Rosalie Clement Martin
Henry Martin > Rosalie Martin > Norman Hector Bent > Michael Bent
Updated 16 April 2023
Rosalie Clement Martin was my great-grandmother.
Rosalie was born on 28 January 1887 [1] in Birkenhead in England, the daughter of Henry Martin and Kate (née Rogers). She had two sisters, Lillian and Margaret, and four brothers, Herbert, Norman, Malcolm and Henry [2].
Rosalie Clement Martin was my great-grandmother.
Rosalie was born on 28 January 1887 [1] in Birkenhead in England, the daughter of Henry Martin and Kate (née Rogers). She had two sisters, Lillian and Margaret, and four brothers, Herbert, Norman, Malcolm and Henry [2].
Marriage
Rosalie was 22 when she married Norman Frederick (Fred) Bent on 16 January 1910 in Birkenhead. She was about four months pregnant with her son, Norman Hector (born 28 June 1910), at the time of her marriage.
In March 1910 - only two months after the marriage - Fred left England to make a new home in Australia for his young family. Rosalie continued to live with her family at 75 Rodney Street, Tranmere (a suburb of Birkenhead) where her son, Norman Hector, was born on 28 June 1910.
A census was conducted in England on 2 April 1911. It shows Rosalie and Norman living at 75 Rodney Street, Tranmere with Rosalie's parents and five siblings, all of whom were unmarried at the time [2].
In March 1910 - only two months after the marriage - Fred left England to make a new home in Australia for his young family. Rosalie continued to live with her family at 75 Rodney Street, Tranmere (a suburb of Birkenhead) where her son, Norman Hector, was born on 28 June 1910.
A census was conducted in England on 2 April 1911. It shows Rosalie and Norman living at 75 Rodney Street, Tranmere with Rosalie's parents and five siblings, all of whom were unmarried at the time [2].
The Plan to Emigrate to Australia
According to Rosalie and Fred's daughter, Esme Howarth (née Bent), Rosalie's family were unhappy about Fred's plan to emigrate to Australia.
I'm not sure whether Rosalie herself was keen on the idea however we know that Fred and Rosalie did not have had much money and I suppose Fred saw emigration as his only real chance of making a better life for his family.
Fred travelled to Australia on the Essex, working his passage as a steward.
The family story is that Rosalie and young Norman joined Fred in Australia about a year after Fred arrived and then returned to England a year or so after that so Rosalie could care for her mother-in-law.
Esme was told that Emily Bent, Norman's mother, had become very ill in about 1912 and didn't want any of her daughters to nurse her. Emily had wanted Rosalie, to nurse her so Rosalie took then-two-year-old Norman back to England and nursed Emily until she died in Birkenhead in 1914. They were then stuck in England when World War I broke out and were only able to return to Australia in 1915.
I have been unable to find any record of these two trips so I wonder if, in fact, Rosalie and Norman actually came to Sydney for the first time in 1915. I have checked the NSW State Archives records of inbound passengers and also the UK National Archives records of outbound passengers for the period 1910-1915 and cannot find any record of a journey to England to Sydney or from Sydney to England, other than the 1915 London-Sydney voyage.
I think the story about Rosalie and Norman travelling to Australia not long after Fred arrived and then going back to England was made up to cover up the fact that they did not join Fred until five years after he settled in Sydney.
Records do show that, on 20 November 1915, Rosalie departed London with her son Norman aboard the Osterley, bound for Sydney. They arrived in Sydney on 2 January 1916. The journey would have been an interesting one and perhaps even a bit dangerous given that World War I was in progress at the time.
I'm not sure whether Rosalie herself was keen on the idea however we know that Fred and Rosalie did not have had much money and I suppose Fred saw emigration as his only real chance of making a better life for his family.
Fred travelled to Australia on the Essex, working his passage as a steward.
The family story is that Rosalie and young Norman joined Fred in Australia about a year after Fred arrived and then returned to England a year or so after that so Rosalie could care for her mother-in-law.
