The Kidd Family A Family History
Chapter One · Stephen & Sarah Robens

“Dunbar”, on the Boulevard

Eliza Mary Ann Robens

1853–1921

Forty years in one house at Petersham, eight children, and a headstone that spends four lines praising her husband’s character and one word on her own: “Remembered.”

Eliza Mary Ann and William George Marr in later life
Born
6 May 1853 · Sydney
Died
30 October 1921 · Petersham
Married
William George Marr (c. 1844–1918)
Lived
68 years

Born on 6 May 1853 in Sydney.1 On 5 September 1873 she married William George Marr — a marriage the register enters under “Eliza Mary Ann Robins”, which every other record of her life contradicts and which is simply the clerk’s hand.2

Her husband’s origins are the thinner half of this story. His 1918 death registration names his parents as William and Mary A. Marr, but no birth record for him has been found. His age at death — seventy-four, given the same on the registration and on his headstone — points to 1843 or 1844, and 1844 is carried here as the working year rather than a fact.3

The next generation

Children

  • Florence Rhoda (b. 1874) — married King
  • Jessie Clara (b. 1876)
  • William Bruce (b. 1878) — executor of his father’s will
  • Mary Ada (b. 1880) — married Hamer; of Byron Bay
  • Gertrude S. (b. 1882)
  • Herbert Stephen Clanan (b. 1884)
  • Kenneth George (b. 1888) — of Byron Bay
  • Roy George (b. 1890) — of Campsie
1874–1890

Redfern, St George, Petersham

The children map the family’s early moves precisely. Florence Rhoda was born in 1874 while they were at Redfern; Jessie Clara, William Bruce and Mary Ada between 1876 and 1880 in the St George district; and from Gertrude in 1882 onwards, every birth is registered at Petersham.4

That is where they stopped. The 1903–04 roll has Eliza, Gertrude and Mary Ada all at 41 Boulevard, Petersham, and a Sands Directory of the same period lists “Marr William, ‘Dunbar,’ Boulevard, Petersham” — the same house, and its name.5

The address looks unstable in the records and is not. It appears as 41 Boulevard; as “Dunbar”, Boulevard; as Boulevard, New Canterbury road; and as 243 New Canterbury road. Boulevard was simply the local name for that stretch of New Canterbury Road. One house, four ways of writing it, forty years.56

Eliza and William in their own garden — the photographer’s blind-stamp reads “Geo. E. Richards Photo, St Peters”
1918

Court Royal Oak, No. 2222

William died at Petersham on 4 February 1918, aged seventy-four. The Supreme Court probate notice describes him as “late of New Canterbury road, Petersham… gentleman”, and probate was granted on 2 May to Eliza as executrix, with their son William Bruce and Carlisle Wilson as executors.7

Two sets of mourners followed him. One was the family — Mr and Mrs W. B. Marr, Mr E. A. Hamer up from Byron Bay, Mr and Mrs R. G. Marr from Campsie. The other was his lodge: Court Royal Oak, No. 2222, of the Ancient Order of Foresters, which placed its own notice.8

He was buried at Rookwood, Section 2C Triangle, Row 13, denomination Old Wesleyan — the same section, and within a row or two of the same ground, as his wife’s sister Sophia and the Sippe family plot. Two of Stephen and Sarah Ann’s daughters lie in the same corner of the Wesleyan cemetery.9

Noble he was, detesting all things mean, his truth unquestioned and his soul serene. Shame knew him not, he dreaded no disgrace, truth, simple truth was written on his face.
The headstone of William George Marr, Rookwood, 1918
1921

“Remembered”

Eliza survived him by three years and eight months, dying at Petersham on 30 October 1921, aged sixty-eight. She was buried beside him.10

Her own inscription is short enough to give whole: “In loving memory of Eliza Mary Ann Marr, beloved wife of W. G. Marr, died 30th October 1921, aged 68 years. Remembered.”

