Bridget Wilson (later Price and Turner) aka Bridget Manton
Michael Seery > Winifred Seery > Bridget Wilson
Updated 26 June 2023
Bridget Wilson was the child of Winifred (née Seery) and William Wilson and a sister to my great-grandmother, Catherine Wilson (later Withers).
In the course of researching Catherine and her parents, I've managed to piece together quite a lot about Bridget who seems to have led a fairly colourful life.
Bridget's father, William, had come to New South Wales from America in search of gold. I am not sure how Bridget's mother, Winifred, came to be in the Windeyer area however she had previously been married to John Manton with whom she had a son, also called John Manton. Winifred and John seem to have parted company sometime between 1854 and 1856, when William and Winifred married in Windeyer.
Neither I nor any of the researchers I've worked with have been unable to find a birth record for Bridget or for her sister, Catherine (my great-grandmother). Records exist for the other three children in the family but apparently not for these two. The information we have comes from the records of their baptisms.
For Bridget, I have two baptism records, one relating to an Anglican baptism and a later one relating to her Catholic baptism. Note that her father was Church of England and her mother was Catholic.
Bridget was baptised for the first time on 5 November 1861 at St John's Anglican Church in Hartley when her birth date was recorded as 27 May 1861. Her family's "abode" is listed as being the "Meroo River" and her father's profession as "gold miner". This suggests that Bridget was almost certainly born in Devil's Hole Creek (later renamed Clarke's Creek), near present-day Windeyer. Note that in October 1880, when registering the birth of her son, Isaac, Bridget recorded that she had been born in Mudgee and that she was 19. This is consistent with her having been born in 1861. Mudgee is the nearest large town to Windeyer.
Bridget Wilson was the child of Winifred (née Seery) and William Wilson and a sister to my great-grandmother, Catherine Wilson (later Withers).
In the course of researching Catherine and her parents, I've managed to piece together quite a lot about Bridget who seems to have led a fairly colourful life.
Bridget's father, William, had come to New South Wales from America in search of gold. I am not sure how Bridget's mother, Winifred, came to be in the Windeyer area however she had previously been married to John Manton with whom she had a son, also called John Manton. Winifred and John seem to have parted company sometime between 1854 and 1856, when William and Winifred married in Windeyer.
Neither I nor any of the researchers I've worked with have been unable to find a birth record for Bridget or for her sister, Catherine (my great-grandmother). Records exist for the other three children in the family but apparently not for these two. The information we have comes from the records of their baptisms.
For Bridget, I have two baptism records, one relating to an Anglican baptism and a later one relating to her Catholic baptism. Note that her father was Church of England and her mother was Catholic.
Bridget was baptised for the first time on 5 November 1861 at St John's Anglican Church in Hartley when her birth date was recorded as 27 May 1861. Her family's "abode" is listed as being the "Meroo River" and her father's profession as "gold miner". This suggests that Bridget was almost certainly born in Devil's Hole Creek (later renamed Clarke's Creek), near present-day Windeyer. Note that in October 1880, when registering the birth of her son, Isaac, Bridget recorded that she had been born in Mudgee and that she was 19. This is consistent with her having been born in 1861. Mudgee is the nearest large town to Windeyer.
According to the record of her Catholic baptism, however, Bridget was born on 4 May 1862. She was baptised at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Goulburn on 1 December 1866 and her sponsors were Hugh Seery and Bridget Seery, siblings of her mother, Winifred. This birth date cannot be correct, given that I have a copy of her baptism on 5 November 1861 from the parish register of St John's at Hartley.
So why the two baptisms?
I suspect her mother was keen to have Bridget baptised as soon as she could after the baby was born so took the opportunity to have her baptised when they reached Hartley when Bridget was five months old. Bridget's father was not Catholic which would explain why Bridget was not able to be baptised in the Catholic church of St Bernard's in Hartley which did exist at the time.
Why then was she able to be baptised in a Catholic church in Goulburn five years later? When Bridget was baptised in Goulburn in 1866, Winifred either deliberately gave her daughter's birthdate as a year later than it actually was (1862 instead of 1861) or the year 1862 was simply recorded in error. Perhaps the priest in Hartley had not been prepared to baptise the child of an Anglican and a Catholic but the priest in Goulburn was.
