Sarah Lewis
Sarah Lewis was the daughter of John Lewis (whose occupation was described as "cropper") and Hannah Ford (referred to as Anna Ford on her daughter's marriage certificate). Sarah was born in Axbridge, Somersetshire, England.
With her mother, Hannah Lewis, age 54, and her brother, Christopher Lewis, aged 11, she left Plymouth, England, on board the sailing ship Tudor on 28 March 1857.
They arrived in Melbourne on 30 June 1857 and went to stay with Hannah's sister, Mrs Wright in Brighton, Vic.
Sarah's occupation was given as nursemaid.
Sarah, age 17, married Alfred John Parsons, age 17, on 17 May 1858 at St Andrews Church of England, Brighton, Victoria. Subsequently Sarah and Alfred moved from Melbourne to the town of Morses Creek (Bright, Victoria).
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Alfred and Sarah had four children :
- Augusta Rowena Parsons, born 1859 at Beechworth, Vic., reg. no. 10124. Further information provided separately.
- Fredrick George Parsons, born 1861 at Morses Creek (Bright) Vic., reg. no. 1754. Fredrick George Parsons died aged 3 and a half from burns sustained while attempting to fill a kettle over the open fire. He had been playing outside while his mother visited Dr Hawkins' house close by. He ran inside to put his shoe lace in a box. When Fredrick cried out, Sarah rushed to her son to find his clothes burning. She quickly removed them. The doctor came at once but little could be done. Twelve hours after the accident, Fredrick died, on 24 June 1864. Sarah Parsons was expecting her third child, Algernon, at the time of the accident.
- Algernon William Parsons, born 1864 at Morses Creek, Victoria, reg. no. 23791. Algernon never married and he lived with his younger brother's family.
- Alfred Christopher John Parsons, born 1867 at Bouverie St., Carlton, Melbourne, reg. no. 9706. Alfred married Bridget Winifred Batson on 9 September 1891. They resided at "Willow Dell", the family property situated on the Jingellic Road, between Holbrook and Jingellic, New South Wales. They had 10 children among the descendants are some very talented doctors, athletes and professional people.
It is not known when Alfred left Bright. Sarah Parsons stayed in Bright and got on with her life as well as she could with three small children. Records for 1876 show Alfred John Parsons was no longer living in Bright. Sarah, Augusta, Algernon and Alfred Christopher were living there, without Alfred.
Sarah Parsons, aged 50 years, died in the Beechworth Hospital from a stroke on 23 May 1891, and she was buried on the same day in the Beechworth Cemetery.
Sarah's mother, Hannah Lewis, died on 3 December 1892. Her brother Christopher Lewis was a hawker, miner, and later owned a general store in Bright, Victoria; he died on 27 October 1916.
from The Alpine Observer,
31 July 1891, page 1073
