Nelson sisters.

[hawickborn]

Hello everyone,
Hoping someone might help point me in the right direction.
Is there a statewide register for deaths up to the late 1980s, I can get into online?
On May 27th 1926, two of my grandmothers sisters arrived in Brisbane, Queensland off the SS Pakeha. The Pakeha sailed from Liverpool, UK.
Isabella Nelson, 39, shop assistant and May B Nelson, 29, domestic.
Both listed their last known address as No.5, Garfield Street, Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland.
None of my surviving family knew that May, (Marion), had gone with Isabella.
Isabella or Auntie Tibbie, as I knew her when I was a young child, used to send me postcards and trinkets from Australia. She wrote that she was a governess for an official, and was able to travel to all the states. Last correspondance from Australia was about 1972. She never married that I know of. None of my family know what happened to Auntie May.
I would dearly love to know what happened to those girls.
Thank you for any help and ideas.

[tropicalj]

Hello  there

Did you  ever  keep  any  of  the letters  that might give a clue  where she  lived if  you  were still receiving them  in 1972  she was a fair age  so  no  doubt  not working.

Can  you  please give us  the  parents names  that will help in  the search

aLso  did  they  have middle names please


There is  one death in  the Brisbane Grave finder
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD::pp=PC_897,pc=PC_899

Grave Location Search
Name                 Sex   Burial Date          Age
Nelson Isabella      F   13 / 07 / 1978     93 years
Cemetery Details
Cemetery: Pinnaroo Cemetery
Street Address: Cnr Graham Rd and Bridgeman Rd, Bridgeman Downs
UBD Ref: Map 109 B18
Portion Grave Number
7 808

this could be  her by  the age!!!




 kind regards Jenn

[hawickborn]

Hello Jenn,
Thanks so much for replying to my post.
Let's see now....
Isabella Nelson was born 10th August 1886 in Hawick Scotland. No middle name.
Yes, she would be the right age for the grave in Pinaroo!!!!!
This is great, as it could be Tibbie !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marion Bell Nelson, or May as she was known by everyone, was born 22nd April 1896 in Hawick, Scotland.
Parents were Robert Nelson and Margaret Johnstone.

The last correspondance I had from "Auntie Tibbie" was Christmas 1971. It was smudged, definitely from Brisbane, Queensland.
Not 1972, as I thought, sorry!
I was only 11, but remember being fascinated that it was hot in Australia in December! Isabella would have been 85.
My grandmother never knew what happened to Isabella, but presumed she had died  when the letters stopped.
No-one ever seemed to talk about May, she was the youngest of 6 sisters.
Makes you wonder why?
There is no record of her returning to Scotland, and I'm searching England in case she went there.
Hope this helps,
Thanks again,
Sandra.

[hawickborn]

Hello,
Just found May (Marion) Nelson's death certificate. She had gone back to Hawick, Scotland to die, I guess. The death certicate stated "Sarcoma of the Uterus".
She passed in 1936.
Turns out, she'd married an Edward Henry Steele, (went by name of Harry),and they lived at Wolvi. He was a farmer.
Harry's father was Thomas Henry Steele and his mother was Elizabeth Dowling, and they lived in Tin Can Bay....found May & Harry on 1936 electoral register and then went to historical records for Queensland and found the Steele family.
I believe Wolvi is north of Brisbane??
Harry did NOT go to Scotland with her, it was May's brother that registered the death.
I don't know if May & Harry had children or not.
Wow, I feel happy I found May, but sad at the same time. My grandmother / family kept saying they never knew what happened....so were they really saying they knew, but didn't want to talk about it?
I'll never know.
Sandra (Hawickborn).