So why the two baptisms?
I suspect her mother was keen to have Bridget baptised as soon as she could after the baby was born so took the opportunity to have her baptised when they reached Hartley when Bridget was five months old. Bridget's father was not Catholic which would explain why Bridget was not able to be baptised in the Catholic church of St Bernard's in Hartley which did exist at the time.
Why then was she able to be baptised in a Catholic church in Goulburn five years later? When Bridget was baptised in Goulburn in 1866, Winifred either deliberately gave her daughter's birthdate as a year later than it actually was (1862 instead of 1861) or the year 1862 was simply recorded in error. Perhaps the priest in Hartley had not been prepared to baptise the child of an Anglican and a Catholic but the priest in Goulburn was.
Moving to Cotta Walla and Tarlo
When Bridget was born in 1861, her parents already had two sons and were living in the gold-mining settlement of Devil's Hole Creek. Winifred's oldest child, John Manton, who would have been seven years old in 1861, may also have been with them.
Devil's Hole Creek was a remote settlement and life would have been difficult for a family with small children. My mother tells me that family stories say William became a farmer, that he owned a buggy and that the children at one stage all had their own cattle. This suggest that William found enough gold to buy some land and that, after Bridget's birth in 1861, he and Winifred made the decision to leave Devil's Hole Creek. Winifred may also have wanted to move closer to her parents, who lived near Crookwell, and perhaps to other family members who lived around Goulburn and Crookwell.
Hartley, where Bridget was baptised, is almost exactly half-way between Devil's Hole Creek and the Cotta Walla/Tarlo area. It seems likely, then, that in 1861 the family were making their way from Devil's Hole Creek to Cotta Walla or Tarlo, stopped in Hartley for a while and took the opportunity to have baby Bridget baptised.
We know that the family moved to the Cotta Walla area in about 1862 or 1863 because their daughter Catherine's birth place is noted as Cotta Walla. Catherine was baptised at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Goulburn on 1 December 1866 at the same time as Bridget. The baptismal record gives Catherine's date of birth as 13 July 1963 and notes that she was born in Cotta Walla or Cotton Valley, as it was known for a time.
William's name appears as a leaseholder in Tarlo on the 1863-1864 Electoral Roll so we know that the family were living in Tarlo in 1863. There was a school in Tarlo from at least 1864 so it is possible Bridget and her siblings attended it.
Bridget was still living with her family in the Tarlo area in 1880 when, at the age of 19, she gave birth to her son, Isaac Withers.
Devil's Hole Creek was a remote settlement and life would have been difficult for a family with small children. My mother tells me that family stories say William became a farmer, that he owned a buggy and that the children at one stage all had their own cattle. This suggest that William found enough gold to buy some land and that, after Bridget's birth in 1861, he and Winifred made the decision to leave Devil's Hole Creek. Winifred may also have wanted to move closer to her parents, who lived near Crookwell, and perhaps to other family members who lived around Goulburn and Crookwell.
Hartley, where Bridget was baptised, is almost exactly half-way between Devil's Hole Creek and the Cotta Walla/Tarlo area. It seems likely, then, that in 1861 the family were making their way from Devil's Hole Creek to Cotta Walla or Tarlo, stopped in Hartley for a while and took the opportunity to have baby Bridget baptised.
We know that the family moved to the Cotta Walla area in about 1862 or 1863 because their daughter Catherine's birth place is noted as Cotta Walla. Catherine was baptised at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Church in Goulburn on 1 December 1866 at the same time as Bridget. The baptismal record gives Catherine's date of birth as 13 July 1963 and notes that she was born in Cotta Walla or Cotton Valley, as it was known for a time.
William's name appears as a leaseholder in Tarlo on the 1863-1864 Electoral Roll so we know that the family were living in Tarlo in 1863. There was a school in Tarlo from at least 1864 so it is possible Bridget and her siblings attended it.
Bridget was still living with her family in the Tarlo area in 1880 when, at the age of 19, she gave birth to her son, Isaac Withers.
Marriage and Children
Bridget's mother, Winifred, died in 1871 when Bridget would have been only about nine or 10. This would obviously have been a very sad and distressing turning point in Bridget's life and I suspect it left her with what we would now call attachment issues. She seems to have been looking for love and affection throughout her life but didn't have the nurturing or skills she needed to form strong, lasting relationships which would have influenced her parenting. Sadly, some of her children spent time in orphanages while others were in trouble with the law.
