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ADDITIONAL RESEARCH NOTES

Ref No1.
Williams Sawyer`s brother James married Phoebe Honeyball, their son Ephraim {1875-1939} had a son Robert Stanley born in Mt Bures. In 1914 he joined the Army in the 5th Suffolk Regiment regimental number 1957 as Robert Sawyer
Then in 1915 he joined the army as Robert Stanley Sawyer in the Royal Garrison Artillery Regimental number 59147.
Unfortunately this was detected, as he fraudulently enlisting in the Artillery when he was already in the Suffolk Regiment.
He was charged as being absent from his regiment 5/10/1915 until his trial in 17/11/1915.
He was found guilty lost all entitlements for time in army from 1914/1915, having to do full service and was discharged in 1921 electing to reside permanently outside of the UK
He emigrated to Western Australia and married Mary Seabrook.
Died in 1978 aged 80.

Very odd that anyone would join up twice, giving the same information on both enlistments apart from birth dates.
Records at Ancestry.com under British pensions, list both a Robert Sawyer and a Robert Stanley Sawyer both from Mt Bures. Further investigation by the WD led to this fraud.



Ref No2.
For the records his name was Robert Stanley Sawyer born 13/10/1898 son of Ephraim and Lizzie Sawyer though when he was in the army he gave his mother as next of kin and her address was Berkshire He was discharged from the army on Sunday 16/04/1921 and came to Western Australia on the ship "Ormonde "
On 19/05/1921 he married May Victoria Seabrook and died 23/05/1978 and buried with May in Karrakatta cemetery

Research by Suzanne Sawyer, Australia Jan 2012


 

Ref 3

Ann Sawyer daughter of James and Ann Clarryvance married William Edward Beard on the 29/09/1868 at the Mount Bures Parish church.
Ann`s brother Ephraim was one of the witnesses Ann and William had 9 children

Penny Wilson, Dereham March 2012


Ref 4

William was the third of their seven children, born 1833. The others were Emma 1829, Elizabeth 1831, Ezekiel 1834, Selina 1837, James 1839 and John 1841 who died shortly afterwards, as did Elizabeth, most likely due to complications from childbirth. Elizabeth had a pre nuptual son, Thomas Newman 1825.

Back row, left to right: Archibald, James, Herbert and Wiliam

Front row, left to right: Francis, Thomas and Charles. Taken in Menzies, WA, C 1905.

 

Photograph Courtesy of Maureen Collier, Australia


 

James remarried Ann Baker and had two more children, Ann and Ephraim. It would appear that a Grandson of this Ephraim, Robert Stanley Sawyer, came to Western Australia in 1921 and unfortunately I doubt that he ever contacted relatives here.

According to my Grandfather, Ephraim Thomas, his father William jumped ship in Melbourne about 1856 and went prospecting for Gold. He wasn’t an indentured merchant seaman. He married Susannah McClaren in 1864. He took a few years off his age as his bride was only 16. Susannah was the daughter of James Henry McClarence, born in Belfast, Ireland and Elizabeth Broomhead from Lancashire who arrived in Australia as Bounty Immigrants in 1841. James later shortened his name to McLaren.

They spent quite a few years in the gold mining areas of Victoria, such as Durham Gully, Alexandra, Acheron, Four Mile Creek and Gravel Pits near Mangalore.

All the children were born in Victoria. They were: Archibald Joseph 1867, James Henry 1870, William Frederick 1872, Elizabeth Alice 1874, Selina 1876 (died at six months), Ephraim Thomas 1878 (my Grandfather), Charles Ezekiel 1881, Susannah 1882, Francis George 1884, Herbert John 1887, Ellen May 1888 and Florence Eva 1890, who died aged four in Clyde. I have sent a photo of the seven sons.

Around 1871, and obviously not having struck it rich in prospecting, he took up employment as a Signal man with the Railways in Seymour. Some years later he transferred to Clyde, near Cranbourne in Victoria, where he stayed until his move to the goldfields of Western Australia in 1895 or there about.

William and four of his sons worked as miners in Menzies, 80 miles north of Kalgoorlie,which was the latest area to draw thousands to the gold discovery there, taking on mine leases, including “The Lady Harriet” mine and later they built and operated until 1956, “The Lady Harriet Battery” which was know as Sawyer Bros Battery. Susannah, William’s wife, launched the beginning of operations by smashing a bottle of champagne over the battery stamps or crushers.

William and Susannah had a very happy marriage from all accounts and a large, close and loving family. My Mother Hazel, was their Grand daughter.

I was hoping to find some of William’s relatives on the site. One of your members, Grahame, is my first cousin, he also lives in Western Australia.

Maureen Collier, Australia

18/08/2013