Mary Eliza Dirksey WITTENOOM was born in Perth WA on the 8th of October 1839, She was the oldest daughter of John Burdett WITTENOOM and Mary Watson HELMS who were both born in England. Mary married Kenneth BROWN in 1859 in Perth WA and had their first child, Blanche Mary Eliza BROWN on 24th June 1860. There were to have two further children.
Blanche Mary Eliza Brown married Robert Henry HABGOOD in Victoria Dist WA in 1880. In the same year in Perth WA in their first child was born, Ada Florence HABGOOD in 1881. The following year they had a son who only lived four weeks followed by another son, Robert Henry Habgood, born in Fremantle in 1893. The marriage was not to be a long one as Blanche’s husband Robert died in 1891 at age 39yrs. Blanche never re-married. She died near Milgan Station, Peak Hill WA, and is buried in the Meekatharra Cemetery. It’s not known the reason for Blanche being in this part of the state but it is presumed it was to do with a relative, Mr Habgood at Manyingbunna Station near Cue WA.
Blanche Mary Eliza HABGOOD nee Brown – Photo SLWA
Sarah HABGOOD nee Smithers – Photo SLWA
Mrs Sarah Habgood nee Smithers was born on 20th August 1823 in Brighton, Sussex, England. She arrived with parents William Heaves and Susannah nee Blunden at the age of 6yrs on the Gilmore in Dec 1829. She married Robert Mace Habgood in 1846 in Perth WA. The couple had eight children one of whom was Robert Henry HABGOOD. Sarah had returned to London England between 1855-1861 where her last child Isabella was born. Her husband Robert also died in London in 1876. Sarah herself died in Mentone France in 1895.
Isabella Florence HABGOOD -Photo SLWA
Isabella Florence Habgood was born in London England in April 1861. She was the last child born to Robert Mace Habgood and Sarah Smithers. In 1923 she travelled to Western Australia with her sister Laura who died at sea during the journey while only four days from home in Western Australia. Laura was Dame Laura Wittenoom, married to Sir Edward Horne WITTENOOM. Isabella never married and died in Perth WA in 1944.
Clara Emily Habgood – Photo SLWA
Clara Emily Habgood was born in 1848 in Perth WA. She was the daughter of Robert Mace Habgood and Sarah Smithers (Sister to Isabella). She married Louis Antoine Jaques Maurice BROUSSON (a german) and had five children. She die in London in February of 1920.
Ref: TROVE
Ancestry.com
Habgood Family
Moya Sharp
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Poor Blanche had her mother die young and her drunken abusive father put on trial in a high profile case, and eventually hanged for the murder of his second wife. There was intense shame brought on the family. I can only speculate as to whether the decision to leave Perth for remoter areas (and a hard life) had anything to do with it, although many in her family had been pioneers. Blanche died en route when her son Robert desperately tried to take her into town for medical help.
Blanche was the sister of Edith Cowan, noted feminist and first female parliamentarian, whose work was influenced by the tragic circumstances surrounding her father and stepmother.
Yes a very sad story. You could be correct in their reason for leaving Perth. It would have indeed been a shameful thing for a family to bear in those days even when most of the parties were quite innocent.