Note that Bridget's father married for a second time in 1879, marrying a widow, Margaret Withers (nee Murphy).
Bridget had 11 children that we know of by at least three different men over a period of about 18 years but it was some time before she married. She seems to have been married to two of the men but not to the third, Edmund/Edward Withers. Note that four of her children died before their fourth birthdays, three in early infancy.
Bridget used different surnames for herself and her children at various times. This has made it very difficult to work out who fathered the children and even who she was married to. What follows is the information other researchers and I have been able to piece together, using birth, marriage and death certificates and family stories.
The children and what I know of their stories are listed below.
Note that Bridget's father married for a second time in 1879, marrying a widow, Margaret Withers (nee Murphy).
Bridget had 11 children that we know of by at least three different men over a period of about 18 years but it was some time before she married. She seems to have been married to two of the men but not to the third, Edmund/Edward Withers. Note that four of her children died before their fourth birthdays, three in early infancy.
Bridget used different surnames for herself and her children at various times. This has made it very difficult to work out who fathered the children and even who she was married to. What follows is the information other researchers and I have been able to piece together, using birth, marriage and death certificates and family stories.
The children and what I know of their stories are listed below.
1. Isaac Edward Wilson/Withers (1880-?)
On 7 September 1880 when she was 18 years old, Bridget gave birth to her first child, Isaac Edward Wilson. The baby was born at Woodhouselee, where her family lived, and her step-mother, Margaret Wilson (nee Murphy, formerly Withers), witnessed the birth.
Bridget was unmarried at the time so was not permitted to name a father on the birth certificate. I believe Edward Withers was Isaac's father because:
Isaac is not mentioned, either as living or deceased, on his mother's death certificate when her death was registered by another son, Edward in 1914. The death certificate gives Edward Withers as Bridget's first husband and, while this is not true, it lends weight to the idea that Edward Withers was Isaac's father.
I have been unable to find a record of Isaac's death in NSW. I have checked using the surnames Wilson, Withers, Manton, Price and Turner over the years 1900-1989.
- the baby was given the middle name of Edward;
- he seems to have gone by the name of Isaac Withers all his life;
- in 1896 Isaac was arrested for stealing and gave his name as Isaac Edward Withers;
- in 1901 George Withers was before the courts and mentioned that he had been hanging around the station 'to meet Ike, his nephew, thinking he might be back from the war.'
- Isaac himself in a court report refers to Edward Withers as his father;
- listed as present at his birth was Margaret Wilson who was both Bridget's step-mother and also her de-facto mother-in-law. This is because Margaret was Edward/Edmund Withers' mother and also the second wife of Bridget's father, William Wilson. This means Margaret Wilson would also have been the baby's grandmother.
Isaac is not mentioned, either as living or deceased, on his mother's death certificate when her death was registered by another son, Edward in 1914. The death certificate gives Edward Withers as Bridget's first husband and, while this is not true, it lends weight to the idea that Edward Withers was Isaac's father.
I have been unable to find a record of Isaac's death in NSW. I have checked using the surnames Wilson, Withers, Manton, Price and Turner over the years 1900-1989.
Marriage to William Price
On 12 December 1881, Bridget married William Price at St James' Church of England in Binda, near Grabben Gullen and Crookwell (NSW BDM 2930/1881). Why did they marry here when they lived elsewhere? Were they trying to hide their marriage?
William was a widower living in Grabben Gullen while Bridget's address was given as Tarlo. The marriage appears to have been short-lived and she went on to live with Edmund Withers. We assume she did not marry Edmund because she was still married to William Price. It seems William did not die until 1917 (NSW BDM 10358/1917, Crookwell).
Note that there is also a record of a Bridget Wilson marrying a William Tibbs in 1881 in Goulburn. I don't have a copy of the certificate so am unable to see whether Bridget in fact married two different men in the same year.
Note that there is also a record of a Bridget Wilson marrying a William Tibbs in 1881 in Goulburn. I don't have a copy of the certificate so am unable to see whether Bridget in fact married two different men in the same year.
