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                THE STORY OF THE DAVIS and EDWARDS FAMILIES

                Henry Davis was born in England in 1818. In his obituary in the Kerang Times, it stated: "He was a native of London."
                Family stories say he was a convict, transported to Australia, but no firm evidence of this can be  found and his obituary also states:
                "He came to the colonies in the early forties and was one of  the pioneers of Victoria."
                Catherine was born in Ireland in 1824. She arrived in Victoria (Port Phillip) in 1841 on the  Alexander with her brother Philip.

                It is not clear when or where Henry DAVIS and Catherine MONAGHAN were married. Their first  born (William) was born in Geelong as was
                Henry and the other children at Indented Head on the  Bellarine Peninsula and Bulldog Diggings near Smythesdale. Thus it is assumed they were
                married in the Geelong area.

                Henry and Catherine had seven children (although his obituary in the Kerang Times says he has five  sons and three daughters).
                William was born in 1852 at Geelong. He married Charlotte Mary Ann BREADMORE in 1882 and  he died in 1924 at St Kilda.
                Henry (our Great Grandfather) was born in 1854 at Geelong. The family then moved to Indented  Head on the Bellarine Peninsula it is
                assumed to farm the land (not verified). John was born in 1855  at Indented Head and died 1929 at Bendigo.
                Catherine was born in 1857 at Indented  Head.
                Ellen was born in 1860 at Indented Head and died in 1865 at Bulldog Diggings. Alice was  born in 1862 at Indented Head.
                She married Henry STIELOW in 1883. Alice died in 1892 at  Talbot aged 29.

                Henry, Catherine and their young family moved to the gold diggings at Bulldog Diggings, south-west  of Ballarat near Smythesdale in 1863.
                This area is now called Illabarook. Henry was very successful  as a miner.
                James was born in 1864 at Bulldog Diggings. He married Emma Jane FISHER (born 1864 at  Lillydale, daughter of Robert and Charlotte)
                in 1885 at Melbourne.

                Henry, Catherine and portion of their family moved to a farm at Appin (south of Kerang) in the late  1870s.
                His obituary in the Kerang Times states:
                "He was a successful miner at the start of the  goldfields, but afterwards invested in property,
                    in which his ventures were not as  successful."
                Catherine died at Appin on the 12th November 1893 and was buried at the Kerang Cemetery on  Tuesday 14th November 1893.
                Henry died at Appin on the 20th May 1896 and was buried at the Kerang Cemetery on Friday  22nd May 1896 .

                Henry DAVIS (our Great Grandfather) married Catherine BAKER (daughter of Edward BAKER  and Catherine SPELICY) on 5th July 1877
                (he was 23 years of age) at Inglewood. He was a  farmer at Mysia near Boort at the time. Henry DAVIS and Catherine BAKER had six children.

                Arthur Henry was born on 14th February 1879 at Inglewood. He died on the 8th October 1961 at  South Melbourne.
                Alice was born in 1881 at Kerang.
                Maria was born in 1881 at Kerang.
                Cecilia Ellen was born in 1882 at Rocklyn. She died in 1968 at St Kilda.
                Mary Ann was born in 1884 at Rocklyn. She died in 1979 at Ivanhoe
                George was born in 1886 at Bridgewater.

                Not a great deal is known about this family except that they moved around, presumably to various farms.

                Arthur Henry DAVIS (our Grandfather) married Alice EDWARDS (daughter of William  EDWARDS and Angelina Lydia BONE) in 1901.
                The marriage place is unknown but possibly Warragul as that is where Alice's family lived at that time.

                Arthur Henry DAVIS and Alice Edwards had five children.

                William Arthur was born in 1902 at Warragul. He died in 1919 at Mooroopna.
                Ida May was born in 1903 at Trafalgar. She died on 9th September 2001 at Melbourne.
                Ida married John Leslie BROUGHTON, son of Thomas and Margaret (ALEXANDER). She later married Duncan McFADGEN.
                Cecilia was born in 1904 at Cowwarr. She married Stanley Kite (Kight) son of Edward and Sarah MITCHELL.
                Myrtle Alice was born in 1906 at Warragul. She died in 1992 at Melbourne. She married John (Jack) HOWELL
                son of Christopher and Bridget GUILFOYLE.
                Florence Eleanor was born on the 29th December 1908 at Numurkah. She died 14th December 2002.
                She married Norman Percy CUTTER, son of Percy Herbert and Bridget O'REILLY.

                Arthur Henry was a butcher by trade and work was very scarce and as can be seen by the various  locations where the children were born,
                the family moved around considerably. He later became an Insurance Salesman.

                Alice died on the 4th September 1914 at Jerilderie, NSW.  The family must have spent quite some  time there as our mother,
                Florence Eleanor, spent her early school years at Jerilderie.

                Arthur Henry had a son to Maud ZINNECKER (daughter of John and Mary Ann JACQUES). Douglas DAVIS was born in 1909 at Trafalgar.
                He died on the 23rd March 2001.
                Arthur Henry later married Maud (in 1917) and they had a second son, Leslie Norman Lloyd  DAVIS, born in 1918 at Hawthorn.
                Arthur Henry and Maud later finally lived in Palmer St, South Melbourne

                It is not clear where William EDWARDS and Angelina Lydia BONE were married in 1875. Possibly Melbourne (Heidelberg)
                as Angelina was born 1855 at Heidelberg to William and Mary  Ann (nee WILLS) both born in Cornwall, England.
                William and Angelina's first born, Lydia  Ellen, was born 1876 at Heidelberg.

                William and Angelina with baby Lydia moved to Benalla mid 1876. Later that year Lydia Ellen died  aged 4 months.
                William Charles was born 1877 at Benalla and died there one year later.

                With both first born children dead, William and Angelina moved to Katamatite early in 1879 where  Minnie was born.

                They moved to a farm at Dunbulbalane late 1879 where Alice (our Grand-mother) was born in  1880.
                Edward Charles was born in 1882 and died 5 months later.
                Alfred Henry was also born at  Dunbulalane in 1885.

                William and Angelina with Minnie, Alice and baby Alfred moved to Warragul in mid to late 1885.
                Alfred died at Warragul in 1886 aged 42 weeks. Lily was born 1886 and Fredrick Arthur was born  1888, both at Warragul.
                Lily died at Warragul in 1912 aged 26.
                Angelina died in 1918 at Warragul  aged 63. Where and when William died is unknown.

                Alice EDWARDS married Arthur Henry DAVIS in 1901. She died at Jerilderie  1914.