Robert Stevens photographer

[BettyBoops]

JM, bearing in mind it was the night before they bombed Pearl Harbour, so the war was raging by now. Just how accurate would the Registration have been I wonder.
PS - Have sent a request to the Shannon Library, NZ for any information regarding the construction of the Mangahao Dam. Betty

[majm]

But Pearl Harbour news would be 8th December 1941 in Australia ....   The US was not yet at War.   Robert was too old to enlist, at 46.   

And the clergyman would not be concerned about something that had not yet happened, rather he would be concerned with recording the information provided.   Yes, it seems more than possible that Robert's surname was not STEVENS at birth, but I think it is a worthwhile task to strive to check at least through any available online electoral rolls to see  if there's any likelihood that perhaps his parents were Mr and Mrs Walter STEVENS and/or that they had been in Sydney in about 1895ish.   I have many offline NSW resources, but they are all in hardcopy, so before I get my husband to get the next archive box down I am considering some possibles for Robert's earlier years. 

ADD
And I think Robert had been in the district for quite a number of years, as those electoral rolls do have a Robert STEVENS at Irvingdale from 1932. 

JM

[BettyBoops]

Oh, JM. It is so humbling to realise the efforts you and everyone else is going through. Robert owes us a drink after all this!!!!
I was thinking more along the lines of a war being on. No. Robert wasn't in the second War. That I knew. Many thanks. Betty

[majm]

Its the journey to find the elusive ones that is often the most rewarding for it all helps keep the mind alert to ways to discover and then to solve any of our own ancestors secrets.

Some further STEVENS sightings
Sands Sydney 1895 Alpha Directory
STEVENS W & J, dairykeepers, Ourimbah Road, Mosman.

NSW Gazette  9 June 1892, page 4726 (scroll through) petitioners to NSW Government re Municipal boundaries, seeking to separate from North Sydney Municipality.   
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/222969047/14085811
James STEVENS, Roseberry Street
Walter STEVENS, Roseberry Street
J & W STEVENS, Roseberry Street

Sands Sydney Suburban 1892
NORTH SYDNEY

Ourimbah road (JM notes there’s a central coast/Gosford suburb ‘Ourimbah’)
Off Macpherson street
STEVENS W & J, dairykeepers
STEVENS W & J plasterers

Rosebery Street
Off Earl Street
WYEATT W, dairykeeper
McKEY Robert, plasterer

And remember earlier I think Sue found a sad newspaper cutting mentioning a Kathleen at Paul Street …. In 1900s … I have added the reply at end of this post. 

From same 1892 Sands for NORTH SYDNEY
Paul Street North side
Off Alfred Street
WATERS, William
PAUL William H
Paul Street South Side
Mrs WORTHY

Again from Sands 1892 Suburban NORTH SYDNEY
Macpherson street – East side
From Military road to Wyong road, Long Bay (another mention of a ‘Gosford/central coast locality – Wyong !)
ADAMS  A G
Macpherson Street – West Side
ROTHWELL J W
SYNNOTT T E
Mrs Mary COOK
Then Wyong Road….
 
ADD

These news items relate to the death of a woman named Kathleen JOHNSTON.
She died in North Sydney and was 32 years of age. It is hinted that the death was "unusual" but an inquest was not held as it appeared to be from natural causes.
It is not clear whether or not she was married.

I cannot see the death on the registration indexes.
Perhaps others will have luck, and I'll keep looking.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229303533
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14598592
Funeral to Rookwood
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/14598645

Sue

Explanation (to save anyone going back to beginning) - Robert STEVENS named his mum as Kathleen JOHNSTONE on his 1941 marriage, and his place of birth as Sydney,  20 April 1895.  (reply # 371)

JM

[sparrett]

Hi Betty,

Going through some electoral information and other resources this morning, I too doubt a family connection to the other woman named STEVENS listed at Goomeri Street.

Her husband born in 1912 was surnamed STEVENS, and is deceased.   Their marriage can be seen on QLD bmd website.   
Sue

[BettyBoops]

In my early days of searching, I was looking for landowners by the name of Walter Stevens in the Gosford area. There were none. <ore to the point, I didn't find any.  Even though he was still in India, perhaps through the association with George Heyne, could Walter - or indeed, Colin or Robert - Seale have bought land there?
Also, what seems like many moons ago, I was browsing through Government Gazettes (I hope I've remembered correctly), and came across returned mail for Robert Stevens, Teacher. So dismissed him. What I need to do, is to try and find those gazettes and restart my search with wider eyes!! Especially as I now have drawn up his time frame based on the facts as we know them.
I don’t know if that was a requirement in Qld, but IF IT WERE, then I notice from the 1941 Qld mc that it seems that Robert was aware his parents were still alive as they are not recorded on that document as ‘dec’ or ‘deceased’ or †     Possibly another fudging of facts??             Many thanks, Betty

[BettyBoops]

« Reply #409 on: Today at 07:01 »
Quote
Hi Betty,

Going through some electoral information and other resources this morning, I too doubt a family connection to the other woman named STEVENS listed at Goomeri Street.

Her husband born in 1912 was surnamed STEVENS, and is deceased.   Their marriage can be seen on QLD bmd website.   
Sue

thank you for the confirmation, Sue

[majm]

Remembering that the following may well be WAY OFF TRACK, very speculative, but just in case, so to write….  (Walter STEVENS named as Robert's dad on that 1941 Qld mc).

SMH 27 July 1914  http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15525714
STEVENS
The friends of the late Mr Walter STEVENS are kindly invited to attend his funeral, to move from his late residence, 103 Ourimbah Road, Mosman, …. For Gore Hill Cemetery.

SMH 7 Nov 1919 http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15855079
STEVENS
The funeral of the late Janet STEVENS will leave the residence of her grandson, The Mushroom, Booth avenue, Collaroy Beach …. For Gore Hill Cemetery

http://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/library/history-at-willoughby/gore-hill-cemetery/

Gore Hill Cemetery: Graves Index

Walter STEVENS, PRS (Presbyterian ?)
Plot J12
Interred 27 July 1914,
Aged 60, of Mosman.

Janet STEVENS PRS.
Plot J11,
Interred 7 November 1919
Aged 68, of Neutral Bay, died Manly.


Walter’s probate file https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/item/1765379  Granted 15 January 1920.
Janet’s probate file https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/item/1765375 Granted same day as Walter’s.

Probate files can include NSW death certs.  NSW death certs include family history information, including names/ages of the deceased’s children, the deceased’s parents names, where deceased born, married, (to whom), and how long in the colonies… . 

JM

[majm]

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVB6-PPY7
Point Clare Cemetery .... another Gosford locality  and for a burial of a Walter STEVENS ... alas, no date, not even a year.

JM