 1948) & Agnes RILEY( 1868-1945) married 1887 her parents William RILEY and Mary FURNESS, children :
1 Mary Adeline LEWIS 1890 -1965
2 Tom Leslie LEWIS 1892 - 1961
3 John Cyril Fooks LEWIS 1894 - 1965 ; m Eileen Olive HAMBRIDGE 1918 ; d in Melbourne age 71
4 Charles Ormond LEWIS 1896 -1974
5 George Melrose LEWIS 1898 -1948
6 Hector Dyson LEWIS 1900 -1904
7 Ada May LEWIS 1901 -1982
8 James Victor LEWIS 1903 -1982
9 Agnes Irene LEWIS 1905 - 1989
10 Doris Ilma 1907

An account of the life of some of the women of Davis Street, Carlton where Agnes Riley LEWIS and her family lived for a few years can be found at "˜The "Monster Petition" and the Women of Davis Street',  Provenance: The Journal of Public Record Office Victoria, issue no. 7, 2008. ISSN 1832-2522. Copyright © Brienne Callahan.

7 Cecil Roy HAMBRIDGE born 17 July 1898

Uncle Roy married Irene Mabel (Rene) STEWART Melbourne 1925 - no children.

He enlisted in July 1915, not yet 18 his occupation 'grocer', as his father Henry was a grocer he likely worked in the family business, although as with his brother who enlisted the previous month, his father's address is Chillingollah. Because not yet 18, he needed his father's written permission to enlist, which Henry provided but stipulated that it was on the condition that he not ship overseas until he attained 18 years of age. Uncle Roy served as an ambulance driver.

Cecil Roy HAMBRIDGE married 1925 Irene Mabel STEWART ; no children. Roy re-enlisted in 1931, with the militia (perhaps like the Army Reserve ?) age 34, when he was working for the Tramways Board at East Coburg depot. When my parents met Roy and Rene in 1956 or so, they ran the post office in Glenferrie Rd., Hawthorn.

In the late fifties or very early sixties, they retired to Queenscliffe and both were very involved with the local Bowls Club ; Uncle Roy died 1968 at Geelong (resident at Queenscliff) - Auntie Rene in 1984 after many years in a vegetative state, and they are buried together at Queenscliffe Cemetery, Point Lonsdale in a Returned Serviceman's grave.

8 Veronica Margaret (Ronnie) HAMBRIDGE born 1904

Ronnie married firstly Arthur Gordon WILLIAMS ; Arthur Gordon WILLIAMS died " ... from war injuries 24 May 1937 at Quambatook, late of 5th Battalion AIF age 47 ; children Jack, [Marie], Shirley & Rhonda " ; Ronnie WILLIAMS married secondly HOGAN, in Quambatook.

9. Eric George Alphonsus (Phonse) HAMBRIDGE born 29 Apr 1907 Coburg, Vic, Australia

Phonse marries Annie Frost LUKE on 3 Jan 1931 Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo and dies 24 May 1976 at Sale, one daughter Joan Lorraine HAMBRIDGE 1934 - 1984 (dies at Orbost) ; Annie Frost LUKE 1906 - 1987, she was born and died at Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo parents William LUKE and Annie BOLITHO.

Henry HAMBRIDGE and his wife Sibena seem to have been well respected in their community, one of the pall bearers for Sibena was ex Coburg Mayor A T DAVIS ; Sibena was a nurse, registered with the state and attached to the Necelcte Children's Department to care for infants and cared for them at her home. Her eldest child, Sibena Mary ENGLISH nee HAMBRIDGE was also a nurse, working at Sunbury Asylum at the time of her mother's death in 1916.

The Age Tue 7 May 1912 Melbourne Trotting Club " "˜Trotters' Handicap, of 30 sovs., for horses that can trot a mile in 2,52 and better, nine furlongs "¦ Von Osterley, 90 yds. (H. Hambridge, sen.) " It seems Henry HAMBRIDGE owned and managed a horse for the trots.

A notable point is that of their five sons, although all married only two had a child (Henry Gilmore's son Eric George, and Phonse's daughter Joan), whereas their three sisters had eight children between them. Including Ronnie's husband Arthur WILLIAMS, of the four who went to war, three suffered ongoing health difficulties.

Concerning names, it is unclear why their first son's second name is Gilmore - it's not a family name on either his or her sides.

Henry HAMBRIDGE is noted as living at Chillingollah (Roy and Phonse's enlistment form in 1915), and with his wife's death in February 1916 is unable to get to the funeral and interment, and is reported in the obituary as living at Manangatang and working with the State Land Survey (Manangatang is a remote town in NW Victoria, proclaimed a town in 1915, subdivisions first sold in 1913 which is perhaps why it was being surveyed, and Chillingollah which had a post office from 1905 is about 20 km south of Manangatang).

There was some issue with the interment, perhaps with Henry not present, son Henry Gilmore had to make decisions that had to be reconsidered, but Sibena's body was interred first at Melbourne General Cemetery, but was re-interred in October 1917 at Coburg Cemetery - maybe a second ritual was needed by the husband working too far away to get there after Sibena's sudden death from pneumonia, and by the three sons who were overseas in the Great War for the funeral (I visited the grave at Coburg Cemetery being a short walk from where I lived at the time, but there is no structure left, just bare earth)

Widower Harry HAMBRIDGE marries Cath HAASE in Bendigo 1921, perhaps he met her whilst on survey, and dies at Kangaroo Flat in 1939 age 74 (and his youngest Phonse marries Annie LUKE in Kangaroo Flat in 1931)