Abigail Ann Maud (Courtney) Roberts (1871 - 1925)

Born 26 Mar 1871 in Woolwich, Kent, England

Ancestors

Daughter of Arthur George Courtney and Abigail (Paice) Courtney

Wife of Edward Roberts — married 23 Apr 1892 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England

Descendants

Died 1 Dec 1925 at age 54 in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Veronica Williams [send private message]

Biography

Maud (Courtney) Roberts was born in Kent, England.

Maud (Courtney) Roberts migrated from England to Australia in 1910.

Abigail Ann Maud COURTNEY.^[1][2]

Abiagail was born on 26 Mar 1871 in Woowich Kent England, a twin to sister Alberta Emma Beatrice COURTNEY. ^[3]

You can view more images of Abigail at Flickr.

Parents

The mother of Abigail and Alberta was Abigail Courtney née PAICE. Their Father is listed as George William Courtney, an engineer, on the birth certificate and Arthur George Courtney on the baptism certificate. The baptism took place on 28 May 1871. Their mother Abigail was the informant of the birth. Abigail's son Ted Roberts says in his memoirs 'my mother was of English blood with at least a mingling of the Irish in her make up.' It is presumed the Irish must have come from the Courtney's.

Early life

By 1881 Abigail was living at Madiera Vale Holdenhurst Hampshire with her sister Edith, and is listed as scholar. They are lodging with a couple by the name of William and Jane BROWN. On the day of the census their cousins Henry and Martha PAICE (nee MARSH) are visiting.

In 1891 Abigail is living at 1 Madiera Vale, Holdenhurst, now with her mother and nephew Albert E Courtney. It is not clear whether this is the same house as in 1881. By this time Abigail is working as a dressmaker.

Marriage and Issue

On 23 Apr 1892 Abigail married Edward ROBERTS at the Holy Trinity Church in Bournemouth Hampshire. Witnesses to marriage were Arthur Thomas Eustace Newberry (possibly a friend of Edwards, both their fathers were seedsman) and Edith Courtney (Abigail's sister). Their first son Edward Arthur ROBERTS (Ted) was born in 1893 and the couple were living at Highmoon Lodge on the Highmoon road, Parkstone Dorset at this time. ^[4]

In 1901 Abigail and Edward were living with their 2 sons Edward and James at the Warwick cottage, Cranbrook Road, in Branksome, Dorset.

In his memoirs Ted goes on to say that 'when the question arose of our leaving England behind my father, as usual, thought to play safe by suggesting we should journey to Canada. Whereas my mother had so many sad things which happened in England forever in her mind. His mother was not to be dissuaded and that further away from England the better. She did not at any time thereafter express the desire to return to her native land. It was her prayer that her children become Australian.' Ted also remembers as a little chap being with his father when he carried the coffin of his little sister Elsie to the churchyard and commented 'we were poor indeed in those days.'

Abigail and Edward had eight children together, only three surviving infancy with little Elsie dying about aged 9. The family emigrated to Australia shortly after Elsie's death. ^[5][6] A cutting from Elsie's hair was enclosed in a locket and worn by Abigail until her death.

The couple lived initially in Queensland, but by 1914 were living in Connemarra Street, West Kogarah and by 1925 at Bruce Street Blacktown in New South Wales.

Death and burial

Abigail died on 1st December 1925 from diabetes mellitus and cellulitus of the neck. This is considered to be a very early diagnosis of the disease which at that time had no treatment. She was survived by her husband Edward and their two sons James (Jimmy) and Edward (Ted). She was buried in the Church of England section of Rookwood cemetery on 2nd December 1925.^[7][8][9]

Research Notes

Could the Brown family she is living with in 1881 be connected to these Irish Courtenays, descendants of Thomas Brown born bef 1692? There is an Irish family of Courtney's living nearby in Holdenhurst at that time, but I have yet to connect them to this family even though I feel very close!

DNA

• The maternal line is confirmed to the shared ancestor James Paice.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Veronica Williams created WikiTree profile Courtney-408 through the import of Roberts_2013-08-13_2013-08-17.ged on Aug 16, 2013.
2. ↑ BDM - Certificates, COURTNEY Abigail - Birth - GRO 165/1871. Index; Jun 1871 Woolwich 1d 850.
3. ↑ London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009), www.findmypast.com, COURTNEY Alberta Emma Beatrice. Database online.
4. ↑ FreeBMD, England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index 1837-1915 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), www.ancestry.com.au, Database online.
5. ↑ Queensland, Australia, Passenger Lists, 1848-1912 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010), www.ancestry.com.au, Database online.
6. ↑ Queensland Immigrants register, Orsova SS, P1 M 1707 imm/128.
7. ↑ BDM - Certificates, ROBERTS Abigail Ann - Death NSW 20531, 539/1925.
8. ↑ Cemetery visit, Veronica Williams, Rookwood Anglican Cemetery. ROBERTS Edward and Abigail, 19th September 2008. Subsequent visit March 2009.
9. ↑ Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.Original data - Compiled from publicly available sources.Original data: Compiled from publicly available sources.), Ancestry.com, http://www.Ancestry.com, Database online.
10. ↑ GEDmatch Triangulated Group confirmation of half fourth cousin relationship between Joan Roberts, Greg Roberts and the grandaughter of Kate Abram; Overlapping segments of approx 13.9cMs on Chromosome 7, from 110-130. The segment has also been confirmed through visual phasing as being inherited by Joan Roberts from her maternal grandmother Abigail Courtney

• 1871 England Census (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004), www.ancestry.com, COURTENAY Arthur G. Database online.

• 1881 England Census (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004), www.ancestry.com.au, COURTNEY Abigail and Edith. Database online; Class: RG11; Piece: 1196; Folio: 82; Page: 44; GSU roll: 1341293.

• 1891 England Census (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), www.ancestry.com, Class: RG12; Piece: 903; Folio: 146; Page: 9; GSU roll: 6096013.

• 1901 England Census (Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), www.ancestry.com, ROBERTS Edward (1868). Database online.

See also:

• BDM - Certificates, ROBERTS EA - Birth - GRO 310/1893.

• IGI Index, www.familysearch.org, COURTNEY Woolwich, Batch C055942.

• National Archives of Australia, http://www.naa.gov.au/, ROBERTS EA - WWI enlistment papers.

• BDM - Certificates, ROBERTS to MacDonald - Marriage 60/7984/1917.

• National Archives of Australia, http://www.naa.gov.au/, ROBERTS EA - WWI enlistment papers.