Serena (Evans) Leahy
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Serena Breen (Evans) Leahy (abt. 1897 - 1934)

Serena Breen Leahy formerly Evans
Born about in Woodend, Victoria, Australiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Daughter of and
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married 1919 in Victoria, Australiamap
Descendants descendants
Mother of
Died at about age 37 in Kew Asylum, Kew, Victoria, Australiamap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ben Molesworth private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 1 Oct 2017
This page has been accessed 713 times.

Contents

Biography

Serena (Evans) Leahy was born in the Colony of Victoria (1851-1900)

Serena Breen[1] Evans was born about 1897[2] to John Bayles Evans and Serena (nee Olsen).

Serena married Richard David Leahy in 1919[3], and they had William Richard Leahy, William was born before they married, and therefore it is hard to tell whether his father is actually his or not.

She died, at a young age in 1934[4] and was buried at Springvale Cemetery[5] on her own. An inquest into her cause of death, was undertaken at Kew Asylum[6].

The following Death Notices appeared in local papers.:

  • LEAHY - On the 3rd July. Serena the dearly loved wife of Richard Leahy, loving mother of William, and loved daughter of Serena and the late Jack Evans, aged 36 years.
  • LEAHY - The Friends of Mr. Richard LEAHY are respectfully informed that the remains of his beloved wife, Serena, will be interred in the Necropolis, Spring Vale. The funeral is appointed to move from No. 11 platform, Flinders-street, via mortuary train, THIS DAY (Thursday), 5th July, at 1.40pm. R.McKENZIE, Funeral Director (all suburbs).[7]
  • ESTATES OF DECEASED PERSONS, The curator of the estates of deceased persons has obtained rules to administer the estates of the following deceased persons under Act No. 3,632:--...... Serena Leahy, of Kew, formerly of 334 Moray street, South Melbourne, and of 24 Palmer street, South Melbourne, July 3, 1934, L38/7/5;....[8]
  • LEAHY, Serena (with the will annexed), late of the Mental Hospital, Kew, formerly of No. 334 Moray-street, South Melbourne, and of No. 24 Palmer-street, South Melbourne, Married Woman, died on 3rd July, 1934.[9]

Serena may have been named after the two characters in a short story, which was printed in various papers five years after she was born:

