224. Alfred Robert Francis Wills (Francis Charles , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 11 Jan 1884 in Upper Piper, Tas. He died on 6 Nov 1972.
Notes by Max Parsons written in 1989.
Alfred Wills was born at Upper Piper, Tasmania, on January 11, 1864. As a lad he lived in Burnie and spent any spare time that he could muster, fishing off the breakwater which he had watched being built - all the work being done by men and horses.
At age 12, he completed the school course and because his parents thought he was too young for heavy work, a job was found for him at Paynes Drapery store where he worked from 7 am to 8 pm each working day. All stock had to be returned to the shelves after closing time. Early morning customers were mostly men who came straight from the boat on their way to the copper mines of Mount Lyell. Their usual purchase was a bluey coat made of greasy wool which was very effective in shedding water and ideal for the wet area where they would be employed. When the railway opened to Mt Lyell, Alfred went up and back just for the ride.
Later, he worked as a carpenter, cooper and joiner which became his life-long hobby as well as his trade. In the joinery, doors, jambs, architraves, windows, sashes and frames were all made by hand. As a cooper he worked, not on small barrels, but on the large vats used in factories - these were in use until after the second world war.
Bicycle racing was his hobby for a short time but the hilly terrain and heavy frames of the bikes caused a collapse and, from then on, he was considered to have a weak heart. These days an irregular heart beat is accepted as normal.
When he was 22, Alfred married Mary Eleanor Whitchurch 23, daughter of Edwin William and Eleanor (Gee) Whitchurch. Mary Eleanor (Nellie) and Alf were married at Evandale on March 14, 1906 but they were not destined to stay in Tasmania for very long. The blight which affected Tasmanian potato crops caused an embargo to be placed on sales of potatoes to their main customers in Sydney, unemployment and difficult times followed so the Wills' family moved to Victoria where work was more plentiful. They lived in East Bentleigh and it was there that Nellie died of TB.
While at East Bentleigh with his family, Alfred met Elsie Florence Long, born October 9, 1894, daughter of Charles and Annie Matilda (Allnutt) Long, at the local church. He moved to Murray Street, Caulfield, with his parents but continued to attend church with Elsie in Bentleigh.
When Alfred visited Elsie at Bentleigh, his mode of transport was a horse and buggy, the horse soon learned its own way home and the driver was able to have a little snooze.
Alfred (32) and Elsie (22) were married in the Centre Road Bentleigh Methodist Church on November 4, 1916. At first they lived with his parents, later moving to Carnegie then to Tasmania for four years and, finally, he built his home in Bentleigh. From lock-up stage, the house was finished by Alfred working in the evenings and on weekends.
In those early days, the family transport was a motor-bike and side-car but as the family grew this became inadequate. Elsie and Alfred had four children - Elsie Ann born 16 Sept. 1917 at Bentleigh, Robert Alfred 31 March 1919 at Carnegie, Launa Jean 18 November 1921 at Launceston and Olive Frances born 30 December 1927 at Bentleigh.
The depression shut down John Sharp & Sons timber yard, Alfred found a job as an usher at the local theatre and a dinner suit was worn every night. Elsie took in six boarders, mostly railway station staff - the meals, washing, ironing and mending for them and for the family proved to be too much so the boarders went and Elsie opened a confectionery shop. This was located opposite the Bentleigh picture theatre and became the centre of family life until 1948. Many Wills' relatives have fond memories of those absolutely delicious, home-made, fruit salad & cream icy poles we could get at Aunt Elsie and Uncle Alf's shop for 2d each. The young cousins walked or rode cycles to Bentleigh to visit and enjoy one of those special treats.
The second world war brought industry to life and everyone was busy. So much was fabricated from timber - tent poles, ships' hatch covers, vats, all sorts of special boxes for valuable war equipment - and Alfred was back at work with even longer hours, from 7 am to 10 pm at times.
The children were adults and the round of weddings commenced with Elsie Ann who married Edward Kenneth Vail Cowan on November 1, 1939, they had 4 children between 1940 and 1950. Next, Launa Jean married Noel Raymond Edgar on June 21, 1941 and they have 5 children born between 1942 and 1959. Robert Alfred married Muriel Day on March 9, 1946 and their 3 children were born between 1946 and 1952.
When the 1939-45 War ended, Alfred, Elsie and their reduced family went to Red Hill to be farmers but as it seemed so far away, they moved to Heatherton and Alfred was back to growing potatoes and milking a cow. The Heatherton general store was his next project and soon he was kept busy delivering groceries and rising before dawn to do a large newspaper delivery.
