I am truely lost now

Question

Good morning

I thank the people who have to date answered my '"BLOCK"" but to date I am still searching/.

My Grandmother Euphemia MacDonald McKenna to my knowledge never went to America-born in Nhill Vic Aus 1892.  She was one of 6 children  - she was married to Francis Nicholas Broad born circa 1874  at the Sod Hut SA in June 1913.

IN 1914 their first daughter was born in SA Jean Temperance BROAD

Then I lost the path to where they lived but they ended up in Launceston Tasmania where they both changed their names to MacDonald ( my grans middle name prior to marriage) - He to Frank MacDonald and gran to Effie MacDonald.

In 1921 they had their 2nd daughter my mother Betty MacDonald.

Pop had a hairdressing business in Charles St Launceston with a SP on the side.

WHY THE NAME CHANGE - WERE THEY RUNNING AWAY-had they committed crimes- REALLY I DO NOT CARE I AM JUST TRYING TO SORT THIS PUZZLE FOR MY TWO DAUGHTERS.

if anyone can help or lead me in the right direction I would be forever grateful.

They are both buried in Carr Villa Cemetery Launceston under the surname of MacDonald.

Thanks

Comments

Sandra, I added some tags to your qyestion (3 surnames and 3 place names) that I think might attract attention from people who could help you. My apologies if I made a mistake on names or places. Please change the tags if I got something wrong.

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I looked up the history of the Sod Hut, just on the off-chance (and because I love unusual place names). It was a crude roadside inn south of Burra that serviced the bullock drivers who carried ore from the Burra mines south to Adelaide. It was the site of a bullockies' strike in the mid 1800s.https://www.southaustralianhistory.com.au/chace.htm

This article: http://fraddfamilyhistory.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/burra.html mentions a Mr Fradd who was keeper of The Sod Hut inn. His sister was a Mrs Elizabeth Broad, wife of Thomas Broad & there are details about their immigration."Thomas and Elizabeth Broad (nee Fradd) and their two children Margaret and Nicholas arrived in South Australia on the 30^th of July 1851. Thomas’s occupation was listed as a Farm Labourer. Thomas, Elizabeth, Margaret and Nicholas were aged 25, 20, 2 and 1 respectively." Thomas Henry seems to have called himself Henry some of the time.

Francis Nicholas Broad was the son of Nicholas Broad and Henrietta Temperance Hopkins, according to http://genealogysa.org.au This seems to be the Nicholas who arrived with Elizabeth and Thomas Broad, above.

This site: http://www.burrahistory.info/BurraPlaceNames.htm#Sod%20Hut has a nice photo of ruins of the Sod Hut Inn.

Hope there's a little morsel of something here to help you Sandra.I couldn't resist looking further into your intrigueing story.

Answer 1

A couple of thoughts which might be worth considering as possible reasons for a name change around that time:

• Did something happen during the war that made it necessary for Francis to become difficult to find? It was common for deserters to change their names. There were also social stigma attached to being a conscientious objector.
• A previous undissolved marriage? Divorce was too expensive for most ordinary folks to afford and the process was long and difficult. There were many bigamous relationships. Some known and socially, though not legally, accepted. Some that had to be hidden and resulted in name changes.

Comments

Another potential name change situation that you might want to consider is whether there might be an inheritance conditional on using a particular name. I would look to see whether there are any interesting wills from the MacDonald side that could shed any light on the situation.

Answer 2

Francis MacDonald's death notice lists another middle name Ruthven - Family Notices (1952, March 7). Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52850432

His age is put as 68, which leads to an approximately 1884 birth year which matches a birth record in SA (https://www.genealogysa.org.au) REG: 332/334 to parents Nicholas and Henrietta nee Hopkins. Francis and Euphemia's marriage reg no in 1913 in SA is REG: 255/990. 

Nicholas Broad passed away in 1929 so it can't have been his death that triggered the name change. Perhaps it was a falling out with his father? He is mentioned in Nicholas' obituary (OBITUARY. (1929, January 23). Burra Record (SA : 1878 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37488395) but as Frank Broad not with his new surname. No children are mentioned in his mothers obit in 1938.( Family Notices (1938, December 9). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 20. Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36599273)

I can't find any other relevant newspaper articles under either surname at http://trove.nla.gov.au. Or anything in the govt gazettes which would include crimes. I also couldn't find Francis in the service records from World War I and he was married at the time so likely wouldn't have been conscripted anyway.

It is an intriguing change of name. Good luck on your search.

 

Comments

nice work, Paula...

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Just for future reference, Australia never had conscription in WW1.

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Interesting, I had assumed because NZ did that Australia did as well. I just looked up the history on it and the debate about it. Thanks for sending me into an interesting research area.

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N Thank you but I am still no further advanced with my nan and pops change of name.  It is quite a mix up for me as I was present when my gf died in Launceston in 1952

At that time he had two daughters alive Betty (born 1921 MacDonald tas and her sister jean Broad born 7 yrs earlier in the Sod Hut in Sa.

When my nan and pop were initially married in sod hut sa in 1913 their names were euphemia McKenna an Francis Broad

So I am still at a loss to understand

Answer 3

Sandra, if your Pop was an SP bookie, that could provide all sorts of reasons for suddenly leaving the state and changing your name. A dissatisfied customer? An unpaid debt? If he was threatened with violence for example, he couldnt go to the police because he'd end up in gaol,  so disappearing might have been the only solution.

Comments

What is an SP bookie?

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It's a form of gambling on horse races that's illegal. SP stands for starting price. Bookie is Australian slang for book maker. SP bookies often took bets by phone. The race would be called on the radio. An SP bookie would always be vulnerable to threats, because if they were caught they'd go to jail.

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Thanks. I knew "bookie" but was stumped by SP.

This sounds like a very plausible motivation for a name change and moving to a new place, even if we'll never know the full story.

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I can't speak for South Australia, but in Victoria an SP bookie would only be fined. The amount my great-grandfather racked in fines over 25 years was huge but he never went to jail until the end of that period and then only for a three months. It's not like he ever roughed punters up though.

He was a hairdresser too.

The cops would have been on the take and only took him in occasionally to give the impression of doing their job or some overzealous newbie. Not that I know for sure, maybe it just wasn't a policing priority.

I wouldn't call it a cert your pop couldn't have asked the police for help.

I can't comment on the industry post 1930s.

My ggf made enough money to send two boys to medical school, one in architecture and a daughter who studied piano in Paris as well as buy a number of investment properties.

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Hi Mark

I am not aware if my gf was in with the police but it’s a possibility he paid them money.

My dad was a huge gambler and I used to go with him to the shop to collect as he would say “his winnings or loosing”.

I was only 11 at the time so was never included in a lot of things.

Still why the change from Broad to MacDonald...?

I have no brothers or sisters and all the family have passed.

I know he was buried at Carr Villa Cemetry Launceston but the burial info was not supplied by my mum or dad