Four lines of verse for him; one word for her. It is not unusual for the period, and it is worth noticing anyway.

One loose end remains. On the same newspaper page as William’s 1918 death notices there is a funeral notice for a “George Stephen”, described as “Mr William George Marr’s late son”, of Boulevard, Petersham. No such child appears among the eight confirmed by registration, and no other record of him exists. It is not treated here as evidence of a ninth child, but it is not explained either.11

The Record

Sources & References

  1. 1

    Eliza’s birth

    NSW BDM birth registration and summary record — born 6 May 1853, Sydney, daughter of Stephen Robens and Sarah Ann Robens née Catt.

  2. 2

    Marriage, 1873

    NSW BDM marriage registration, Sydney, 1873, reg. no. 891, recorded under “Eliza Mary Ann Robins”. Every other record of her life — birth, death, and her children’s birth registrations — uses Robens; the marriage entry is treated as a clerical variant.

  3. 3

    William George Marr’s birth

    No birth or baptismal record has been located. His 1918 death registration (Petersham, reg. no. 1325) names his parents as William Marr and Mary A. Marr. His age at death of seventy-four, given identically on the registration and the headstone, indicates 1843 or 1844; a summary record gives 1844 and an earlier family note gave 5 November 1843. 1844 is carried as a working year, not a finding.

  4. 4

    The eight children

    NSW BDM birth registration index, 1874–1890 — Florence Rhoda (1874, Redfern); Jessie Clara (1876), William Bruce (1878) and Mary Ada (1880), all St George; Gertrude S. (1882), Herbert Stephen Clanan (1884), Kenneth George (1888) and Roy George (1890), all Petersham.

  5. 5

    41 Boulevard, and “Dunbar”

    Petersham electoral roll, 1903–04 — Eliza Mary Ann, Gertrude and Mary Ada Marr at 41 Boulevard. Sands Sydney Directory of the same period — “Marr William, ‘Dunbar,’ Boulevard, Petersham”.

  6. 6

    One house, four addresses

    The 1918 funeral and probate notices give the residence as “Boulevard, New Canterbury road, Petersham” and as “243 New Canterbury road, Petersham”. Boulevard is understood as the informal local name for that section of New Canterbury Road; all four forms are treated as the same property, not as evidence of a move.

  7. 7

    Probate, 1918

    Supreme Court of New South Wales, Probate Jurisdiction — in the will of William George Marr, late of New Canterbury road, Petersham, gentleman; probate granted 2 May 1918 to Eliza Mary Ann Marr as executrix with William Bruce Marr and Carlisle Wilson as executors.

  8. 8

    The funeral notices

    Sydney press, February 1918 — family mourners including Mr and Mrs W. B. Marr, Mr E. A. Hamer of Byron Bay and Mr and Mrs R. G. Marr of Campsie; a separate notice placed by Court Royal Oak, No. 2222, Ancient Order of Foresters. A later In Memoriam notice was inserted by “his sorrowing son and daughter-in-law, Mr and Mrs Ken. Marr, Byron Bay”.

  9. 9

    Burial

    Rookwood General Cemetery, Section 2C Triangle, Row 13, denomination Old Wesleyan — the same section as the Sippe family plot of his wife’s sister Sophia, whose row is recorded as 14.

  10. 10

    Eliza’s death and headstone

    NSW BDM death registration and headstone photograph, Rookwood — died 30 October 1921 at Petersham, aged sixty-eight. Inscription: “In loving memory of Eliza Mary Ann Marr, beloved wife of W. G. Marr, died 30th October 1921, aged 68 years. Remembered.”

  11. 11

    The “George Stephen” notice

    A funeral notice on the same newspaper page as William George Marr’s 1918 death notices, for a “George Stephen” described as “Mr William George Marr’s late son”, of Boulevard, Petersham. No child of that name appears among the eight confirmed by birth registration and no independent record has been found. Excluded from the family as recorded here, pending further information.