The Family of Edward Joseph KEITH and Ann McPHERSONDudley KEITH: Only son of Edward Joseph and Ann KEITH
Edward and Ann married in London on 5 April 1825, sailed from Plymouth on 25 April 1825 and arrived in Sydney in November 1825. They had four children born in Sydney: Frances Jessica, Ann Clara, Magdelene and their only son Dudley. Dudley was born in Sydney on 23 May 1834. After his father Edward died on 29 May 1837, his mother Anne and three surviving children were left alone in Sydney with Edward's young sister Jessica. Ann stayed in Sydney for 19 months before returning to London. Daniel died in May 1837, probate was granted by the court on 14 February 1838, but it was not until 20 January 1839 that Ann and family boarded the Roslyn Castle bound for London. Back in LondonIn the 1841 census Ann, Frances, Ann and Dudley were back in London living at Camden St, Islington. Ann was working as a school mistress.
By 1851 Ann had moved to Chapel St, Clerkenwell. She was aged 58 and was now an "Annuitant" but Dudley was not with her. Dudley is not in the 1851 census as he had returned to Australia in 1849. He had accompanied his aunt Frances (Fanny) and her partner John SHERIDAN when they emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, arriving there 23 December 1849.
At some time after arriving in Adelaide, Dudley moved to New South Wales as we know he married Mary Ann COOK at Goulburn on 6 May 1860. Dudley was 25 and Mary 19. They moved to Sydney where they had two children: Mary Ellen (born 11 May 1861) and Edward Joseph (born c. March 1863). Son Edward died at 8 months on 4 November 1863. He was buried on 5 November 1863 at Newton St Stephens. Note Dudley's occupation at the time was "messenger".
Death of Mary KEITH (COOK)A few months after losing their son Edward, Mary died after a long illness on 16 April 1864, leaving Dudley and one child (Mary Ellen).
Marriage to Harriett RUSSELLDudley married Harriet Augusta JONES on 23 December 1864 in Sydney. She was a widow: her maiden name was RUSSELL. (When Dudley died a few years later, the newspaper advised the funeral would leave from the house of William RUSSELL, his brother-in-law: see below).
Dudley and Harriett had one child, Clara Amelia who was baptised at Cleveland Street St Paul on 31 December 1865. By this time Dudley was now working as a tobacco manufacturer.
Dudley died in Sydney on 16 July 1868, as recorded in the Sydney Morning Herald. He too died of a long and painful illness - kidney failure - and is buried at Rookwood Cemetery plot A/B/352, but there is no headstone.
The newspaper refers to "a wife and five children". The records only show he had two with Mary COOK (Mary Ellen and Edward but Edward had died in 1863) and one with Harriett (Clara Amelia). Who were the other three children? His wife Harriett had three children from her first marriage to John Jones. All three were alive in 1864. Death of HarriettHarriett KEITH died 3 February 1912 at the home of her son-in-law, 502 Unwin Bridge Rd, Tempe, Sydney. Fortunately the newspaper gave the name of the son-in-law as Mr T. MILROY - Thomas MILROY who had married Clara Amelia KEITH in 1889. This connection confirms the relationship between the Harriett who died in 1912 and the KEITH family.
The Children of Dudley KEITHMary Ellen KEITH 1861-1946Mary Ellen was born 11 May 1861 in Sydney to Dudley KEITH and his first wife Mary Ann COOK. Mary Ellen was nearly 3 years old when her mother died in 1864 and just over 3 when her father married Harriett JONES/RUSSELL. She was 7 when her father died, leaving her an orphan living with her step-mother Harriett and her three step siblings. Although it is not immediately apparent what happened to Mary Ellen the NSW Archives holds the clue. There is a record for Mary Ellen KEITH being admitted into State Care as an orphan and being admitted to the Protestant Orphan School in Sydney on 31 January 1870. Her admission was just 18 months after her father died - clearly the step-mother was no longer able or willing to look after her.
The Protestant Orphan School was first established in 1818 but moved to a new building in 1850. Mary Ellen entered the school in 1870. By the early 1880s the state government had begun a policy of "boarding out" which saw orphans sent to 'respectable' families in regional areas. Financial incentives were offered to families to house, educate and care for the children. It was thought that the cleaner air, greater variety of diet, and reduced exposure to communicable diseases would see orphans fare better than in institutions. We do not know for certain where or with whom Mary Ellen was boarded but the State care only continued until the child turned 18 years old. At that time children in foster care often stayed with the foster family, taking their name. It is possible that Mary Ellen lived with the HAYES family as she and her son later took that name. Birth of her son Arthur Charles Logan KEITHIn 1889 Mary Ellen had a son, recorded in the NSW birth records as Arthur Charles Logan KEITH, born 5 December 1889, mother Mary Ellen KEITH, but no father named.
Death of Mary Ellen KEITHSometime before 1914, Arthur KEITH became Arthur HAYES as he married under that name in 1914. It would appear that Mary Ellen also adopted the HAYES surname. Mary does not appear again in the records until her death on 28 May 1946 in Collingwood. She was recorded as May Ellen HAYES and her father as Dudley KIETH (sic). The informant would ultimately have been her son, as she lived with him from the time he married. Clearly she did not know very much about her father or his family. Earlier records show Dudley was a clerk or messenger. It was her grandfather who was the lawyer - like many family stories it is based on fact but has been distorted over the years. The newspaper notice mentions she was the grandmother of four (Wilma, Clara, Alma and Dudley). It does not mention Arthur B. who died soon after birth. I presume the Wilma was actually Winifred. Mary was buried at Fawkner Cemetery, Melbourne plot CofE T grave 4799. Also interred in that plot is her grandson Christopher BROWN, who died 25 Sept 1947.
Marriage of Arthur Charles KEITH/HAYESArthur KEITH/HAYES married Gladys Winifred McINTYRE in 1914 in Sydney. They appear to have had five children: the official indexes show two children born to Arthur C. and Gladys W. in Sydney and two more in Melbourne but we know there was also Dudley Keith HAYES as he served in the Australian Army and was killied in Syria in 1941. The war record has his date of birth as 6 April 1919 and his place of birth as North Melbourne.
Of their five children
Clara Amelia KEITH 1865-1950Clara Amelia was born 22 November 1865 and baptised on 31 December 1865 at St Paul, Cleveland St, Sydney.
Clara Amelia married Thomas Henry MILROY at St Paul, Cleveland St on 18 December 1889. Thomas was aged 26, a coachbuilder living at 181 Redfern St, Sydney.
Clara and Thomas had two children (Henry Keith MILROY born 1890 died 14 May 1910 at 77 Gerard St, Alexandria, NSW) and Dorothy Vera MILROY, born 1895 in Redfern, died 23 April 1981 at Strathfield, NSW, late of Melbourne). Neither sibling married. Thomas Henry MILROY died at St George Intermediate Hospital in Sydney, late of 20 Beach St Kogarah, on 29 August 1940. The executrices of his Will were his wife Clara and his daughter Dorothy.
Clara Amelia MILROY (née KEITH) died at 20 Beach St, Kogarah on 8 July 1950.
Return to the Keith Family Index Page Last updated: 7 January 2024 |