SLUMMING. A SAD LITTLE STORY.
But one sad little story out of all the heaped up sorrow of the world.
They sat together watching the sunset after the immemorial manner of lovers. Over all was the shadow of parting. They felt its pain; yet through the pain, and overcoming it, ran the glowing knowledge of how they had clasped hands upon the bridge of life, and were crossing it together.
They were too happy to talk. After mutual revelation came this intense silence, the shimmering purples and golds and blues, the rosy mists and yellow lakes of sunset. The girl picked up her inseparable companion -- a volume of poems -- from the floor, but put it down again, for her lover eyed it jealously. She read therein constantly, carried it about with her, and the page whereat she lingered most was that agonising heart-cry--
Do you, that have nought other to lament, ...
Do you, that have nought to lament, ...
Never, my love, repent ...
Of how that July afternoon ...
You went, ...
With sudden, untelligible phrase ...
And frightened eye ...
Upon your journey of so many days ...
Without a single kiss or a good-bye?
"I sometimes think," Serena said, "we rely too much upon books instead of studying human documents."
"We can't read them to the end," said Breene. "In books, everything is cut and dried and finished before you begin to read. The people have gone through it all; you only read about it afterwards. Now, we're beginning; we can't see the end."
"Serena?" cried a voice on the stair. "Serena, where are you?"
Breene glanced in the direction of the doorway. "Now, for your father."
"No lights!" said the father fuffily entering the room, and bringing with him an odor of after-dinner port. "No lights, Serena?"
"Come here, father," murmured Serena. "Mr Breene wants to say something to you."
The merchant looked suspiciously at Breene. "That's why you left me to finish the port alone? It's much too good to leave for any other reason."
"Yes, it occurred to me that it wasn't living to sit at a solitary table and drink life's cup alone."
The merchant looked surprised. "Oh, well, I had a nap. Sleep and port go well together, with Digestion waiting upon both."
"I want to marry Serena." said Breene, abruptly. Sunset was poetry; fathers-in-law, willing or unwilling, were prose.
"Hum!" said the merchant. "Hum! Well, Serena, I don't think it a bad idea. Settled that Canada business, Breene?"
"No; not yet." said Breene. "I must start for Canada to-morrow. That is why I--I--to-night."
"Quite so." said Serena's father. "Certainly, my dear fellow. Serena's taken to good works lately. Stop her slumming; it interferes with her appetite."
He smoothed Serena's hair with one fat hand. "You're very like your mother, Serena; she always saved her turtle soup and gave it to the poor. They didn't understand it -- Turtle takes time to understand."
Serena, with tact, waived the discussion as to turtle. She had not yet realised what parting meant. In the middle of the night she woke up with a little cry. Her lover was going away. There was no room for any other fact in the universe. He was going away.
Breene realised it, too. His business was imperative. He could not even put it off for a day, marry Serena and take her with him.
He spent three days at Quebec and hurried back again. Then began the monotonous endurance of waiting. He spent half his time in the engine-room, praying to the monsters of steel and brass therein to bring him more quickly to Serena, and, when they had answered his prayer, rushed to Liverpool, and reached London at seven.
After he had brushed away the stains of travel Breene walked out from his hotel, feeling that Fate went with him hand in hand.
"Come," said Fate, impatiently. "Come with me--to Serena!"
Breene walked quickly until he reached the corner of Bryanston Square. The dim twilight took upon itself a deeper cloak and dogged his foot-steps, chill autumn mists struck coldly at his heart. He turned into Bryanston Square and crossed to the other side, not without misadventure, for a long, low wagon, drawn by a bony black horse, nearly ran him down.
He seized the horse's bit with an angry gesture. "Take care!"
Two men in black sat upon the front seat of the wagon. Their red faces glared out from the mist; there was an expression of sickening brutality on them--the look of men familiar with death and yet strangers to its awful meaning. In the wagon itself lay a long box with a silver glistening plate upon the lid. The sudden stoppage of the wagon had shaken the black covering from a coffin.
Breene's anger left him. "Be more careful, my good fellows. Don't distribute death as well as minister to it."
The driver gave a drunken hiccough. "If you'd got to face 'fected rooms, and touch 'fected bodies, you wouldn't mind whether you was run over or not. It's quicker."
"Hush-h-h-h!" said the other man. "We're dealing with a typhus case." he added to Breene, "and it's made my mate a bit nervous."
Breene threw these vampires some money, the driver whipped up the old horse, which shambled off in a jog-trot, and he mechanically followed behind it.
"Death and life." he murmured, as he crossed the square in the direction of Serena's home. "Here am I coming to Serena, and there is that long box in which somebody will be carried and lost to sight. Ugh!"
The wagon kept slowly on across the square, halted at No.12 for a moment, then moved on to No. 13.
The driver descended from his seat, tied a nosebag round the head of the ancient horse, and, with the assistance of his fellow, who had softly opened the door, let down the tailboard of the wagon, and began to haul at the coffin within, whilst an old woman came to the steps, a lighted candle in her hand.
Breene, following behind, almost smiled with relief when the wagon stopped at No. 12. The next moment he remained rooted to the pavement. Serena lived at No. 13.
The sober man touched his hat. "Better not go in, sir. Servants all bolted; the father's gone to a hotel."
"The father!"
"Yes, sir. The young lady was ill only a short time. Slummin', sir. Slumminin'. That's what did it."
Breene followed the two men as they carried the coffin up the wide staircase to a room on the second floor. Several times, in turning the angles of the staircase, it struck roughly against the walls.
They gained a landing from which the carpet had been taken away. Arriving at the landing the coffin-bearers put down their burden and proceeded to tie disinfectant - saturated handkerchiefs over their mouths and nostrils.
"Better go back, sir." said the civil one to Breene. "It's typhus."
Breene opened the door and walked into the room where lay the body of Serena. A white cloth concealed her face.
Breene could see the rigid outline of Serena's form beneath the white sheet. A lock of hair strayed out from underneath the cloth and lay over the pillow. Upon the little table beside her there were three or four bottles of medicine, and her favorite book.
Breene walked to the bed, took up the book, and thrust it into his breast. He must see Serena's face again; but as he raised his hand to move away the cloth the woman and men drew him from the room.
Breene made no attempt to re-enter, and they all silently went down the staircase together.
When they reached the street, Breene thrust money in the woman's hand, and went away to his solitary chambers in the Temple. Two days later he died also.
Sentimental people said that he died of a broken heart; but the doctors shook their heads incredulously, and burned the volume of poems found on the dead man's breast, for there was enough contagion in the book to decimate half Bondon.--WENTWORTH SMEE.[10]


Research Notes

  • BDM Check DONE
  • Grave Check DONE
  • Parents Check DONE
  • Children Check DONE
  • PROV Check DONE
  • NAA Check DONE
  • Trove Check DONE
  • ADB Check DONE

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My Ancestors

Where they came from, and how many generations each line has been in Australia.

