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Book 3.

The Parfitt Family- From Somerset, England

1. The Parfitt name:

Although not rare, the surname, Parfitt

is not particularly common, only a

moderate number being found in

historical records. A search of the

indexes for the UK suggest that it is

almost entirely a southern name,

occurring occasionally in Surrey, Kent,

Dorset, Wiltshire and Devon but very

strongly in the county of Somerset

from Bristol, south through Bath to the

Devon border. There are also a

reasonable number from

Gloucestershire and some from

Southern Wales but the latter seem to

be more recent. I have found one entry

from Norfolk, one from Suffolk in the

19th

century records but none further

north that are readily available. The

spelling around Wiltshire and London

often appears as Parfett, Parfet etc. but

any variation is likely to be due to non-

standard spelling or to the local accent.

The name appears to have originated in

Middle English, (that is, English in the

period from the 1066 conquest by the

Normans to the reign of Elizabeth I). It

therefore has a Norman-French

influence with links to the word

“perfect” which, in its original form,

means “finished”, probably referring to

an apprentice (see upper box). A

speculated but unsubstantiated

connection to the “Perfecti”, the more

extreme branch of the Cathars from the

13th

century Toulouse region in France,

has been postulated. This is likely to be

incorrect which is not surprising as the

various forms of Catharism were not as

strong in England which had always

expressed more religious independence

from Rome, than in France, heavily

under the sway of the Papacy and the

German Holy Roman Empire.

Parfitt: English: from Middle English parfit

‘fully trained’, ‘well versed’ (Old French

parfit(e) ‘complete(d)’, from Latin perfectus,

‘to finish or accomplish’), hence a nickname,

probably originally denoting an apprentice

who had completed his period of training.

(The change from -er- to -ar- was a

characteristic phonetic development in Old

French and Middle English.) The modern

English word perfect is from Latin.

Dissent with the superstitious practices of the

Catholic religion became widespread

amongst Christians in Europe from the late

11th

Century. It existed under many names in

different regions and was cruelly persecuted

(by burning at the stake) by the established

Church, eventually being suppressed

everywhere except in Languedoc, now

southern France around Toulouse, where its

followers were called Cathars. They had two

categories, Perfecti (Perfects, Parfaits) and

Credentes (Believers), the former

representing the heart of the "true Christian

Church". Demands of extreme asceticism fell

only upon the Perfecti who vowed to lives of

simplicity, frugality and purity, credentes not

being expected to adopt the same lifestyle.

They were however expected to refrain from

eating meat and dairy products, from killing

and from swearing oaths. In the late 12th

Century, a sizable portion of the Languedoc

population, many from noble families, were

“believers”. Their morals were much admired

but the Cathars were annihilated by a 20-year

(Albigensian) crusade initiated by the

Catholic Church (1209–1229), the Pope

offering their lands to any French nobleman

willing to take up arms. The violence led to

French acquisition of those lands, an

estimated 85,000 people dying during this

crusade.

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2. Tracing the Parfitts:

The first Parfitt in our line in Australia for

whom I can find an undisputable record is

William Parfitt who arrived in about 1863

or 1864. Now as there were a number of

William Parfitts in successive generations,

I will designate them using their middle

initial for clarity. That is, the first William

is undesignated; his son (our grandfather)

is William J. (John), his son, usually

called Bill, is William D. (Devonald)

while finally the next is William L.

(Lesley).

William married Margaret Butler in

Newcastle, Australia in 1870 and after the

birth of six children in ten years, died at

Lambton, (Newcastle) on 20/10/1880 aged

39. Their marriage certificate, the death

certificate of William and the birth

certificate of William J. are available. I

will deal with these more closely after first

examining William’s possible origins in

England. However, some details are first

required to be able to do this. The

marriage certificate of June 1870 gives no

information other than that he was a

miner. The other two certificates were

reported by his wife, Margaret Parfitt (nee

Butler) and so are likely to be fairly

accurate. On his death in October, 1880,

she notes William’s origin as England, his

years in the colony as 16, his age as 39 his

occupation as a miner (coal) and his

parent’s names as James Parfitt and

Martha. These names are consistent with

the naming of their children which will be

mentioned later and so are believable. On

William John’s birth certificate in

December 1876, she gives the father (her

husband), William Parfitt as being born in

Somerset, his age being 36 and again his

occupation being a miner. That is, these

certificates are consistent. If she was

entirely accurate with his age, he must

have been born between 20th

October and

26th

December 1840.

Parfitt (location): The name in south

west England is more frequent in

Somerset than in other counties. Even

there, it clusters in the mining region that

lies centred about 15 kms south of Bristol,

10 kms south west of Bath. The towns

most commonly associated with it appear

to be, in order of frequency, Clutton,

Radstock, Farmborough, Dunkerton,

Camerton and Midsomer Norton. Stoke

Lane lies another eight kms south with

Frome a further ten kms east, the name

appearing in both these districts, (see

Appendix 2, Maps).

Clutton: A village and parish within the

Chew Valley. The nearest town is

Midsomer Norton. It was called Clutone

in the 1086 Domesday Book meaning 'A

rocky hill enclosure' from the Old English

cludig and tun, but there is also an obscure

Celtic word cluttya meaning a 'hen's

roost'. It has a long history of coal mining

both in the village and in the surrounding

Somerset coalfield, but the mines no

longer work.

Radstock was well known as a mining

village with houses built for the workers.

It was a coal mining area in the 19th

century as noted in Simon Winchester’s

book The Map that Changed the World.

Carboniferous coal measures are full of

well preserved fossil plants. Although all

quarries are now closed and overgrown,

there are still a few locations where fossils

can be found.

Stoke-Lane, (now Stoke St. Michael),

The land is mostly pasture, with some

woods and plantations. It is in the diocese

of Bath and Wells. The church, St.

Michael, has a tower containing a clock

and three bells, rebuilt in 1838. The

register dates from 1644.

69

Modern Parfitts have proved to be enthusiastic family historians. Of all the name branches

of our family, Parfitt provides the greatest number of web sites with extensive historical

listings of births, deaths and marriages so given a birth date, William’s birth record should

appear somewhere as it is within the period of compulsory registration. While the above

indicates that his birth was towards the end of 1840, the accuracy cannot be guaranteed

and an error of a year either way is feasible but the starting point for such a search is the

last quarter of 1840. As the formal registration in England began in 1836-1837 and noting

that his parents’ given names are known, such information should be sufficient to trace his

town of origin in the UK and his own birth certificate but that has not proven to be the

case. William’s exact origins remain obscure. No birth of a William Parfitt, born between

say 1839 and 1842 in Somerset to a James and Martha Parfitt has been uncovered.

Examples of the nearest births that can be found in Somerset are as follows.

1. William Parfitt, 1838, son of Aaron and Rhoda; village Dunkerton.

2. William Parfitt, 1838, son of Henry (coalminer) and Hester; village Camerton.

3. William Parfitt, age 6 months at 1841 census (on 6th

June, 1841),

4. William Parfitt, 3/1/1841, son of James (coalminer) and Ann; village Radstock.

5. William Parfitt, 1842, son of Abel (coalminer) and Elizabeth; village Dunkerton.

6. William Parfitt, 31/7/1842 son of William and Martha; village Stoke Lane,

These cover a wider range of years

than is likely and, as well as the

birth date, all have inconsistencies.

The first on the above list married a

woman, Mercy, and was still in the

UK in 1881. The second still

appears in the UK in the 1881

census after marrying Harriet. The

third needs to be followed up as the

birth date is a close match but it

seems likely that he was the same

child as the fourth. This latter

originally looked promising but he

appears in the UK census returns

until 1881, married before 1871 to a

woman, Emily. All the above can

be ruled out.

The fifth may be worth considering

although both parents and birth date

are incorrect. The father was born

in Radstock, the mother in

Camerton and they lived about 3

km away from there at Dunkerton. I

have no further census data on this

William Parfitt and he may have

left the country. I note that, at age

nine, he is listed as a coalminer in

The mysterious William Parfitt: The

appropriate information may one day be found

but at present there is only speculation. Why,

given that the Parfitts seemed at that stage to

stick close together regionally and that records

were in existence at his birth is he so hard to

find? It is a very well researched surname and

there are extensive lists of Parfitts on the web.

Even his parents, a James and Martha Parfitt do

not seem to have ever co-habited. One

possibility is that either he, his father or mother

commonly used a first name other than their

registered one (for example, they may have used

their middle name). If one or other of the

parents, say his mother, died while he was

young and he was brought up by another

woman, perhaps from a second marriage, a

much older sister or an aunt or grandmother

then he might have thought of and recorded her

as his mother. If his father died, his mother

could have re-married and his birth name may

not even have been Parfitt. There is a rumour

(see later, very probably false) that the “real”

family name should be Newth or similar.

Finally, it is possible that he could have been

illegitimate.

70

the 1851 census, a good reason to have poor lungs1 and to leave Somerset. (See box, this

page.)

The information on number 6 on the list comes from a different source (Family Search,

the Mormon site) which often has inaccuracies. This states that a son William was born in

July, 1842 to a William and Martha Parfitt (nee Selway) at Stoke Lane (now always

designated as Stoke St Michael). He was the seventh child, William and Martha being

married in November 1826 at Stoke Lane. Note that there is also a belief in the family that

William L. Parfitt is the fifth William in our direct Parfitt line thus disputing that his father

was called James. However, this William appears to have married an Arabella Kerton in

1868.

So where in Somerset did the mysterious William come from? I do not know.

3. William Parfitt in Australia:

As noted above, William, the first Australian Parfitt arrived in about 1863 - 1864 at the

age of approximately 23 but there is no record of his port of entry. Given his Somerset

background, it is highly likely that he was already a coalminer, perhaps since boyhood.

Many miners were being recruited to the Newcastle coalfields from the UK which was

suffering hardship at the time, a high proportion from Northumberland, a strong Wesleyan

region, (which explains that religion’s strength in the Hunter region until the mid-20th

century), but also from other mining areas such as Somerset. Alternatively, some miners

arrived originally to seek gold but this was a precarious life financially and many moved

from the goldfields to Newcastle for a more reliable occupation. If William came from the

coal mining area of Somerset as postulated, the former is the most likely reason for his

emigration.