Olive Francis, the "baby" of Alf & Elsie Wills' family, was the last to wed; she married her cousin, Glen Byrne Wills, and they have 3 children born between 1949 and 1957.
At the age of 77, Alfred with high blood pressure, and his wife, Elsie, moved back to Bentleigh - they returned to the house they had left before. He retired from work - but not for long - he added a large sun-room to the back of the house and, apart from the foundations and roofing, built the entire extension on his own.
Alfred and his brother Norman, enjoyed chatting about old times when ever they were together - they laughed until the tears rolled down their cheeks recalling the mischief they were involved in together as lads.
Alfred Robert Francis Wills died on November 6, 1972 aged 88. Elsie Florence Wills lived with Olive and Glen during her twilight years - she had been blessed with fifteen grand-children and twenty-six great-grand-children when she died,after 94 wonderful years, on January 6, 1989
Alfred married Elsie Florence Long on 4 Nov 1916 in Bentleigh, VIC. Elsie was born on 9 Oct 1894. She died on 6 Jan 1989.
They had the following children:
+ 383 F i Elsie Ann Wills was born on 16 Sep 1917. + 384 M ii Robert Alfred Wills was born on 31 Mar 1919. He died on 19 Sep 1958. + 385 F iii Launa Jean Wills was born on 18 Nov 1921. + 386 F iv Olive Frances Wills was born on 30 Dec 1927.
225. Claudia Frances Margaret Wills (Francis Charles , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 13 Feb 1886 in Upper Piper, Tas. She died on 11 Nov 1955 in Melbourne, VIC.
Notes by Max Parsons written in 1989.
Claudia was the fourth child of Frank & Jenny Wills, she was born at Upper Piper in
Tasmania on February 13, 1806. She was a schoolgirl when the family moved over to
Victoria and at age 24 she married 30 year-old Frederick Henry Scott from Yarra Glen.Fred Scott was born on a farm at Steels Creek in 1080, his father - Jonathon Scott (1846 - 1913) Was a magistrate for the area. His mother was Emily (Rourke) Scott 1851 - 1898). Fred was keen on cycling and often trained with Bert Parsons. He regularly competed in cycling events and on one such occasion he was thrown off his cycle and damaged an eye. Later, the eye was removed, necessitating the wearing of an eye-patch. The damaged area eventually became cancerous.
In the 1930's, Fred and Claudia lived at Austin Street, Bentleigh with their young family - Russell Henry (Harry) born 1 November 1911, Jonathon (Jack) 6 January 1914, Phyllis (circa 1917) and Vivienne (nicknamed "Pat") born about 1919. The eldest, Harry, nearly 21 when he married Edith Cooper in 1932, Edie was 19. They had 3 children. Eventually Edie and Harry separated and divorced, Edith re-married and. in 1989 Harry is in a Repatriation hospital.
About 1936, Fred Scott's health deteriorated - cancer was diagnosed as terminal and Claudia could not have done more to ease Fred's last year. He died in 1937.
In 1938, Jonathon (Jack), now 24, married Yvonne (Eva) Stuart, she was 20. They had 4 children. Eva died at Frankston in 1972 and Jack, who worked for the Country Roads Board before he retired, died at Dandenong on August 18, 1988. Phyllis married Charles Noll on May 16,1944 and they had two children. Phyllis died in Adelaide on March 30, 1988.
Vivienne ("Pat") married Leonard Jackson and had two children, Claire and Pamela, we have little information about the family but when Pat died in March 1949, her mother, Claudia, finished raising the two girls.
Claudia's brother Charles and brother-in-law Bert Parsons and their families were regular visitors to Claudia's home in Bentleigh, they spent many hours playing cribbage in the kitchen while the youngsters played elsewhere. Like her mother, Claudia was a most hospitable person. She died on November 11, 1955.
Claudia married Frederick Henry Scott son of Jonathon Scott and Emily Rourke on 21 Jun 1910. Frederick was born in 1880 in Yarra Glen, VIC. He died in 1937.
They had the following children:
+ 387 M i Russell Henry (Harry) Scott was born on 1 Nov 1911. + 388 M ii Jonathon (Jack) Scott was born on 6 Jan 1914. He died on 18 Aug 1988. + 389 F iii Phyllis Evelyn Scott was born on 12 May. She died on 31 Mar 1988. + 390 F iv Vivian (Pat) Wills Scott was born on 15 May 1918. She died on 3 Mar 1949.
