Sophia (Harris) Fraser (1832 - 1926)

Born 15 Jan 1832 in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of John Povey — married [date unknown] in New South Wales, Australia

Wife of Joseph Young — married 5 May 1846 in Goulburn Plains, New South Wales, Australia

Wife of Alexander Fraser — married 11 Feb 1881 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 23 Jul 1926 at age 94 in Burwood, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Sophia Harris was born at Campbelltown, in New South Wales, Australia, on the 15th of January 1832. She was the daughter of Jonathan Harris and Elizabeth Baker.

She was baptised on the 26th of February 1832 in the St John's Church of England in Parramatta, New South Wales. ^[1]

In 1847, Sophia had a daughter Isabella, whose birth was registered at Bungonia, Goulburn under the name Isabella Harris. ^[2] Sophia at the time would have been about age 15.

Child of Sophia Harris:

1. Isabella HARRIS b. 1847 Bungonia, Goulburn, NSW; m William Nathaniel NORTH

Sophia may have been in her mid teens, when she married in the 1840's, to John Povey, who would have been in his mid 30's.
They may have been married in 1846 at Bungonia, East of Goulburn, if details on the birth record of their daughter, Margaret Edith Povey, are accurate. ^[3]

It is possible that John Povey used the name Joseph Young on the marriage documentation.^{[4] [5]}
The marriage certificate names the groom as Joseph Young, bachelor, of Lockyersleigh, and the bride as Sophia Harris, spinster, of Darby, Murray's Flats. The marriage was performed by William Sowerby, Chaplain, at the Parish of St Saviour, in the County of Argyle on the 15th of May 1846. Neither 'Joseph Young' or Sophia Harris could write, and signed with 'x their mark'. The witnesses were Thos. Grubb (his x mark) of Darby, Murray’s Flats and Sarah Grubb of Darby, Murray’s Flats. ^[6]

By 1872, Sophia, about age 40, and John Povey, about age 64, had completed their family with their 10th child. The births were all registered in the Goulburn district of New South Wales, Australia.

Children of Sophia and John Povey:

1. Elizabeth Martha POVEY b. 1849 Goulburn, NSW; m Thomas A MATTHEWS
2. Mary Anne POVEY b. 1852 Goulburn, NSW; m Thomas MORTON
3. Sophia Charlotte POVEY b. 1853 Goulburn, NSW; m Robert HUMPHRIES
4. Adeline (Ada) POVEY b. 1855 Goulburn, NSW; m1 to John LAWLER; m2 to William TRETHOWAN
5. Margaret Edith POVEY b. 1858 Goulburn, NSW; m James WILLIAMS
6. Emily Louisa POVEY b. 1860 Goulburn, NSW; m William WOOD
7. Harriet POVEY b. 1862 Goulburn, NSW; d. 1864 [Age 2]
8. John POVEY b. 1864 Goulburn, NSW; d. 1876 [Age 12]
9. Thomas George POVEY b. 1870 Goulburn, NSW; m Ellen STRATHEN
10. Walter POVEY b. 1872 Goulburn, NSW; m1 Lucy Caroline REDWOOD; m2 Catherine HOWARD

Sophia's husband John Povey passed away in 1879, aged about 71.

Sophia's second marriage, at about age 51, was to Alexander Fraser.
They were married in the Goulburn District of New South Wales, in 1883. ^[7]

Sophia Fraser passed away in 1926 at age 94. ^{[8] [9]}
Reports of her age vary, including reaching the age of 100 as published in the North West Champion - Death of a Centenarian.
Sophia died on the 23rd of July 1926, at Burwood, in New South Wales, where she was staying with her daughter.

Sophia was buried at Breadalbane Cemetery in New South Wales, Australia. ^[10][11]

Headstone inscription:

Goulburn Evening Penny Post - 28 Jul 1926: ^[12]

OVER 200 DESCENDANTS

Breadalbane's Grand Old Lady

Late Mrs. Sophia Fraser

Mrs. Sophia Fraser, the grand old southern pioneer whose death was briefly noticed in the "Post" on Monday, was born at Campbelltown 98 years ago.

There was probably no other resident of the Southern Tablelands with a greater fund of personal recollections. Her memories carried her back to the time when Goulburn consisted merely of a collection of bark-roofed humpies.

She was one of the earliest settlers in this district and had lived here practically all her life. Mrs. Fraser was a sterling type of Australian womanhood, and she leaves over 200 descendants.

She was twice married, her first husband being the late Mr. Povey. Her family comprised eight daughters and three sons, of whom five daughters and two sons are still living. The eldest daughter, Mrs. North, is still hale and hearty and is 79 years of age. Another surviving daughter is Mrs. Mary Morton, of Braidwood, is Mrs. Mary Morton, of Breadalbane. In addition the deceased is survived by 46 grandchildren, 121 great grand-children, and 30 great great grand-children.