Bridget died in 1914 and her marriage to William is not mentioned on her death certificate (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
2. Mary May Price
There is a record of a baby being born in 1882 in St Leonards in Sydney who seems to have been the child of William and Bridget Price (NSW BDM 9350/1882). The pregnancy would explain Bridget and William's marriage but why would Bridget have given birth to the baby in Sydney?
There is a record of a Mary M Price marrying Clarence C McMaugh in St Leonards in 1914 (NSW BDM 16491/1914), when she would have been aged 32. Could Mary have been informally adopted by a family member in Sydney and brought up by them? If Bridget was separated from William Price at the time, might he have been unaware of his daughter's existence?
Mary does seem to have been William and Bridget's child. She died in Manly in 1949 as Mary May McMaugh and her parents are recorded as being William and Bridget (NSW BDM 22462/1949). Note, however, that she is not mentioned on Bridget's death certificate (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
There is a record of a Mary M Price marrying Clarence C McMaugh in St Leonards in 1914 (NSW BDM 16491/1914), when she would have been aged 32. Could Mary have been informally adopted by a family member in Sydney and brought up by them? If Bridget was separated from William Price at the time, might he have been unaware of his daughter's existence?
Mary does seem to have been William and Bridget's child. She died in Manly in 1949 as Mary May McMaugh and her parents are recorded as being William and Bridget (NSW BDM 22462/1949). Note, however, that she is not mentioned on Bridget's death certificate (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
3. Henry Francis Price (1883-?)
Henry was born in 1883. No father's details appear on his birth certificate however his surname is given as Price (NSW BDM 11014/1883). Was he, in fact, the son of William Price? If so, why did Bridget raise Henry but not Mary who appears also to have been the child of William Price?
The place of Henry's birth is given as "Argyle", which is the county in which Goulburn and Tarlo are located. This is an odd place name to give and I wonder if Bridget was being deliberately vague in order, perhaps, to hide the baby's birth.
It seems likely that Henry was the son of Edward Withers. He was known by the family as a Withers and is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
Strangely, Henry Francis Price seems to have been known as Henry Burkitt or Frank Burkitt for most of his adult life. We do not know why he used the surname Burkitt. He could have been fathered by a man called Burkitt or possibly informally adopted out to a family called Burkitt and then reunited with his real family [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Henry married Jean Jones in Temora in 1911 as Henry F Burkitt (NSW BDM 10788/1911). I can find a record of only one child from this marriage: Henrietta Burkitt, born in 1916 in Sydney (NSW BDM 385/1916).
Frank Burkitt told his wife and daughter that his father was Dr Burkitt and that he'd been born in England. He said that when his father died his mother, Bridget, brought him out to Australia or perhaps that they all came out to Australia together and then his father died. Henrietta later came to believe that her father had lied about his origins [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell]. I suspect Frank was ashamed of his parentage and created a story about having a different father.
Note that a Dr Burkitt delivered Lorna Stacey (daughter of one of Henry's cousins, Anastasia, née Withers) in 1910 in Goulburn. Dr Burkitt was a respected and well-liked doctor in Goulburn who had been born in England and who worked for many years in Goulburn. I suspect Henry knew Dr Burkitt and created the story about his father based on this Dr Burkitt.
Frank Burkitt named one of his sons Isaac after his brother [email dated 30/5/13 from Diane Campbell].
Frank died as Henry Francis Burkitt in Temora in 1937. His death certificate notes that his parents were Thomas and Bridget Mary, however this information would have been provided by whoever registered his death (his daughter?) based on information provided to her by Frank himself (NSW BDM 8461/1937).
The place of Henry's birth is given as "Argyle", which is the county in which Goulburn and Tarlo are located. This is an odd place name to give and I wonder if Bridget was being deliberately vague in order, perhaps, to hide the baby's birth.
It seems likely that Henry was the son of Edward Withers. He was known by the family as a Withers and is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
Strangely, Henry Francis Price seems to have been known as Henry Burkitt or Frank Burkitt for most of his adult life. We do not know why he used the surname Burkitt. He could have been fathered by a man called Burkitt or possibly informally adopted out to a family called Burkitt and then reunited with his real family [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Henry married Jean Jones in Temora in 1911 as Henry F Burkitt (NSW BDM 10788/1911). I can find a record of only one child from this marriage: Henrietta Burkitt, born in 1916 in Sydney (NSW BDM 385/1916).