226. Norman Reginald Farquhar Wills (Francis Charles , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 6 Feb 1888 in Georgetown, Tas. He died on 30 Mar 1973 in Melbourne, VIC.
Notes by Max Parsons written in 1989.
Norman was the fifth child of Frank & Jenny Wills, he was born on February 6, 1888 at Georgetown, Tasmania. A couple of years later, Alice Sarah Convery was born at Port Frederick on March 9, 1890 - the two were destined to marry. But first some details about Alice.
Alice Sarah Convery's mother was Emma Jane, the 8th child of 13 born to master mariner/pilot William James Chapman and Martha (Sayers) Chapman of Port Sorell. When she was 18, Emma Jane Chapman married Joseph Convery (25) an artist and compositor from Derry, North Ireland, their first-born was Alice. When her father, Joseph, died, Alice was left with sister Hannah and her husband, Hector McFie. Her mother, Emma, Went to Sydney and married a Monsieur Duchesne.
The McFie's lived at Devonport and Alice learned tailoring at her uncle's business. Norman Wills worked in the town - they met and married in 1907. They had nine children - Gladys Noreen 1907, Lance Allan 1909, Clifford Convery 1911, Norman Louis (Dick) 1912, Mynie Violet 1914, Murray Reginald (Jack)
1916, Keith 1920, Glen 1926 and Leila Alice in 1930.Norman and Alice Wills' first-born, Gladys (now "Glad" Svensson) kindly contributed the following account of the early days of Norman and Alice's family.
"Grandpa Francis Wills lived at Burnie in a two-storey home "Brooklyn" - he had several acres, some cows and a couple of Chinese working the river flats as market gardeners. He was then a police clerk but prior to the 1914-18 War he, and most of the Wills' families, moved to Victoria. Francis and his wife, "Jenny", eventually established their family home at 66 Murray Street, Caulfield. It was a large home with a lovely garden; the married members of the family tended to settle close by. My uncles, Viv and Jack, left from there for the war - both were Anzacs, Viv died at Gallipoli."
"As a small child I remember being carried around by my uncles, to the Cup Day Baptist Church picnic and to Broadmeadows to see the military training camp. When sister Mynie was born in 1914 I had measles and was in bed when Viv and Jack came in to say goodbye. Gran and grandpa regularly drove a little pony and trap in to Collins Street Baptist Church. Sadly Grandpa Wills died during the hot summer of 1919 before his son, Jack, returned from the war."
"Much later, Dad (Norman Wills) managed to commence building a home in Raynes Park Road, Hampton; life had been tough until then. Ducks and chickens were taken around in boxes and sold for 1/- (10 cents) each - brother Lance and I delivered milk in billies, seven days a week, for 1/6 each - we attended Murrumbeena State School at the time."
"Dad had a volatile temper; mother's was much gentler, however we survived the difficult times. When Dad was unable to get work and while convalescing with a broken arm, he sold writing pads or whatever to keep going. He worked as a carpenter on Myer Lonsdale Street store and much later as a fixer at the administrative offices at Mt Eliza. He bought a herd of cows and grazed them on vacant land near South Road, but after losing several with pleuro, he gave that up but, whilst he was milking prior to going to work each day it gave the boys employment while they delivered the milk."
"About 1928, the country life called and Lance gave his savings of £500 to Dad for a deposit on a farm at Drouin. There was more timber than anything else on the farm so the brothers, in their spare time, cut timber and bartered it with Mr Shute (an old Burnie man) who had the local bakery and store. Lance, then a butcher, sent a sugar-bag of meat up on the Gippsland train each Friday night. The family was three miles from the station. Leila was born in 1930 while the family was at Drouin. There was not much work during the depression years and sadly, they had to walk off the property. After staying at "Robin Hood", an old home in Drouin, the family came back to Hampton which had been leased during their period of absence."
"There were benefits from the Drouin experience, Dick and Jack learnt butter and cheese making at Warrigul and Longwarry factories and when they were married, were able to take executive positions at a butter factory in Torrens, South Australia."
"World War II saw Lance, Dick and Glen in the forces and about 1943 Norman Wills decided that he would like to be down on the peninsula. He bought a couple of blocks of land at Allanan's Road, Red Hill South, one was of 7, the other 10 acres. Uncle Alf also had a block in the same road. Dad travelled from Bentleigh or Ashburton each weekend by bus to Dromana then walked to the blocks. It took months but he cleared one by hand and planted 170 choice cherry trees. A cabin, then a small home was built and eventually they stayed there."
