Theo Vetter 1910 – 1925

On the 30^th August, to Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Vetter, “Tangermunde,” Brown-street, Norwood – a son (Theodore William)

The above appeared in the 2^nd of September 1910 edition of the Adelaide Advertiser.  The proud parents were Theodore Wilhelm Vetter and his wife, Albertina McQuat.  Theodore and Albertina had met and married in Freemantle Western Australia at the turn of the century, and already had two daughters, Ivy (born 1903 in Freemantle) and Millie (born 1908 in Norwood), but now the arrival of their son required an announcement.

Theodore and Albertina had arrived in Adelaide in mid 1906, and settled immediately in Norwood.  Theodore had quickly established a builder’s contracting business and had entrenched himself in the German community, even becoming the President of the South Australian Allegemeiner Deutscher Verein from 1909 to 1911.

The family business was becoming bigger and new premises were acquired.  The family home was also changing and Albertina was advertising for various staff to come and help run the home.  The children were growing and Ivy and Millie were attending school, and Theo was soon to join them.

In 1915 there were changes that affected the family and the business.  At the beginning of the year the buildings rented by Theodore burnt down, and he lost the business, as the Insurance Company would not pay out.  At the same time he made a decision to move to the Barossa valley to the small town of Greenock, and here he took on the licensee of the Greenock Arms Hotel.

It appears that Albertina did not accompany Theodore to Greenock but in early 1916 young Theo and his two sisters did.  Here they joined, the housekeeper Mary Brice, who had worked for the family since 1914, and her young baby daughter.

On March 27^th Theo was enrolled at Greenock School, along with Ivy and Millie.  They soon became a part of the school community, and although living in a hotel there was a family life, with now two babies in the hotel, the housekeeper Mary giving birth to a son in October 1916.

World War One had its affect on Greenock and there were many celebrations and fund raising events through the years to raise money and goods for the soldiers.  On the 8^th September 1917 the School held a concert at the local Hall.  The children performed numerous songs and Theo’s performance was one of those mentioned in the local paper when he and Ian Seppelt, represented celestial beings as the rest of the children sang a character song called The Chinaman.

Just after Easter the following year Theo again made the local newspaper.  The Children’s Patriotic Fund held a concert to raise money for the Red Cross.  Theo and a mate, Theodor Kernich, recited “Sunday Dinner” as the poor hen is sacrificed.

At the end of 1919 Theo left Greenock and went to live in Perth where his mother had been since 1917.  Theo’s parents divorced in the September of 1919, and his father married Mary Brice, and the two little children who he had played with at the hotel were now officially his half sister and brother.

In Perth Theo lived at Cottlesloe Beach and soon attended school there.  When he turned 13 he developed Sarcoma of  Scapula, cancer in the shoulder blades, and  this gradually took control of his life.  In late 1924 he now had secondary Sarcoma of the Cranial Bones (Now known as Osteosarcoma) and spent the next 3 and a half months in Perth’s Royal Hospital.

On February 20^th, 1925 Theo died after suffering for over 2 years, and the following day he was buried at Karrakatta Cemetery.

Like the announcement that signaled the start of his life, there was one at it’s ending.

VETTER, - On February 20, 1925, at the Perth Hospital, Theo, loved and only son of Albertina Vetter and loved brother of Ivy and Millie; aged 14 years. At Rest.

Although his life was short family always surrounded Theo, one parent may have been missing at a time but he always had family.

46 years later Theo’s mother joined him in the plot at Karrakatta, and his two sisters also were interred there when they died.

Albertina McOuat (1881 – 1971) | Theodore William Vetter (1910-1925)

Theodore Wilhelm Vetter (1866-1943)

Mary May Brice (1887 – 1937) | Alan Louis Brady (1916-1995) | Kevin Reginald Brady (1961-

Grandma Powell's Childhood

Bessie Bewes (1896-1983)

Growing up for me, my Grandmother was always in the kitchen of her house in San Souci. 

We would arrive there on a Saturday morning, enter via the backdoor, say hello to her as she stood at the sink or bench (I don’t remember kissing her), then straight out the back to play in the yard or down at the shed where my Grandfather would be.

