Clara Marsh and Her Four Daughters


 Clara Marsh's life is a testament to resilience and strength. Born in June 1858 in Nottingham, England, to George Marsh, a labourer at the gas works, and Julia Wombell, Clara faced challenges from the outset. She could not read or write, so she never worked outside her parental home. She navigated a life of trials, leaving a lasting legacy through her four daughters.

Early Life and Marriage

Clara's early years were spent looking after her siblings at home. She married Joseph Maskrey in Sheffield in January 1875, aged 23. The couple welcomed two daughters, Clara Maskrey, born on May 12, 1877, and Gertrude Maskrey, born in April 1880. However, life changed again when Joseph left Clara and the young girls with her family and migrated to Australia. His sister and her husband were already in Orange.

Journey to Australia

In July 1881, Clara made the arduous journey to Australia with her daughters to reunite with Joseph, who had taken the license of the Commercial Hotel in Orange. Their reunion was tragically short-lived. On December 26, 1881, Joseph accidentally shot himself during a family kangaroo hunting trip. Clara, then pregnant, gave birth to Elizabeth in early 1882, who sadly passed away in 1883.

A New Chapter: Marriage to Edward Goode

Undeterred by her losses, Clara married Edward Goode in Bathurst on March 31, 1884. Edward was a labourer who had leased land in Carcoar. He and Clara had nine children together, but only 5 survived adulthood. Alfred Goode was born and died in Bathurst in 1884, and Ada Lillian Goode followed, only to pass away in 1885 in Carcoar. Despite these heartbreaks, Clara's family continued to grow.

Victoria Elizabeth Goode was born in Walgett on July 7, 1886, and survived. She later married William Henry Brown in 1903 in Wilcannia. Their next child, an unnamed baby, was born and died in Walgett in 1888. William Goode was born in Wilcannia in 1889 and lived until 1959, while Grace Goode was born in Wilcannia in 1891. She led a life that intertwined closely with her mother's story and was my great-grandmother.

Trials and Tribulations

The Goode family had continuous journeys, moving from Orange to Carcoar, Walgett, and settling in Wilcannia until they moved to Wentworth, Mildura, and finished up in Renmark. Frederick Goode was born in Wilcannia and died in 1892; George James Goode was born in Wilcannia in 1893 and passed away in 1969; Elizabeth Mary Goode was born in 1894 and died in 1902; and Nellie and Sylvester, who both died in in in infancy in 1898 and 1899, respectively, followed. They were called illegitimate on their birth certificates.

By 1895, Edward Goode had disappeared, and I have been unable to find his death certificate. By the time of her eldest daughter's wedding in December 1895, Clara was calling herself Clara Matthews. Her children adopted the Matthews surname, marking another significant shift in their lives. At this stage, Clara ran a boarding house in Hood Street Wilcannia. William Matthews worked on Calpaulin Station, near Wilcannia, as did Grace William and George.

 Later Years and Legacy

Clara married William Matthews on September 17, 1903, in Wilcannia, calling herself a widow while William was a bachelor. As Wilcannia deteriorated due to drought and the loss of the paddle steamer industry, they moved to Mildura, eventually settling in Renmark, where William died on April 26, 1913. Clara's daughters, Gertrude and Victoria, also moved to Renmark.

In her final marriage, Clara wed William George Holliday on December 24, 1917, in Renmark. Clara Marsh's eventful life ended on September 14, 1922, in Renmark.

The Legacy of Clara's Daughters

Clara's daughters led equally remarkable lives; they kept in contact through letters, visits and photographs all throughout their lives.

  • Clara Maskrey married John Garland, a wool scourer in Wilcannia, in 1895 and passed away in Sydney in 1952. They had eight children.
  • Gertrude Maskrey married Charles Albert Ashton, a boat builder, in 1896. She later married Alfred James Boots in 1940. She passed away in Renmark in 1961. With Charles, she had 15 children.
  • Victoria Elizabeth Goode married William Henry Brown, a labourer, in 1903 and died in Mildura in 1936. They had 18 children.
  • Grace Goode had Mary Elizabeth Matthews (her father was Alfred Gourlay) at 15 in Wilcannia. She married Louis Langanke, a pump's fireman, in 1907 in Mildura and passed away in Mildura in 1954. They had 9 children.

Each daughter faced trials but carried Clara's resilience and strength forward. Clara Marsh's story is one of enduring perseverance, and her legacy lives on through the lives of her descendants.



                                             Aston and Brown Families moving to Mildura. 

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