Frank Burkitt told his wife and daughter that his father was Dr Burkitt and that he'd been born in England. He said that when his father died his mother, Bridget, brought him out to Australia or perhaps that they all came out to Australia together and then his father died. Henrietta later came to believe that her father had lied about his origins [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell]. I suspect Frank was ashamed of his parentage and created a story about having a different father.
Note that a Dr Burkitt delivered Lorna Stacey (daughter of one of Henry's cousins, Anastasia, née Withers) in 1910 in Goulburn. Dr Burkitt was a respected and well-liked doctor in Goulburn who had been born in England and who worked for many years in Goulburn. I suspect Henry knew Dr Burkitt and created the story about his father based on this Dr Burkitt.
Frank Burkitt named one of his sons Isaac after his brother [email dated 30/5/13 from Diane Campbell].
Frank died as Henry Francis Burkitt in Temora in 1937. His death certificate notes that his parents were Thomas and Bridget Mary, however this information would have been provided by whoever registered his death (his daughter?) based on information provided to her by Frank himself (NSW BDM 8461/1937).
4. Edward Charles Wilson (1886-1965)
Edward was born in 1886 in the Crookwell area. No father was listed on the birth certificate however I think Edward/Edmund Withers was his father.
Although Bridget was still legally married to William Price at the time, she used her maiden name of Wilson to register her son's birth. This and the fact that she did not name William Price as the father on the birth certificate seems to indicate that Edward was not William's son.
Edward's surname is given as Wilson on his birth certificate but at some stage he adopted the name of Edward Charles Price, presumably because Price was his mother's married name at the time.
For most of his adult life, Edward seems to have used the name Edward Withers. His name appears as Edward Charles Withers on his death certificate and his father is listed as Edward Withers (NSW BDM 25392/1965).
Edward C Withers married Helen Carter in Young, NSW in 1908 (NSW BDM 9443/1908). I can find no record of any children of this marriage which ties in with Diane Campbell's information that Edward left his estate to his siblings.
"My father has the will of Edward C Withers who we now presume to be Edward C Wilson. In it he gives different parts of his estate to his siblings. I will have to get Dad to read it out again because I can't quite remember everything it says. I am sure, however, that he gives a share of his estate to all of his siblings that we know to be his siblings with the exception of my great-grandfather, Clyde (died in 1945). Instead he leaves half of Clyde's share to Clyde's wife, Edith Turner, and half to his daughter and my grandmother, Bridget. In this he also leaves a share to 'my brother, Frank Burkitt'" [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Bridget appears to have been living with her son, Edward, when she died in 1914 and he registered her death. He is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
Although Bridget was still legally married to William Price at the time, she used her maiden name of Wilson to register her son's birth. This and the fact that she did not name William Price as the father on the birth certificate seems to indicate that Edward was not William's son.
Edward's surname is given as Wilson on his birth certificate but at some stage he adopted the name of Edward Charles Price, presumably because Price was his mother's married name at the time.
For most of his adult life, Edward seems to have used the name Edward Withers. His name appears as Edward Charles Withers on his death certificate and his father is listed as Edward Withers (NSW BDM 25392/1965).
Edward C Withers married Helen Carter in Young, NSW in 1908 (NSW BDM 9443/1908). I can find no record of any children of this marriage which ties in with Diane Campbell's information that Edward left his estate to his siblings.
"My father has the will of Edward C Withers who we now presume to be Edward C Wilson. In it he gives different parts of his estate to his siblings. I will have to get Dad to read it out again because I can't quite remember everything it says. I am sure, however, that he gives a share of his estate to all of his siblings that we know to be his siblings with the exception of my great-grandfather, Clyde (died in 1945). Instead he leaves half of Clyde's share to Clyde's wife, Edith Turner, and half to his daughter and my grandmother, Bridget. In this he also leaves a share to 'my brother, Frank Burkitt'" [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Bridget appears to have been living with her son, Edward, when she died in 1914 and he registered her death. He is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
5. Henrietta Agnes Withers (1888-?)
Henrietta was born 9 October 1888 in Taralga, where Bridget's father and step-mother were living at the time.