We would be called in for lunch, and again for afternoon tea, before Grandfather drove us home.  Grandma, as we called her, sat in front, and I don’t even remember them getting out of the car at Greenacre.

I don’t remember any hugs, cuddles or kisses, but I do know there was a pic of her holding me as a new born baby and one of her with her arm around me when I was about 10.

She was not what I would call affectionate, and I don’t think she would have been comfortable with children climbing over her.

In 1970 there was the Captain Cook Bi-centennial celebrations, and I remember attending these at Kurnell with my grandparents.  A short while later, perhaps on the next Saturday visit, my mum had bought Bi-centennial spoons for each of us children.  I remember going in to my grandparent’s house to show Grandma my spoon.  She snapped at me.  I can’t remember what she actually said, but it was along the lines of stupid and waste of money.  I was hurt and ran outside.  I mentioned it to my mum later and she just told me to ignore it.

She was not what I would call a happy person.  Once she spoke to me of her childhood, I was married and a father by this time.  She said that after her mother died (this happen when she was 8), that her father, a stern man, had decided that as her older sisters had married and had children, that her and her twin sister Georgina were to be separated and sent off, one to each sister to help look after the new babies. “glorified maids”, she said. 

Fred & Bill

Eliza, Georgina, William Bewes, Bessie, Florence

Walter

1904

She was born on the 2^nd of May 1896 at 92 Bruce Street, Cook’s Hill, in Newcastle.  The younger of twin daughters to William and Georgina (nee Dilling) Bewes.  There was 5 older siblings, Eliza, 16; Florence (known as Fol), 14; Bill, 11; Fred, 6; and Walter 4.  Her mother had not been in good health and during the previous 10 years the family had left Newcastle a number of times to move to the small country town of Murrundi in the hope that country living would help.

On the 19^th of July 1904 Bessie’s mum passed away at the family home.  She was only 45 and had been suffering from Tuberculois Aldomunalis, for over a year.  Two days later Bessie, along with her sisters and brothers, watched as her body was taken from the house to the cemetery at Sandgate.

The following year her oldest sister was married and went to live in Murrundi.  There was now a housekeeper, Mrs Knott, to run the house.  Her brothers were working.  Her other older sister, Fol, was too old to spend time with young girls, so Bessie and George (Georgina’s nic name) were left to themselves.  There were cousins living next door to play with, Ivy and her younger sister Doris, being closest in age.

In July 1909, Bessie’s sister Fol married, and this left only Mrs Knott, the housekeeper, as an adult female in the house.  In June 1910, Fol gave birth to twins, a boy and girl, George and Edna.  Her older sister Eliza, already had two babies, and would have a third later in the year.

Bessie’s father made the decision that his twin daughters needed to be of help to their sisters, or perhaps he thought it would be better for them to live with a female relative?  We will never know his reason for sending the girls away.  Georgina was sent to Murrundi, and Bessie travelled to Sydney, to live at Kogarah with her sister Fol, and her husband, George Goldie.

Bessie spent the next few years helping raise her sister’s babies.  Her brother-in-law was a more harsh man than her father, and did not allow her to go out.  She had no money of her own and was totally reliant on her brother-in-law for all of her needs, like the glorified maid she would later describe to me. 

It was also during this time that Bessie was sent over to Manly, to stay with her grandmother, Mary Ann Dilling, who was blind and in her late 70’s.  Mary Ann lived with her son Walter Dilling and his young family, and whenever they needed a break, Bessie would go over to care for her grandmother.  She had to help her around the house, as well as “pushing her on to the tram” whenever they went out.

By the time she turned 20 in 1916 she wanted to get herself a job.  She wrote a letter to her father back in Newcastle explaining how she felt.  He immediately sent her money so she could attend a secretarial school, and there she learnt to be a typist.   This led to a job in the centre of Sydney at Gowing’s Department store.  Bessie’s life changed now, she was no longer reliant on her brother-in-law, and she was no longer just looking after other members of her family.  She made friends at the local church, one of whom was Reg Powell, who she would marry on the 28^th of January 1922.

