Thomas
Farr
and Hannah Martin
Parents : Joseph Farr and Mary Ann Whitford
Charles Martin and Francis Prickett
Thomas Farr (1824 Southgate Middlesex, m Hannah Martin 1849 Camden
Town, London, d 1901, St Kilda Vic)
Hannah Martin (b 1829 Islington Middlesex, d 1890 St Kilda)
Alice Louisa Farr (b
1850
Somers Town London, m John Bisset 1872 Ballarat, d 1916 Murrumbeena
Vic)
Sarah Ann Prickett Farr
(b 1852 Camden Town London, m Francis Longmore 1875 Ballarat, d 1920
Kensington Vic)
Charles Augustine Farr (b 1854 Islinton London, d
1855 Collingwood Vic)
Emma Elizabeth Farr (b 1856 Ballarat Vic, m
Francis
Thomas Axford 1879 Ballarat, d 1909 Ballarat)
Edwin Farr
(b
1858 Ballarat, m Louisa Jane Briant
1884 Presb Manse Ballarat, d 1943 Northcote)
Winifred Emma Farr (b 1890
Northcote,
m Norman Thompson 1918 , d
1994
Preston)
Arthur Farr (b 1861
Ballarat
West, m Rose Emma White 1894 St.Pancras London, d 1927 Adelaide)
Leigh Farr (b 1864
Ballarat, m Ellen Coralie (Corrie) Valentine 1889 Ballarat, d 1938
St
Kilda)
Edith Lucy Farr (b 1866 Ballarat, m William
George
Hansen Ellson 1894 St Kilda, d 1951 Croydon Vic)
Lucius Farr (b 1869 Ballarat, d 1888 St Kilda)
Ethel Maude (Jum) Farr (b 1871 Ballarat, m Arthur
Vincent Kemp 1899 Melbourne, d 1952 Sydney NSW)
Millicent Caroline (Tim) Farr (b 1874 Ballarat, d
1962 St Kilda)
Picture
of the family (big but good)
Thomas was a Carpenter, so was Edwin
Hannah, Leigh, Lucius and Thomas are all in the same grave in St
Kilda
cemetery
Picture
of
Thomas Farr's Mining Right, from David Farr
Picture
of
Arthur Farr's Ballarat house, 1890, from David Farr.
Embroidery
found
in the bible, from David Farr.
The following material is based
on
material prepared by Glenis Crocker for a Martin and Farr
reunion she
organised in Ballarat
THOMAS AND HANNAH
Hannah Martin's Sampler
Letter to Francis Longmore
Acknowledgements
THOMAS AND HANNAH
Thomas Farr was born in Southgate, Middlesex. His family were
Non-Conformist, attending the Weld Chapel, where the births of the
third daughter Amelia and subsequent children were recorded.
Hannah Martin was born at the house of
her
parents Charles Martin and Frances Prickett, at 134 Upper Street,
Islington, in the County of Middlesex on 21st. September 1829.
Thomas and Hannah lived with Hannah's parents for at least some of
the
time after their marriage. At the time of the 1851 Census,
they
are listed as living in the same household as Hannah's parents
Charles
& Francis, and her brother Henry and sister Louisa. in 38
Goldington St North, Camden Town. Their first daughter Alice
was
born there.
Thomas together with his wife Hannah and three
children Alice, Sarah and Charles came to Melbourne on the
"Aberfoyle".
arriving in December 1854 having left England in August. Also on the
ship were his wife's parents, Charles and Frances Martin and their
daughter Louisa with her husband James Crump and their child
Jasper.. Thomas is recorded as saying he came to Australia in
1853, yet shipping records show him listed with all the family on
the
"Aberfoyle" in 1854. A Thomas Farr is listed as an unassisted
passenger on the "Woodstock" in 1853, so perhaps he sailed out to
look
at the opportunities for himself before the whole family emmigrated
to
join Hannah's two brothers, Charles and Henry, who had come out in
1852. Support for this would come from looking at shipping
lists
from Australia to England, looking for Thomas returning to England.
Ballarat Rate Books show that Thomas Farr was living in Dawson St
(no
allotment number given) from 1856. He was paying rates on two
adjacent blocks, one with a workshed on it, the other a
cottage.
Thomas Farr was a carpenter, as also was Charles Martin and James
Crump.
According to directories 1855/1856 he is listed as "Carpenter
Ballarat", and from the birth notices of the children he was still
living in Ballarat up to 1874
All his subsequent children were born in Ballarat, and his first
daughter Alice was married to John Bisset of Castlemaine from the
house
in Dawson St.
In the 1880's the family moved from Ballarat to Melbourne. The
exact date is uncertain, but Rate records should give an answer to
this. Post Office directories listed Thomas as still being in
Ballarat for a number of years after he was known to have shifted to
Melbourne. Possibly his business continued under someone
else's
management, or else the directories are not very reliable..
