William Charles Robert (Gavin) Walsh (1894 - 1972)

Born 2 Dec 1894 in Collingwood, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Son of William Henry Gavin and Melinda Elvina (Smith) Simmons

Husband of Doris Irene (Newton) Williams — married 7 Jul 1915 (to 1920) in West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Died 13 May 1972 at age 77 in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

Biography

William Charles Henry Gavin was born in 1894 at Collingwood to William Henry Gavin and Melinda ("Linda") Elvina Smith^[1].

He was baptised William Charles Stapleton Gavin on 27 September 1895 at St Peter's Eastern Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia^[2]

Parents

William Henry Gavin

William's father, William Henry Gavin, had previously been married to Henrietta "Ettie" Louisa Smith^[3]. In December 1889, Ettie had given birth to a premature daughter, Elsie Ivy Gavin^[4], who only survived a matter of hours^[5]. Ettie died several days after her daughter^[6].

Linda Elvina Smith (aka Stapleton)

In 1891, William married Ettie's younger sister, Melinda "Linda" Elvina Smith (aka Stapleton)^[7]. William Charles Robert Gavin was the only child born to this couple. They separated and were divorced around 1897^[8].

William's mother remarried in 1911 to James Patrick Walsh^[9], and changed her children's surnames to Walsh.

Siblings

Paternal half-siblings

• Elsie Ivy Gavin (1889-1889)^[4] - half-sister / first cousin (3/4 sibling).
• Unknown sibling(s) by his father.

Maternal half-siblings

• Harlettee Doris Roberta (Walsh) Scott (1903-1983)^[10] ("Doris") - half-sister.
• Clara Walsh (1905-1905)^[11] and Sydney Walsh (1905-1905)^[12] - half-siblings (twins).
  

Navy

Service number 5813^[13]

Marriages

Doris Irene Newton

Doris Irene Newton (formerly Williams) (1897-1980) - married 7 July 1915^[14] - divorced 1920^[15][16]
William married Doris in Victoria in 1915.

Before their marriage Doris Newton had given birth to a daughter, Lillian "Lily" Mary Newton, in 1914^[17]. No father was recorded on Lily's birth registration but when she died in 1917^[18], William Charles Robert Gavin was listed as her father.

The only confirmed child of William and Doris's marriage was Linda Ettie Walsh, also known as Linda Elvina Walsh, born 1916^[19].

In 1918, Doris gave birth to Bertha Joyce Walsh^[20], but William was not listed as the father.

The couple divorced in 1920, and William accused Doris of infidelity. He testified that Bertha was conceived while he was enlisted in the Australian Navy and away on active duty, and that Doris had confessed Bertha's father was a footballer named John Howell^[21].

William retained custody of daughter Linda^[21].

Henrietta Smith

William married Henrietta Smith in 1923 in Victoria^[22]. The children of their marriage include:

• Alice Irene Walsh^[23]
• A living daughter, C.V.

After this marriage, oldest daughter Linda was raised by her paternal grandmother.

Death and Interment

William died in 1972^[24] and is interred at Fawkner Memorial Park^[25] with his wife, Henrietta^[26]. The ashes of daughter, Alice^[23], and her husband, Lloyd Pickering^[27], are also interred at this location.

DNA

Maternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between William's daughter, C.V., and her half second cousin G Turner. DNA shared: 43 cM across 3 segments. MRCA: Harlettee Louisa Groombridge

Research Notes

• William's father's first wife and William's second wife were both named Henrietta Smith. They are not known to be related to each other.

• William's mother, Linda, and her siblings apparently believed that their father had been using an alias and his true name was "Robert David Stapleton". While records from early in her life give her maiden name as "Smith" and her father's name as "William Henry Smith", from around the time of her divorce onwards, Linda typically gave "Stapleton" as her maiden name. This explains the discrepancy with William's mother's maiden name on his birth and death registrations.