A few years after her first husband's death, the deceased was married to Mr. Fraser, who predeceased her some time ago.There was no issue at all by the second marriage.

The late Mrs. Fraser had lived for a great number of years at Breadalbane and had recently beet residing at her daughter's residence at Burwood, where she died on Friday last.

The late Mrs. Fraser used to relate numerous incidents in which the bushrangers, Gilbert, Hall, and Dunn, figured. On one occasion the out-laws called at the home of one of the deceased's neighbours, Mrs. Humphreys, near Collector, and demanded food. They revealed their identity on leaving, and warned Mrs. Humphreys not to tell anyone for an hour afterwards that they had called. One of the party left some money on the kitchen table before leaving. Later the police called at the home of Mrs. Fraser (then Mrs. Povey) and enquired whether any of the gang had been seen.

The deceased's second husband, the late Mr. Alexander Fraser, followed the construction of the Cooma railway as a blacksmith. He also worked on the iron bridge at Gundagai. Mr. Walter Henry Wood, engine-driver, of Goulburn, is a grandson of the deceased.

Mrs. Fraser's body was brought from Sydney on Monday night by the Temora mail, and was interred in the Breadalbane cemetery in the presence of a large number of relatives and friends. The Rev. T. North, of Gunning, officiated.

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism "Australia Miscellaneous Genealogical Records, 1776-1980," (www.familysearch.org) Sophia Harris, 15 Jan 1832; citing New South Wales, Australia, Greenwich New South Wales Family History Centre, Greenwich; FHL microfilm 1,514,718. Accessed 27 Jan 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
2. ↑ Birth registration. New South Wales, Births, Deaths and Marriages. (www.bdm.nsw.gov.au). "HARRIS, Isabella; Reg: 1566/1847 V18471566 32 A; Father William; Mother: Sophia." Accessed 19 Mar 2019 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
3. ↑ "Australia Miscellaneous Genealogical Records, 1776-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLVB-YLN) Sophia Harris in entry for Margaret Edith Povey, 1 Dec 1857; citing New South Wales, Australia, Greenwich New South Wales Family History Centre, Greenwich; FHL microfilm 1,514,718. Accessed 25 Jun 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
4. ↑ Marriage index. (https://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au). "Marriage registration: 354/1846 V1846354 31C; Groom: Joseph YOUNG; Bride: Sophia HARRIS; District: MC.". Accessed 25 Jun 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
5. ↑ Australia, Marriage index, 1788 – 1950. "Sophia HARRIS - Spouse name: Joseph YOUNG; Marriage date: 1846; Marriage place: New South Wales; Registration place: Bungonia, Goulburn, Goulburn Plains, Lake Bathurst, New South Wales; Registration year: 1846; volume: V C." (Ancestry.com). Accessed 27 Jun 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
6. ↑ Marriage Certificate. Number; 354 Vol:31C. "Joseph YOUNG, bachelor of Lockyersleigh and Sophia HARRIS, spinster of Darby, Murray's Flats; Parish of St Saviour, County Argyle on 15 May 1846." New South Wales, B,D,M registry. Certificate obtained 8 Apr 2019 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
7. ↑ Marriages. New South Wales. (familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au). Birth Death Marriages. "Registration number: 3471/1883; Groom: FRASER, Alexr; Bride: POVEY, Sophia; District: Goulburn." Accessed 23 Mar 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
8. ↑ Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985 Registration Number 13224. Sophia Fraser. Death Date: 1926; Death Place: New South Wales; Father's Name: Jonathan; Mother's Name; Elizabeth; Registration Year: 1926; Registration Place: Burwood New South Wales. Accessed 16 Jan 2018 by Gwen (Edwards) Fleming.
9. ↑ MRS. SOPHIA FRASER. (1926, September 13). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 15. Trove. Accessed 24 Jan 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
10. ↑ Cemetery Cemeteries in and around Gunning shire, New South Wales. (www.gundaroo.info). "22 Alexander Fraser died 19.6.1914 aged 77, and his wife, Sophia Fraser died 23.7.1926 aged 93." Accessed 26 Jan 2018 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.
11. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #174291501 Breadalbane Cemetery, Breadalbane, Upper Lachlan Shire, New South Wales, Australia. Sophia Fraser (1832 - 1926). Memorial created 22 Dec 2016 by Rebecca Ewing Peterson.
12. ↑ OVER 200 DESCENDANTS (1926, July 28). Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW : 1881 - 1940), p. 6 (EVENING). Accessed 23 Mar 2019 by Michele (Flanagan) Gregg.

See Also:

• Sophia Harris - Familysearch profile.