"The Jehova Witnesses called and had regular meetings at Dad's home and they were baptised into that Faith. The family visited when they could but I must say that the Jehovah Witnesses were very kind, especially the women of Rosebud and Mornington groups who did all they could for Mum, right up until she died on August 1, 1963."
"Later Dad sold both blocks and bought a home in Bayview Road, McCrae, with a view to the Heads (how Mum (Alice) would have loved it!) - the Witnesses met weekly and Dad became more involved. I was there from 1969 to 1972 then had to return to Ferntree Gully to look after my own cottage. I arranged a council helper from Dromana to visit for several hours each weak-day."
"In March 1973, Dad was not well, several of the family went down but the doctor thought he was alright. Later a neighbour rang and we went down again, he was sitting, looking out to sea and saying "Better tomorrow." On March 30, 1973 he died quite peacefully while we were there."
"I must add that my father always tried to aid us children when we were sick and many times I heard him say 'Take some off my plate to make the food go round all.' He was not a drinker but after retirement had a mild shandy on occasions. I remember the occasion of a funeral attended by our family, the boys were all dressed in Navy blue suits. Mother looked at them and I overheard her say 'My beautiful sons!' I thoroughly agreed and knew that was her reward."
Norman married Alice Sarah Convery on 19 May 1907. Alice was born on 9 Mar 1890. She died on 1 Aug 1963 in Melbourne, VIC.
They had the following children:
+ 391 F i Gladys Noreen Wills was born on 25 Dec 1907. + 392 M ii Lance Allan Wills was born on 18 Sep 1909. He died on 4 Mar 1983. + 393 M iii Clifford Convery Wills was born on 29 Jun 1911. He died on 10 Aug 1976. + 394 M iv Norman Louis (Dick) Wills was born on 30 Aug 1912. + 395 F v Mynie Violet Wills was born on 19 Aug 1914. + 396 M vi Murray Reginald (Jack) Wills was born on 10 Jul 1916. He died on 31 May 2002. + 397 M vii Keith Wills was born on 1 May 1920. + 398 M viii Glen Byrne Wills was born on 7 Sep 1926. + 399 F ix Leila Alice Wills was born on 14 Mar 1930.
227. Eveleen Agnes Winifred Wills (Francis Charles , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 25 Jan 1890 in Georgetown, Tas. She died on 11 Jul 1976 in Wentworth, NSW.
Notes written by Max Parsons in 1989.
Eveleen, sixth child of Frank & Jenny Wills was born at Georgetown, Tasmania on January 25, 1890 and spent most of her youth in Burnie then lived with her family, first at Mackie Road, Bentleigh, then at Caulfield.
Before the Great War intervened, Eveleen kept company with a young man, Frank Dunt, and everyone presumed that they would marry in due course. Her boyfriend enlisted and the landing of the AIF at Anzac Cove proved to be doubly tragic for Eveleen - Frank Dunt was killed in the water while attempting the landing and her brother, Vivian, was killed two days later. Her youngest brother, Jack, was also there and he survived the war.
When Eveleen's father died on January 2, 1919, she seemed to settle into the role of spinster-aunt 'Leen' (as she was affectionately called). She helped her mother run the large house in Murray Street and developed a strong friendship with one of the boarders - Herbert Wilson, a music teacher.
Herbert Charles (Bert) Wilson had an interesting background - his grandfather was a baronet, Sir John McCallum Wilson of Briagalong, Victoria. The title was hereditary and passed from father to eldest son. Sir John and Mary (Withers) Wilson's eldest son was Frederick John Wilson (born 31 December 1862 at Sale) and he married Louisa Harriet Amelia Barry (born 28 October 1863)in 1854. Their first-born son was Herbert Charles born 29 May 1887 at Sale, he was then second in line for the baronetcy. On October 27, 1934, his parents, then Sir Frederick and Lady Wilson,celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary, they were living at 36 Henry Street, Geelong East.
In 1908, Bert Wilson married Ellen Louise Sutton and they lived at 25 Gibdon Street, Richmond. They had two sons, Herbert John George (27 February 1910), Harold Stanley (12 October 1912) and a daughter Rose Ellen May (2 April 1914) (married name Harrison). Bert's marriage ended in divorce and his ex-wife, Ellen died 28 February 1955.
Bert boarded at the Wills' family home, he was associated with Manby's Music Academy and had an office at 366a Bourke Street, Melbourne. He taught music at Murray Street, mainly violin, cello, bass and clarionet. He managed, trained and conducted the Melbourne Student Orchestra. (He also taught the Parsons' children the fiddle.)