1 William Parfitt died in Australia from pleuritis

The Somerset coalfield included pits in north Somerset mined from the 15th century

until 1973, part of a wider field which covered northern Somerset and southern

Gloucestershire. It stretched from Cromhall in the north to the Mendip Hills in the

south, from Bath in the east to Nailsea in the west, a total area of about 240 square

miles (620 km²). Most of the pits in the Somerset coalfield were concentrated along

the Cam Brook, Wellow Brook and Nettlebridge Valleys and in the areas around

Radstock and Farrington Gurney. The pits were often grouped geographically in

clusters which were close together, working the same coal seams and often under the

same ownership. Many also shared the same trackways and tramways which took the

coal to the Somerset Coal Canal or railways for distribution. Many of the pits closed

in the 19th century as the available coal was worked out. Much of the original

exploratory survey work was carried out by William Smith, who became known as

the "Father of English Geology".

A further item of note is that working in the mines was a dreadful experience, some

seams being less than a metre thick, while being 500 metres underground. In the first

half of the 19th

century, boys as young as 9 were listed as coalminers. No wonder they

were ready to emigrate, even if to continue elsewhere as miners.

71

On immigration records, I can find

only one entry that is anywhere near

the known information. He is a

William Parfitt, aged 19 on arrival in

Moreton Bay on the “James Fernie”

in 1856 as an Assisted Immigrant.

His parents are said to be James and

Mary (not Martha) and his origin is

Surrey, not Somerset. But Surrey

may only have been the last

residence of the family. He does not

appear on the UK birth records for

Surrey (official recordings starting in

September 1837). One note

alongside appears to read, mother

still living while another says, sister

on same ship. She was listed under a

different surname being married to

William Stemp. The Stemps settled

in Queensland and the last known

record of their children is in 1861,

William dying only 3 years later.

Fanny remarried Robert Pamental in

1866 and died in 1887. Her father is

given as James Parfitt, mother as

Mary Chitty. However, William

Parfitt does not seem to have settled

in Queensland on a permanent basis

as there is no death record for him

there. He may have gone to NSW.

Be that as it may, the association is

not close enough to be anything

other than a possibility.

The first documented information found so far on William

is his marriage to Margaret Butler on 13th

June, 1870 at

Lambton. How did he get to Australia in the first place? I

cannot find him in arrivals to NSW, although many

steerage class passengers were unrecorded. And it is

possible that he arrived in Melbourne (see William L.

Parfitt’s comments later) and worked his way up to NSW

and Newcastle. But there is no proof of this. If he was

recruited in England as a coal miner, it is more likely that

he came directly to Newcastle, or at least via Sydney.

From NSW records, on his marriage certificate it is clear

that in 1870 he was a coal miner. As the Somerset region is

also a coal mining area, he may have followed his father

into that occupation, later being recruited to the coal mines

Butler: English and Irish: from a word that

originally denoted a wine steward, usually the

chief servant of a medieval household, from

Norman French butuiller (Old French

bouteillier, Latin buticularius, from buticula

‘bottle’). In the large households of royalty and

the most powerful nobility, the title came to

denote an officer of high rank and

responsibility, only nominally concerned with

the supply of wine, if at all. The name,

although widely spread across Great Britain, is

most common in Ireland. It is not Gaelic

however but Norman. It is rumoured that the

first to use the name was Theodore Fitzwalter,

who changed his name to Butler while in the

service of King Henry II in the mid 12th

century His family settled in Kilkenny and

surrounding areas becoming one of Ireland’s

richest. On visiting Ireland in 2011, I was told

that if the name is Butler and Irish it somehow

must derive originally from that family.

However, it is also reported that many servants

took the family name as their own.

Margaret Butler

Parfitt (1870), Jones (1885) , ~ 1910

McBride: Irish (mainly County Donegal, ie

very North West of Ireland) and Scottish. It is

an anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Brighde,

from earlier Mac Giolla Bhrighde (Irish), Mac

Gille Brighde (Scottish) ‘son of the servant of

(Saint) Brighid’. The Scottish Kilbride has the

same roots.

72

County Down was the first Ulster county

to be colonized by the Normans in the 12th

century, the knight John de Courcey taking

the area around Downpatrick after the

Norman invasion. The county was formed

about 1300, later coming into the

possession of the DeLacys. Most of this

county came to be known as the Earldom of

Ulster. In 1569, Sir Thomas Smith

unsuccessfully attempted to bring English

settlers into the Ards Pennisula and County

Down. Hugh O'Neill, the major Ulster

chieftain, began a rebellion in Ulster in

1594. A well planned settlement of Ulster

began in 1609, with the introduction of

thousands of settlers. These adventurers, in

return for title to the land brought in a

specified number of settlers to their estates.

The Scot, James Hamilton, brought more

than ten thousand Scots to northwest Down.

English adventurers also brought over

English families. County Down was less

badly affected by the Great Famine than

many other counties. One effect was a large

exodus from the rural areas to the city of

Belfast, part of which is in County Down.

The population of Down in 1841 was

368,000. In 1851 this had been reduced by

approximately eleven percent.

of Newcastle. It also may have been that coal mining exacerbated some bronchial or other

breathing infection from his childhood in the UK thus promoting his early death at

Lambton in 1880, officially from pleuritis (infection of the outer lining of the lung). This

would particularly be the case if he was mining at 9 or 10 years of age.

What sort of life did he have? Apart from Margaret and his Australian family, it was

probably not a great one. Some of his children also died as babies. He was buried in

Wallsend in the Particular Baptist cemetery on 21st October, 1880.

I will deal with the children of William and Margaret later. However, Margaret Parfitt

remarried five years after his death, in 1885 to John Jones, also a coal miner and their

issue was Ernest (1885), Herbert (1887), and Arthur (1890) plus one female deceased.

Jones was reputedly a tough stepfather as well as a strict Particular Baptist of Welsh

extraction and this perhaps explains William John’s apathy to religion in general and to

Baptists in particular for the rest of his life. And from my memory, that aversion may also

have included somewhat unfairly, the Welsh in general.

4. The Butler family:

Now we need to temporarily step back

to look at Margaret Butler (for the name

Butler, see box page 71). Margaret was

born in the district of Illawarra, county

of Camden on 28/10/1854. That is, she

was some thirteen or fourteen years

younger than her future husband,

William Parfitt. Her parents were

William Butler and Eliza McBride

whose abode is listed as Mt. Kiera (just

south of Wollongong). From his death

certificate, William Butler died on or

about the 19th

December, 1864, aged 43

at High Street, Mount Kiera,

Wollongong. The cause of death was

diabetes but whether type 1 or type 2

cannot be determined. Given that few

type 1 sufferers would have lived

beyond childhood in those days, it was

more likely the latter. His son John was

the informant and he gave William’s

place of birth as Down (that is County

Down in Northern Ireland). He also

stated that, that he was married to Eliza

McBride at age 22 and was 12 years in

NSW, thus arriving in 1852. William’s

parents were Andrew Butler, a farmer

and Jane but her maiden name is

unknown. The deduction from this is

that William was born in about 1821

and married in 1843 some nine years before immigrating. From other information, his

73

birth was probably at or near Newtonsland (alternatively called Newtonslade) on the

Portaferry Road just to the north of Belfast. County Down is probably the most Anglo-

Saxon-Norman region of Ireland (see box, page 72). William and Eliza McBride married

in Holywood, Belfast, Eliza being born in Northern Ireland, probably also County Down

with parents reported as John and Margaret McBride (from anecdotal evidence, not fully

proven). We know that she died in Wallsend, Newcastle on the 27th

of November, 1889

reportedly aged 75. Hence, she was born in 1814 and so was some seven years older than

William. From her age given as 26 at marriage, this took place in 1840 so there is an

inconsistency of three years with the 1843 calculated above. That is, it could be that

William was born earlier in about 1818 or that she was 29 at marriage or that she died

aged 78. The best guess may be that she was born in 1817, was married in 1843 and died

at age 72. Whether or not William was a few years older than specified at his death is

unknown. Note that an Eliza Jane McBride was christened in the First Presbyterian

Church, Newry2, County Down on 16

th April, 1820 with parents James and Mrs. James

McBride but this appears to be too late for our Eliza and the father’s name does not match.

By the time that William and Eliza came to Australia some nine to twelve years after

marriage, they had several children, John, born about 1843, James, born about 1847 and

Jane, born about 1850. Eliza and William both appear to be of the protestant faith,

Presbyterian at marriage, later becoming what was then known as Primitive Methodists (as

distinct at that stage from Wesleyan, before these branches were amalgamated). The

shipping records show that an Eliza Butler, aged 37 (ie born 1815) arrived in NSW on the

vessel, “Irene” in 1852 as an assisted migrant with family. A William Butler, aged 29

(according to the records, with family) was on the same ship but was he her husband as

the male often emigrated earlier? These would give his birth date as and even later 1823,

just a little inconsistent with the 1821 from his death certificate and even younger than

otherwise suspected. A further William Butler, aged 7 was also on that ship but he does

not seem to be one of their children as only five are listed as living, none as deceased on

the two death certificates. The older William Butler and Eliza were almost certainly our

ancestors. No other adult Butlers were listed as being aboard so was the younger William

a relative of the 29 year old William? A William Butler, born in 1845 (ie aged 7 in 1852)

may be possible as a son of their marriage in 1840 (or 1843) but is unidentified as such.

Alternatively, he could be a cousin or no relation at all. There still remains research to be

done on these areas.

Whatever is the truth, little is known about William Butler, our direct ancestor other than

his occupation in Australia which he designated as a farmer. We do not know what he

farmed although it was probably a dairy as that was significant in that area. Many

immigrants to Australia were sponsored in those days and there was a predilection for the

sponsoring groups to bring those of like kind to their local area. That, I suppose, continues

with new immigrant even today. The Irish3 tended to break into two groups, those from

Eire and Ulster, (or more specifically, Catholic and Protestant). Some noted Northern Irish

Protestant regions were the dairy farming areas of Kiama just south of Wollongong and

Maitland west of Newcastle. Ulster Protestants comprised about 20% of the Irish

immigration and many rose to high office in Australia but significantly less has been

recorded on their general history than for the Catholic Irish, probably because they

blended more quickly with the English community and did not perceive themselves as

2 Newry lies on the Dublin-Belfast road in Northern Ireland and is about 55 km south of Belfast and is 108

km from Dublin. 3 See “The Australian People” Editor James Jupp, Angus and Robertson Publishers, 1988.