The baby's father is listed as being Edmund Withers and her birth certificate states that her parents were married on 15 December 1881 at Gullen. This is incorrect as Bridget and Edmund were not married. Note, however, that this false marriage date is close to the date that Bridget married William Price (12 December 1881). The certificate mistakenly shows Bridget's mother's name as Bridget Manton. It also shows that Bridget had three male children living at the time of Henrietta's birth. We know these to be Isaac, Henry and Edward.
Henrietta used the name Henrietta/Ettie Withers until her marriage [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Henrietta married Willie Tye Sing at the Methodist Church in Harden, NSW (near Temorra and Young) on 25 March 1907. Willie was a 'dealer', originally from Canton in China and was 36 years old at the time of the marriage. Henrietta's age is recorded as 21 on the marriage certificate however she was actually 19. I assume she fudged her age because she would have needed parental permission to marry if she was under the age of 21. Henrietta stated that her father, Edward Withers, was deceased yet Edward did not die until 21 Aprll 1939 in Cowra.
Willie was living in Cootamundra at the time of the marriage and Henrietta was working as a domestic servant in Young. Note that her mother, Bridget, died only seven years later in Young and that her brother, Edward, was also living in Young.
Henrietta is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a daughter of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
The baby's father is listed as being Edmund Withers and her birth certificate states that her parents were married on 15 December 1881 at Gullen. This is incorrect as Bridget and Edmund were not married. Note, however, that this false marriage date is close to the date that Bridget married William Price (12 December 1881). The certificate mistakenly shows Bridget's mother's name as Bridget Manton. It also shows that Bridget had three male children living at the time of Henrietta's birth. We know these to be Isaac, Henry and Edward.
Henrietta used the name Henrietta/Ettie Withers until her marriage [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Henrietta married Willie Tye Sing at the Methodist Church in Harden, NSW (near Temorra and Young) on 25 March 1907. Willie was a 'dealer', originally from Canton in China and was 36 years old at the time of the marriage. Henrietta's age is recorded as 21 on the marriage certificate however she was actually 19. I assume she fudged her age because she would have needed parental permission to marry if she was under the age of 21. Henrietta stated that her father, Edward Withers, was deceased yet Edward did not die until 21 Aprll 1939 in Cowra.
Willie was living in Cootamundra at the time of the marriage and Henrietta was working as a domestic servant in Young. Note that her mother, Bridget, died only seven years later in Young and that her brother, Edward, was also living in Young.
Henrietta is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a daughter of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
6. Winifred Mary Wilson (1890-1890)
Winifred was born in 1890 (NSW BDM 14281/1890) and died one month later. Her birth was registered in Goulburn. No father was listed on the birth certificate and her mother's name appears as Bridget Wilson, however, it's likely Winifred was the daughter of Edmund Withers.
The name on the baby's death certificate is Winifred Price but no father's details are given. It is not clear whether her father was Edward Withers or William Price but I suspect Edward Withers. This idea is supported by the fact that the children Bridget had immediately before and after Winifred were fathered by Edward/Edmund Withers.
The name on the baby's death certificate is Winifred Price but no father's details are given. It is not clear whether her father was Edward Withers or William Price but I suspect Edward Withers. This idea is supported by the fact that the children Bridget had immediately before and after Winifred were fathered by Edward/Edmund Withers.
7. Volney Joseph Wilson (1891-1895)
Volney was born in 1891 (NSW BDM 14525/1891) and his birth was registered in Goulburn. No father was listed on the birth certificate, however, it seems he was the son of Edmund Withers. His mother's name is given as Bridget Wilson.
Volney drowned in the river on 9 March 1895 when he was 3.5 years old. His death certificate states that his mother was Bridget Manton and his father Edmund Withers.
The family story is that his father, Edward Withers, was supposed to be looking after him but fell asleep or perhaps was drunk [reference needed]. The name on his death certificate is Volney Withers and his father appears as Edward Withers. The story says that the death of Volney resulted in the end of the relationship between Bridget and Edward/Edmund but that does not seem to be the case since Bridget went on to have other children with Edmund/Edward.
Volney drowned in the river on 9 March 1895 when he was 3.5 years old. His death certificate states that his mother was Bridget Manton and his father Edmund Withers.