Esme was told that Emily Bent, Norman's mother, had become very ill in about 1912 and didn't want any of her daughters to nurse her. Emily had wanted Rosalie, to nurse her so Rosalie took then-two-year-old Norman back to England and nursed Emily until she died in Birkenhead in 1914. They were then stuck in England when World War I broke out and were only able to return to Australia in 1915.
I have been unable to find any record of these two trips so I wonder if, in fact, Rosalie and Norman actually came to Sydney for the first time in 1915. I have checked the NSW State Archives records of inbound passengers and also the UK National Archives records of outbound passengers for the period 1910-1915 and cannot find any record of a journey to England to Sydney or from Sydney to England, other than the 1915 London-Sydney voyage.
I think the story about Rosalie and Norman travelling to Australia not long after Fred arrived and then going back to England was made up to cover up the fact that they did not join Fred until five years after he settled in Sydney.
Records do show that, on 20 November 1915, Rosalie departed London with her son Norman aboard the Osterley, bound for Sydney. They arrived in Sydney on 2 January 1916. The journey would have been an interesting one and perhaps even a bit dangerous given that World War I was in progress at the time.
Life in Sydney: 1916 - 1929
By 1915, Fred was living in Guildford Road, Guildford, possibly with Rosalie and their son. By 1917, the family was living in Cambridge Street, Lidcombe [3].
In 1918, Fred and Rosalie welcomed a daughter, Rosalie Esme (known as Esme), and on 21 January 1921 a son, Henry Arthur Reginald (known as Arthur) [4,5]. It's interesting to note that Rosalie had brothers called Norman and Henry Reginald, both older than her. Henry Reginald was four years older than Rosalie and the next oldest in the family to her. It seems likely that Rosalie and Henry were particularly close.
By 1920, the family was living in Francis Street, Lidcombe and they were still there in 1923. [3]
By 1923, Fred, Rosalie and their three children were living in Canley Vale in Sydney. A 1924 inscription in one of Esme's books indicates that she was attending school in Canley Vale at the time.
In 1918, Fred and Rosalie welcomed a daughter, Rosalie Esme (known as Esme), and on 21 January 1921 a son, Henry Arthur Reginald (known as Arthur) [4,5]. It's interesting to note that Rosalie had brothers called Norman and Henry Reginald, both older than her. Henry Reginald was four years older than Rosalie and the next oldest in the family to her. It seems likely that Rosalie and Henry were particularly close.
By 1920, the family was living in Francis Street, Lidcombe and they were still there in 1923. [3]
By 1923, Fred, Rosalie and their three children were living in Canley Vale in Sydney. A 1924 inscription in one of Esme's books indicates that she was attending school in Canley Vale at the time.
Canley Vale was once a woodland area and was originally part of the Male Orphan School Estate.
In the 1800s, Sir Henry Parkes (1815–96) settled in the district in a mansion which he built near the railway line between Fairfield and Cabramatta. He named it Canley Grange after his birthplace in Warwickshire, England. He named the railway station Canley Moat House and had his own private landing beside the line.
The Municipality of Cabramatta & Canley Vale was established in 1892 and the two suburbs were regarded as a single community.
Rosalie's 1929 death certificate notes that she lived in the "Municipality of Cabra Vale". Canley Vale is now a suburb of Sydney but in the 1920s it was made up of bushland and small farms and the Bents had a small property where they grew vegetables and stone fruit. Esme recalls her father Fred loading up his horse and cart and going off to sell his produce to "the rich people in Strathfield".
In the 1800s, Sir Henry Parkes (1815–96) settled in the district in a mansion which he built near the railway line between Fairfield and Cabramatta. He named it Canley Grange after his birthplace in Warwickshire, England. He named the railway station Canley Moat House and had his own private landing beside the line.
The Municipality of Cabramatta & Canley Vale was established in 1892 and the two suburbs were regarded as a single community.
Rosalie's 1929 death certificate notes that she lived in the "Municipality of Cabra Vale". Canley Vale is now a suburb of Sydney but in the 1920s it was made up of bushland and small farms and the Bents had a small property where they grew vegetables and stone fruit. Esme recalls her father Fred loading up his horse and cart and going off to sell his produce to "the rich people in Strathfield".
