The following photographs are from the family album of Sandy Koushappis and she has kindly shared them with us. The first of the Wild girls in Australia was Esther WILD nee MILLS. She was born, possibly in Lancashire, England on the 8th June 1838. When she was 23 years old she married James WILD in Oldham, Lancashire England on 1st Nov 1861.
Not long after their marriage Esther and Samuel travelled to Australia and settled in the Bendigo/Eaglhawk area of Victoria where they remained. Samuel was described as a Mine Manager on his daughter’s death certificate. They arrived no later than 1862 when their second child, Samuel, was born. James WILD was born in England in 1837 and he was 24yrs old when he married Esther.
The couple were to have 13 children between 1862 and 1885. Seven boys and six girls. One girl and two boys died as babies. The children were:
David born and died in 1862
Samuel born 1864
Mary Ann ‘Polly’ born 1865
Sarah Ellen born 1868
John ‘Jack’ born 1869
George born 1871
Thomas born 1873
James ‘Jim’ born 1875
Henry born and died 1877
Frances Alice born 1878
Eliza Jane born 1879
Esther ‘Acey’ Maria born 1882
Elizabeth Hannah born and died 1885
Sydney John GILBERT was born in 1884 at 53 Dudley St, Melbourne VIC to William Gilbert and Ellen nee Hall. He married Esther ‘Acey’ Maria nee Wild on the 19 Jun 1907 in Perth W Aust. The couple had the following children:
The couple had the following children:
Winnifred Ellen Gilbert born 1908 Day Dawn WA (died 9mths)
Betty Mills Gilbert born 1910 Day Dawn WA
William Gilbert born 1912 Day Dawn WA (lived 5 hours) Buried Cue Cemetery
Douglas Sydney Gilbert born 1917 Gwalia WA
Sadly Esther was to die a few days after giving birth to Douglas Sydney Gilbert on the 7th of June 1917 at Gwalia near Leonora. On her death certificate however it says the cause of death was heart disease, so perhaps her pregnancy affected her heart.
GILBERT Esther Maria — 34yrs, d 7 Jun 1917, at Sons of Gwalia GM, Leonora, Occ: Home Duties, Cause: Heart Disease, Father: James WILD (Mine Manager), Mother: Esther MILLS, Born Eaglehawk, VIC, In VIC 19yrs, In WA 15yrs, Married to Sydney John GILBERT in Perth WA at age 24yrs, Children: Betty Mills 6yrs, Douglas Sydney 1 ½ weeks, Deceased 1 male and 1 female, Reg 16/1917 Mt Margaret, ANG, Buried Leonora Cemetery.
Grave of Eliza Jane Alcock nee Wild in the Boulder Cemetery.
Photo Danelle Warnock.
Moya Sharp
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