Bert's second marriage was to Eveleen, their son, Barry, was born 13 August 1932. Eveleen was 42 so they decided to adopt two young children, Allan (born 16 January 1934) and Nancy (born 20 October 1935). We are not sure when Sir Frederick Wilson died but, regardless of the date, Bert never assumed the title and very few people were aware that such a title existed in his family. Barry Wilson has a bronze Medallion which was awarded by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, to Sir John Wilson of Briagalong on the occasion of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of London 1886, for "Specimens of Natural History".
Eveleen and Bert went to live in Cardross, near Mildura and Barry attended school there and in Mildura. In 1938 Bert provided £200 worth of musical instruments to start the (now defunct) Mildura & District Student Orchestra and taught the youngsters and conducted the orchestra for more than 20 years. Eveleen played the cello and bass and assisted through the years. When Bert died in August 1968 he left six children, 15 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. Eveleen then lived in Merbein.
In 1961, Barry who was a Vic Rail guard, married Loris June Lang, they lived at Warragul and have 3 children. Barry and Loris now live at Swan Hill.
Allan Wilson lives in Mildura with his wife, Chrissie, their family of three are all married. Nancy, now Mrs Treffine, has three boys from a previous marriage, also all married.
After living at Merbein for some time, Eveleen moved to Wentworth and stayed with Vivienne ("Mick") Green. When age and poor health caught up with her, she spent two months in Wentworth hospital before she died on July 11, 1976, aged 76. Eveleen (Wills) Wilson is buried at Wentworth cemetery.
Eveleen married Herbert Charles Wilson. Herbert was born on 29 May 1887 in Sale, VIC. He died on 7 Aug 1968.
They had the following children:
+ 400 M i Barry Wilson was born on 13 Aug 1932. 401 M ii Allan Wilson was born on 16 Jan 1934. Allan married Chrissie .. 402 F iii Nancy Wilson was born on 20 Oct 1935. Nancy married R Treffine.
229. John Manfred McGregor Wills (Francis Charles , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 9 Jul 1895 in Emu Bay, Tas. He died on 5 Sep 1969 in Southport, Qld.
Notes by Max Parsons written in 1989.
John, youngest child of Frank & Jenny Wills was born at Emu Bay, Tasmania on July 9, 1895, he spent his early life in Burnie before the family moved to Melbourne. When he was 18 years-old he met his future wife, Ella Beatrice Roberts, a 16 year-old lass from Northcote.
John enlisted at the outbreak of World War I and his low Army number indicates that he did not waste time in joining the AIF. Landing with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment on Gallipoli, he served throughout the campaign until withdrawal when he returned to Egypt for re-formation and re-equipment. The Middle East campaigns were then being fought, including the well known and documented charge at Beersheba which over-ran the Turkish forces in the area and secured the town.
During the war Corporal J.M.McG Wills, No.27, of Anzac Signal Section was Mentioned in Despatches, he was awarded the Military Medal and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. In 1919 he returned to Australia for demobilisation. When World War II came he was involved as an instructor with Southport Air Training Corps.
After his discharge in 1919, John, who had been in his third year of an electrical apprenticeship when he enlisted, found that the employer, with whom he had served, was no longer in business. He then began his own business in the knitting field and was instrumental in introducing machine knitted woollen garments for women's fashion wear at the time.
Ella Roberts,then 25, and John aged 26, were married on February 11, 1922, at Northcote Methodist Church where Ella was a long time member of the choir. Their home was built in Hart Street, Caulfield, where their first son, Gregor Robert was born on May 27, 1924. Due to recurring bouts of malaria, a legacy from the Middle East, John sold his business and moved his young family to south east Queensland where a new, open air and energetic life style, preparing a banana plantation, enabled a
return to good health.John and Ella's second son, John Lawrence, was born at Sandown Private Hospital in Southport on April 11, 1926. The family lived in Station Street, Nerang while the banana plantation was being established at Mt Nathan and a home was built in Bauer Street, Southport.
Farming the plantation proved to be very successful and from this experience John was appointed an inspector with the Department of Agriculture and Stock (now known as Department of Primary Industries). Continuous service and. promotion saw him retire as a senior adviser in Horticulture. In this field he was instrumental in the promotion of commercial cultivation of the Macadamia nut,on which he was recognised as an authority, and the avocado as an alternative to established crop types,
particularly bananas.Upon retiring, the growing of orchids, which had always been a major hobby, was turned into the successful cut flower and plant nursery business known as "Jonella Orchids", winning many awards for plants and blooms and supplying flowers and plants to as far away as Melbourne and Hobart.
