More on Hiding in Tasmania

[PatLac]

Thanks Sue, it's great to have someone with access to the Electoral Rolls on board 

Do you know if he would have to enroll considering his age during his time in Victoria?


Ranolki,

Do you have access to the ship's record of his arrival in London in 1919? Does is say he embarked on Melbourne? It says the ship departed from Sydney, is that correct?

[Ranolki]

Yes, the records show he embarked in Melbourne.  He was travelling 3rd class. The ship's route after Sydney was Melbourne; Adelaide; Fremantle; Colombo; Port Said; Naples then Plymouth.

[PatLac]

I suppose he would have to be in the electoral rolls then.

This is another coincidence... a blacksmith living at Isaiah's late address in Victoria.

 The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954)  Wed 20 Mar 1918
 Page 6
 Advertising

MARRIED Couple waiting, farm, station, black-
smith, rough carpenter, wind mills, ploughing;
wife, light duties. Handy, 18 Napier-st., Fitzroy.

[sparrett]

The departure of the Osterley does not list any passengers in 3rd class despite the statement to the contrary at the top of this news item

 A complete list of passengers departing Melb
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/243473313?searchTerm=%22osterley%22

It is stated the ship departs from Melbourne March 20th 1919.

On the digitised UK Incoming passengers list, where we see John WILSON with no occ aged 78, it states Embarked Melbourne.

There was reportedly a high demand for passages just after the end of the war and he would have needed to book well ahead or, if it was an urgent departure, accept whatever class was available.

So he made his will on Aug 18th 1918 with executorship given to a merchant named Robert McCutcheon Edgar who lived in Kew.  The distance between the addresses about 6 or 7 kilometers.

At that time he clearly knew that Christiana was not deceased (otherwise why would he bequeath to her?) and assumed her whereabouts would be known by the date his will was enacted.
OR
He knew perfectly well where she was,

Here is a picture of 18 Napier St
It is quite large  and very possibly used in 1919 as a lodging place with a number of residents.
Sue
 

[Ranolki]

Thanks for that extra info and the photo. I DID find an advert for a room to let at 18 Napier St from 1888 so it may have been just what you thought.  I think Isaiah could have been low on funds after keeping himself since 1910 so living in “rooms” wouldn’t surprise me - but then owning a home seems more his style. Although he certainly lived in anonymous boarding houses in London once he was back in the UK.

On Ancestry.co.uk it shows the original Osterley manifest. It shows he travelled third class on there. Strangely it only shows the date of arrival in London and not the departure.  I can imagine the sailings would be in huge demand after four years too. 

In his will he leaves his estate to Sarah Oldbury, his long deserted wife, back in England. They had never divorced. She ended up having to execute the will herself as Robert Edgar declined to act. It seems Robert Edgar was appointed a JP in 1922 ie just the sort of acquaintance Isaiah might choose.

I don’t think he had any idea about where Christiana was. She had changed her name and going to Sea Lake was seemingly very spur of the moment once she reached Melbourne.

[sparrett]

I’ve now seen the actual Will. It was written in August 1918 in Melbourne. He gave his real name, then added sometimes known as John Wilson and his address as 18 Napier Street, Fitzroy.  It was very basic, leaving his estate to his estranged wife. She eventually acted as executor. He left £160 gross. 

I’m now seeing what I can find for the sale of Empire Bridge Farm. Unfortunately if that really was him on that short trip back to England he managed to miss the census both there and Australia for 1911.

Ok.
I see where I have slipped up here.
Apologies .
I read "estranged wife" to be Christiana and of course it wasn't Quite obvious now.

I think This kind of silly misunderstanding can happen when the threads are long and complex (very interesting too!) and I have come to it very late in the piece.

Sue

[PatLac]

Actually the Osterley sailed on the 21st March 1919 (newspaper says 'tomorrow') and the ship's 7 pages manifest is available on PROV but the only J. Wilson mentioned is 39 years old.

https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/29C356ED-F7F0-11E9-AE98-712FD73DF945?image=101

[Ranolki]

Sparrett I love your input and don't mind going over things, it always makes things clearer in my mind when I need to go back and double check.

PatLac, this is a copy of the original manifest.  You can see him right at the bottom.

[Ranolki]

That's a bit blurred, here's a closer view...