Sophia (Randolph) Roe (abt. 1881 - 1962)

Born about Feb 1881 in Erub, Queensland, Australia

Wife of John William Roe — married about 26 Feb 1900 in Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 24 Feb 1962 at about age 81 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

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Biography

Sophia (Randolph) Roe is an Indigenous Australian.

Sophie was born in 1884, with the location given as Nepean Island, Torres Strait, Queensland on Ancestry Family Trees^[1] though no sources are given for either. The tombstone of her Granddaughter Cecilia Franceska (nee Roe) has her Grandmother's age at death on 24 February 1962 as 82 years, indicating a birth year about 1880^[2].

Sophie's father was Thomas Randolph (1846-1897) a Danish pearl sheller and her mother Annie Pau Bala (1868-1888) also born on Nepean Island [not to be confused with Nepean Island near Norfolk Island] just west of Darnley Island. So, Sophie lost both her parents early in her life, her father on his lugger "Pirate" off Thursday Island 2 October 1897, aged 51 (My Heritage). She was of Indigenous islander and Sri Lankan descent on her mother's side and Danish on her father's according to a letter, also in the FT. The letter^[3] also notes that she missed out on schooling as she was wanted by a Massie family to work for them on a their cattle station in Western Australia, which is how she came to meet William Roe.

Sophie married John William Roe on 20 February 1900 in Queensland and had 5 children from 1901 to 1917 inclusive (ref.1), the last being William "Willy" Roe.

The letter (ref.2) referred to above goes on to say that their daughter Susannah (1906-1987), known as Lu Lu, took her mother [Sophie] back to Thursday Island in about the late 1920's. She also went to Wednesday Island to visit with her sister Annie.

Sophia Roe passed away on 24 February 1962 and was buried in Darwin General Cemetery, at Jingili, Darwin City, Northern Territory, Australia, in Plot Catholic 293^[4].

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/5100331
2. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-viewer/tree/25667028/person/302032517277/media/8635f3c4-350b-4dc3-bfde-856503dcea5e?_phsrc=CrY11944&_phstart=successSource
3. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/5100331/person/-207138578/media/b27183e0-3451-4052-972f-fc3839373ca0?_phsrc=CrY6845&usePUBJs=true
4. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/153252422

• Marriage: Ancestry.com. Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Registration Number: 002139, Page Number: 21585.