I have thought a lot lately of my grandparents, how different they were.  How she seemed too occupied to care about us grandkids but not knowing what she was occupied with.  I have wondered why she seemed so, to me, bitter.  Why she seemed not to like children.

In January 1910 the Sydney Morning Herald reported the 1909 Examination Results for the Sydney College of Music.  The exams had been held all over the state.  Some of the winners would be given opportunities for a career in music.  Among the list of 400 is the following:-

STUDENTS CERTIFICATES – PIANOFORTE

Junior Pass – Bessie Bewes

THEORY OF MUSIC

Initiatory Honours – Bessie Bewes

A few months after this, at the age of 14, Bessie left her childhood home to go look after her sister’s babies.

Losing your mother at 8, being separated from your twin sister at 14, then to have you passion for music taken away from you too, cannot have left fond memories, and perhaps make a person guarded on how they show their love. 

I know my grandmother loved her husband Reg very much.  I know that although a stern mother, she loved and cared for her two daughters, Lorna and Joan, dearly. 

  

To my Grandma I say you raised your daughters to be good mothers, and they were.

My only wish is that I had memories of you playing the piano, who knows they may come to me yet.

Bessie Bewes 1896-1983

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Lorna Bessie Powell 1922-2009

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Kevin Reginald Brady 1961-

Mary Riches/Richey Powell 1820 - 1852

On the 19^th of March 1820 Mary Riches was born in the St. Clement’s district of the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England.  She was the daughter of Robert and Ann Riches.  There were three of elder children, who were born in Skeyton, a small village further north in Norfolk, where Mary’s parents had married in 1810.

On the night 6^th of July Mary’s father went out with two brothers, Henry and George Adams, and stole two sheep and two lambs, the property of a farmer who had brought them to Norwich for sale.  They were duly caught and put in prison, but Mary’s father supplied a bit more information about other thefts the two brothers had carried out.  Two weeks late at the local Assizes Robert presented his information to the judge and was let off for his part in the theft.  The two brothers were sentenced to death.  On July 29^th Robert was released from prison.

On August 13^th, Mary was baptized in the St. Clement’s, Church of England, her father being there at the altar, and being described as Robert Howard Riches, a Labourer, and his wife as Ann, late Munford.

St. Clement’s, Norwich

In January 1822 Mary’s father was again up against a judge, and again for stealing animals, this time along with a Joseph Reeve, it was eleven geese, nine ducks and six turkeys.  But Robert had no information he could share that would get him off this time and was duly sentenced to seven years transportation.  On the 4^th April Mary’s father left England on the transport Asia.

By now Mary’s mother was expecting another baby, and she moved her 4 daughters to the town of Spowston, just outside of Norwich and here in August Ann had another daughter, Phyllis.

Robert Riches life in Australia was better than expected, and he was assigned as a ploughman to James Atkinson of “Oldbury” at Sutton Forest, south west of Sydney.  On November 28^th, 1823 Robert applied to the Government to have his family brought out to Australia.  He had the recommendation of Mr Atkinson in Australia, but also of Mr Jno. Wortell of Sprowston.

In mid September 1824, Mary, along with her mother and three sisters, Sarah, Rachel and Elizabeth, the younger sister, Phyllis, seems to have died before their departure, made their way to Woolwich on The Thames, where they boarded the transport Henry.  On board they were giving their surname as Richie.

On October 1^st, Mary’s eldest sister, Sarah, fell ill with a severe headache, nausea and a feeling of oppression over the heart area.  The doctor on board, William Carlyle, induced vomiting, but Sarah continued to feel pain in the chest.

The next day the doctor bled Sarah, but she fainted during this and continued to be ill.  Her face and upper chest were covered with a purple coloured looking efflorescence. She was to drink barley water and be kept as cool as possible.

On the 4^th Mary herself fell ill with a fever, showing hurried respiration and slight convulsive tremors.  By the next day both girls were covered vesicular pimples but Sarah’s eyes were inflamed and constantly tearing.

By now the ship had moved down the Thames to Gravesend.  Mary, while still showing pretty numerous eruptions over her body, she was not suffering to the same level as her elder sister.  Sarah could no longer answer coherently. Her throat had swelled to the extent she could not take any liquid let alone food.  At about 3 o’clock on the 8^th of October Sarah died.  Within two hours her body had been committed to the river Thames.