74

different. As noted previously, Newcastle and also probably Wollongong, was an

overwhelmingly Protestant region due to the large number of miners from the

Northumberland (Wesleyan) region. Northern Irish Protestants would have fitted in well.

William and Eliza Butler seemed to have remained in the Wollongong area from their

arrival until his death. Their daughter, Margaret was recorded as being born in 1853 at

Mount Kiera, Illawarra and their last son, Andrew (1858) at Wollongong when Eliza

would, given her calculated birth date, have been for those days a mature 44. There may

have been no difference in the place of residence with these two births, it possibly being

merely the name of the registration district. In total, William and Eliza had at least 5

children, 3 males, 2 females all living in 1889, only the last two being born in Australia.

These are identified as sons John, James and Andrew and daughters Margaret and Jane.

Apart from that of Margaret, I have only positively identified the marriage of Jane (to

William Ryan at Wollongong in 1868) and Andrew (to Isabella Brown at Lambton in

1879). There were two John Butler marriages near Newcastle in 1869, one at Morpeth to

Charlotte Weaver and the other in Newcastle to Mary Stevenson but there is no positive

proof of their relationship to William and Eliza. Jane Ryan, nee Butler died in Lismore in

1899. James remains obscure and his name appears only from a newspaper clipping of

Eliza’s death notice. Also, he is the only one not named after his grandparents but there

may be an older James somewhere in the picture. However, there are many Butlers on

record in Australia.

William Butler died at Mount Kiera, Wollongong in NSW in December, 1864 from

diabetes as noted above. Eliza died much later at Wallsend near Newcastle in 1889. For

Eliza, still on the farm at Mount Kiera with five small children, the youngest being only

six years old, this must have been a difficult period. She did not remarry as was common

in those days as a male was needed to support the family. As she was about 50 at the time,

this is a probable reason. All that can be said is that Eliza and the children, including

Margaret, moved to the Newcastle area before 1870, the date of Margaret’s wedding to

William Parfitt at Lambton. It is possible that they went there because of relatives as it is

unlikely that Eliza herself had occupational reasons for the move. It is also possible that

she followed one of her elder sons, who would have been about 21 (John) and 17 (James)

at the time of William Butler’s death, to Wallsend. From both Margaret’s and Andrew’s

marriages, it seems that they were originally domiciled at Lambton-Wallsend, these

suburbs being in close proximity. It should also be noted that there was an extended Butler

family living from the 1850s onwards in the Maitland-Morpeth region as well as a few at

Wallsend-Lambton. Were these all related families? Given the numbers, however, it

would be a massive job to trace these relationships. It is worth noting that, at Eliza’s death,

her grandson, William J. Parfitt would have been about 12 or 13 and so probably knew her

well and perhaps spent some time living with her, given the reported antipathy to his step-

father.

5. William and Margaret (nee Butler) Parfitt:

I will return now to the Parfitt-Butler line. After the early death of her first husband, our

Great Grandmother, Margaret Jones (William Parfitt’s wife and William and Eliza

Butler’s daughter, formerly Parfitt, nee Butler) re-married to John Jones and lived on in

Lambton (25 Dixon Street) reaching the good age of 75. She died of heart failure there on

16th

March, 1929 and was buried in the Baptist cemetery at Sandgate. It is noted that

75

William Parfitt was also buried as a Baptist although the couple were married as Primitive

Methodists.

William Parfitt and Margaret Butler were married on 13th

June, 1870. Margaret, it is noted

was only seventeen at the time and required the permission of her parents. The entry on

the marriage certificate mentions both. Why William Butler, dead already for 6 years is

noted as giving permission is a mystery. But given the customs of those days, it is possible

that the male parent somehow had to be acknowledged or it may simply have just been a

conventional statement that was used. The children of William and Margaret (as officially

recorded on the NSW birth, deaths and marriages) were Martha (1872 registered at

Newcastle) died 1874, Martha J. (1874, registered at New Lambton, the J. being almost

certainly Jane after her Aunt and Grandmother), William John (1876 registered at New

Lambton), James Henry4 and Margaret (seemingly twins, 1879 registered at New

Lambton). These last both died in 1880 within a month of each other not long after their

father. James Henry and possibly also his twin sister Margaret died from “phthisis” which

was the old name for wasting diseases such as tuberculosis. What a tragedy for Margaret,

her husband and twins dying so close to each other. All of Margaret’s information given

for birth and death certificates show an additional female whose birth record cannot be

found. However, from verbal reports of her niece and nieces-in-law (eg Lilian Hitchcock,

the Aunty Lil of Bill., Les and Merle Parfitt, see Book 4), it appears that her name, after

marriage, was Elisabeth (called Aunt Lizzie) Jenkins who remained living at New

Lambton. On a funeral notice for one of Margaret’s children from her second marriage to

John Jones, she is shown alongside William and Martha Parfitt as J. Jenkins (Jr.). This has

caused some confusion but I believe that it was due to the habit in those days of referring

to a married woman by her husband’s full name. As this funeral took place on 22nd

February, 1899, I believe that we can concur that she was alive then. However, on

Margaret Jones’ death certificate, there are only two living children noted from her first

marriage, Martha and William while there are four deceased, one male, three females. It

seems from this that Elizabeth died before her mother passed away in 1929.

Now an Elizabeth Parfitt married a John Jenkins at Adamstown, (Newcastle) in 1887. This

is certainly her. Assuming that she was 16 or 17 at the time, she would have been born

soon after the Parfitt-Butler marriage on the 13th

June, 18705. That is, she would have been

the oldest of the children and aged about 9 at her father’s death. This John Jenkins’ father

was most likely (from NSW births, deaths, marriages) also named John, hence the

appellation, junior associated with the funeral mentioned above. Evidence, although

inconclusive of this is that a John Jenkins (senior) died at Wallsend in 1876. A John

Jenkins, father John, mother Mary A. who was born in Newcastle in 1870 and died at

Wallsend in 1919 seems a likely candidate for Elizabeth’s husband but as this is not a line

relevant to us, no further information has been obtained. Elizabeth’s death, like her birth,

is hard to trace, the only likely possibility in the postulated age range and with a father

William, mother Margaret is an Elizabeth Jenkins who died at Marrickville in Sydney in

1927. That is, she would then have been about 58 years old. But this seems inconsistent

4 Note that all William and Margaret’s children were named after their grandparents or great-grandparents

with both first and middle names. The only exception seems to be the use of Henry and it could provide a

clue to the grandparent’s generation, possible William Parfitt’s grandfather. 5 I remember Letitia referring to Lizzie Jenkins but I had no idea who she was. Merle has a note placing her

one year older than Martha J. but younger than William J. The latter is incorrect but the year older than

Martha may be.

76

with my grandmother’s comments about her in the 1940s or 1950s when I was young as I

interpreted them, probably incorrectly, to mean that she was still living.

The two long surviving children of William and Margaret Parfitt were Martha J. and

William John. I know that Martha lived in Lismore as she visited my grandparents in

Islington in the 1940s where I met her. Two children, Archibald and Margaret were born

to Martha J. Parfitt in Ballina (1899) and Lismore (1900) respectively. Undoubtedly, she

had gone to Lismore to stay with her Aunt, Jane Ryan (nee Butler) who died there in 1899.

From this, the children named above of Martha appear to have been illegitimate (there is

no father nominated and the children have the surname, Parfitt). Given the mores of the

day when a single mother was not allowed to keep the children, it appears that Archibald

went into an orphanage in Ballina from where he was probably adopted as a baby and is

not traceable. Margaret, when a little older, was taken in by a family called Clarke who

seem to have moved to Picton6. Martha then married Alexander Nicholl from Lismore in

1903 and had at least two more children, Alexander C (1904) and Margaret A (1906). Her

husband died in 1938 but she survived in Lismore until 1966 when she would have

reached the fine old age of 92. She was the only one of the early Parfitt family to live until

her 90s.

5.1 An Alternative Surname?

Before continuing with the details of William J. Parfitt’s life, the story of an alternative

family name of Neuth needs to be recounted. This states that the family name is not Parfitt

but Newth or similar (eg Neuth) as described in the text box above. Merle (my mother)

first told me this story in about 1980 just after we started this research and it was recently

6 From Michelle Sharpe, great granddaughter of Martha J.

Newth (Neuth): For many years, there has been a story that the real name of the family

was not Parfitt but Newth (or a name of similar spelling). My mother, Merle Milton

(Parfitt) told me this many years ago (in about 1980) although she was unsure of whether

or not it was correct. I believe that the story was told to her by her brother, William D.

Parfitt. Recently, his son, William L. Parfitt, recounted this story and is adamant about its

veracity.

William L. Parfitt’s Story: Our grandfather’s grandfather was the first to emigrate to

Australia in about 1860. His real surname was Newth (or similar) but he adopted an

alternative, Parfitt, perhaps after a female grandparent. He ran away from home in the

Newcastle-on-Tyne (England) area because he did not get on with his parents. His first

foreign country was Canada where he spent time on the Alberta goldfields. His parents,

who were wealthy, hired someone to find him which they eventually did, and he was

brought back to the UK. He ran away again to Melbourne, and it is perhaps then that the

name change to Parfitt occurred so that he would be harder to trace. From there, he

worked his way north through the goldfields before eventually arriving in the Newcastle

area where he was befriended by an old farmer (Payne of Payne’s paddock) in Lambton

who helped him settle down and eventually raise a family. Our Great Grandfather,

William and our grandfather William John Parfitt were his descendents. William L.

claimed to be the 5th

William Parfitt directly in the line.

