Posted by Brian Lilley Brian, At last! Sorry to have taken so long. After discovering that your email address must have changed, I left a message on your website as well as attempting to fax, had decided the next option was to ring but other distractions came along, then your response appeared. Thank you. As a result of spending some time on your terrific site I have been in touch with Brian J and have arranged the purchase of his book. I had hoped our youngest may have collected it in person when in Bedford recently, but I think a combination of not enough time and shyness meant it didn’t happen. However, he did manage a visit to All Saints. Is it still possible to access the photo album? I have a few that you may like to add sometime if of interest, i.e. Mary Lilley, Ruby(my Mum) with cousin Ella, Bob and Sam Newman as young boys – but this wouldn’t be until later in the year. As a young child I recall a double wooden fretworked frame hanging in my room and on questioning being told that the people were Lilleys. Can’t help wondering if one of the men was Samuel, vague memory of someone similar to your photo – but maybe that’s imagination playing tricks. I have no idea what became of those photos. What a treasure they would be now. I should explain that we are currently in NZ at an International campus near Wellington while Brian is setting up Ballarat Uni degree courses in IT and Business. We’ve been here since June last year. The original plan was to return home at the end of the year, but we keep on extending and at this stage it looks like July or possibly November. Have been going through my notes, don’t know if any of the following is of any interest. ASKEW – Can’t add any extra details, but Mum remembered a holiday in Geelong when she was young, uncle Mick must have been a tease, she said she loved him but at the same time was a little scared. Askew names appear in her Birthday Book. I remember a photo of Alf in uniform. One of the rituals of being sick in bed was to have access to a box of photos, this was always a source of great interest, there were other soldier photos as well because Mum used to write letters for inclusion in the parcels that Grandma sent off. The story of Alf being killed after the war was always touching. Recently, I have been reading a digital representation of his records – what a tragedy. I discovered that he enlisted in Terang which explains his inclusion in the old Methodist church Honour Roll. Alf’s photo disappeared when my father disposed of a number of treasures in a grief striken frenzy after Mum died, he didn’t bother to consult me. Would love to have a copy of Alf. Have wondered about asking Shirley or Peter A if there is one in their family. BOLITHO – Mum used to say that the Bolitho children went to South Ecklin after their parents died. Not sure if it was Mum or cousin Nan who spoke of Joe, Elizabeth, Rachel and Tom being those children. I also have reference to Nelly, Ethel, and Ron, but not sure of the source. Does any of this mean anything to you? KIRBY – I remember Auntie Lizzie, she lived not far from us in Abbotsford. I gather her husband left quite early on and one story I was told was that being a proud private person she used to collect her pension from Richmond rather than the Post Office nearby. Mum had some contact with family members. Son Alan was very protective of his mother. Louisa (Louie) married a Ronald MacDonald. They had two sons, Ronnie was a Petty Officer on the Vampire and died of wounds when it was sunk in 1943, Alec was in the army and after serving in the desert campaign died at Kokoda. He was badly wounded and a small group was left hidden when the main body was retreating. The were later found to have been brutally killed Louie lost both sons within about 6 months. Flo was a dressmaker for Banbury Cross, an exclusive children’s wear shop on Melb.Her husband was Walter Lyell Grey-Reitz, they had no children. I was not aware of Phoebe or Isabella until researching BDMs, but the name Gwen Kirby is very strong in my memory. Gwen has not turned up in research and I wondered if she could be connected with Alan. But a note made during a visit to Bob Lilley in Warranambool refers to a photo of Bob as a child riding a threewheeler bike with a pet chook on his head and Gwen Kirby in the background. So I can’t have made her up. Wish I’d been more on the ball that day – too much going on at the time. Perhaps Gwen is Phoebe or Isabella by another name. By the way, do you know if Bob is still with us? Been very slack there. RODGERS – Nothing to add , but there was some mention of Ballarat Council. Grandma (Mary) used to talk of her uncles – Eben and Reuben being at onetime body guards to Queen Victoria. Are you familiar with that story? It seems odd given their ages when sailing for Australia. I’m intrigued, how did you pick up on Samuel being in OZ prior to their marriage? Local Directories have been useful in building up a picture of the family’s movements from starting at White Flat in 1862 to the Creswick area in the late 1880s. 1882 lists Lilley, Askew, Kirby all at Kingston with Bolitho close by in Creswick. Piggoreet book – I have a copy. If you are interested I could see if they are still available when I pop home in Sept. No doubt you saw that Mick Askew was also a pupil at the school. We think we have located the site of Reuben’s house. Cemeteries – Have found Eben, Reuben and their wives in Old Ballarat. Think we discovered baby Rachel at Smythesdale and not long before we came here, located Bolitho, Kirby and possibly Askew graves at Creswick – all unmarked of course. That’s about it I think, some of it may be useful. Would you like the next two generations of our lot? I also have a little on Ella Lilley’s family if you are interested. All the best. Cheers as they like to say in Kiwiland. Jan.
on 24/6/2005, 3:58 pm
Attached is a recently received email from Jan Firth re the Lilley, Askew, Newman Kirby & Bolitho families.
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