Sarah Margaret (Osborne) Ellis (1840 - 1914)

Born 1840 in St Buryan, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Ellis — married 26 Aug 1859 in Geelong, Victoria

Descendants

Died 3 Apr 1914 at about age 74 in Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Sarah Margaret Osborne (1840 -1914) was born in 1840 and emigrated in 1848 on the Cornwall with her parents arriving in Port Phillip on 11 August 1848. Her parents, Charles Osborne and Jane Permewan were well of at this time, having, it is said, upwards of 25000 pounds. They established themselves near Ballarat on a large farm.

Tom Ellis was the coachman for the Osborne family and one of his duties was to drive the younger children to school each day in a basket jinker with a pony. Sarah eloped with him and they were married in Geelong on 26 August 1859 when Sarah was just 19. [Vera Thompson] The wedding took place at the Wesleyan Church, Newtown, 'with the consent of minors father Charles Osborne' and Charles Osborne, the brother, and Francis were the witnesses. [m.cert] However, the family, or at least the parents, would have nothing further to do with her after this and regarded her as dead. [Vera Thompson]

Tom Ellis was the son of Peter Ellis and Catherine Stule or Steele and was baptized at Uny Lelant on 17 April 1837, near Penzance in Cornwall. [m.cert]He was a fair good looking man. He was a carter in Geelong in 1859 and worked at various jobs including gardening. He was a miner in 1862 at Fryers Creek. He left Sarah with five little girls at one stage returning years later when she took him back and had a son, Tom, by him. He then left again and was taken back yet again. The older children were not at all pleased by his coming back again. [Vera Thompson] They were in North Fitzroy from at least 1905.

The Permewans in Ballarat were snobby kids at school and they publically disowned the Ellis family. The Ellis family was however proud of its Permewan ancestry. The Permewans did help out with deliveries of milk, groceries, etc during the hard times. Sarah is remembered by her granddaughter as an old woman who was nice, tiny and frail. She did wonderful needlework, crochet and tatting, etc. with which she helped with the grandchildren. She would rock back and forth and say "Oh, Sarah Ellis, since you married that man you have been in travail for 40 years."

She lived with the Russells in old age and always set the table. She related the story to her daughter Jane of her reception , when, hearing that her own mother lay very ill and dying, she decided, despite not having seen her mother for twenty years, to visit. "Oh, Miss Sarah" said the maid "I cannot admit you, but I will speak to your mother and tell her you are here." The mother said "I have no daughter Jane, she is dead." and it seems that when she married Tom Ellis she was cut off as if dead. The maid returned with the message and Sarah did not see her mother again.[Vera Thompson]

Tom worked as a labourer and died in 1905 aged 70 at North Fitzroy. In 1914 Sarah lived at 562 Rae St, Fitzroy with Fanny, John William a tram employee and Myrtle Sarenia. Sarah died in Rae Street, Fitzroy on 3 April 1914. [d.cert] and was buried at Boroondarah. [no will, no obit]

Sources

• granddaughter Vera Thompson.

• Victorian Marriage certificate.

• Victorian Death certificate.

• Assisted passenger lists (1839-1871) Record Series Number (VPRS): 14 from the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) at: https://www.prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/passenger-records-and-immigration/assisted-passenger-lists