RootsChat.Com

County of Bourke. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Collingwood

Thank you for going to so much trouble, Andy!

I hadn't actually Googled Collingwood and really should as it's history may help fill in Miriam's story.

Just as an aside; This young lady had 8 brothers and 6 sisters and only 2 of them lived near her. Her parents were in Ballarat and I was afraid that she died and no one knew because she was buried in an obscure Cemetery in Coburg quite alone.  It's good to know she wasn't and now I can bring her home.

I’m fairly sure it’s Cerebral Tumor (tumour)
Definitely don’t feel silly!  Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don’t!
Anne

Oh Ann
Thank you for putting me out of my misery. Now it's as plain as the nose on my face. Perhaps I have an undiagnosed one as well! Ha!

You must be sick of me by now but I had a thought during the night.

Henry's son Francis died under the name of "John Edison" as per his death certificate attached below.

I realise that death certs are not reliable in providing information about a parent but... it does say that his father's name was Henry Edison plus my 2x great grandmother, Charlotte Armstrong nee Heaney (the eldest dau. of Henry) named her youngest son Matt Edison Armstrong.

Why? I have found no family name of "Edison" so did she do this in remembrance of her father or her brother?

So could Henry have died under the name of Edison as well?

I searched but found nothing that helped.

For those who may not have seen it, I link these items connected with the last year of Francis HEANEY's life.

I was astonished to the point of laughter with the list of his aliases

Francis disappeared 1936 NSW
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17250963

Found- In the Estate of....
List of the alias names used by Francis HEANEY.1936.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222027647

Sue

Welllll Yessss. Francis is a whole other ball game!
I can't help myself ... I need to share this little nugget, but I think Francis wanted to be Frances. truly!
There is an image of his sister, Matilda and a 'woman' who is definitely NOT her mother.
This family is somewhat colourful 

A little about Francis;

His life between 1867 (age 12 when his parents split up) and 1896 is a blank, but we finally find him at age 38 living on Murrumbidgerie Station near Dubbo, leasing 550acres of land just down the road from his brother George.

A marriage for Francis has not been found so if he had any children it would be near impossible to find them.

Francis died on April 23, 1936, in Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia, at the age of 80. Francis's life was difficult to trace because his will registration reveals that he went by various aliases. Francis changed his name to John Edison. he died of Senility in Lidcombe State Hospital and is buried in Rookwood.

These aliases provided by his death cert, have been researched in Trove and on the strength of what was read, it seems that Francis had a drinking problem. He could also have been mixed up in the sly grog trade in Sydney in later life and it is also entirely possible that he was transgender as per the portrait of his sister with a mystery "woman" and the fact that he left behind property in Ballarat under the name of "widow Frances Mooney."

As an aside...his sister Matilda's marriage split up and her husband is buried with another man. so...

I have finally found Arthur in the Vic records, for some reason it has not been indexed by PROV.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/1CA4DDDC-F3A9-11E9-AE98-A95051585AFF

Page 69 in the left hand menu, lots of good photos there.

Debra 

Oh my giddy uncle - this is amazing!

Poor Arthur had a pretty horrible time and although he went bad he came good again in the end.
I have attached a photo of Arthur in his early prosperous days before his life went soooo wrong.
A bit about Arthur:

Arthur married Emma Sarah Kopke on 6 June 1893 in Ballarat, Victoria when he was 34. They had one son during their marriage, Laurance.

Arthur was partners with his younger brother, Brigham in a bacon curing factory in Ballarat and offered his candidacy in the local elections numerous times.

Arthur's life virtually fell apart between 1896 and 1898, he lost his wife, his business (burnt down), his house (burnt down), his brother and business partner (Brigham Henry sudden heart attack), his mother (prob due to the house fire) and his son was taken to be brought up by his in-laws, then he went bankrupt - no wonder he turned to crime.
After being released from gaol for the umpteenth time he signed up for the military shaving 13yrs off his age saying he was 44 and 11mths and served in Egypt coming home after being discharged for debility and senility.

He lived in Dubbo in his later years either with his brother George and is listed as a writer. He offered his candidacy again but this time as a member for Warranbee, NSW.

He died on 28 October 1931 in Latrobe St Ballarat, Victoria, at the age of 73 after losing his brother and sister within months of each other in the same year.

___________

I don't think Henry was a very good influence on his children. I have quite a lot about them and many questions but I will start a new thread for them as its all so fascinating and I still need to find Henry's parents and death if I can!

This is so much fun and I can't tell you all how much I appreciate your help and guidance.

I really struggle with finding anything on government sites, so Deb this is amazing!