John was active in the revitalisation of Southport Golf Club after the Depression, he served as Club Captain and on all committees and was appointed a Life Member. He was a Rotary Club member for many years.
An active Mason, Initiated in Cordiality.Lodge No.31 United Grand Lodge of Victoria in June 1925, he retained an interest in the Craft after moving to Queensland. He became Master of Stradbroke Lodge U G L Q in 1931 and Foundation Master of Broadwater Lodge U G L Q in 1953. His interest was such that he served the United Grand Lodge of Queensland as Assistant Grand Superintendent of Workings for two terms of three years each and attained the rank of Past Assistant Grand Master.
After John Manfred McGregor Wills died at Southport on September 5, 1969, the business of "Jonella Orchids" was continued by Ella until it was sold in 1972. Ella Wills died at Southport on June 29, 1981.
John married Ella Beatrice Roberts on 11 Feb 1922 in Northcote, VIC. Ella was born on 23 Dec 1896 in Northcote, VIC. She died on 29 Jun 1981 in Southport, Qld.
They had the following children:
+ 403 M i Gregory Robert Wills was born on 27 May 1924. + 404 M ii John Lawrence Wills was born on 11 Apr 1926. He died on 21 Nov 1989.
231. Elizabeth Ollis Dyer Wills (Fanny Sarah Wills , Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born about 1883. She died on 5 Nov 1959 in Hampton Park, VIC.
Elizabeth married William Arthur George Sinclair on 24 Dec 1905 in Wartook.
They had the following children:
234. Hannah Louisa (Lucy) Wills (Joseph Henry (Harry) , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born in 1897 in Flemington, VIC.
Hannah married John George(Jack) McNally in 1921.
They had the following children:
+ 409 M i Johnnie (Lesley) McNally. + 410 F ii Estelle (Stella) McNally.
235. James Francis Ernest Wills (Joseph Henry (Harry) , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born in 1905 in VIC. He died on 9 Mar 1978 in Box Hill, VIC. He was buried on 14 Mar 1978 in Springvale Crematorium.
Newspaper Death Notice clippings - Melbourne Sun March 10, 1978
WILLS - On March 9 (Suddenly) James Francis of 3 Guildford Rd, Surrey Hills.
Dearly beloved husband of Lucy, loving father of Eunice, fond father-in-law of Les, Wally and Howard, and loving Pop of Graham, Cindy and Ian, Fay and Jane and Russell and great-grandfather of Jamie.
Peacefully sleeping in God's care.WILLS - James (Suddenly) Much loved brother of Bill and Violet (dec.), Edward, John and sister-in-law Elma (dec.), Lou and brother-in-law John McNally (dec.). In God's care.
James married (1) Olive Doris Harvey about 1930.
They had the following children:
+ 411 F i Dorothy Wills. + 412 F ii Winsome Iris Wills.
James married (2) Lucy Marion Adolpson daughter of Broderick Adolpson and Sarah .. Lucy died after 30 Jul 1978.
Daughter of Sarah and Frederick Adalphson. Sister of Lilian.
Newspaper Death Notice clipping - Melbourne Sun date unknown but after the death of James Francis Ernest Wills which was the 9 March 1978.
WILLS - On July 30 passed (peacefully) away, Lucy Marion of Surrey Hills. Dearly lovede wife of the late James Francis Ernest, loved and loving mother of Eunice (Mrs Smith). Loving stepmother of Dorothy (Mrs Spence), and Iris (Mrs Cutting), fond mother-in-law of Howard, Les and Wally. Loved grandmother of Russell and Lesley, Graham, Cindy and Ian, Faye and June, and great-grandmother of Jamie - In heavenly love abiding.
James and Lucy had the following children:
413 F iii Eunice Wills.
239. Francis Thomas Wills "Frank" (Thomas Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 1 Dec 1887 in Glamorgan, Tas. He died on 14 Nov 1977.
Notes written by Max Parsons in 1989.
Francis (Frank) was born December 1, 1887 at Glamorgan, Tasmania. Like his father he was a keen sportsman, a footballer and a cricketer who broke many hitting records. He also took up fruit growing for a living. Frank was in his twentieth year when he married Edith Melissa Harvey.
