Anastasia Merrin (Annie)
Anastasia Merrin was either a sister or a cousin to my great-great-great-grandfather, John A Merrin. She is not directly related to me however I am recording the information I've found out about her here in case it helps others and also because it adds to what I know of John Merrin's story.
Anastasia Merrin (known as Annie) arrived in Sydney on 21 October 1858 aboard Golconda, along with Eliza and Michael Merrin, the siblings of John Merrin [reference needed].
Annie's father was listed as John Merrin, a botanist, whereas the father of John, Eliza and Michael was James Merrin. For this reason, my initial thinking was that Annie Merrin was a cousin of John, Eliza and Michael Merrin, however, she is mentioned as one of John's sisters in John's obituary. This could have been a misunderstanding on the part of the journalist who wrote the obituary or Annie could, in fact, have been John's sister.
Annie Merrin married John Joseph Smith in 1869 in Carcoar [1]. They had nine children together, three of whom died when very young. The children were all born in Carcoar:
Arthur M J, born 1870 (NSW BDM 8464/1870)
Annie Elizabeth, born 1872 (NSW BDM 8602/1872)
Gertrude A, born 1875 (NSW BDM 9506/1875). Died in 1879 (NSW BDM 4933/1879).
Ignatius Lyall, born 1876 (NSW BDM 9836/1876)
Francis Xavier, born 1876 (NSW BDM 9837/1876). Died in 1877 (NSW BDM 4607/1877).
Amelia Victoria, born 1878 (NSW BDM 10793/1878)
William James, born 1880 (NSW BDM 12058/1880). Died in 1882 as James W (NSW BDM 6820/1882).
Ernest John, born 1881 (NSW BDM 13203/1881)
Algernon Thomas B, born 1883 (NSW BDM 14650/1883)
In 1874 John and Annie rebuilt the Stoke Hotel and ran it until late 1921 or early 1922. The original hotel on the site was the Victoria Hotel, a single storey building which is slightly off to the side of the present building [3,4]. In 1911, they secured the mail contract from Errowanbang to Carcoar four times a week.
In late 1921 or early 1922, John and Annie moved to Sydney where they lived with their son, Algernon, and later with their daughter, Amelia.
Both Annie and John died on 9 June 1922 in their sleep from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning [4]. Their address at the time was 13 Grosvenor Street, Woolahra and the informant was their son, Algernon, who was living close by at 21 Lennox Street, Woolahra (now Bellevue Hill). Both addresses are close to 16 Womerah Avenue, Darlinghurst which is where John Merrin, Annie's brother/cousin, was living when he died in 1912. According to a 1924 newspaper report, there were still Smiths living at 13 Grosvenor Street two years after John and Annie died so I'm guessing they owned the home and passed it on to a son and his family. Alternatively, John and Annie could have moved to Sydney to live with one of their sons.
Annie and John were buried on 10 June 1922 in the Roman Catholic portion of Waverley Cemetery.
References:
[1] NSW BDM 2117/1869
[2] Leader, 9 August 1912
[3] Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 17 January 1888
[4] Facebook post by Carcoar and District Historical Society
Anastasia Merrin (known as Annie) arrived in Sydney on 21 October 1858 aboard Golconda, along with Eliza and Michael Merrin, the siblings of John Merrin [reference needed].
Annie's father was listed as John Merrin, a botanist, whereas the father of John, Eliza and Michael was James Merrin. For this reason, my initial thinking was that Annie Merrin was a cousin of John, Eliza and Michael Merrin, however, she is mentioned as one of John's sisters in John's obituary. This could have been a misunderstanding on the part of the journalist who wrote the obituary or Annie could, in fact, have been John's sister.
Annie Merrin married John Joseph Smith in 1869 in Carcoar [1]. They had nine children together, three of whom died when very young. The children were all born in Carcoar:
Arthur M J, born 1870 (NSW BDM 8464/1870)
Annie Elizabeth, born 1872 (NSW BDM 8602/1872)
Gertrude A, born 1875 (NSW BDM 9506/1875). Died in 1879 (NSW BDM 4933/1879).
Ignatius Lyall, born 1876 (NSW BDM 9836/1876)
Francis Xavier, born 1876 (NSW BDM 9837/1876). Died in 1877 (NSW BDM 4607/1877).
Amelia Victoria, born 1878 (NSW BDM 10793/1878)
William James, born 1880 (NSW BDM 12058/1880). Died in 1882 as James W (NSW BDM 6820/1882).
Ernest John, born 1881 (NSW BDM 13203/1881)
Algernon Thomas B, born 1883 (NSW BDM 14650/1883)
In 1874 John and Annie rebuilt the Stoke Hotel and ran it until late 1921 or early 1922. The original hotel on the site was the Victoria Hotel, a single storey building which is slightly off to the side of the present building [3,4]. In 1911, they secured the mail contract from Errowanbang to Carcoar four times a week.
In late 1921 or early 1922, John and Annie moved to Sydney where they lived with their son, Algernon, and later with their daughter, Amelia.
Both Annie and John died on 9 June 1922 in their sleep from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning [4]. Their address at the time was 13 Grosvenor Street, Woolahra and the informant was their son, Algernon, who was living close by at 21 Lennox Street, Woolahra (now Bellevue Hill). Both addresses are close to 16 Womerah Avenue, Darlinghurst which is where John Merrin, Annie's brother/cousin, was living when he died in 1912. According to a 1924 newspaper report, there were still Smiths living at 13 Grosvenor Street two years after John and Annie died so I'm guessing they owned the home and passed it on to a son and his family. Alternatively, John and Annie could have moved to Sydney to live with one of their sons.
Annie and John were buried on 10 June 1922 in the Roman Catholic portion of Waverley Cemetery.
References:
[1] NSW BDM 2117/1869
[2] Leader, 9 August 1912
[3] Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal, 17 January 1888
[4] Facebook post by Carcoar and District Historical Society