Mary slowly started to get better, and by the 10^th the doctor was no longer reporting her health in his diary.

It took just on 4 months before the Henry, on the 9^th February, sailed in to Hobart, Tasmania, and the local newspaper reported that she brought no mail but newspapers from the 6^th October.  Nearly all the convicts were taken off before she sailed for Sydney on the 20^th. 

On the 27^th of February 1825 the Henry entered Port Jackson.  The local Sydney newspapers reported that she had on board “2 female prisoners, 2 free women, and 4 children” as well as 5 ewes and 2 rams, of the best Spanish Merino sheep.

Mary, with her mother and sisters, now made there way down to Sutton Forest, south west of Sydney, where her father was still working on Mr. Atkinson’s property.  Here in March 1825 the family was now re-united and by the following February Mary had a brother James, and he was written in the parish register as having the surname Richards.

Mary ‘s young life was spent in the surrounding area of Sutton Forest, although there was a brief time in 1828 when her parents were living in Cambridge street in Sydney, her mother working as a laundress.  A further two sisters arrived, Sarah and Susan, but Sarah died aged 7 at Sutton Forest.  Mary had now seen three sisters die.

On the 24^th of April 1842 Mary gave birth to a daughter.  The new born baby was privately baptized the next day by Reverend Vidal of All Saint’s Church, Sutton Forest, and the father was identified as John Holland, a local farmer.  But the baby died two days later and was buried in the grounds of All Saint’s.

On April 17, 1843 Mary married James Powell, at All Saint’s.  James had come out to Australia in 1832 as convict.  He was originally from Bristol, Gloucestershire and had been the previous year sentenced to 14 years for picking pockets.  He was now on a Ticket of Leave and had permission to run bullock teams between Sydney and Yass.  Mary’s older sister Rachel was her witness at the ceremony, and Mary had to mark the sign of a cross for where her name was, Mary Richey.

By September 1844 Mary and James were living at Carrickbilly, near Berrima, when she gave birth to their first child, Susan Ann, name after her two grandmothers, on September 19^th. James was now a carrier.

On the 3^rd of September 1845 James obtained his Certificate of Freedom and was now a free man to go and work for himself instead of being assigned to others.  He became a shopkeeper in the town of Berrima and there in 1847 Mary gave birth to a son, Alfred James.

By 1849, a second son, Joseph Henry, had come along, and James was now running cattle sales to improve their income.  Mary had another daughter, Emma, who arrived the following year and by July 1852 when her son Theodore arrived, James was a licensed auctioneer, but Mary’s life as the wife of a up and coming young business man was to end.

On the 8^th of December Mary died in Berrima, just less than 6 months after the birth of her son Theodore.

Mary’s funeral was held in the Holy Trinity church in Berrima before the coffin was taken to Bong Bong, a distance of about 12 kilometers, the closest cemetery, and here she was buried on the 10^th.  Her headstone reads:

Sacred

To The Memory Of

Mary Powell

Who Departed This Life

On The 8^th of December 1852

Aged 32 Years

Leaving 5 Small Children

To Deplore Their Loss

She is buried alongside two of her husband’s young children from his subsequent marriage, just outside the church building.

In September 2013 there is a tree of about 5 feet growing in the plot, a sign that even after death life goes on.

Although she never got to see her children grow old, all five lived very fruitful lives in the communities they inhabited, all three of the sons being involved in government positions, the Post Office, the Sheriff’s Office and local government. 

From Mary’s humble beginnings in the streets of Norwich to her death in Berrima 32 years later, she prepared the path for her children’s lives.

Mary's Grave at Christ Church, Bong Bong

Mary Riches 1820 – 1852

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Joseph Henry Powell 1849 – 1927

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Reginald Joseph Powell 1894 – 1977

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Lorna Bessie Powell 1922 – 2009

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Kevin Reginald Brady 1961 –

Ackerbürger Wilhelm Peters

Ackerbürger Wilhelm Peters

Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Peters (1805-1846)

Wilhelm Peters was a son of a farmer, a family of farmers on both his father and mother’s sides.