Edith was a member of a prominent Cygnet family, her grandfather (Joseph Harvey) conducted a general business; her father opened a butcher's shop when quite young then added a bakery and finally he took over his father's general business. The enterprise was very successful with farmers bringing in butter, eggs and other produce to exchange for other necessities. Edith's mother was Eliza (Geeves) Harvey - daughter of Osborne Geeves of Geeveston.
Frank & Edith married in 1907 and by 1922 they had a family of five youngsters. The were Robert Francis 1908, John Clarence (Jack) 1911, Edna May 1914, Barbara Edith 1920 and Dorothy Jean 1922. Their mother contracted lung trouble and received treatment in a Victorian sanitorium about 1924. This problem brought on, what was then called, 'an affection of the heart' which was given as the cause of her death
on February 3, 1925. She left 5 children, the youngest of whom was only 3.At St Stephen's Church, Sandy Bay, on December 21, 1933, Frank married Emily Mundy and on May 10,1935, Emily gave birth to a baby girl, Raye Jocelyn Wills. Raye married,as did the five children of Frank & Edith, and, between them all, they produced 22 grandchildren for Frank before he died on November 14, 1977. His widow, Emily, died on February 14, 1984.
Francis married (1) Edith Melissa Harvey in 1907 in Cygnet, Tas. Edith was born on 27 Apr 1885 in Port Cygnet, Tas. She died on 9 Feb 1925 in Cygnet, Tas.
They had the following children:
+ 414 M i Robart Francis Wills was born on 28 Sep 1908. He died on 12 Oct 1975. + 415 M ii John Clarence (Jack) Wills was born on 24 Apr 1911. He died on 15 May 1993. 416 M iii Alan Dilger Wills was born in Sep 1913 in Lovett, Tas. He died on 26 Dec 1913 in Lovett, Tas. + 417 F iv Edna May Wills was born on 9 Nov 1914. She died on 15 Jan 2005. + 418 F v Barbara Edith Wills was born on 7 Feb 1920. She died on 8 Oct 1989. + 419 F vi Dorothy Jean Wills was born on 5 Jan 1922.
Francis married (2) Emily Munday on 21 Dec 1933 in St.Stephens Church, Sandy Bay.. Emily died on 14 Feb 1984.
They had the following children:
+ 420 F vii Raye Jocelyn Wills was born on 10 May 1935.
241. Constance Florence (Dot) Wills "Dot" (Thomas Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 5 Sep 1892 in Glamorgan, Tas. She died on 11 Jun 1967.
Notes written by Max Parsons in 1989.
Constance, affectionately known as "Dot", was born at Glamorgan on September 5, 1892, she was the only girl of ten children born to Thomas and Mary Ann. On 9 June 1920, Dot married Harold James Clark and they had 8 children.
Their first child Donald Trevour, born 1921, lived only 5 weeks, next came Nita May 1923, Keith Kellaway 1926, Eric Charles 1927, Alan Thomas 1929, Mary Aileen 1931, Ian Harold (Joe) 1933 and David Wills Clark 1935. Their second son, Keith, died on January 25,1933 in his seventh year and, tragically, their fourth son, Alan, died in 1935.
Alan (aged 5 years 7 months) was fatally bitten by a snake on his father's farm. He was in a paddock with his father who was hay-making. The boy was some distance away when his father was attracted by a shout. A brother, Jack, ran to him first and saw the snake gliding away. Dr Wade of Cygnet treated the wound but young Alan died about 6 pm that day. In 1930, Jack, (John Arthur Clark, Harold's son by a previous marriage) also died, aged 24.
The other five children were raised on the property, "Glenburn" and married - they have a round dozen children between them. Harold James Clark died at Cygnet on June 1,1941 and Constance Florence (Wills) Clark died in June 1967.
Constance married Harold James Clark on 9 Jun 1920. Harold was born on 22 Jan 1887. He died on 1 Jun 1941 in Cygnet, Tas. He was buried in Cygnet, Tas.
Orchardist, at "Glenburn", Cygnet.
Harold and Constance had the following children:
421 M i Donald Treavor Clark was born on 8 Aug 1921 in Cygnet, Tas. He died on 12 Sep 1921 in Cygnet, Tas. + 422 F ii Nita May Clark was born on 12 Nov 1923. She died on 18 Dec 2007. 423 M iii Keith Kellaway Clark was born on 28 Jul 1926 in Cygnet, Tas. He died on 25 Jan 1933. + 424 M iv Eric Charles Clark was born on 5 Oct 1927. He died on 5 Dec 1993. 425 M v Alan Thomas Clark was born on 27 Jun 1929 in Cygnet, Tas. He died on 1 Mar 1935.
