Mabel Mary Annorah Warner (1883 - abt. 1960)

Born 7 Sep 1883 in Yokanup, Western Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Herbert Richard Davis — married 26 Nov 1901 in Jarrahwood, Western Australia, Australia

Descendants

Died about 10 May 1960 at about age 76 in Victoria Park, Western Australia, Australia

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Biography

Mary was born in 1883 at Yokanup. She was the daughter of Edmund Warner and Bridget Robinson. Her father's occupation was recorded as a teamster on her birth certificate.

Yokanup was a timber place. At this time, the WA Timber Mill operated a train line from Lockeville to Yokanup. This would stop in mid 1887. Both are not far from the Wonnerup/Ludlow area where her paternal grandparents farmed.

She married Herbert Richard "Dick the Devil" Davis on the 26th November 1901. The marriage took place by special licence in the schoolroom at Jarrahwood, according to the rites of the Church of England. Mary was Catholic, Dick was Wesleyan. The witnesses were George Mills and her aunt, Teresa Warner. Her father gave his consent to the marriage because she was a minor. Edmund's occupation is given as a tree faller.

My mum told me that once talked to Mary about her marriage and Mary had told her that she married on the rebound, that she'd loved someone else before, although I've forgotten why they broke up. I don't know how that story fits with the facts above.

In 1898 the Jarrah Wood and Saw Mills com had taken over the old WA Timber Co concessions. Clearly this was where Mary's father and her new husband were working.

Their, son Tom was born at the end of January 1902 at Jarrahwood Timber Station.

My Nan and Mum told me that Mary's mother, Bridget delivered all of Mary's babies except for one who was too big (possibly one of the youngest boys).

Millars took over the Jarrah Wood co in 1903 and closed the mill.

Vi was born in March 1904, according to Nan, but findagrave has 1903. I can't find her birth certificate - if anyone does locate the registration, please tell me!

Darby was born in March 1905 at Ludlow.

Dick got into some trouble in Greenbushes in Feb 1907, but was acquitted.

In Feb Bub was born in Sept 1907, also at Ludlow. Wal was born at Karridale in Oct 1909, so it seems they had gone further south for work. Phyl was born in Nov 1911 at Busselton.

Millars reopened the Jarrahwood mill in 1911. An application for a school was begun in December, but lost and another redone. On this list were Tom, Vi, Darby and Bub. An inspector visited in Aug 1912 - and suggested it was not a suitable place for a female teacher! Then number of children by then had risen to 28. (Information signs at Jarrahwood, WA).

In Aug 1913 Dick was driving the engine when a tree limb fell across the line and caught the corner of the engine cab. He saw it coming and jumped free, but twisted his knee badly which saw him on crutches for several days. (The South Western News 8th Aug 1913).

Bernie was born in Oct 1913 at Jarrahwood and is the only one whose birth made the papers. (The South Western News 17th Oct)

Mary wore white muslin and lace to the opening of the Jarrahwood Hall in April 1914. In June, a boxing match was held with Dick one of the seconds for the winner.

Lawrie was born in Dec 1916 at Jarrahwood.

They moved to Greenbushes when Phyl was about 7 (1918). At first she said they lived at Greenbushes Mill and then they moved into Greenbushes "proper", where the attended the Catholic school.

Dick is listed as attending a fancy dress ball in Balingup in Oct 1918, where he won a prize as "Hard Times." In Nov Bill was born at Greenbushes. Jack was born in Dec 1922, Frank in Sept 1924. Clarry was born on the feast day of St Finbar in Sept 1926.

Dick's returns from working away, usually resulted in another baby, but now, as Nan and Mum put it, Mary said, "Go away!"

When Nan was young, there was fancy dress at Greenbushes. Mary was adamant that she was staying home, but unbeknownst to her family, she ad and friend dressed as a couple, with Mary dressed as a man, with a huge beard, old clothes and a hat. Their disguise was so good that no one knew who they were and everyone was looking at them, wondering. Darby sidled up to Mary and began asking questions about where they were from and so on. Mary answered as best she could but then she started laughing and Darby realised he was talking to his mother. "I thought I knew you from somewhere."

In 1927 Mary became a grandmother when Vi had Joe.

In Jun 1929 Dick was at the opening of the hall at the Pemberton bush camp, so it seems likely he was working there at the time. He was notorious for sending telegrams "Back Saturday. Buy Chaff" (for his horse).

In 1931 the electoral roll has Mary at Jephson street.

Mary opposed Phyl's relationship with local boy, Stan Yates who was not Catholic. They actually broke up and Phyl became engaged to someone else. When this fell through, they got back together and wanted to marry. Phyl was over 21 but wanted her mother's approval, which her Aunt Noni told her she was not going to get unless she provided a reason. Even then, there was a row over where the marriage would take place. Eventually they married two month's before mum was born in Mary's lounge room, by the Catholic priest.

Dick was working at Qualeup at this time as I have the letter that he wrote to Nan on this occasion.

The fuss was not over as Mary rushed the priest over to Greenbushes hospital on the day of Mum's birth and had her baptised. Stan came home from working away and heard about it in the pub. He rushed mum over to the Anglican church, but the priest said, it's too late. Relations were strained for some time.

In June 1935 Dick was working in Dwellingup when his appendix burst. He was taken by train to Royal Perth, and died there. He was buried at Karrakatta.

Mum (Pauline Yates) remembered the fruit trees at her Granny Warner's house in Greenbushes, and playing with Frank, Jack and Clarry. Mum said Mary used to pull faces and say things like, "You old stiffener" and "Ghost of Moses."

Mary had moved to Perth by 1939 where she is on the electoral roll at 11 Second Ave, South Perth.

Tragedy again struck next year when Darby was killed by a log rolling over him near Pemberton.

By the time of Frank's enlistment in Oct 1942, Mary was living in Victoria Park. The 1943 electoral roll shows her at 20 McMaster Street. Bub may have been living with her. Bub's husband was in the RAAF, and he died from appendicitis in Nov 1943.

Phyl and her children came to stay at the end of the war until Stan found a house in Waroona. They were there long enough to attend school.

The electoral roll for 1949 has Mary at the same address but at some stage she moved to 26 Basinghall Street, which I've been told Frank bought for her.

Is this the house she was in when a cousin brought her Uncle George to the door and she slammed the door in their face?

Mum (Pauline) remembered Christmas dinners at Mary's, sweltering but with a roast chicken dinner. She would help Mary and Phyl pluck the fowls. Mary would put threepennies into the Christmas pudding. Sometimes there were thirty or more people as the Davis clan gathered. Mary would make fruit buns with dripping as butter, sugar and tea were rationed. Mary's buns disappeared as fast as she took them from the oven.

She also made a fantastic ginger cake - the recipe has been handed down to me.

Mary liked going to the trots. Pauline stayed with her when she worked at Boans Waverly. Bub and her second husband lived with her, although Mum thought that wasn't an arrangement that Mary was necessarily happy about but she couldn't manage on her own.

Mary died at home from bowel cancer, refusing to go the hospital, on the 10th May 1960. She was buried in the Catholic section at Karrakatta.

Sources

Birth 24428/1883

Marriage 1664/1901

Death 101159/1960 and obituaries, Karrakatta index

Memories of her daughter, Phyl and Yates grandchildren.