No evidence that this story has any substance can be found (my note)

77

(2008) reiterated by William L. Parfitt who was adamant in its veracity but given the

evidence, it is extremely unlikely to be true. However, it may just possibly provide some

link to say a friend who he travelled with that provides information on how he arrived in

Newcastle as none can be found from the records. Stories passed on by word of mouth are

often highly inaccurate but sometimes contain a small grain of evidence that is useful so I

think that it is worth recounting. So where did this story come from? One would suspect

that it could only have come from William J. who later repeated it to his children who then

passed it on to theirs.

William J. was born on 26/12/1876, his father dying on 20/10/1880, just before his 4th

birthday. As noted above, William J. did have a sister, Martha J., (who I met in about

1949) two years older and Elizabeth, perhaps a further 1 to 3 years older again. There were

no other living children or it seems relatives in Australia of William Parfitt from whom the

Newth story could have been transmitted. William J. at less than 4, Martha at 6 were too

young to be told any such story about the Newths, let alone assimilate it and even

Elizabeth, at less than 9, probably would not have the details straight or the ability to

question the evidence. If the story was passed on to them by their mother, it is inconsistent

that she reported her husband as being born in Somerset of the name Parfitt, with father

James and mother Martha. So where does the name Newth fit in, if it does?

There are only theories. Few under the name Newth (or similar) can be found in England

in any county. I found one Newth family in Somerset, one in Wiltshire but the names,

James, Martha as parents, or a son, William, do not match. In NSW, there is one, James

Neuth who died in Sydney in 1886, aged 68. A James and Sarah Neuth in Sydney had a

daughter, Esther registered in 1863 and, if this is the same James, he was then 45. There is

also a James Aldridge Newth married at Maitland in 1875 but there are no other records of

him in NSW. On 24th

November, 1981, a death notice, sent to me by Merle, appeared in

the Newcastle Morning Herald for Katie Gwendolyn Newth, formerly of Lochinvar (west

of Maitland). She must have been a fine old

age as she is listed as a great-great-

grandmother.

Any connection then is no more than

speculation. I think that it has to be discussed

because of the obscure background of

William Parfitt but too many points do not fit

the known facts. Particularly, there is one too

many Parfitt generations in the story. Could

there be some relevance somehow? William

may have been befriended by these Neuths

on his way north (if he did come via

Melbourne) with the story becoming

confused between him and his own father

who does not appear to have ever been in

Australia but there is no proof. The James

Newth from Maitland would be about the

same age as our first known William Parfitt

Right: William John Parfitt: Photo ~ 1895

78

and could have been a friend or acquaintance. But the name is rare in the Newcastle region

and again, the connection lacks evidence. Even the Paynes of Paynes’ Paddock did not

exist in Newcastle until after 1870.

Now William J. reputedly did not like his stepfather, John Jones who Margaret married in

1885 after William Parfitt’s death and certainly in later years seems to have cut him and

his own mother out of his life. Merle Parfitt, on discovering that her grandmother,

Margaret died in 1929 when Merle was 21 was dismayed that her only remembered

contact with her was as a small child. That is, William J. had had virtually no contact with

his mother (at least when his own children were with him) for over fifteen years.

Anecdotally, he left home at about 15 in 1891 when he began work. Is it possible that he

spent much of his time before that with relatives of his maternal grandmother in Wallsend

or Maitland? Eliza Butler, his grandmother, died in 1889 when he was 13 which is a more

likely age to absorb a tale such as that recounted above. This would mean that William L

Parfitt’s belief that he is the fifth first-son of that name may be because the original

William originated from Margaret’s father, William Butler, not from a Parfitt. Could the

unknown maiden surnames of the mother’s of William and Eliza Butler have been Newth

as it sounds Irish? Alternatively, the story may have been transposed from a childhood

friend such as the James Newth mentioned above. Could it merely have been a made up

story by William J. to amuse the children or to provide an explanation of something (his

father’s arrival) that he had no real knowledge of? Until we find William Parfitt’s origins,

the story is only of passing interest.

6. William John Parfitt:

Now, returning to the story obtainable from the basic facts, it is clear that William J., our

grandfather, born 26th

December 1876 was a very bright school boy as demonstrated by

the proficiency medal that he received. That is, while at school, he was awarded one (the

silver, first prize) of the two special proficiency medals for Lambton Public School, shown

in the images below.

William John Parfitt’s medal: Medals were struck in 1888 to commemorate the

Centenary of settlement in Australia. One silver and one bronze medal were sent to

each boys and girls school in the state to be awarded as first and second prizes for

proficiency and good conduct. They were 2 inches diameter set in a velvet lined case.

79

However, he left school at the fairly

early age of 14 or 15 and began work in

a clerical position with David Cohen and

Co. (see box this page) where he was

involved in the import and export

business gaining valuable experience.

On 12th

September, 1900, he married

Letitia Lilian Hitchcock in the Primitive

Methodist Church at Plattsburg. Her

address is given as New Lambton while

his is Lambton, both western Newcastle

suburbs. Letitia was under the age of 21

and required the consent of her parents. I

will not deal with her here, more

information being given in Book 4 on

the Hitchcocks. They had four children,

William Devonald, born 2nd

May 1901,

Thelma Lilian born 25th

May 1903 but who unfortunately died young of scarlet fever on

23rd

December 1903, Leslie Keith, 25th

May 1905 and Essie Merle, 18th

October 1908. It

is quite a coincidence Thelma and Les having had the same birthday. William L. noted his

father’s birth as 1902 but the above dates are from the family bible in William John’s

handwriting. As he was very intelligent and prone to pedantry on issues such as this, I

have no doubt that the latter is correct. NSW births deaths and marriages have no record of

William Devonald’s birth although the others are shown.

William John’s obituary (see later) states that his stay with Cohens lasted 25 years

although this seems to be debatable. If he started with them in about 1891 at age 15 and

left at the age of about 40, that would have been in about 1916. However, we know that he

and the family moved to Gresford in the northern Hunter Valley where he opened a

General Store which he ran for several years. This was most likely to have been between

1911-1912 and 1915 although perhaps a year earlier for both dates. I have his old

dictionary, a marvellous Funk and Wagnalls (an American Company) 1914 edition of

some 2900 pages with colour prints included. This “special copy” was presented to W. D.

Jacoway (see box below) who apparently was a subscriber, by the Funk and Wagnalls

president. He then passed it on to William J. Parfitt with a letter included (on Newcastle

Club paper) saying, “In appreciation of his friendship and business ability, this volume is

given to W. J. Parfitt”, signed by Jacoway on 15th

November 1915. This would probably

have been shortly after time the time that William J. returned to Newcastle. But the

connection with Jacoway seems to be independent of Cohens being more likely associated

with BHP where William J. worked after returning to Newcastle (see text box page 80).

Sydney Cohen, was managing director of

the family firm of David Cohen & Co, one

of the biggest import businesses in NSW

with headquarters in Newcastle. He was

chairman of directors of the Australian

Gaslight Company and the Newcastle and

Hunter River Steamship Company, and

president and committee member of the

Newcastle Club and Newcastle Jockey

Club. He was engaged in many community

activities as Chairman or President

including Newcastle Hospital, 1911-13. He

moved to Sydney in 1915. He was knighted

in 1937 in recognition of his public service

and included a Judaic emblem on his coat

of arms. He died in 1948.

80

In Gresford, it seems that much of

the business involved transport of

goods by horse drawn wagon to

more remote areas. I can

remember Merle talking of a long

trip by horse and carriage to a mill

in the Upper Allen River when

she was very young, possibly four

or five. This is consistent with that

aspect of the store’s activities. It

seems possible that he also opened

a second store in East Gresford

nearby. However, no record can

be found of his ownership of

either of these properties. Barry

Milton suggests that it is possible

that Cohens sponsored him

somehow for the store. It may

have been leased with him owning

the goodwill or he may have been

otherwise backed by Cohens as an

outlet for their import-export

business. Cohens may have

wanted to expand their business

into the Hunter Valley and backed

him financially to do it. I doubt if

Adapted from "Gresford History 1829 - 1999": Gresford began in 1829 and was named

after a town on the Allyn River in North Wales.

Supplies for the Parfitt store would be picked up

from the wharf at Paterson (the main wharf,

King's, was where the rail bridge now stands, not

at Tucker Park). The cross roads near the store

was a big part of the township, Church Street

being a major business center. The Beatty Hotel

(in East Gresford blamed by the family for

William’s drinking problems) was owned in

1907 by William Rooney but there was also a

pub at the cross roads that could equally have

been a source of the problem as it was much

closer to home. Early transport by vehicles came

when the railway opened at Paterson in 1911.

(this does not seem to be consistent with Merle’s

recollection of travelling to Newcastle by ferry

unless it was to bring back large quantities of

stock or that the Parfitt period in Gresford was a

year or so earlier than believed). Messers Grey

and Handcock used a solid tyred truck as a bus

from Gresford to Paterson. There was a sawmill

operating on the Upper Allyn prior to 1914.

William D Jacoway: Metallurgist, joined the Newcastle Club on 8/7/1915 as a

Country Member. He was proposed by A A Rankin, seconded G D Delprat. There is

no record of him after the Members List of 1915. It is presumed that he worked for

BHP (see Delprat below).

Delprat, Guillaume Daniel (1856-1937): Engineer, metallurgist, and pioneer

industrialist, was born on 1/9/1856 at Delft, Holland. After wide experience in Europe,

he accepted an offer in 1898 to become assistant general manager of B.H.P. After a

period in Broken Hill, he settled in Adelaide from 1904 before moving to Melbourne

in 1913 but spent many of these years at Broken Hill. In 1911 Delprat, with the help of

John Darling, persuaded B.H.P.'s board to consider establishing a steel-works utilizing

the Iron Knob deposit. From July 1911, he visited America, Britain and Europe to

investigate their steel industries. His report was accepted by B.H.P.'s board. He was

prominent in the complex negotiations with the Commonwealth and NSW

governments which led to the signing of a contract on 24/9/1912 for the erection of the

steelworks at Newcastle, this opening on 2/6/1915. In 1920, he denied being the

initiator of the Australian steel industry. However he believed that the great wealth

taken from Broken Hill had imposed upon B.H.P. a responsibility to reinvest in

Australia's future; and it was his suggestion to make that investment in steel.