Died of snake bite aged 5 years 7 months.+ 426 F vi Mary Aileen Clark was born on 29 Oct 1931. 427 M vii Ian Harold (Joe) Clark was born on 30 Jul 1933 in Cygnet, Tas. Ian married Edie Salter in Hobart, Tas. + 428 M viii David Wills Clark was born on 21 Feb 1935.
242. William Henry (Bill) Wills "Bill" (Thomas Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 19 Jan 1895 in Ringarooma, Tas. He died on 26 Jul 1968. He was buried in Cygnet, Tas.
Notes written by Max Parsons in 1989.
Bill was born at Ringarooma on January 19, 1895 and by the time he became a teenager the family lived on the orchard property, "Burnside" at Cygnet so it was little wonder that he and several of his brothers became orchardists in later life. He played football for Cygnet and enlisted in the 12th Batt, 1st A.I.F - 1914-18 war. After the war he settled on the land and a newspaper article of the time indicates the uses to which Bill put the land. We quote from the article -
"Mr W.H.Wills, an original soldier settler from the First World War, claims that the Premier (Mr.Cosgrove) as minister for Agriculture, advised him to run sheep as an adjunct to orcharding. Mr Wills has shown how to carry on mixed farming in a small but profitable way on his Nicholls Rivulet farm in the Cygnet district. He has berry fruits, apples and sheep. Mr Wills keeps between 50 & 60 Suffolk cross ewes for breeding each year. He uses a pure-bred Border Leicester ram. Mr.Wills has only 15 acres of grass land, part of which was an old commercial orchard."
Bill married Christina May Polley at Cygnet on February 14, 1925 and they had two children - Maxwell William 1932 and Marie June 1936 who both married and have 5 children between them.
Bill was a Churchwarden at St.Marks Church, Cygnet for many years, and a councillor on the Port Cygnet Municipal Council.
William Henry Wills died at Cygnet on July 26,1968, and Christina died at Hobart on August 16,1974.
William married Christina May Polley on 14 Feb 1925 in Cygnet, Tas. Christina was born on 14 Dec 1905 in Cygnet, Tas. She died on 16 Aug 1974 in Hobart, Tas. She was buried in Cygnet, Tas.
They had the following children:
+ 429 M i Maxwell William Wills was born on 18 Oct 1932. + 430 F ii Marie June Wills was born on 8 May 1936.
243. Cyril Claud (Mick) Wills "Mick" (Thomas Charles , Thomas , Thomas , Thomas , Richard , Richard , George , George ) was born on 19 Mar 1898 in Ringarooma, Tas. He died on 2 Dec 1986 in Rosetta, Tas. The cause of death was Road accident.
Notes written by Max Parsons in 1989. Expanded by Tom Wills in 2001.
Cyril (known as "Mick") was born at Derby on March 19,1898. At the age of 3 he came with his parents and family to the farm at Cygnet. Like his brothers, Mick, developed a splendid physical build and took to football at a very early age.
In 1917, although under age, he enlisted and got away to the front shortly after with the engineers. On returning to Cygnet after the war he re-joined Cygnet Football Club and quickly became a leading player. In 1922 he was chosen to tour NSW with the State team; he played with marked success with all the big representative southern teams. Besides being a footballer, Mick was a fairly successful sprinter, he also competed as a jumper being unbeaten in the Huon at this branch of athletics. In shooting, he scored the "possible" at Sandy Bay range on one occasion.
In 1924, Mick married Doris Maude Askey-Doran, their daughters, Jean 1925 and Maisie 1932, have three children each and, in turn, they have 5 children between them.
Mick took up a soldier settlement block at Nicholls Rivulet, next door to his brother Bill, after the war. He produced fresh milk from his dairy herd and delivered each day to the Cygnet district households, using a horse and cart, correctly fitted as a milk cart.
Doris Maude Wills died on Christmas Eve 1981 aged 80. Mick, aged 88, was great-grandfather to four youngsters when he died in Hobart on December 2,1986.
Cyril married Doris Maude Askey-Doran on 8 Oct 1924 in Hobart, Tas. Doris was born on 1 Jul 1901 in Molesworth, Tas. She died on 24 Dec 1981 in Hobart, Tas.
They had the following children:
+ 431 F i Jean Wills was born on 11 Aug 1925. + 432 F ii Maise Wills was born on 28 May 1932.