My son Matthew has recently come over to the dark side and is currently studying for his Diploma of Family History, which of course has made me very happy! While researching for a recent assignment he uncovered new information on my Grandfathers first wife Marie Rose Thomson who was known as Rose or Rosie to her loved ones. I have previously posted mentioning her here, here, here and here.
Matt wanted to find out what happened to Rose after her marriage to his Great Grandfather Mervyn James Donnelly and he has allowed me to share some of his findings. He found that the information that I had been given on Rose's fate by her extended family members some years ago was incorrect. I had been told she died in the 1940's, but her parents death certificates and Family Notices in the newspapers do not reflect this as being fact. In fact she is not listed on either parents death certificate as being deceased prior to their deaths and they died in the late 1950's and early 1960's!
Marie Rose Thomson
Marie Rose Thomson was born on the 29th June 1906 in Sydney, the daughter of Thomas Thomson and his wife Ethel Mary nee Smith. They had married on the 26th February 1905 in Bega, New South Wales. In 1922 she was designated an uncontrollable child and was court ordered to be admitted to the Parramatta Training school with the file stating her parents were of good character and her home was good. She stayed at the Parramatta Training School from the 15th of June 1922 until 5 February 1924, when she was released to her mother at Surry Hills. Later reports however claimed that she was not living a 'decent life'.
NSW BDM Birth Index
THOMSON MARIE R 20494/1906 THOMAS ETHEL M SYDNEY
Source: NSW BDM Birth Indexes. Retrieved from https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/
NSW BDM Marriage Index
810/1905 THOMSON THOMAS SMITH ETHEL M BEGA
14469/1926 DONNELLY MERVYN J THOMSON MARIE R SYDNEY
17272/1928 DONNELLY JAMES O'CONNOR CLUNA I NEWCASTLE
17272/1928 DONNELLY JAMES OCONNOR CLUNA I NEWCASTLE
Source: NSW BDM Birth Indexes. Retrieved from https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/
New South Wales, Australia, Industrial School Registers, 1867-1925
Name: Marie Rose Thomson
Age:16
Birth Date: 29 Jun 1906
Father: Thomas Thomson
Mother: Mary Thomson
Admission or Discharge Date:15 Jun 1922
Location: Parramatta
School: Biloela or Parramatta Training School
Record Type: Court Ordered Admissions, 1867-1923
Source: Ancestry. Record for Marie Rose Thomson. New South Wales, Australia, Industrial School Registers, 1867-1925. Retrieved from https://www.ancestry.com/
New South Wales, Australia, Industrial School Registers, 1867-1925
Name: Marie Rose Thomson
Age: 16
Birth Date: 1906
Admission or Discharge Date:15 Jun 1922
Residence Date: 1922
Location: Parramatta
School: Parramatta Training School
Record Type: Admissions and Discharges, 1887-1925
Source: Ancestry. Record for Marie Rose Thomson. New South Wales, Australia, Industrial School Registers, 1867-1925. Retrieved from https://www.ancestry.com/
On the 12th of November 1926 Rose married my grandfather Mervyn Donnelly at St. Peters' Roman Catholic Church in Sydney, with the consent of her father. The marriage fell apart fairly quickly and Rose left Mervyn within months. Unable to find her, he somehow ended up living in Newcastle and on the 24th of November 1928 he bigamously married my grandmother Cluna Irene O'Connor at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Newcastle. In 1932 with my grandmother still none the wiser, Marie Rose had a maintenance order served on Mervyn and he began to secretly support her again. This continued until 1937 when Mervyn got sick and could no longer support Rose and his family with Cluna.
His bigamous actions finally became public in 1938 when my very shocked grandmother received a surprise knock at the door with a maintenance payment demand. Devastated she made Mervyn turn himself in to the police and a very public trial ensued. Mervyn pleaded guilty and was ordered by the Judge into a twenty pound recognisance to be of good behaviour for a period of two years, with no sentence to be passed if he entered into said recognisance. After this as far as we know Marie Rose disappeared from my grandparents lives. Family rumours are that there ultimately was an annulment rather than a divorce but we do not have verified records of either happening. Our knowledge of Rose after this point has been very limited. As I said I was told by some of her extended family members that she became ill and was hospitalised before dying in the mid to late 1940's, although no death certificate has been located for her.
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| Source: Marriage certificate for Mervyn Donnelly and Marie Thomson. NSW BDM Marriage Index No. 1926/014469 |
When Matt was researching his assignment he decided to see if the second marriage that some online family trees connected to Rose was in fact correct. Ultimately the marriage registration transcription for it proved that it was not Marie Rose at all and so this is yet another remarriage that we can rule out for her. Which is good because it would of meant she was involved in a bigamous marriage while married to Mervyn as well!
