John Rowley (b 1822 Minto NSW, m Mary Jane (Jane) Onslow 1846
Liverpool, d 1856 Liverpool)
Jane Onslow (b 1829 Liverpool NSW, also m Thomas Donald 1867 Bendigo
Vic, d 1909 Petersham NSW) John Clarkson Rowley
(b 1847 Liverpool, NSW, m Sarah Jane Smart
1874 Beechworth Vic, d 1928 Bethanga) Joseph
Smart Rowley (b 1875 Yackandandah Vic, m Eircell
Broome 1909 Albury NSW, d 1957 Bethanga)
m Avis Sirl 1922 Albury
Eliza Elizabeth Rowley (b 1849, m Frederick
Yabsley 1875, d 1929)
Mary Rowley (b 1851 Liverpool, d 1854
Holdsworthy)
Catherine Rayson Rowley (b 1853, m John Yabsley
1877, d 1920, buried Rookwood)
Henrietta Rowley (b 1855, m William Myler
Grafton, d 1888)
John is shown on John Clarkson Rowley's birth certificate as a
"mariner". Other than that. all we have about John is the bare bones
of a life shown above. For discussion of his family after he died,
see John
Clarkson Rowley,
451743 DONALD Jane, Late of Petersham, Widow
This is the Last Will and Testament of me Jane Donald of Yule
St Petersham in the State of New South Wales Widow. I give devise
and bequeath unto and to my Executors and Trustees hereinafter named
the whole of my real and personal estate Upon trust as to the land
and hereditaments mentioned in the will of Thomas Donald late of
Petersham and described therein as the allotment with a cottage
being number thirty six and the allotment in Yule Street on which we
at present reside and being the whole of the lands comprised and
described in the Certificate of Title Volume 771 Folio 19 and the
whole of my real estate wheresoever situate to divide the same
equally between my daughters Eliza Elizabeth Yabsley and Catherine
Rawson Yabsley and Agnes Cole of North Yass. As to my personal
estate to divide the same equally between Martina Donald and Pearl
Ella Shehan. I declare that my trustee may postpone the sale and
conversion of my real and personal estate or any part thereof for so
long as they think fit. I desire and it is my Will that George
Leslie Beard may claim within two months all or any pictures painted
or drawn by him. I appoint my daughter Eliza Elizabeth Yabsley the
guardian of the said Pearl Ella Shehan until she reaches the age of
twenty one years. And I appoint the said Eliza Elizabeth Yabsley and
Martina Donald the executors and Trustees of this my will. In
Witness thereof I the said Jane Donald have herewith set my hand to
this and the one preceding page of paper of this my Will this
seventeenth day of November in the year one thousand nine hundred
and eight.Jane Donald Signed by the Testatrix Jane Donald as and for
her last Will and Testament in the sight and presence of us together
present at the same time who at her request in her sight and
presence and in the sight and presence of each other have hereunto
subscribed our names as attesting Witness.
Arthur J R Yabsley Solicitor Sydney Bessie J Nichols
8th February 1909 by Act of Court probate of the said deceased
was granted to Eliza Elizabeth Yabsley of Tintern Rd Summer Hill and
Martina Donald of Yule St Petershan Spinster the Executors in the
said Will named Testator died at Petersham on 17th January 1909.
Estate sworn at Pounds 886.10.6. (A J R Yabsley)
Notes, Les Rowley
Claude Rowley remembered Pearl. She was
Pearl Rowe then. Also he remembers "Ma Donald". George Beard was a
good friend of Joe Rowley when they were young, though he never
stayed at Joe's place after he married Avis. His mother was an
actress, and he was reared by someone else, possibly Ma Donald?
Les Rowley I can remember George
Beard staying with us. He could take two pens, one in each hand, and
write simultaneously from the middle of the page. He would write the
same text, normal in one hand, mirror writing in the other. CJR says
he wrote a first letter to a girl friend in mirror writing - she
wasn't impressed, apparently.