81

we can discover the full details at this stage. Alternatively, it is possible that he used

money saved during his working life at Cohens. Was it a mid-life crisis where he needed

something different in his life?

Unfortunately, the store was located near the local pub and he became rather addicted to a

few too many drinks too regularly and so the store, or stores, failed. There are stories of

his wife, Letty after the eventual sale, squirreling away merchandise belonging to the store

and its new owners that was not then legally theirs. This, from knowledge of her, rings

true. Her mother had died in 1908, her father four years later so she may have had some

inheritance as well as other savings that enabled the purchase of the store in the first place

so she should not be blamed. Merle always noted that she had a knack for handling

money.

During William J. s alcoholic period, Merle further recounted such things as how she had

to stand between his legs while he sang to her and that he thought that he saw ants

crawling over her skin. So obviously, it was more than just a case of just heavy drinking.

Whatever the details, the store failed after only about three or four years with William J.

needing some rehabilitation, anecdotally at Waterfall in the Blue Mountains. This must

have been well before the end of 1915 when BHP opened and he obtained employment

there.

The three children would have started school in Gresford. William L. reported that his

father, William D. began piano lessons with an old “German” teacher during that time.

This began his musical career for which he later became well known in the Newcastle

district. William L. also says that his father had an introductory letter from Gresford

School to Newcastle High (later Newcastle Junior High) when they returned to Newcastle.

As William D. finally left school at about 15, this means that it was most probably late

year 1 or year 2 of high school when he was about 13 which may indicate that the family’s

departure from Gresford was 1914. Alternatively, William D. may have boarded with

relatives in Newcastle until they returned. But with which ones, we do not know. His

grandmother, Margaret Jones (nee Butler) did not die until 1929 so she is a possibility

although, as noted, there was a likely estrangement between her and William J. (or his

wife, Letitia) for some time about that period.

82

After leaving Gresford, the family returned to Newcastle and William J. must have only

spent a short period “drying out”. Following that, he must have recovered at least to

become a controlled drinker as he obtained and held a reasonable position at the then new

BHP steelworks where he remained until his retirement in 1943. With BHP, he originally

handled the shipping between Sydney and Newcastle (hence his designation, “Shipping

and Forwarding Manager”)7 but moved to other clerical positions after the company

headquarters was re-located to Melbourne and more senior executives moved with it. Note

that BHP began in Newcastle in 1915 so he was an early employee. Be that as it may, he

must have been reasonably successful at BHP as the family, while not wealthy, did not

seem to lack resources in cars, houses and holidays over the following years. It is noted

that he did continue to drink beer throughout his life although I was never a witness to him

drinking wine or spirits. I can remember him coming back from the pub in Islington on

several occasions slightly, though not excessively, tipsy and in quite a merry mood.

Sometimes, however these moods were often accompanied by a quite irritable disposition.

I also remember a large quantity of home-brew in his garage stored in old kerosene cans.

These square section cans were common in the 1940s and were soldered from tin plate,

hence representing a significant health hazard from the lead in the solder. I also remember

that he walked to work each day from Islington to Mayfield and back, a kilometre or so

distance which must have kept him reasonably fit. On the downside, he smoked a pipe

excessively which probably contributed to his bronchial problems and perhaps to his final

7 I have a note from Merle Milton (Parfitt ) that he was in charge of Dispatch (Shipping, also see funeral

notice) and at one stage had 12 people working under him. William L. indicated that it handled Newcastle-

Sydney shipping until the steelworks was fully incorporated in the Melbourne head office with more

extensive shipping controlled from there.

The Parfitt General Store at Gresford, Hunter Valley, NSW: photo circa 1913

It is likely that William Parfitt is the man on the right

83

heart attack at age 72 in June, 1949. He was always interested in knowledge and education

and after his retirement at age 66, was very helpful to me in making models etc for school,

listening to me recite poetry and so on. Although he could be sharp and irritable at times

(as we all can as we age), I mostly got on well with my “old grandad”.

7. Letitia Lilian Parfitt, nee Hitchcock: Now a discussion of

William John’s family

needs to be undertaken.

As noted above, in 1900,

he married Letitia Lilian

(Letty) Hitchcock (see

Book 4) who was born on

14th

December, 1880, the

marriage taking place at

Wallsend on the 12th

September, 1900. After

beginning this research,

Merle Parfitt was quite

startled to find that her

seemingly over strict

mother was actually

pregnant (although to be

fair, only just) at the time

of her marriage, the first child being born only 8 months

later. Letitia had always kept the marriage date secret

from her daughter. I note that she did not wear an

engagement ring, only a very heavy, gold wedding ring

Letitia Lilian Parfitt,

nee Hitchcock, ~ circa

1905-1910

Letitia (left) and Annie (right) Hitchcock 1883

Obituary, W. J. Parfitt (extract)

The Parfitt bible, (notices in front)

Mr. William Parfitt, who died at his home in

Hubbard Street Islington, at the age of 72,

was born at Lambton. While a school boy, he

was awarded one of only two special

proficiency medals that came to Australia

(not entirely accurate, see previous text box).

He was long associated with the shipping and

commercial life of Newcastle, being for 25

years shipping agent for Messrs David Cohen

and Company, at that time managed by Sir

Samuel Sidney Cohen. He was also Deputy

Vice-consul for Greece. Later, he was

appointed shipping and forwarding manager

for BHP where he continued till shortly

before his retirement. In later years, he spent

most of his time at Swansea. For many years,

he was a business and personal friend of Mr.

Mark Reid who died on the same day.

Mark Christian Reid, Died 30-

Jun-49, Director of John Reid,

Shipping, Colliery and Insurance

Agent, general merchant, exporter

of coal, coke, wheat and wool,

importer of lumber, colliery

requisites and general merchandise.

He was a nephew of Sir George

Reid, former Prime Minister of

Australia and Premier of NSW and

the nephew of Hugh Ronald Reid,

founder and Chairman of

Melbourne Steamship Company

Limited.

84

and her comment (at least to us as children) was that she had had them “made into one”.

Whether the wedding was scheduled before the pregnancy or not is open to speculation. It

shows that people were human even in those days and I certainly have no worries about it.

Letitia was often but not always a fierce lady with an irascible temper. Bettye

Heatherington (nee Parfitt, William D.’s daughter) tells a story of Letty having an

argument with her sister, returning to her sister’s back yard while she was out and flaying

the washing with a dirty cabbage pulled straight from the garden. True or not, it is not out

of character. On his death bed or not long before, Merle reported William J. as saying,

“Letty has been a fine wife and mother but, oh, what a woman to live with.” But I will

deal with Letitia more thoroughly in the separate Hitchcock document.

8. William J. and Letitia Parfitt in Newcastle:

Over the next approximately sixteen years

after their marriage, the Parfitt family lived in

New Lambton in Queen’s Road with their

three surviving children. All these were born

in New Lambton. Note that William D.s

second name, Devonald is a family name

stemming from the Hitchcock side of the

family (see Book 4) and so William D.

follows a tradition. Thelma Lilian falls part

way as she had her mother’s middle name

while Leslie Keith seems to indicate a break

with tradition with no such known family

name background. This is similar for Essie Merle. Essie is not a frequently used name and

I can find only one other about that time in the Newcastle area, an Essie Jenkins who

married in Newcastle in 1926. She would have been some 5 to 10 years older than Merle.

Was Merle (Essie Merle) called after one of her Aunt’s (ie Lizzie Jenkins) relatives?

The Gresford period followed after

which the family seems to have done

quite well financially. This may well

have been due to Letty’s tight

financial control rather than anything

else, it may have been that William

J.s salary at BHP was quite

reasonable or there may have been

some family inheritance from the

Hitchcock side of the family as

Letty’s father, Thomas George

Hitchcock, had died only a few years

(2 or 3) earlier in 1912. Whatever the reason, they had enough funds to either immediately

or soon after their return purchase the house in Islington (11 Hubbard Street). Why was

Islington, moderately inner city, chosen rather than Lambton or New Lambton where the

family had their roots? It may have been to separate themselves due to William’s alcohol

problem, it may have been a quicker access to the city by the tram line but more likely it

was the easier access to the new BHP steelworks where William J. was now employed.

Parfitt house (Photo ~2008) in New Lambton, now needing a paint.

Parfitt house (Photo ~ 1948) 11 Hubbard Street Islington

85

In 1921 and in 1923, the family had holidays in the Katoomba area of which quite a few

photos exist, some being shown above (dates given on the photograph). William J. was a

keen photographer and processed and printed his own copies. Hence, multiple copies

exist. After that, they toured extensively for few years by car. The Rugby, their first car

(see below) was not available outside the USA in 1921 so it is presumed the Katoomba

holiday was undertaken by train but the car must have been purchased soon afterwards.

So by about 1924, William J. now aged about 48 was able to purchase a reasonably sized

automobile, a 4 cylinder Rugby car (see box page 86). As cars were not widely owned in

those days, this indicates a reasonable level of affluence. The family, William D. (ie Bill),

Les and Merle were now aged between 23 and 16 and accompanied their parents on many

adventurous tours on dirt roads throughout NSW. In about 1930, William J. upgraded to

the new 6-cylinder Durant from the same company. This was a magnificent car for its day,

two tone, black mudguards and navy blue body, and was William’s pride and joy. It was

carefully kept under cover and was always immaculately polished. I remember it clearly

from my childhood. Both cars are shown below. Not only did he carefully polish the

vehicle, he was meticulous about mechanical repairs. There is story about him being

hauled out from underneath almost dead from carbon monoxide poisoning having

undertaken repairs while the engine was running. He kept a small shed behind the garage

where he had what were to me, as a child, fascinating tools. But we were not allowed to

touch them. He could be kind and interested in us but he could easily become irascible and

angry. Or so it seemed to us as children but, I suppose now that I am old, I can understand

that children, whether you love them or not, can become very annoying at times.

William John Parfitt ~ 1925

At Katoomba: 1923,

From left: Parfitts; Les, Letitia, William J.

