Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries

Today's blog is centered on a woman, seen as notorious in her youth, portrayed in wax by Madame Tussaud, who changed her name and sailed to Australia, nursed lepers, was a Matron of Parramatta Girls Institutional school, lived to the age of 100, was revered by many in Australia but in essence was a convicted murderess. CONSTANCE KENT Constance was born in Devon England on the 6th of February 1844, the fifth daughter and ninth child of Samuel Saville Kent an inspector of factories for the Home Office and his first wife Mary Ann (Windus), daughter of a prosperous coach maker and Portland Vase expert. Constance's mother died in 1852 when she was 8 years of age and this loss seems to have had a profound effect upon her. Her father had an affair with the nanny, Mary Drew Pratt, whilst his first wife was dying and subsequently married her. The second marriage brought three more children. One night in late June 1860, when the second Mrs. Kent was heavily pregnant with her four...

 For the first blog of the year, I have decided to embrace the great sporting season of summer - cricket! Ah, but there’s more to this blog than just cricket, read on… ARTHUR CONINGHAM Arthur was born on the 14th of July 1863 in Emerald Hill, Melbourne, Victoria. He was the youngest of five children both to William and Jane Ann Coningham (nee Wilson). He loved sport and became an all-round athlete. Arthur took to football, rowing, pigeon- shooting and particularly to cricket - as a left-arm fast medium bowler. Arthur played for the Melbourne Cricket Club and in December 1884 went to Queensland, representing the Club in a total of 3 games. He played 3 times for Queensland and twice for NSW. In the Intercolonial Games Arthur scored 510 runs at 17 and took 60 wickets at 23.46. He was a member of the Australian team that toured England in 1893, unfortunately not playing in a Test match but in other games he scored 260 runs at 12.8 and took 38 wickets at 25.6. Arthur's only te...

  We are coming to the end of 2024, and this blog is one of reflection upon all the blogs that have been published under “ Rookwood Cemetery Discoveries”. This year I have highlighted many people who gave their lives for others; those that turned their lives around and benefitted others; many tragic unfortunate deaths and of course those that went off the deep end and shocked us all! The most popular blog this year was the one devoted to Euphemia Bridges Bowes . Mother of eleven children, wife of a Wesleyan minister performing all the duties associated with her role as well as establishing the First Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and other organisations. She worked constantly until she died - at the age of 85! A woman we should all be proud of who until a few months ago had fallen through the cracks of time. Another woman that caught your eye was Ada Hannah Coffill, a woman who completed the full funeral parlour experience as being the first Australian born woman to receiv...

 On the Literature cruise I recently attended we were privileged to listen to the words of Nick McKenzie, the award-winning journalist who with another award-winning journalist, Chris Reason, won the "defamation trial of the century", an historic Federal Court lawsuit brought by decorated soldier Ben Roberts-Smith. It was judged that four of the six murder allegations in Afghanistan presented to the court by the journalists in defence of their earlier reporting were substantially true.   For the final NEW Rookwood blog, I wanted to end the year with a true hero. One who continued to be a hero long after he hung up his uniform.  JOHN WOODS WHITTLE John was born on the 3rd of August 1883 on Huon Island Tasmania, one of seven children to Henry Whittle and his wife Catherine. He enlisted as a private in the Tasmanian Contingent during the Second Boer War. He reached South Africa in 1901, saw action in the Cape Colony and returned to Tasmania in 1902 and soon after joine...

 I guess you could say with regards to the person I'm honouring today, that once you become a "Lady", you are always one - even if your husband has died and you've remarried. ELIZABETH REID COTTON Elizabeth was born in Tasmania in 1842, the eldest of 3 children to Arthur Thomas Cotton and his wife Elizabeth. Arthur was a British General and irrigation engineer and came from a military family. He spent a great deal of time in British India constructing canals and entered the Madras engineers in 1818 fighting in the First Burmese war in 1819. Arthur devoted his life to the construction of canals and dams throughout India from 1825. He continued until ill health meant a move to Australia. By 1850 he was back in India with renewed vigour building more ambitious projects until his retirement in 1861 where he was considered one of the most revered people in India. He was knighted that year. Elizabeth spent most of her childhood in Madras, India and upon the family r...