Biography

Emily was born^[1] on the Australian Agricultural Co property at Goonoo Goonoo, south of Tamworth on 14th September 1895 to John Davis and Zenobia Mundy^[2].

We can surmise that Emily's early years were tough, she was the 4th youngest of 16 children born to her mother Zenobia Davis. Emily gave birth to her 1st child Claude^[3] in 1911 probably around June/July (certificate to be obtained). From the NSW Police Gazettes^[4] we learn who the father is, as on 26th July 1911 a warrant was issued for the arrest of James Warren Scobie "charged with failing to make adequate provision for the payment of preliminary expenses of and incidental to the birth of an infant".

In March 1912 her mother passed away in Sydney, it is believed she was in Sydney for treatment, which left a young girl of barely 16 raising a child on her own and possibly overseeing her younger siblings.

On 5th June 1912 we find another mention^[5] of James when a warrant was issued for his arrest, this time charged with child desertion. What follows (I believe) is what might be called 'shotgun' wedding, as on 1st November 1912 Emily married ^[6] James Warren Scobie, the witnesses were her sister Elizabeth Briggs and James' oldest brother John William Scobie, the consent of John Davis (her father) was given to the marriage.

The following year in 1913 we see that Claude passed away, his death^[7] was registered under both Scobie and Davis, no father mentioned. It is possible that her second child, Harold^[8] born in 1915 at Tamworth is also James' as he was registered under both Scobie and Davis, although without a father as well.

Timeline suggests the marriage dissolved shortly thereafter as Emily appears to have bigamously married^[9] Charles Miller on 15th March 1917 at Church of All Saints, Moree, NSW, the witnesses were M A Miller and Thos Miller, Charles' sister and brother-in-law. A divorce^[10] wasn't lodged until 1922 (documents still to be obtained).

With Charles she went on to be the wife of a travelling Showman and Snake Serum Collector and travelled over to Perth, WA where she died^[11] on 1st January 1967 at Fremantle Hospital, WA of heart disease. Her ashes^[12] are interred along with Charles at Fremantle Cemetery, Garden of Remembrance, Crematorium A, Site: A1, Position 0020.

This profile is a collaborative work-in-progress. Can you contribute information or sources?

Sources

• Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of Peggy Lucas GEDmatch M224633 , Bruce Clark GEDmatch T818088 and Thelma Chant GEDmatch A500563 sharing a total of 612.2 cM over 11 segments.

Footnotes

1. ↑ “NSW Birth Transcription 1895/38599, Tamworth for Emily M Davis,”
2. ↑ Relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of Peggy Lucas GEDmatch M224633, Rhonda Lucas GEDmatch A889678/M339940, Amanda Bortolussi GEDmatch M240200 sharing a 14.7cM segment on chromosome 1 from 742,584 to 5,667,926; a 10.9cM segment on chromosome 2 from 8,674 to 5,434,734 and a 36cM segment on chromosome 6 from 112,510 to 15,495,374.
3. ↑ “Birth for Claud J Davis,” 1911, Tamworth, 46060, Birth, http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/bdm_fh.html NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes].
4. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales; Police Gazettes 1862-1930; Roll: 3597; Year: 1911; Page: 280.
5. ↑ State Records Authority of New South Wales; Police Gazettes 1862-1930; Roll: 3597; Year: 1912; Page: 234.
6. ↑ “Marriage for James W Scobie & Emily M Davis,” 1912, Tamworth, 15877, Marriage, Transcription, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes.
7. ↑ “Death for Claude J Davis/Claude J Scobie,” 1913, Tamworth, 4403, Death, Index, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes.
8. ↑ “Birth for Harold J Scobie/Harold J Davis,” 1915, Tamworth, 6173, Birth, Indexes, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes.
9. ↑ “Marriage for Charles Miller & Emily Davis,” 1917, Moree, 2365, Marriage, Transcription, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes.
10. ↑ Divorce Index, 1922, NSW, 1344, State Records of NSW,
11. ↑ “Death for Emily M Miller,” 1967, Perth, 18F1967, Death, Certificate, WA Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages Indexes.
12. ↑ "MCB Online Summary"; Application Number: FC00001397

See also:

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