Evans - 2 (or 3 or 4), (?), Bayles - 2 (or 3 or 4), (?), Olsen - 2, (Norway), McCallum - 2 (or 3), (Ireland),

No. of 2 generations - 4 (3 of which could be more), No. of 3 generations - 0 known (3 of which could be more), No. of 4 generations - 0 known (2 possibilities).

Ireland - 1, Norway - 1, (?UK) - 2,


Ancestry Sources

Name: Serena Evans. Given Name: Serena. Surname: Evans. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]

Born 1897 Woodend, Victoria, Australia. [14] [15]

Died 3 Jul 1934. Kew Asylum, Kew, Victoria, Australia. [16] [17] [21]

Residence 1919 Melbourne South, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. [27] 1922 Queens, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. [23] 1924 Queens, Fawkner, Victoria, Australia. [28] 1925 South Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Victoria, Australia. [24] 1927 South Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Victoria, Australia. [22] [26] 1928 South Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Victoria, Australia. [25] 1931 Melbourne South, Melbourne Ports, Victoria, Australia. [13] [18] [19] [29] 1934 South Melbourne, Melbourne Ports, Victoria, Australia. [20]

Buried Springvale, Greater Dandenong City, Victoria, Australia. [16]

Probate: 21 Feb 1935. [17]

Marriage Husband @I182425274088@. Wife @I182425274546@. Child: @I182425256518@. Marriage 1919 Victoria, Australia. [33] [34]