Explorers tree, Blue

Mountains: 1921,

From left: Parfitts;

Les, Letitia, Merle

86

Sometime in the 1930s, William and Letitia acquired a block of land on a reserve

waterfront (ie a waterfront with a wide access to the public in front of it) at Swansea

(south) on Lake Macquarie. They built a house on it, much of the work being done by

William himself, although I believe he had a builder to assist in making the frame. This

originally consisted of two rooms with a wide verandah on the east, north and west sides

the last facing the Lake. But sometime before my earliest memories of it in the early

1940s, it had been modified by closing in the eastern and part of the northern verandah to

make a dining, kitchen area. At the extreme (southern) end of this L shaped dining-kitchen

area was an old coal (or wood) burning stove, the dining area being situated in the

northern part. The house was unlined, the frame being creosoted annually to prevent white

ant activity, often just before our arrival for holidays to our horror as we as children

disliked the smell. The toilet was outside as common in those days but it was not a

flushable one connected to the sewer. The “sewerage man” arrived each week in his truck

and carried the waste laden bin (or two, there was a spare) on his shoulder to his truck,

returning with an empty one. The toilet paper was old newspaper. All this generated much

interest in us as children.

We spent most of our summer holidays at Swansea with our cousins, Geoff and Robert.

During the war we saw the Catalina Flying Boats roaring along as they took off on the

other side of the Lake near their base at Rathmines but in general, we were blithely

unaware of the implications of the war. We swam, rowed the small boat, played cricket

and chasings. As well as the garage and outside toilet, the yard contained two large wattle

trees that we loved to climb and on which was hung a swing. There was a vegetable

garden which, if we ventured into it in our games, we ran the risk of a severe dressing

down if we intruded to regain a ball, chase or hide during our various other games. There

was also a sand-pit where we spent many hours of labour in building castles and being

swarmed upon by sand flies in the late afternoon. At times, the families walked to

Swansea township in the balmy summer evenings, at others we were taken out in

Grandad’s 16 foot clinker row boat to a deeper, sea weed-free sand hole where we swam

in water just above our heads. They were good times.

William Crapo (Billy) Durant, (1861-1947): was the founder of the General Motors

Corporation. He began his career with a horse-drawn carriage company in 1886 and

took over Buick in 1904, forming the General Motors (GM) Company in 1908. He

lost control in 1910 to Chevrolet but regained ownership in 1915. He was forced out

for good in 1920 and founded his own company, Durant Motors, Inc., in 1921. In

May 1921 the "Durant Four" was put on the market and by June had received 30,000

orders. In February 15, 1922 Durant stated that his company would offer a small four

cylinder car of modern design called the "Star". In 1923, when Durant Motors tried to

export the Star, the name was already registered for use in the British Empire so the

name Rugby was chosen instead. Star cars continued to be sold for export under the

Rugby name until their production ceased in 1928, being replaced by the 6 cylinder

Durant D65. Rugby “Continental”. Their 4 and 6 cylinder motors established an

enviable reputation for reliability. The company became insolvent in 1931.

87

The Parfitt cars:

Top: The 4 cylinder 1924 Rugby Bottom: The 6 cylinder 1929 Durant

Top: The Parfitts day touring: ~ 1925

From left: William D. (Bill), Les, Belle (Bill’s

wife), Letitia (with William L as a baby), William J.

The Parfitts day touring: ~ 1929

From left: Bert Milton, William J.,

Letitia, William D., Belle Children: Bettye, Bill, Beryle

Top: The Parfitts day touring: ~

1925

From left: William J. Belle (with William

L as a baby), Les, Letitia, William D.

The car had its tent too: From left: Les, Merle, Letty

88

On the side, in front of the free standing garage was a boat carriage for launching William

J.s other pride and joy, his 16 foot clinker row boat. This was normally, during his periods

of occupation of the house, kept between fore and aft mooring posts some twenty metres

out in the shallow water. There were probably about a dozen such boats (some indeed with

half cabins and small petrol motors) similarly moored along the three or four hundred

metres of shoreline. Because they did not swing, they each dug out a shallow hole in the

soft sand beneath, perhaps half a metre deep and it was in these that we learned to swim

and to dive under the moored boat. Occasionally the adults would row us in the boat to

deeper water further out which was just above our six to ten year old heads. About three

hundred metres to the north was a slightly deeper and certainly wider channel (Boyd’s

Channel), dug out at the beginning of WW II to launch 40 to 80 foot wooden boats. It was

there that we learned to swim properly; it being a challenge to get across the six metres or

so of deep water that was over our heads. Our grandparents also kept a small 8 foot

rowboat for the children but we were not allowed to take it ourselves into the deeper water

some kilometer (or so it seemed, it may have been less) away from the waterfront. The

reserve front area was 20 metres wide with a narrow dirt road in the middle along which

an occasional slow vehicle would trundle. Here we ran and played, dodged the spiky jo-jo

weeds (as we called them) and cats-head thorns and had great fun and freedom. We all

loved it. Right near the shore, a series of casuarinas trees grew. Further to the south,

perhaps some ten or so houses away, was vacant land, full of blackberry bushes,

casuarinas trees and other undergrowth. As children we were warned about going there by

ourselves because of the danger of snakes and, perhaps, of wicked men although we

ignored that at times. But each year we would have the blackberry collecting days with

our parents and would come back with cans full for Grandma (Letty) to make delicious

pies and jams that seemed to last for days. On some warm, summer nights we went prawn

fishing in the shallow waters with kerosene lamps to attract the prey, and sometimes

fishing although that was mainly an adult past time. It was a marvellous time, sadly

curtailed by William’s death in 1949. The house at Swansea is shown above.

We saw our cousins Geoff and Robert (Les and Nell Parfitt’s children) frequently during

that period. After William John Parfitt and two years later, Bert Milton died, we saw them

less, although their parents visited fairly regularly for a few years. In the early 1950s,

Geoff, who had a bright personality, occasionally used to visit us after school as he was

close by at Newcastle Technical High School then located at Tighes Hill which was only a

The Parfitt house, The Esplanade, Swansea, Left late 1930s, Right, mid 1940s

89

short walk from Islington. We eventually grew apart and saw each other infrequently after

we finished school. But we have good memories. Such is life.

William and Letitia Parfitt:

~ circa 1930s

Above: Islington,

Right Top: Swansea

Right Bottom: Blue Mountains,

Bert Milton in centre

William J. and Letitia Parfitt:

Left and above: Sydney, 1939 Baby is Brian Milton

90

We saw even less of our elder Parfitt uncles, aunts and cousins until after 1950 when Bert

died. William D. and his wife, Belle (nee Woodhams) occasionally called in to Swansea

when we were there in their Morris Cowley touring car (about 1930 vintage) on their way

to Belle’s parents’ weekender at Nords Wharf, also on Lake Macquarie some miles to the

south. In previous years, Belle’s family had had a house at Rathmines on the opposite,

deep water side of Lake Macquarie. During World War II, it was taken over as a base for

the Flying Boats, (called Catalinas) that we often watched taking off and landing from the

house. Recently Rathmines is being looked at by the local historical society as the site is

being developed. As such, William L. Parfitt and Bettye Heatherington (nee Parfitt) have

been asked to record their memories for this Society and have kindly given me copies.

These are included in the text boxes at the end of this document as they are of general

historical interest.

William in June, 1949 died of heart problems (chronic myocarditis) compounded by

chronic bronchitis no doubt exacerbated by his persistent pipe smoking. Letitia survived

him for 18 years passing away from pneumonia caused by influenza in 1965. She had had

double pneumonia (ie in both lungs) some 40 years before and in those pre-antibiotic days,

was lucky to survive but she was very tough.

9. The children of William and Letitia:

After the above digression, I will now

return to the children of William J. and

Letitia Parfitt. William D. (always called

Bill) became a well known pianist running

his own dance band in Newcastle. As

mentioned before, he began playing the

piano under the tutelage of an old

“German” teacher during the time that he

was at primary school (reported by

William L. Parfitt) in Gresford. Back in

Newcastle, he began as a metallurgical

trainee at BHP in May 1915. However, it

seems that he had a misdemeanor (from a

letter from William L. Parfitt) of some sort

at work and was terminated. This may

have caused some disapproval from his

father. Merle also told us that he had had

brush with the law while still at school

with police coming to the house and

searching for, assumedly, some stolen

articles. She believed that he had to spend

a short period in a correctional

establishment but whether her recollections

were of a few days, some weeks, a longer

period or what is unclear as she would have

been only perhaps 6 or 7 years of age at the

time.

Bill: probably 1950s (right) at the piano

Bill (William D.) Parfitt’s band: ~ 1930. Bill is on the right at the piano.

91

However, William D. did well with his more exciting life of playing music, having a few

beers and fun with his mates. After the terminated traineeship, he concentrated on the

music and the band that he was forming. This became very successful. It played on the

ferries that ran up the Hunter River from Newcastle to Morpeth and was a noted band

hired for regular functions in Newcastle. He also is reputed to have been commissioned to

organise the entertainment and dance music for guests for the opening of Newcastle Town

Hall on 14th

December, 1929 by the then NSW State Governor, Sir Dudley Deshair. He

married Susan Isabelle (Belle) Woodhams on 24th

May 1924 and they moved to a house in

Waratah which they retained for the rest of their lives. After his termination at BHP, he

had found work at Waratah Brick Works until becoming redundant at the start of the

1927-1934 depression. He then moved temporarily to Belle’s parents’ place at Rathmines

with his family, helping them with chicken and pig farming. Ryland’s Brothers was his

next employer as it supplied the farming industry which was less affected by the

depression and he started there in 1927. Eventually, after their subsidiary, the Australian

Wire Rope Works, commenced he began work in an essentially low skilled occupation

(for someone with his ability) as a wire drawer. He remained there until his retirement in

1965.