The family story is that his father, Edward Withers, was supposed to be looking after him but fell asleep or perhaps was drunk [reference needed]. The name on his death certificate is Volney Withers and his father appears as Edward Withers. The story says that the death of Volney resulted in the end of the relationship between Bridget and Edward/Edmund but that does not seem to be the case since Bridget went on to have other children with Edmund/Edward.
8. Rose Maude Mary Manton (1894-1894)
Rose was born on 5 February 1894 in Goulburn. Her birth certificate notes that she was illegitimate and that her mother was Bridget Manton.
Rose died on 28 March 1894 in Goulburn at the age of 7 weeks. The name on the death certificate is Rose Maude Withers and her death certificate shows her parents as Bridget Manton and Edmund Withers, living together at the same address.
We do not know why Bridget used one of her mother's names when registering Rose's birth as Bridget was never legally Bridget Manton. She did, however, use the name from time to time, again for unknown reasons.
Rose died on 28 March 1894 in Goulburn at the age of 7 weeks. The name on the death certificate is Rose Maude Withers and her death certificate shows her parents as Bridget Manton and Edmund Withers, living together at the same address.
We do not know why Bridget used one of her mother's names when registering Rose's birth as Bridget was never legally Bridget Manton. She did, however, use the name from time to time, again for unknown reasons.
9. James Clyde Roy Price (1895-1945)
James was born in 1895 and his birth was registered in Goulburn. No father was listed on the birth certificate but it seems his father was Edmund Withers.
James was known in the family as a Withers and always believed he was a Withers. He was only seven when his mother married John Turner in 1902 and he always told the story to his family that he and William (known as Doug) took John Turner's name because they were only young and he was good to them [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
James Clyde Roy Price was known as Roy Turner or sometimes Clyde Turner. As Clyde Turner he spent time at a children's home in Goulburn [email dated 8/8/11 from Lance Turner].
Lance Turner is a grandson of Clyde Turner, via Clyde's son, Len [email dated 8/8/11 from Lance Turner]. Diane Campbell is a great-grand-daughter of Clyde Turner via her grandmother, Bridget Semmler (nee Turner). Len and Bridget were brother and sister.
James called himself Turner his whole life and even listed John Turner as his father on his marriage certificate. Note that he also recorded that his father was deceased at that time which is untrue. John Turner died about 30 years later in Sydney [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
James married Edith Franklin in 1915 in Temora (NSW BDM 17323/1915). They had seven children together, including Leonard Bryce Turner, Lance's father [email dated 13/8/11 from Lance Turner].
Leonard told Lance that when James Clyde Roy died, his wife, Edith, seemed to be a bit ashamed of her husband's family and would not talk about them.
I can't find any record of James's death.
James Clyde Roy is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914), under the name Roy.
James was known in the family as a Withers and always believed he was a Withers. He was only seven when his mother married John Turner in 1902 and he always told the story to his family that he and William (known as Doug) took John Turner's name because they were only young and he was good to them [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
James Clyde Roy Price was known as Roy Turner or sometimes Clyde Turner. As Clyde Turner he spent time at a children's home in Goulburn [email dated 8/8/11 from Lance Turner].
Lance Turner is a grandson of Clyde Turner, via Clyde's son, Len [email dated 8/8/11 from Lance Turner]. Diane Campbell is a great-grand-daughter of Clyde Turner via her grandmother, Bridget Semmler (nee Turner). Len and Bridget were brother and sister.
James called himself Turner his whole life and even listed John Turner as his father on his marriage certificate. Note that he also recorded that his father was deceased at that time which is untrue. John Turner died about 30 years later in Sydney [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
James married Edith Franklin in 1915 in Temora (NSW BDM 17323/1915). They had seven children together, including Leonard Bryce Turner, Lance's father [email dated 13/8/11 from Lance Turner].
Leonard told Lance that when James Clyde Roy died, his wife, Edith, seemed to be a bit ashamed of her husband's family and would not talk about them.
I can't find any record of James's death.
James Clyde Roy is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914), under the name Roy.
10. William Walter Douglas Manton (1898-?)
William was born in 1898 (NSW BDM 21273/1898) and his birth was registered in Goulburn. No father was listed on the birth certificate and his mother's name was given as Bridget Manton. It is thought that his father was Edmund Withers.
