Herbert Thomas Evans (1889 - 1974)

Born 29 Jun 1889 in Abbotsford, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Ruby Northrope (Hammond) Evans — married 9 Nov 1918 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Mar 1974 at age 84 in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Kenneth Evans [send private message], Les Gilham [send private message], and Wendy Bruen [send private message]

Biography

Herbert 'Herb' Thomas Evans was born on 29th June 1889 in Abbotsford, near Picton, New South Wales. He was the eldest son of local Picton boy, Thomas Henry Evans, and Irish-born Elizabeth Cunningham. ^[1] His fether died when Herb was just ten years of age.

On 9th November 1918, two days before the Armistice came into effect ending The Great War, Herb married his childhood sweetheart, Ruby Hammond, in the William Street Wesleyan Church, Darlinghurst. ^[2] Ruby had often visited the Abbotsford district with her parents as her father arranged the purchase of meat for the family butchering business. Herb and Ruby had five children; one son and four daughters:

1. Herbert Arthur, known as Arthur (1919-2002) – lived Chester Hill, Sydney and South-east Queensland
2. Gweneth Violet (1922-2009); married surname Bruen – lived Epping, Sydney
3. Valerie Isabel (1926-2008); married surname Corbett – lived Picton
4. Eunice Marjorie (1928-2013); married surnames Wilkinson and Boldt – lived South-west and South-east Queensland
5. Barbara Elaine (1935-2018); married surname Eagles – lived Picton

Personal recollections by one of Herb's fourteen grandsons, Ken Evans, as remembered 2nd December 2017:

• Throughout his working life, Herb worked variously as a carter, sawyer, and rail and road maintenance engineer. As a young adult he competed successfully in local wood-chopping competitions. He worked on the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. ^[3]
• He lived his life in Thirlmere, New South Wales, except for the Second World War years when he moved his family to Chatswood, in Sydney's northern suburbs, so their daughters could receive secondary education. Herb spent a great amount of time working as a civilian on construction of airstrips on Noumea for the war effort.
• Herb kept vegetable gardens and a small fruit orchard at his Carlton Road, Thirlmere, acreage property.

Herb Evans passed away, aged 84 years, on 6th March 1974 in Bowral District Hospital. His ashes are interred in the remembrance wall at the former Redbank Wesleyan churchyard, now Redbank Cemetery. ^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #16953/1889
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #10292/1918
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Sydney Harbour bridge; accessed 19 Aug 2018
4. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #46634/1974