NSW BDM Marriage Index
16877/1937 EDDY ARTHUR WILLIAM DONNELLY ROSE SYDNEY
16877/1937 LACEY ARTHUR WILLIAM DONNELLY ROSE SYDNEY
Source: NSW BDM Marriage Indexes. Retrieved from https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/
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| Source: Marriage registration transcription for Arthur Eddy, known also as Lacey and Rose Donnelly NSW BDM Marriage Index No. 1937/16877/ Retrieved from https://nswtranscriptions.com.au/ |
EDDY ARTHUR W 22531/1913 MATTHEW J HELENA M WAVERLEY
DONNELLY ROSE 45014/1914 MICHAEL ELSIE BERRY
Source: NSW BDM Birth Indexes. Retrieved from https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/
Rose's father Thomas Thomson died on the 13 July 1957 at the Repatriation General Hospital at Concord in Sydney and was buried at Rookwood Catholic Cemetery. Matt was surprised when he received the Death Registration transcription for Thomas Thomson as it states that he had no deceased children and that his daughter Rosemary was 51 years old. Meaning Rose or Rosemary was alive at the time of his death in 1957.
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| Source: Death registration transcription for Thomas Thomson, NSW BDM Death Index No. 1957/16350. Retrieved from https://nswtranscriptions.com.au/ |
When Matt checked the death and funeral notices for Thomas Thomson in the Sydney Morning Herald Archives he found the following:
Death Notice
THOMSON, Thomas .- July 13, 1957, at Concord Repatriation Hospital, beloved husband of Mary Thomson, loved father of Rose, Frances, James, Veronica, Jean and John, aged 81 years. R.I.P. For Funeral notice see Tuesday's 'Herald'
Source: Death Notice for Thomas Thomson. Sydney Morning Herald Archives, Monday, July 15, 1957. Retrieved from State Library of NSW https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au
Funeral Notice
THOMSON.- Requiem mass for the repose of the soul of the late THOMAS THOMSON will be celebrated at St. Vincent's Church, Redfern Street, Redfern, This Day at 7 a.m. The Funeral will leave the church after prayers commencing at 9 a.m. for the Rookwood Cemetery. WALTER CARTER ?, Waverley.
THOMSON.- Members of the T.P.I. Association are invited to attend the Funeral of THOMAS THOMSON. See above notice. F. SHARPE ?
Source: Funeral Notice for Thomas Thomson. Sydney Morning Herald Archive, Tuesday, July 16, 1957. Retrieved from State Library of NSW https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au
NSW BDM Death Index
THOMSON THOMAS 16350/1957 CHARLES MARY ELLEN SYDNEY
THOMSON MARY ETHEL 24623/1962 CHARLES MARY JANE BURWOOD
Source: NSW BDM Death Indexes Retrieved from https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/
Rose's mother Mary Ethel Thomson, sometimes referred to as Ethel Mary died on the 26th of June 1962 at the Repatriation General Hospital Concord in Sydney. Matt found out that Rose is not listed as being deceased on her Death Registration transcription either. Which means that she was still alive in 1962, which is long after the 1940s death timeframe I had previously been told.
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| Source: Death registration transcription for Mary Ethel Thomson, NSW BDM Death Index No. 1962/24623. Retrieved from https://nswtranscriptions.com.au/ |
The Sydney Morning Herald Archives provided Matt with the following information on Mary Ethel Thomson's Death and Funeral notices:
Death Notice
THOMSON, Mary Ethel.- June 26, 1962, of 6 Durham Street, Dulwich Hill, dearly loved wife of the late Thomas Thomson loved mother of Rose, Frances, James, Veronica, Jean and John, aged 81 years. Requiescat in pace. For Funeral Notice see Thursday's 'Herald'.
Source: Death Notice for Mary Ethel Thomson. Sydney Morning Herald Archives, Wednesday, June 27, 1962. Retrieved from State Library of NSW https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au
Funeral Notice
THOMSON.- The Relatives and Friends of the late MRS MARY ETHEL THOMSON, of Dulwich Hill, are kindly invited to attend her funeral: to leave St. Brigid's Church, Marrickville, This Afternoon, after prayers commencing at 1.15 o'clock, for the Catholic Cemetery, Rookwood. Requiem mass will be celebrated at 9 o'clock.
LABOR MOTOR FUNERALS
24 Enmore Street, Newtown
Phone LA2777 (4 LINES)
Source: Funeral Notice for Mary Ethel Thomson. Sydney Morning Herald Archives, Thursday, June 28, 1962. Retrieved from State Library of NSW https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au
I am very proud of Matthew's efforts to find out the fate of Marie Rose and while we still have not found out what happened to her, we are certainly closer to that outcome than we were before!
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