He and Belle had three children, William Leslie (always called Young Bill by us, born 27th

October 1924), Bettye Merle (born 28th

April 1926) and Beryle Faye (born 23rd

April

1928). William (Uncle Bill to us) was a great character, intelligent, a marvellous raconteur

and good company. After our father (Bert Milton) died when we were all quite young, he

and Belle were exceedingly helpful. He arrived on several weekends soon after Dad died

and took me to the Rugby League finals series, introducing me to a lifelong passion for the

game. He helped me to use tools and carry out minor carpentry repairs and gave me ideas

about repairing cars, this being one of his passions. Under his car in his own garage, he

had dug a pit so that he could work conveniently underneath it. Later, he built a caravan

that he and Belle commenced seeing parts of the country during some of his long service

Les (left), Bill (right): at 11 Hubbard St. Islington ~ 1920

From left: Merle, Bill, Les Parfitt: 11 Hubbard St. Islington ~ 1915

92

leave. While my Dad taught me many things such as how to use and axe and saw, I owe

Uncle Bill much for the basic skills with tools that have helped me since.

When they visited, after we children were supposedly in bed, I used to slide along to my

bedroom door to listen to their conversation. It was always enlivening. As the years

passed, I had many good natured debates with him on engineering science, politics (Mum

and hence we children were Bob Menzies’ supporters in those days, different from now,

while Bill often took a more left wing position, perhaps to stimulate discussion) and

religion where his strong Masonic background and my developing atheism were often

opposed. He would come to our house and belt out music on the piano while we attempted

to sing along with him. We had great times with him over my teenage years. Apart from

that, he liked a beer (or a few more) and spent much time at his bowling club both on the

green and in the clubhouse.

In 1966, while I was returning through the Middle East after two years in England, I was

shattered to receive a letter from Mum that he was being treated, unsuccessfully, for

severe back pain by a physiotherapist. At the next stop days later, I received another from

Janice, written earlier, about his sudden illness. He had used his long-service leave some

years earlier to explore parts of Australia in a caravan that he had built himself and he and

Belle had enjoyed it

thoroughly. Apparently, with

a newly built caravan while

on an early post-retirement

trip into Queensland, he

contracted a severe chest

problem which turned out to

be an aggressive lung cancer.

In all, he lasted only about

six weeks until his death on

28th

November 1966. The

lung cancer, in retrospect,

was not surprising as he

smoked heavily, well over 60

cigarettes a day and his hands

were yellow. The particles

from the wire rope drawing

perhaps also contributed.

And I have often wondered

whether, with all the home

building in those days with asbestos, that it might have been mesothelioma. Belle survived

him by some twenty years, passing away in the early 1980s.

Leslie Keith (Uncle Les to us) was an entirely different character, quiet, kindly, reserved

and abstemious. I think that he was a considerate, gentle man but certainly not outgoing.

Les was born on 20th

May, 1905 and married Ellenor Ethel (Nell) Milton in 1933. In our

childhood, we saw him more often than Bill and Belle, particularly at Swansea and

partially because we were of similar ages to his children. There was also the double

relationship, Nell, his wife, being Bert’s sister while he was Merle’s brother. But looking

back, I did not know him as well as I knew Bill. However, he was certainly the more

financially successful of the brothers. He originally trained at the Commonwealth Steel

Merle Parfitt: at 11 Hubbard Street, Islington,

aged about 9,10 (left), 14, 15 (right)

93

Corporation as a patternmaker but left either due to having an electric shock or

redundancy due to the Great Depression of the 1930s, (information acquired on these

anecdotally) but perhaps both having an influence. Jan Brown (previously Parfitt, Geoff’s

wife) informs me that he then went to Leonora Glass Works where he learnt metal

spinning and wood turning. He worked independently from the home at Islington making

furniture amongst other things and eventually set up the family business at his home in

Werribi St., Mayfield West where they made light fittings which they sold back to

Leonora as well as to other outlets. They were also well known for their kettles and tea

pots.

Although we saw them moderately frequently, I know little of their day to day life.

Somewhere around 1950, they bought a block of land on the waterfront at Fishing Point

on the western side of Lake Macquarie where they built a house to which they later

retired. Nell died from stomach cancer in about 1979. Les survived until 1985 when he

also succumbed to cancer.

They had two children, Geoffery born August 1936 and Robert born August, 1939. Again,

there was a noticeable difference in personalities between these boys. Geoff was a lively

conversationalist and very outgoing, Robert was quieter although certainly not introverted,

being an avid car trial and water skiing enthusiast until he had a severe car accident in his

20s that probably restricted him for the rest of his life. However, he maintained a strong

interest in water sports. Apparently he also liked a beer and a lively argument, a family

trait.

Newcastle High School where all three Parfitt children attended.

Merle is second from the left (first standing row). Photo probably about 1921 or 1922

94

Geoff started learning the metal spinning

trade from around the age of 12 and he

worked regularly with his father at this.

After leaving Newcastle Technical High

school at age 15, he worked with Les until

1962. Needing a change, he then started

work with Upjohn, an American Drug

Company, this position requiring him to

call on Doctors and Pharmacists

throughout the extended Newcastle

district. In 1963, he was head hunted by

another drug company called Hoechst, a

German Company to do much the same

work as with Upjohn.

In 1958 he married Jan Milne and they had three children, Brett Geoffrey born August

1959, Grant David May 1962 and Shane Evan born Dec 1963 8. In 1964, he and his family

were moved to Adelaide where he became the Ethical Sales Manager. In 1965 he was

appointed State Manager of Western Australia, Northern Territory & South Australia

where he continued until his unfortunate death, on the 28th December, 1974. This was a

tragic accident as he was electrocuted from a faulty caravan in which he and his family

were staying while on holidays. He left a wife, Jan and three boys

Robert started in the family business at age 16 and continued until 1975 when Les sold the

business to Phillips Electrical in Sydney. He stayed with them until he took early

retirement after inheriting his parents’ estate. He married Joan Hincks in 1962 but they

remained childless. He was an enthusiastic car rally driver in his VW Beetle but had a

severe accident which, although he recovered, affected him for the rest of his life. In

Sydney, he lived in the Pittwater area near to us for many years but unfortunately, we saw

little of him, all of us being too busy. Robert died of heart problems in about 2005.

8 Note that it is not my intention here to follow the families further than my own generation but, as this

document is a Word file, it can be added to by any family member who so desires.

From left: Nell Parfitt (nee Milton),

Letitia Parfitt, Merle Milton (nee

Parfitt), children Grant and Brett Parfitt, sons of Geoff and Jan ~ 1966

Wedding: Geoff Parfitt and Jan

Milne, 1958 From left: Les, Jan, Geoff, Nell Parfitt

Wedding: Robert Parfitt and Joan

Hinch, 1962, From left: Joan, Robert

95

Merle Parfitt was born on 18th

October, 1908. She often remarked that she may not have

existed had Thelma, her elder sister, lived, as her mother wanted a daughter. From

conversations with her, I believe that she attended a primary school at Wickham (why not

Islington which was open then?) after the family returned from Gresford, at which time

she would have been about seven or eight years old. She then attended Newcastle High

School as did her brothers. She left school to care for her mother when the latter nearly

died of double pneumonia in about 1921 or 1922 so she would have been about 14 at the

time. I always had the impression that she did not like school particularly although as a

child she was an avid reader and enjoyed poetry. She had extra-curricular elocution

lessons although this may have been more due to her mother’s than her own wishes. My

belief is that she was very shy. I can remember her telling me that, in her teenage years,

she ventured over to a tennis court in Islington but was too shy to approach the

participants and returned home.

She started work at Winns, a large Newcastle drapery store in the main shopping area in

Hunter Street in about 1924 and worked there until her marriage many years later. She had

a number of female friends from there with whom she remained in contact for the rest of

her (or their) life. What of her romantic life? Things were very restricted in those days,

perhaps more so than in her parents’ time. Not long before she passed away in 1995, I can

remember her telling me a story about a young man who used to park his car not far from

her work place. After walking past him many times, she at length, on his invitation, spoke

to him. He asked her out and, she said, she was tempted but reluctantly refused. Only a

week or so later, she saw Bert Milton, her brother Les’s friend with him in the lane behind

the house in Islington and was very attracted to him. Shortly after, they started going out

together.

They became engaged in about 1928 when she was about 20. It was a long engagement

which Merle put down to the fact that the Depression had arrived and Bert had obligations

to his family, his father, according to Merle, being unemployed during that time. She was

always somewhat resentful of Bert’s younger sisters as she claimed they made no effort to

find employment themselves to help the family. Of course, there is always another side to

a story but that was her version. However, she and Bert were eventually married on 7th

December 1935 at Tighes Hill, Newcastle.

They had three children, Janice, born

2nd

November 1936, Brian, 27th

July

1938 and Barry 26th

May 1943. In

1937, Bert was transferred to Lithgow

with the Railways Department. Merle,

with a young child and much attached

to Newcastle, hated it. They were

there for one year before Bert was

again transferred, this time to Sydney.

Here they lived in Northbridge with

their first two children. Sometime in

1939, he was again transferred back

to Newcastle, much to Merle’s

delight.

Milton House: taken ~ 1960 13 Hubbard Street, Islington

96

In Newcastle, with World War II underway, they lived in a rented house in Cram Street,

Merewether. In 1942, they moved to a rented, semi-detached house in Becket Street (now

called Kemp Street), Hamilton but spent perhaps nearly a year at her parents’ house from

before Barry’s birth until the years end. This may have been for most of the rest of May

1943 onwards as Janice started in first class at the beginning of that year and I began

kindergarten some months later. This was at Islington School a few doors away in about

August 1943 and we completed the year at that school. The following year, our family

moved back to Hamilton, Janice and I attending Hamilton School which was about half a

mile away. In about April, 1947, they purchased the house at 13 Hubbard Street, Islington

and so we again moved and attended school there. This school encompassed kindergarten,

infants and primary years. Barry also attended Islington Public School.

The next few years were spent on extensive

modifications to the house. An internal wall was

demolished, fire places changed and a new laundry-

toilet room added at the back. Garden modifications

included the removal of a number of trees. However,

these ceased temporarily on Bert Milton’s sudden

death in August 1950 (dealt with in the Milton

document, Book 1) but were resumed with financial

help from Letitia after she sold 11 Hubbard Street and

moved into number 13 which was straight across the

side street (called Hooker Street, named after an early

family there being no association with the world’s

oldest profession).