In 1888 their youngest son Lucius died from tubercular meningitis,
and
Hannah died of TB in 1890.
The 1889 directory listed Thomas as "St Kilda" and it appears that
in
1890/1891 he was in partnership with his sons Leigh and Arthur as
contractors at Nicholas Chambers, 101 Swanston Street, Melbourne.
From
1890 to 1898 his residential address was 175 Hotham Street, St.
Kilda.
. Melbourne directories for 1893/94, have his son Leigh was at 173
Hotham St. By 1898, W.G.H. Ellson, one of Thomas's
sons-in-law,
had shifted into 193 Hotham St.
"The Argus"
Thursday 13th, February, 1890.
FARR On 12th. Feb. at her
residence
"Hiawatha Terrace", Hotham Street Balaclava, Hannah, beloved wife
of
Thomas Farr, late of Ballarat, Age 60 years.
The Argus" Saturday 20th July 1901.
FARR
On
19th.
July
at "Amnesty" Brighton Road, St. Kilda, Thomas Farr,
Age 77 years.
He is buried in St. Kilda cemetery, Grave Number B,0242, 00761.
According to death records the family were Baptists.
Hannah Martin's Sampler
This is a photograph of the needlework sampler done by Hannah as a
young girl.
Letter to Francis
Longmore
This letter is from Thomas and Hannah Farr, written by Thomas to
Francis Longmore, in reply to Francis asking for Annie's hand in
marriage. Transcribed by Robyn Lawther.
30 Dawson Street, Ballarat
January 31st 1873.
Mr. Longmore,
Dear Sir,
Your letter
has
been read by Mrs. Farr and myself we are not surprised at your
request
but young man do you know what you are asking for? do you know
what a
prize you are seeking to obtain? Have you fully considered the
responsibility and care you are trying to entangle yourself
with? have
you looked all these things and a number besides full in the
face--
some perhaps you have some perhaps you have not, for recollect -
love
is blind. We will hope you are not unmindful of the great gtt we
have
in our procession, ready and walling to bestow it on any-one who
will
undertake to guard and protect it as well or better than we have
done.
You have shown a most persevering and undaunted spirit in at
least
gaining the consent of your hearts best love, we hope such a
spirit and
determination to succeed may never flag.
You herewith
have
our consent to one of the best bit of flesh and blood to be
found in
petticoats, now consider yourself a lucky fellow. But don't
dance about
like that, you have not got her yet. We know not of your
intentions as
to the way and means you are going to adopt as to time, it must
remain
a question you know we are both to part with it, its all very
well to
open the cage and let the bird fly, better it live with the old
birds
until as good or as safe a cage presents itself. Take our advice
don't
be in to great a hurry, your comfort in after life depends in a
great
measure in making a fair start. Should your circumstances look
at all
favourable, we will not stand in the way of you making your
happiness
complete. You of course do not think of altering your state in
your
present situation. Wishing you every success whether related to
us or
otherwise we remain
Dear Sir your's truly
Thomas and Hannah Farr
Alice
Farr
Notice in The Argus.
Bissett - Farr. - On the 26th
December,
1872, at the residence of the bride's parents, by the Rev.
A.W.Grant,
John, second son of the late Mr. John Bissett, senr., Castlemaine,
to
Alice Louisa, eldest daughter of Mr. Thomas Farr, Dawson Street,
Ballarat, silver wedding. Present address, "Kellie-Law", Shamrock
Street, Bendigo.
Extract from the Bendigo Advertiser :
A PLEASANT SURPRISE. - A few
evenings
ago a pleasant surprise party, consisting of several ladies and
gentlemen connected with the Presbyterian Church, Golden Square,
waited
on Mr. and Mrs. J.Bissett at their residence, Kellie-Law, Shamrock
Street. The visitors were heartily welcomed by Mr. and Mrs.
Bissett,
and the Rev. W.Agnew, on behalf of those present and the members
of the
congregation, presented their hostess with a handsome silver hot
water
kettle on the occasion of their silver wedding. In making the
presentation, Mr. Agnew referred to the active part taken by Mr.
and
Mrs. Bissett in the work of the church for many years past, and
mentioned the coincidence that the silver anniversary of the
church was
on the same date. Mr. W.Anderson also made a few remarks, and
hoped
that Mr. and Mrs. Bissett would be spared to celebrate their
golden
wedding.
Sarah
(Annie) Farr
"Sarah
was
an
aspiring
star with natural singing abilities. She was a member of
the Dawson Street Baptist Choir as well as a member of the
Philharmonic
Choir that often performed at the Mechanics' Institute. She was
selected to
continue her singing career in London, however she choose
marriage over
this promising future."
Quoting a note from Robin Lawther, who also said she had an
opportunity
to sing with Dame Nellie Melba.