Thomas Donald's Will
11694 This is the last will and testament of me Thos Donald of Yule
St Petersham in Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales. I hereby
direct that after all my first debts funeral expenses are paid that
the 3 vacant allotments situated in Crystal St being 33 34 35 os
section seven in the village of Wardellville parish of Petersham
County of Cumberland NSW be sold within a reasonable time say 12
months after my death and the money be deposited in the Bank of NSW
Sydney or some equally safe institution. The allotment with the
cottage on Number 36 of the above mentioned estate may at the
discretion of my wife be sold and the proceeds be deposited in the
Bank as above as a fixed deposit for the sole use of my wife during
her life maiden name Mary Jane Onslow relic of the late John Rowley
of Bierpool(?) NSW before the money is deposited in the following
legacies must be paid to my mother Mrs Jane Donald of North Yass in
the Colony on NSW fifty pounds stg and to Mrs Elizabeth Rowley of
Crystal St Petersham ten pounds stg. I also bequeath to my aforesaid
wife all money in banks and all money that may be due to me at the
time of my death for her sole use absolutely also my land or other
property. The allotment on Yule St on which we at present reside may
be kept or sold at the discretion of my wife as aforementioned. At
her death all the money in Bank deposited to her credit shall be
divided equally amongst her surviving daughters and my niece Agnes
Cole of North Yass in the Colony of New South Wales. For her
kindness to my mother if my mother survives the death of my wife the
money that would be the portion due to my niece Agnes Cole shall be
placed in Bank the interest to be paid to my mother during her life
when at her death the money so deposited shall become the property
of my niece aforementioned absolutely. one allotment at St Johns
Wood being No 8 Section 13(?) being portion of the Chisholm Estate
near Auburn Cr Cumberland (see title deeds) may be sold at the
discretion of my aforesaid wife and the money be for sole use
absolutely. And I hereby appoint Mr Frederick Yabsley of victoria
Square Ashfield and Mr John Yabsley of Paramatta Rd Petersham to be
my Executors to carry out the provisions of this will. In witness
..... I hereby set my hand on this 5th of January 1885. Thos
Donald . Signed by the said Thos Donald in the presence of us
present at the same time when in his presence and in the presence of
each other attest and submit our names as witnesses hereto - James B
Ridge Clarence C Rowley.
6th August 1885. This day by act of Court Probate of the last
Will and Testament of Thomas Donald late of Yule Street, Petersham
near Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales, Inspector of
Government Tramways deceased was granted to Frederick Yabsley and
John Yabsley the Executors of the said will named.
Testator died 12 May 1885. Estate sworn under 1762.0.0 pounds.
Some Melbourne
Directories Research
Jan'e movements are auncertain after John Rowley died, but enteies
in the Melbourne Directories shed some light
1884 George, City Inspector of
Weights and Measures. 280 King
St
1888 George, U/C
Mrs, Simpson St, Yarraville
John Rowley gone
1889 George gone
Mrs Jane, 35 Tarrengower St, Yarraville
1890 - Missing Volume
1891 Mrs Jane, U/C
Rowley John, McGregor St, S Melb
1892 Mrs Jane, Montague
St, Yarraville
1910 No Mrs Jane,
Miss Jane, Fitzroy
NOTES - Les Rowley
George is most likely Thomas Donald's Father, and this could
be why Jane came to Melbourne in 1886 when Thomas died. George's
wife was also Jane, so the entry in 1889 is not conclusively Jane
Donald/Onslow. However, Jane (ONSLOW) was already in Yarraville, so
it looks like her. The John Rowley who appears, who knows? Not John
Clarkson, as he was well established on the farm in Bethanga by now,
with 5 children, and Claude Rowley knows nothing of him going to
Melbourne.
Note the similarity of George and Thomas's professions.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Maree Woods and Betty Robinson for input to this page.
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Page last updated - 16 Jan 2006