Sources

1. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 12 December 2022), index entry for birth of Wm Chas Robt GAVIN (2415 / 1895); place: COLLINGWOOD; Mother's Name: Melinda; Mother's Family Name At Birth; SMITH; Father's Name: Wm Hy
2. ↑ "Victoria, Australia, St. Peter's Eastern Hill, Baptisms, 1848-1915"
   Description: 1892-1912; Reference Number: 1/5
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 60584 #40882 (accessed 10 March 2023)
   William Charles Slapleton Gavin baptism on 27 Sep 1895 (born 2 Dec 1894), child of William Henry Gavin & Melinda Govina Gavin, in Melbourne, Bourke, Victoria, Australia.
3. ↑ Marriage Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 17 September 2022). Index entry for marriage of GAVIN, Wm Hy and SMITH, Henrietta Louisa; Year: 1889, Reg. number: 6658 / 1889
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Birth Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 18 September 2022). Index entry for GAVIN, Elsie Ivy; Year: 1889; Reg. Number: 28961 / 1889; Mother's Name: Henrietta; Mother's Family Name At Birth: SMITH; Father's Name: Wm Hy
5. ↑ Death Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 18 September 2022). Index entry for GAVIN, Elsie Ivy Maud Year: 1889, Reg. number: 15378 / 1889; Mother's name, Henrietta; Mother's Family Name At Birth: SMITH; Father's Name: Wm Hy
6. ↑ Death Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 18 September 2022). Index entry for GAVIN, Hettie Year: 1889, Reg. number: 18396 / 1889; Mother's name, Harlotte; Mother's Family Name At Birth: GLOOMBRIDGE; Father's Name: SMITH, Wm
7. ↑ Marriage Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 17 September 2022). Index entry for marriage of GAVIN, Wm Hy and SMITH, Melinda Elvina; Year: 1891, Reg. number: 4206 / 1891
8. ↑ NORTH MELBOURNE POLICE COURT. (1897, May 7). North Melbourne Courier and West Melbourne Advertiser (Vic. : 1895 - 1913), p. 2. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103237646
9. ↑ Marriage Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 10 Mar 2023). Index entry for GAVIN, Linda Elvina and WALSH, Jas Patk; Year: 1911, Reg. number: 11042/1911
10. ↑ Birth Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 18 September 2022). Index entry for Harlotte Doris STAPLETON; Year: 1903; Reg. Number: 29467 / 1918 (originally registered 1903; amended 1918); Mother's Name: Linda; Mother's Family Name At Birth: STAPLETON; Father's Name: Unknown
11. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 11 December 2022), index entry for birth of Clara WALSH (27780 / 1905); place: MELBOURNE WEST; Mother's Name: Linda; Mother's Family Name At Birth; STAPLETON; Father's Name: Jas
12. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 11 December 2022), index entry for birth of Sydney WALSH (27779 / 1905); place: MELBOURNE WEST; Mother's Name: Linda; Mother's Family Name At Birth; STAPLETON; Father's Name: Jas
13. ↑ National Archives Australia: 5416551
14. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 12 December 2022), index entry for marriage of Wm Chas Robert WALSH and Doris Irene NEWTON (11278 / 1916)
15. ↑ A FOOTBALLER CO-RESPONDENT. (1920, November 16). The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), p. 4. Retrieved December 11, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article213376226
16. ↑ "ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR." (1920, November 24). Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), p. 3. Retrieved December 12, 2022, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article98184514
17. ↑ Birth Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 10 Mar 2023). Index entry for Liln Mary NEWTON, Year: 1914; Parents: <Unknown Family Name> and Doris NEWTON; Place: CARLTON Reg. Number: 29203/1914
18. ↑ Death Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 10 Mar 2023). Index entry for Lily WALSH, Year: 1917; Parents: Walsh Wm and Doris NEWTON; Spouse: -; Death Place: C Hill; Birth Place: ; Age: 2; Reg. Number: 4348/1917; Reg. Number: 4348/1917
19. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 12 December 2022), index entry for birth of Linda Ettie WALSH (10212 / 1916); place: CARLTON; Mother's Name: Doris; Mother's Family Name At Birth; NEWTON; Father's Name: Wm
20. ↑ Birth Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 10 Mar 2023). Index entry for Bertha Joyce WALSH, Year: 1918; Parents: <Unknown Family Name> and Doris Irene NEWTON; Place: MALLOC Reg. Number: 29609/1918
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} "Victoria, Australia, Divorce Records, 1860-1940"
    Public Records Office of Victoria (PROV); North Melbourne, Victoria
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 61565 #13247 (accessed 10 March 2023)
    William Charles Robert Walsh divorce from Doris Irene Walsh in 1920 in Victoria, Australia.
22. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 12 December 2022), index entry for marriage of Wm Chas WALSH and Hetta SMITH (13071 / 1923)
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/212177865/alice-irene-pickering: accessed 10 March 2023), memorial page for Alice Irene Pickering (18 Oct 1924–5 Nov 2017), Find a Grave Memorial ID 212177865, citing Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Moreland City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by ! woowoo (contributor 49949980).
24. ↑ Victorian Department of Justice, "Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages", database, Births Deaths Marriages Victoria (http://www.bdm.vic.gov.au : accessed 12 December 2022), index entry for death of Wm Charles WALSH (10597 / 1972); place: Heidelberg; Mother's Name: Linda; Mother's Family Name At Birth; STAPLETON; Father's Name: WALSH James Gavin
25. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/179097955/william-c-walsh: accessed 11 December 2022), memorial page for William C. Walsh (unknown–1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 179097955, citing Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Moreland City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by David Goltry (contributor 47177571).
26. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/212362927/henrietta-walsh: accessed 10 March 2023), memorial page for Henrietta Walsh (unknown–2 Sep 1995), Find a Grave Memorial ID 212362927, citing Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Moreland City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by ! woowoo (contributor 49949980).
27. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/212425619/lloyd-ernest-pickering: accessed 10 March 2023), memorial page for Lloyd Ernest Pickering (unknown–3 Oct 1996), Find a Grave Memorial ID 212425619, citing Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Moreland City, Victoria, Australia; Maintained by ! woowoo (contributor 49949980).