William (known as Doug) was only about four when his mother married John Turner in 1902 and his brother, James, always told the story to his family that they both took John Turner's name because they were only young when he came into their lives and he was good to them [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Doug Turner reverted back to using the name Doug Withers when he moved to Queensland to live with his sister Henrietta (or Ettie, as she was known by the family) and was known in the family as Dougie Withers [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Rosemary Mccullagh is descended from William Walter Douglas Manton/Withers.
Douglas is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
William died on 27 December 1966 in Queensland (QLD BDM 1967/B/86288).
William (known as Doug) was only about four when his mother married John Turner in 1902 and his brother, James, always told the story to his family that they both took John Turner's name because they were only young when he came into their lives and he was good to them [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Doug Turner reverted back to using the name Doug Withers when he moved to Queensland to live with his sister Henrietta (or Ettie, as she was known by the family) and was known in the family as Dougie Withers [email dated 5/7/09 from Diane Campbell].
Rosemary Mccullagh is descended from William Walter Douglas Manton/Withers.
Douglas is noted on Bridget's death certificate as a son of her first marriage to Edward Withers (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
William died on 27 December 1966 in Queensland (QLD BDM 1967/B/86288).
Marriage to John Edwin Evan Edmund Turner
Bridget married John E E E Turner in Goulburn on 12 February 1902. She gave her name as Bridget Manton, presumably because her husband, William Price was still alive at the time (possibly died in 1917), and said that she was a spinster at the time of this marriage. It is not clear why she choose to use the name Manton instead of her maiden name of Wilson.
John Turner died in about 1945 in Sydney [reference needed].
John Turner died in about 1945 in Sydney [reference needed].
11. Sydney Richard Cyril Turner
Sydney was born in 1903 (NSW BDM 30217/1903) and died two months later (NSW BDM 13857/1903). His birth and death were registered in Goulburn. His father's name was given as John Turner on his birth and death certificates. The baby died at about the age of six weeks of convulsions [email dated 30/5/13 from Diane Campbell].
Bridget's death certificate incorrectly records that Bridget had one deceased female child from her second marriage to John Turner (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
Bridget's death certificate incorrectly records that Bridget had one deceased female child from her second marriage to John Turner (NSW BDM 13592/1914).
Death
Bridget died in Young, NSW on 30 August 1914 as Bridget May Turner. She was about 52 years old, although her age is given as 55 on her death certificate. She died of a cerebral haemorrhage (stroke).
Her death was registered by her son, Edward Withers. Note that Edward died in Young in 1965 so I assume he was living there in 1914 and that Bridget moved to Young to live with her son.
John Turner did not die until about 1945 so Bridget and John were obviously separated at the time of Bridget's death.
On her death certificate, Bridget's husbands are recorded as being Edward Withers and John Turner. There is no mention of her marriage to William Price and we know that she was never legally married to Edward Withers.
Five children are recorded on the death certificate, all as being from her first marriage:
The certificate notes one deceased female from her second marriage to John Turner however this child was actually a boy, Sydney Richard Cyril Turner.
Note that there is no mention on the certificate of Bridget's deceased children with Edward Withers: Volney, Rose and Winifred. Mary Price and Isaac Withers are also not mentioned.
Bridget was buried on 1 September 1914 at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Young.
Edward/Edmund Withers died in Cowra 21/4/1939. Why did Bridget not marry him but married John Turner instead when she was still married to Price?
John Turner did not die until about 1945 so Bridget and John were obviously separated at the time of Bridget's death.
On her death certificate, Bridget's husbands are recorded as being Edward Withers and John Turner. There is no mention of her marriage to William Price and we know that she was never legally married to Edward Withers.
Five children are recorded on the death certificate, all as being from her first marriage:
- Henry F, aged 28
- Edward C, aged 26
- Henrietta, aged 23
- Roy C, aged 19
- Douglas, aged 17
The certificate notes one deceased female from her second marriage to John Turner however this child was actually a boy, Sydney Richard Cyril Turner.
Note that there is no mention on the certificate of Bridget's deceased children with Edward Withers: Volney, Rose and Winifred. Mary Price and Isaac Withers are also not mentioned.
Bridget was buried on 1 September 1914 at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Young.
Edward/Edmund Withers died in Cowra 21/4/1939. Why did Bridget not marry him but married John Turner instead when she was still married to Price?