Born on May 22, 1805 in the town of Tangermünde, he was the third child of Johann Christoph Peters and Sophia Rosina Erxleben.  Johann Christoph had been married twice before, losing both wives through childbirth.  He had one son, Franz, from his first marriage, and two with Sophia Rosina, but the first baby, as son had died aged 2.  Now with the birth of Wilhelm there were three children in the household, Franz aged 13 and Catherine aged 3.  Another two children were to be born in to the family, Elizabeth in 1808, and Gottfried in 1810.  But tragedy was still to hit the family, with Catherine dying aged 14 in 1816.

Wilhelm’s father died from Brustentzündung (Mastitis) at midday on the 19^th January 1817.  Wilhelm’s elder brother was already away with the army, so at the age of 11 he was now the main male in the household.

                 

Just after his sixteenth birthday, Wilhlem, now confirmed stood as a godparent to his half brother, Franz’s, first child.  On  27^th May 1821 stood there while young Friedrich Wilhelm was baptized.  This young baby, like his father and uncle, would not live a long life.

When Wilhelm was 15 his mother, Sophia Rosina, married for a second time.  Friedrich Scheel, a local Ackerbürger (Citizen farmer).  This marriage would last for seven years before Sophia Rosina died at the age of 49 in October 1827.  Friedrich Scheel even after the death of their mother would remain close to his step children, even after marrying again both he and his new wife would be asked to be godparents to their children.

From the age of 18 Wilhelm would have partaken in two years of training with the local regiment based at Tangeremünde.  All young men in the Prussian provinces were required to do this.

After leaving the army, Wilhelm went back to farm work, most likely with his brother Franz.  Sometime in 1830 he met Sophie Christine Breyde.  Sophie was 9 years older than Wilhelm, and was the daughter of a helmsman, Johann Wilhelm Breyde, who had worked on the ships going up and down the Elbe river.  Johann had died in 1819, leaving a wife and 4 daughters. 

The Banns were called  on the 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd Sundays after Trinity and on the 4^th November at St. Stephen’s Evangelical Church in Tangermünde, Wilhelm and Sophie were married.

Wilhelm and Sophie’s first child was born on the 29^th August 1831.  Baptized Friedrich Wilhelm, and known as Wilhelm like his father.  His godparents were a mixture of family and local people that Wilhelm senior worked with.   But one thing had changed, Wilhelm was no longer a Ackermann (Farmer), but was now identified as a local business man/trader, a Handelsmann.

Two years later a daughter was born, Christine Charlotte, on July 17^th, 1833.  Again Wilhelm was described as a Handelsmann.  But in another 2 more years the young family was to have twin daughters.  On the 26^th September 1835 at 7 in the evening Charlotte Dorothea was born, closely followed by Friederike Louise. 

But sadness closely followed, on the 1^st of October Friederike Louise was hurriedly baptized but by 8 in the evening she had died.  She was buried on the 3^rd, and her little twin sister was dually baptized the following day.

On June 26^th  1838, a fourth daughter was born to Wilhelm and Sophie, Friederike Mathilde. 

Life continued for Wilhelm, hard work and tragedy. In 1841 little Charlotte Dorothea joined her sister, dying from consumption on the 3^rd of May.

Wilhelm continued to work and live, watching his remaining children grow.  His son was now 14 and commencing work on the farms with his father, but further tragedy was to strike.

He died of Nervenfieber (Typhoid fever) about 10 o’clock on the night of April 29, 1846, a few weeks shy of his 41^st birthday.  He was buried in the local cemetery on the 1^st of May.

His wife, Sophie, lived for another 22 years, seeing all of their three surviving children marry and start families.

In the burial register Wilhelm is described as an Ackerbürger – a Citizen farmer, a man of the land.

Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Peters (1805-1846)

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Friederike Mathilde Peters (1838-

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Theodore Wilhelm Vetter (1866-1943)

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Alan Louis Brady (1916-1995)

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Kevin Reginald Brady (1961-

Note:  The Photo of St. Stephen’s Church was taken by JohanBakker