Illness and Death
Rosalie had suffered from ill health for much of her life and died at the young age of 42. She died at the District Hospital in Auburn in Sydney on 31 August 1929. The cause of death given was "mitral stenosis" from which she'd suffered for 27 years.
According to Wikipedia, Mitral Stenosis is a heart disease characterised by a narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart. Its main symptoms are chest pains and palpitations and these are made worse by exercise and pregnancy.
According to Wikipedia, Mitral Stenosis is a heart disease characterised by a narrowing of the orifice of the mitral valve of the heart. Its main symptoms are chest pains and palpitations and these are made worse by exercise and pregnancy.
Almost all cases of mitral stenosis are caused by rheumatic fever which in turn is caused by a streptococcus infection. Apparently there is a latent period of about 10-15 years when the patient has no symptoms of heart problems but, once the symptoms do develop, they become progressively worse and the patient becomes severely disabled in 5-10 years.
Mitral Stenosis usually occurs in children aged between 6 and 15 years. It has become rare in Western countries since the 1960s since the widespread use of antibiotics to treat streptococcus infections.Today the condition is treatable but, sadly for Rosalie, there was no treatment for it in 1929.
Mitral Stenosis usually occurs in children aged between 6 and 15 years. It has become rare in Western countries since the 1960s since the widespread use of antibiotics to treat streptococcus infections.Today the condition is treatable but, sadly for Rosalie, there was no treatment for it in 1929.
Burial
Rosalie was buried on 2 September 1929 in the Church of England section of Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney (Anglican Monumental, section 10, grave #3274). Note that her death certificate incorrectly states that she was buried at Waverley Cemetery.
The photo at left is Rosalie's father's headstone. Henry Martin was buried in England but his daughter is remembered on his headstone. She was obviously much-loved by her family.
The inscription on Henry's headstone reads:
Henry, beloved husband of Catherine Martin, who fell asleep on 7 February 1921, aged 58 years. "Until the day break and the shadows fall away".
Also Rosalie Clement, beloved wife of Norman F Bent and daughter of above who was suddenly called to rest 31 August 1929 and was interred at Rookwood NSW.
"God knows the key to all unknown."
Rosalie's grave at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney has no headstone. Her husband, Fred, was never rich and the Great Depression began in October 1929, soon after Rosalie's death, so there probably was no money for a headstone.
I visited Rosalie's grave in November 2017. I was able to locate it because it is between two graves which have headstones. Rookwood Cemetery provides detailed maps and it's possible to look up each deceased person's name online and pinpoint their graves. I did this with the two graves on either side of Rosalie's. The grave is pictured below.
The photo at left is Rosalie's father's headstone. Henry Martin was buried in England but his daughter is remembered on his headstone. She was obviously much-loved by her family.
The inscription on Henry's headstone reads:
Henry, beloved husband of Catherine Martin, who fell asleep on 7 February 1921, aged 58 years. "Until the day break and the shadows fall away".
Also Rosalie Clement, beloved wife of Norman F Bent and daughter of above who was suddenly called to rest 31 August 1929 and was interred at Rookwood NSW.
"God knows the key to all unknown."
Rosalie's grave at Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney has no headstone. Her husband, Fred, was never rich and the Great Depression began in October 1929, soon after Rosalie's death, so there probably was no money for a headstone.
I visited Rosalie's grave in November 2017. I was able to locate it because it is between two graves which have headstones. Rookwood Cemetery provides detailed maps and it's possible to look up each deceased person's name online and pinpoint their graves. I did this with the two graves on either side of Rosalie's. The grave is pictured below.
References
[1] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Martin-54912
[2] 1911 census;
[3] Letter from Norman Hector Bent to his sister, Esme Howarth, 10 April 1999;
[4] Email dated 17 March 2023 from Janne Bent, daughter of Arthur;
[5] NSWBDM 11470/1921;
[2] 1911 census;
[3] Letter from Norman Hector Bent to his sister, Esme Howarth, 10 April 1999;
[4] Email dated 17 March 2023 from Janne Bent, daughter of Arthur;
[5] NSWBDM 11470/1921;