This was a difficult period with Merle who was, I am

convinced, somewhat depressed for quite a long

period. She did not return to paid employment as she

felt it was her duty to stay at home for the children.

She began driving again not having done much for

years and her highlight was a weekly Sunday drive. This was fine for a while but over the

years it became a little onerous on us as children as it limited our freedom at weekends.

Holidays also consisted of tours up the coast to Brisbane or down to Melbourne,

sometimes camping and sometimes with a caravan. The relationship with Letitia was often

strained as she could be quite demanding, irascible and self-centred.

In about 1965, Merle developed a friendship with the next door neighbour, Fred Dwyer

who was a year or so younger and a bachelor. They were married in 1967, immediately

following Barry’s marriage. Fred had developed what was probably a minor heart ailment

which he focused on from then onwards. He died in May, 1993. In the last year before she

died (October 1995), Merle was suffering from some dementia and was becoming a major

worry as she locked herself into the house which had always been like a fortification. In

1994, we persuaded her to sell the house and move into a retirement home but she was

never happy there. The house at Islington had been too much of her life.

Merle (right) and her mother, Letty: 1960s

97

Merle and Fred led a quiet life after marriage interspersed with tours in the second hand

1965 Mercedes Benz that they bought and also some short overseas trips to New Zealand

and Norfolk Island. Fred died of his heart ailment in May, 1993 with Merle slipping into

what appeared to be depression and passing away quietly in October, 1995 just before her

87th

birthday

From left: Merle, Fred, with a local

friend (on right)

In Tasmania, in 1970s

Merle: at Islington, ~ 1980

Merle’s 75th birthday, at Islington October 1983. Clockwise from left,

Denise, Alyssa (baby), Kevin, Fred, Merle (in front), Jan, Barry, Gareth (child

between Jan and Barry), Donna, James (child right), Gilbert (child front), Michelle, Evan (child), Janice (right of Evan), Sheree (left of Evan)

98

10 Final Summary

While the generations after our the parents of our Grandparents, William and Letitia

Parfitt are better known than most of the others, probably due to the close contact that we

had with them in our childhood, the early history of the Parfitt line is the most obscure. In

particular, there is no information on how or when the first William Parfitt arrived in

Australia; neither are there any clues as to where he was born in Britain other than, so it

seems, in the County of Somerset. While the mining areas west of Bath (Clutton,

Radstcock, Stoke St. Michael) are most likely candidates, this needs confirmation. It is a

line of research for which information should be readily available as he was born as late as

1840 after centralised records had been established. Census records are also available form

the UK for 1841 and 1851 and yet I have been unable to find him. It is one of the great

challenges remaining in this research. Until that happens, we can go no further into the

past. The Butler family in Ireland are also hard to locate. There are many Butlers in

Ireland and there are many questions about the birth dates of our ancestors, William Butler

in particular seeming to be very young compared with his wife and also perhaps rather

young to have died from diabetes. Again more research is needed.

Some further notes:

As previously noted, I intend to follow the descent lines of our generation. I will mention

just one of these. Merle’s brother, Lesley Keith Parfitt, born in 1905 married Bert’s sister,

Nell, born in 1907. They had two children, Geoffrey, born in 1935 but died tragically in

1974 and Robert, born in 1939, died in or about 2004. Geoffrey had three boys but Robert

had no children. Again, I will leave it to more appropriate contributors to complete that

line. I am, however, including a photograph for Jan Brown, (her first husband being Geoff

Parfitt), who waited patiently for many years for me to bring my research into some

coherent form.

Also, on the next two pages I have copied some notes provided to me by William

Devonald Parfitt’s children, Bill and Beryle about their reminiscences of their early

childhood experiences at Rathmines, on Lake Macquarie. It is of general historical interest

as well as them being part of our Parfitt family.

Left: Geoff and Robert Parfitt: ~ 1939

99

From William Leslie Parfitt (written 2008)

Property development of RAAF Catalina Flying Boat Base at Rathmines Prior to 1940, the local development of the area known as Rathmines was sparsely developed, mainly

because of inaccessibility by road. There were only bush tracks and a ferry available. The 1927/34

depression also contributed to very slow building investment As BHP was the major steel producer,

the Federal government considered that protective measures were needed to safeguard this industry,

hence the decision to utilize Lake Macquarie for military measures. In 1940, repossession of a large

portion of territory on the southern and western promontory adjacent to the known area named

Rathmines called “Edendale” brought about many changes to the section. Resumption of properties

which were small in number in this area brought about an influx of activity with construction crews

and redevelopment. Housing, feeding and leisure became a big issue. My maternal grandparents, due

to financial restrictions caused by the depression had re-established this lifestyle at Edendale, west of

Rathmines along the southern side of Kilaben Bay where they held property and a large boatshed

which was converted into living quarters. Poultry and ducks were bought as a means of existence over

a number of years prior to 1940 with pigs a late extension to their income. Thus the grandparents were

in a position to cater for the construction crew needs with accommodation and catering facilities.

Their property which included a wooden planked carvel built open launch (3HP Acme single cylinder

motor) however was confiscated for military security with very little minimal reimbursement from the

federal government. This would have been around the late 1941 to early 1942. during the construction

stage, the Swamp Creek was filled in and a large tarmac with a launching ramp for the convenience of

sea planes was built and a strong timber wharf was installed (as illustrated) for supply/crash boat

access - also detailed in the sketch. Naturally our interest in the development of the base waned until

the late 1945/1950 period when the federal government closed down the relevant base and handed the

area back to the NSW government who promptly, being a Labor government, immediately placed a

perimeter from the shoreline to boundary of 75 yards. This ordinance has prevented re-development

of the shoreline, in particular, by the original property owners as previously promised. Justice may

seem to have been done but the dismal attitude of the state government does not sit well with the

disgruntled respective families who received only a pittance for their homes. The grandparents’

launch, when retrieved was found to be seriously holed and no recompense ever found its way into

their hands so it was repaired at their own expense.

Rathmines and Kilaben Bay, Lake Macquarie

100

From Bettye Heatherington, nee Parfitt (written 2008)

My memories of life at Edendale before the construction of the Catalina RAAF base as

seen through the eyes of a young girl. In the early years of the 1927/34 depression, my grandparents, Thomas and Elizabeth Woodhams

invested in a property, around 20 acres, on the shores of Kilaben bay’s southern side. The area was

named “Edendale” and was approximately 1 to 2 kilometres from Rathmines. My parents brought their

three young children there to live. The two families managed to exist here by literally living off the land.

Thomas Woodhams (grandfather) and William Parfitt (his son-in-law) worked hard and established a

vegetable garden, a fruit orchard, a large poultry yard and a smaller one for our 20 khaki Campbell ducks

and fish traps to catch fish for eating. Later, pigs were bought and a stye was built, far away from the

house. We also had a very healthy cow which gave us plenty of milk. From milk, I learned how to scoop

the cream from the top and every second afternoon I churned the cream until it became butter in a big

square churn. My grandmother baked all our bread and cooked beautiful meals and made the most

wonderful jams from our fruit trees, plum, peach, apricot and gooseberry. When the blackberries were

on, we kids would be sent, buckets in hand, to gather as many as we could. When mushrooms were

around, we would be sent out again to get as many as we could. By this time, two 1st cousins joined us to

stay and so there was five of us and life was a pleasure to each of us. To make ends meet, and before the

egg board existed, my dad would ride his motorbike with its box sidecar into Newcastle and get orders

from the corner shops for eggs and dressed poultry. Everyday, the two older girls would clean all the

eggs gathered (boys job) and weigh them and pack them into boxes dad had made. Duck eggs were in

demand as well. Sunday mornings, grandfather would chop the heads off the chooks and gut them and

hang them up to bleed. He would then stoke up the big drum for hot water. Grandma would emerge with

two big white aprons for Len and me and when the water boiled, she would tip very hot water over the

chooks in the tub and we would pluck them clean, ready for sale. As long as I live, I will never forget the

smell of hot water being poured over chook feathers. When all was completed, dad would load the

sidecar. He would pack half blown up rubber inner tubes in between each layer of egg boxes to stop

jolting. He would then be on his way to deliver his orders. There were no roads into the Rathmines area

in those days so dad made his own road and it was used for many years to get in and out. There were

only four homes along the bay at first but through the years five more were built. The little community

lived a happy existence there and so when the news came that the land was going to be confiscated and

all would lose their homes, the happiness turned to distress. Our home was the furthest but one from the

base and grandma had helped the family income for years by ferrying people across to the Toronto side

of Kilaben Bay for six pence. A white flag told when shoppers were ready to come home. When the

construction workers heard of the service, they also took advantage of it as it cut a lot of traveling time

for them. We moved back to our home in Newcastle and Grandma got daily orders to cook for the

workmen. A large shed was built on our property and some of the men stayed there. We would go out

some weekends and so saw a lot of the development of the base. Eventually, all of the homes were gone

and the construction was nearing completion, our launch was impounded for security reasons and our

grandparents found another waterfront home at Nords Wharf (reluctantly) and so our life at Edendale

came to an end. Before this time, we as children had attended the one room school house built just

outside the perimeter of the gatehouse for some months before moving back to Newcastle and there was

always great activity on the base. A hospital had been built and I actually was a patient there for a few

hours when stung by a wasp. I have been back only twice to look at where our home stood and think my

thoughts of the wonderful childhood it had given us. It is interesting to note that all the five children who

lived there, literally off the land, are stll alive and all but one is over 80 years of age. The youngest will

reach that goal in a few months. War is a dreadful thing and I remember clearly the growing lines of

seaplanes anchored down the bay and years later I came to understand how essential it was for them to be

there for us and to move onto a different lifestyle

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Some additional photographs

Above: William John Parfitt working at home.

Right: Skylarking at Belmont, Lake Macquarie

Upper: left Les, top Merle, right Belle, under

Bill.

Lower: from left, Merle, Letitia, Belle (on top), Bill, Les (on top).

Above and right: Merle Parfitt

Left: Early twenties, in garden at home,

Centre: Mid twenties, acting a guard, SW Rocks Right: Mid teens, Ready for tennis, at home

Left: Bill and

Belle Parfitt, ~ 1950s

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