I had a chance to visit two cemeteries while on my quick visit of five days to Sydney.
First was Waverley. While burials are indexed and available, there is not any strong evidence of whether or not headstones exist at each grave. While satellite image overlays of grave plots can now be helpful, they are certainly not definitive.
So I sat down and looked at posts where I'd referenced the cemetery, plotted out some names and grave locations. And on Tuesday I went for a walk with Matilda - we did the coast walk, with a solid diversion into Waverley cemetery on our way to Bondi. Here were my notes I created before heading out the door. The little dots below were a not-super-reliable area reference for me to start working off. As it turns out the cemetery web site map was outstanding and reliable.
And here was the view:
And now for the graves. One point to make up is that Waverley Cemetery search engine can tell you whether someone is buried at the cemetery, and the plot location in which they are buried. However, it cannot do the reverse and indicate ALL the people buried in a particular plot. And that can be valuable information that leads to new understanding about family connections, as I will reveal.....
1. Walter Herbert Hodge (1871-1956) - W-19-CE-OR-4587. My great-great grandfather and there's some information on him at this blog post (and more on other posts). Searching the page - in the same grave is his wife Grace nee SMITH (1870-1934) and their daughter Annie Victoria HODGE (1902-1904) who died aged 2. Significantly (see below) the undertaker for Grace and Annie was "W CARTER, Undertaker, Waverley". So this plot was likely acquired for Annie (1904).
There is NO HEADSTONE at this grave:
1. John MOLONEY (1841-1912) - W-18-RC-SL-3964. My great great great grandfather and there's some information on him at this blog post (and more on other posts). I knew there was a headstone at this grave from the work of other relatives including Hal Moloney and Tom Element, but here is the headstone - and it is beautiful:
There are inscriptions on two sides and are transcribed by me as follows:
In loving memory of Ellen Moloney, Native of Tower Hill of Limerick, Ireland
Died Redfern N.S.W 27th June 1909, aged 67 years
Requiescat in pace
Also John Moloney husband of the above
Died 9th October 1912 aged 72 years RIP
John Michael McCarthy 25th March 1917 - 22nd July 1995
A quiet but generous man
In loving memory of Thomas James Element
Died 15th Dec 1977 aged 62 years In God's Care
Eileen Bridget Element 7 July 1914 - 12 July 1999
Their Love Lives On.
John McCarthy and Eileen Element were grandchildren of John and Ellen Moloney through their daughter Margaret. There were others buried at this plot without having information added to the impressive graave marker - including their son William MOLONEY (1872-1916).
3. Sebastian HODGE (1833-1899 - father of Walter above) - W-05-GE-SL-436. My great great great grandfather and there's some information on him at this blog post (and more on other posts).
The double plot has stone borders, and a vase-type receptacle at the head of the grave. Searching did not reveal a fallen headstone, nor did it reveal evidence of a headstone ever being mounted at the grave. Confusing.
While I don't have a headstone, I do have a little research on who is buried in the plot. Sebastian and Ellen's son John Albert HODGE (1865-1892) is buried in the plot, but Sebastian's wife Ellen who died one year before him (1888) is not here - she was buried at Camperdown Cemetery.... this is because a year after his wife died, Sebastian married Helenor/Helena/Ellen MCBURNEY, and when Sebastian died THREE MONTHS after his second marriage, he came to be buried in Waverley. Why? Well, Helenor MCBURNEY's first husband Thomas McClelland died in 1884 (abt 1841-1884) and this plot is where he was buried... so it's likely his plot. When Helenor's second husband Sebastian died five years later, he was buried in the same plot. Eerie. Helenor married a THIRD TIME in 1905 to James Henry WILLIAMS (abt 1853-1934), then TWO MONTHS after her marriage she died - and was also buried at the plot in Waverley. So Helenor (1905) is buried with her first husband (Thomas, 1884), and her second husband (Sebastian, 1889).
That's complicated, but that research makes up for the lack of a headstone - and let's be honest that would be a complicated headstone!
4. Gladys SMITH (died 1999) - W-16-GE-SL-4047. I was interested in seeing if Gladys had a grave because of this photo of Gladys with her cousins including my great grandmother. And there was indeed a grave:
In loving memory of Walter Carter
Died 31st May 1914 in his 62nd year At Rest
Also of Eliza wife of the above Died 6th July 1934 in her 85th year At Rest
In memory of Walter Ernest Carter dearly beloved husband of
Frances Winifred died 16th June 1962 aged 56 years
Gladys Eliza Smith died 18th January 1999 aged 96 years
In loving memory of Hanson Carter died 8th June 1948 aged 70 years At Rest
Also Beatrice beloved wife of the above
Died 13th November 1954 At Rest
In loving memory of Annie dearly loved wife of William E. Smith
Died 9th October 1926, aged 52 years.
Peace. Perfect peace.
Also of William Ernest husband of above
Died 26th September 1944, aged 73 years, At Rest.
Gordon Smith died 21 September 2000 aged 88 years
Marjorie Smith died 25 December 2012 aged 84 years
The family founded Walter Carter funerals, and daughter Annie CARTER married William Ernest SMITH. Eventually the business moved from son Hanson Carter's family to Gladys SMITH and son Gordon. This history I found online provides a wonderful summary:
"Walter Carter and his family arrived in Australia from England in 1883. Mr and Mrs Carter, their daughter Annie and son Hanson, found their first residence at Ultimo, Sydney. In 1884 the family moved to Woollahra and in 1887 Walter Carter established his funeral home.
Originally, the business was on a mere 17 foot frontage, but in a central location at Oxford Street, Bondi Junction. As time passed, both the company and the man grew in influence and experience. At one stage, Walter Carter himself served on the Waverley Council between 1897 and 1904, being elected mayor for two terms in 1901 and 1902.
After his death in 1914, the business passed to Walter's son, Hanson 'Sep' Carter. He was also a man of considerable note, particularly for his being Australian Test Cricket wicket-keeper from 1902 to 1921. In the early 1930s the transition from horse-drawn to motorised funerals took place. In 1939 a garage and two blocks of flats were built nearby in order to provide a place for the funeral vehicles and housing for company employees. Sep's love of cricket showed in his calling the flats Kennington and Old Trafford, which are the names of cricket grounds in England.
On his passing, the funeral home was left to his wife, Beatrice and son, young Walter, under the care of a trustee company. Beatrice died soon after (in 1954) and young Walter, who was not a well man, passed away in 1962 without having had any children. The business was passed on to Sep's sister's daughter and grandson Gladys and Gordon Smith but was, for a short while, still under the guidance of the trustees. Over the period of time from then until the present, the company grew."
Finally, on the ground at the grave was this decorated tile of Sep Carter. I was confused by it, but as the information above details, he was Australian wicket-keeper - and has a Wikipedia page with lots of extra information.
5. Mary PETRICH nee MOLONEY (1866-1847 - daughter of John MOLONEY above) - W-12-RC-SL-4725. Mary information here and her husband Marino (1864-1914) are buried at this plot - there was no headstone - and much searching was performed to confirm it.
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OK that's Part 1. I hope this page provides information useful to other descendants. There are some loose threads here I've never fully chased down - particularly with Sebastian Hodge's second wife and her other two husbands... did they have children? Work to do.
I'll next provide a post on the Rookwood visit - which was shorter.
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