Sources

  1. ↑ Breen is listed on her son's marriage certificates.
  2. ↑ Birth, Victoria BDM Birth 1897, EVANS Serena, (F)Jno, (M)Sarah (Olsen), born Woodend.
  3. ↑ Marriage, Victoria BDM Marriage 1919, LEAHY Richd David to EVANS Serena.
  4. ↑ Death Victoria BDM Death 1934, LEAHY Serena, (F)Unknown, (M)Unknown, Died Kew, Age 36. (Buried Springvale).
  5. ↑ Burial, Springvale Cemetery records. Serena Leahy, Joshua Jordan Lawn, Row C, Grave 19, Date of Service 5 July 1934, Age 36.
  6. ↑ Death Inquest, Prov.vic.gov.au, 1934/753, Serena LEAHY, Cause of death: Cancer of major organs; Location of inquest: Kew Asylum; Date of inquest: 05 Jul 1934; Series: Inquest Deposition Files; Agency: State Coroner's Office; Citation: VPRS 24/P0 unit 1267, item 1934/753. Not scanned yet.
  7. ↑ Death Notices, Trove.nla.gov.au, The Age, Thu 5 Jul 1934, Page 1. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205520426?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria
  8. ↑ Estates of Deceased Persons, Trove.nla.gov.au, The Argus (Melbourne), Tue 26 Feb 1935, Page 8. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11017438?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164482110?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria
  9. ↑ The Age, Mon 4 Mar 1935, Page 18. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204283785?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204285584?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/164475023?searchTerm=Serena%20Leahy &searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria
  10. ↑ Trove.nla.gov.au, Weekly Times (Melbourne) Sat 10 May 1902, Page 6, SLUMMING. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/221224586?searchTerm=%22Serena%20Breen%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria and The Colac Herald (Vic), Fri 16 May 1902, Page 5, SLUMMING. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/87672769?searchTerm=%22Serena%20Breen%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria and The Broadford Courier and Reedy Creek Times (Broadford), Fri 23 May 1902, Page 6, SLUMMING. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59193527?searchTerm=%22Serena%20Breen%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria and West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul), Tue 27 May 1902, Page 3, SLUMMING. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68719502?searchTerm=%22Serena%20Breen%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria and Camperdown Chronicle (Vic), Tue 10 Jun 1902, Page 5, SLUMMING. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26566901?searchTerm=%22Serena%20Breen%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateAsc|||l-state=Victoria.
  11. ↑ Source: S484561618 Ancestry Record 61649 #1134268
  12. ↑ Source: S484588041 Ancestry Record 1780 #3632023
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #13043916
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Source: S484561345 Ancestry Record 61648 #222860
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Source: S484584876 Ancestry Record 1778 #1653475
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Source: S484561175 Ancestry Record 60528 #200811794
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Source: S484561202 Ancestry Record 61315 #443726
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #12868275
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #13285969
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #191877809
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Source: S484561567 Ancestry Record 61650 #105872
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #190498433
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #183931561
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Source: S484560924 Ancestry Record 1207 #185446395
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Source: S484560924 Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra, Australia; Electoral Rolls Ancestry Record 1207 #170970731
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Source: S484560924 Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra, Australia; Electoral Rolls Ancestry Record 1207 #190496752
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Source: S484560924 Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra, Australia; Electoral Rolls Ancestry Record 1207 #11049969
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Source: S484560924 Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra, Australia; Electoral Rolls Ancestry Record 1207 #11411705
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Source: S484560924 Australian Electoral Commission; Canberra, Australia; Electoral Rolls Ancestry Record 1207 #13062014
  30. ↑ Source: S484584965 Ancestry Record 60885 #613685
  31. ↑ Source: S484584965 Ancestry Record 60885 #653305
  32. ↑ Source: S484589513 Gale Research Company; Detroit, Michigan; Accession Number: 1387172 Ancestry Record 4394 #6296726
  33. ↑ Source: S484561618 Ancestry Record 61649 #1134268
  34. ↑ Source: S484588041 Ancestry Record 1780 #3632023
  • Source: S484560924 Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2010 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 1207 Note: Australian Electoral Commission. <i>[Electoral roll]</i>.
  • Source: S484561202 Victoria, Australia, Wills and Probate Records, 1841-2009 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc. 2016 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 61315 Note: <p><i>Wills and Probate Records</i>. VPRS 28 (Probates) and VPRS 7591 (Wills). Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria.</p> <p>Wills and Probate material on this website is licensed under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode" target="_blank">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a> with all existing terms and copyrights.</p>
  • Source: S484561345 Victoria, Australia, Birth Index, 1837-1917 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2018 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 61648 Note: Victoria, Australia, Birth Index, 1837-1917. The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
  • Source: S484561567 Victoria, Australia, Death Index, 1836-1988 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2018 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 61650 Note: Victoria, Australia, Death Index, 1836-1988. The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
  • Source: S484561618 Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2018 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 61649 Note: Victoria, Australia, Marriage Index, 1837-1950. The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
  • Source: S484584876 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2010 Provo, UT, USA Record Collection 1778 Note: Compiled from publicly available sources.
  • Source: S484584965 Victoria, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1855, 1864-1924 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2016 Provo, UT, USA Record Collection 60885 Note: <p><i>Victoria Police Gazette Indexes</i>. CD-ROM. Ridgehaven, South Australia: Gould Genealogy and History, 2009.</p>
  • Source: S484588041 Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2010 Lehi, UT, USA Record Collection 1780 Note: Compiled from publicly available sources.
  • Source: S484589513 Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2009 Provo, UT, USA Record Collection 4394 Note: Gale Research Company. <i>Biography and Genealogy Master Index</i>. Detroit, MI, USA: Gale Research Company, 2008.
  • Source: S485076743 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Record Collection 1030Ancestry Family Tree APID 212350438238:1030:107040987 APID 112041018939:1030:154392097

Acknowledgements

This profile has been created and constructed by great great grandson Ben.





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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Serena by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Serena:

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Comments: 3

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Molesworth-181 Ben Molesworth
I would like to be able to put the story at the end of the biography, into some sort of box, perhaps with smaller text. Don't know how?
posted by Ben Molesworth
Molesworth-181 Ben Molesworth
Replied on G2G
posted by Ben Molesworth
Paul-5413 Melanie Paul
Ben, I have a box on my gr-gr-grandfather's profile using standard table form. Going to put words in here, in case it won't post otherwise.

{nospacehere|onespacehere border="1"

spacegoeshere|onespacehere Text goes here.

|nospacehere}

You can change the 1 to 2, or thicker. (I tested and the downsized font worked -- at least in preview. (I didn't save after testing the font size; the "box" had been there for ages.))

posted by Melanie Paul
edited by Melanie Paul

Featured National Park champion connections: Serena is 22 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 20 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 23 degrees from George Catlin, 20 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 28 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 22 degrees from George Grinnell, 20 degrees from Anton Kröller, 20 degrees from Stephen Mather, 15 degrees from Kara McKean, 25 degrees from John Muir, 19 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 31 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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Categories: Woodend, Victoria | South Melbourne, Victoria | Kew, Victoria | Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, Victoria