Annie's singing career in fact
incurred the censure of her Baptist Pastor, which caused a lively
flurry of correspondence in the Ballarat Times, and lead to the
Farr
family cutting ties with the Dawson St Baptist Church. Full
details
This affair is the subject of an interesting newsletter from the
Ballarat Historical Society (Vol 11 No 3, May/June 2009).,
written by Anne Doggett
Arthur
Farr
Arthur's
occupation
is shown in his son John's Marriage Certificate as
"builder". It appears Arthur was in partnership with his brother
Leigh
and his father, Thomas, in the early 1890s, as the Sands &
McDougall directory at this time shows his address at 101 Swanston
Street, Melbourne as "Agent, brickworks and contractors". He left
the
partnership early in 1892/93 and went to England as a wine merchant,
representing Irvine Wines.
On January 1, 1894 he married Rose Emma White in
London. Their first child, Thomas, was born at 138 Mercers Lane,
Islington, England..The next reference we have is that their second
son, John, was born in 1901 at Balaclava, Victoria, so they
obviously
returned to Australia at some stage. There is an entry in the Sands
& McDougall directory of 1898 giving their address as 13 Smith
St,
St. Kilda. Again they returned to England as their daughter Clarice
Annie was born there in 1907.
In West Australian shipping records there is an entry; "Suevic
arrived
Albany 11th August 1911 from Liverpool, passengers; Mr. and Mrs.
Farr
and infant, also John, child with parents. Mr. Farr, Commercial
Agent".
After Arthur settled back in Perth he established business as
a
builder.
Tom stayed on in England to complete his education as an electrical
engineer.
Their next child, Robert, was born in 1914 at Cottesloe, Western
Australia.
Arthur died of hydatids in Adelaide in 1927 en
route
to WA. He was transferred from the ship to the Adelaide Hospital
where
he died.. His Will was presented for probate at both the Supreme
Courts
of Victoria and Western Australia. The gross value of his estate in
Western Australia was not exceeding four hundred and thirty seven
pounds, and the value in Victoria not exceeding nine hundred pounds.
At
the time of his death his address was 60 Forrest St., Cottesloe. At
the
time of making his will, 9th April 1918, the address was 25 John
St.,
Cottesloe.
In the 1926 Sands & McDougall directory his address is shown as
Station St., West Burswood, Victoria. In probate documents this is
described as "Certificate of Title Volume 4977 Folio 995234 upon
which
is erected a weather board house consisting of 5 rooms known as
Ilkley,
Station Street, Burswood."
David Farr, a descendant of the son,
provided
an explanation for the trips to London.
Arthur
was in partnership with his father and Leigh at 101 Swanston St
as "Agent, brickworks and contractors" in the early 1890s. He left
the
partnership early in 1892/3 and went to England as a wine
merchant,
representing Irvine Wines. He met Emma in London, marrying on 1
Jan
1894, with Tom born on 13 June of that year. I wrote to Irvine
Wines a
couple of years ago but no response. In 1898 his address is given
as 13
Smith St, St Kilda and their second son, John Elliott (my father)
was
born there on 21 July 1901. Again thery returned to England, date
unknown, as their daughter, Clarice Annie was born there on 15 Sep
1907. In West Australian shipping records there is an entry :
"Suevic
arrived Albany 11th August 1911 from Liverpool, passengers: Mr
&
Mrs Farr and infant, also John, child with parents. Mr Farr,
Commercial
Agent". Tom stayed on in London to complete his education as an
electrical engineer. After Arthur settled back in Perth he
established
business as a builder.
Leigh
Farr
Leigh was in partnership with his brother, Arthur, and father,
Thomas,
at 101 Swanston Street, Melbourne in the early 1890s as "contractors
and brickworks agents".. He lived at 173 Hotham Street, St Kilda,
next
door to his father, Thomas, who was at number 175.
Acknowledgements
Most of the material on the Farrs and Martins comes from Glenis
Crocker, with help from Robyn Lawther and Helen Millward. Glenis's
material prepared for the Martin reunion she organised has been
quoted
directly here. They have traced the family back to the 16th century,
by
a lot of detective work on old wills.
Also Len Martin produced an excellent book on Charles Henry
Martin, Hannah Martin's brother
Research Notes
Information Sources:
Weld Chapel birth records. St Georges Hanover Square Parish
Records. Farr family bible
David Farr queries
(1) Charles Augustine Farr. Is that
second
name Augustus?. Could be, but it looks like Augustine on his
birth
certificate. Death certificate has no second name
(2)
Thomas and Hannah's daughter Emma Elizabeth. Your records
say she died
1909 - mine show 1908
LR I have both dates in my FTM file. I
am always
inclined to believe the source that has a day and month.
But it should be checkable
(3) Ethel Maude - you show she was married in Melbourne - mine
show
Ballarat.
LR Not sure, but I have a certificate number in my files
MC459,
which should be checkable
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