Mabelle Gertrude Darby

#126, (23 June 1882-after 1916)
FatherGeorge Leonard Darby (c 1850-3 Jul 1926)
MotherMartha Alice Miller (3 Nov 1850-22 Dec 1921)
ChartsAylott Family - descendants
Brett Family - descendants
Darby Family - descendants
Fairclough Family - descendants
Leonard Family - descendants
Wayte Family - descendants
Descendents of Richard Darby
Last Edited23 Apr 2022
WikiTree ID:https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Darby-2869.
Mabelle Darby c1900
     (For a brief history and context on the Darby family see this page)

NOTE: The information on this page is my research to date and is subject to change as I become better informed. I very much welcome any corrections or additional info you might have - my email address is at the bottom of this page. Whilst historical facts are not copyright, my writing about these facts are. If you wish to use any text from this site on Ancestry or on any other website, please ask me first - Tim Hill.
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Mabelle was born on Friday, 23 June 1882 at Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester.1,2,3 She was the daughter of George Leonard Darby and Martha Alice Miller. Mabelle Gertrude Darby was also known as Mabel.3 She lived with her mother at 103 Oxford Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, in April 1884.4

At the age of 3 Mabelle emigrated from London on 24 December 1885 on the liner R.M.S. 'John Elder' with her mother and two sisters. They were on their way to join their father who was already in the colony. Mabelle was about 4 years old. Leaving on Christmas Eve, they travelled via Naples, the Suez canal, Aden and the island of Diego Garcia.5,6,7,8 Mabelle arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia, on 6 February 1886.5,9
She presumably along with their three daughters lived with her parents at the Adelaide suburb of Parkside in December 1886.10 Mabelle was listed on the Rockford roll as a She attended school there at about the age of 10 from 1892 until October 1894 when the Mylor school opened. student at Mylor, South Australia.11 In December 1892 the Darby family had a grand piano at home, as it was lent for the cause of a fundraiser to build an institute and hall for the 700 or so residents.12 On 5 December 1892 there was a visit by legislators (including an M.P.) to the Darby property at Mylor where someone noted that George and his family had the best house in the district. There was perhaps a suggestion that this was inappropriate give George's position in the Land Office. Later that night, George and his wife and daughters contributed items to the programme of the concert in the evening.13

The town was described :
...Mylor is emerging from the embryo stage of existence. Most of the blocks have been sold at prices satisfactory to the Government. At present nothing can be seen except a general store, a carpenter's shop, and the frame of the local Church of England building. The rest is all a partially-cleared area backed and planted by gumtrees and scrub near the old stock road to Scott's Creek.14


A suggestion that the Darbys had the best house in the district was refuted by a T. Murphy (and in a different newspaper, 'Thomas H. Winkworth') who said that Mr. Hughes had a much finer house and that the Darby House was only 2 stone rooms, like several other houses.15,16 Mabelle was listed on the roll as a She left school there in December 1896 at the age of 12 student at Mylor School, in Mylor, South Australia, on 8 October 1894.17

In February 1896, Mabelle and Elsie Darby joined The Children's 'Sunbeam' Society of South Australia.18



In January 1898 there was a bushfire in Mylor that affected the Darby's place. This occurred on a hot and windy day, and there were about 35 people fighting the fire, which saved the house, trap and horse. In all, about 100 acres were burned. Whilst initial reports said that fruit trees, sheds, clothing etc were destroyed, another correspondent said about a dozen fruit trees were burnt. On the contrary, the worst sufferer seemed to be a Mr. Wake who had moved some of this things to the Darby's that day.19,20
Mabelle Darby c1905 with an unknown person (thought to be a 'Lola Breach' but may in fact be her mother or other close family member)
(source: collection of M. Willson)


The Darby's suffered another unsettling incident involving a horse carriage on 4 May 1902:
"SERIOUS VEHICLE ACCIDENT. Mr. G.L. Darby (chief clerk of the Woods and Forests Department), whilst driving to his home from Aldgate station on Monday evening with his daughters, met with a serious accident. The horse stopped suddenly, and in doing so broke a portion of the harness. The animal then bolted round a curve at the foot of a steep hill, throwing out all the occupants of the vehicle. Mr. Darby's ankle was broken, and he was removed to the Adelaide Hospital. His daughters received a severe shaking and abrasions."21,22


She presumably lived with her parents at at Stanley Street in the Adelaide suburb of North Adelaide in 1904. However, there is some records that suggest that they were still living in Mylor at this time.23

Mabelle attended the wedding of James Smith and her sister Elsie Florence Darby at Elsie's parent's home at "Kiliora"(?) Stanley St. on Thursday, 22 December 1904 at North Adelaide. They also signed the marriage certificate as witnesses. Elsie was 5 months pregnant when she married; the effect of this on Elsie's strict Wesleyan Methodist mother isn't known however it is notable that Elsie and James married at Elsie's parent's Adelaide home, far from the town of Mylor where they grew up, and not married in the Congregational church that her sisters were married in. It's also notable that Elsie's mother and her mother's mother were pregnant when they married too.. Others who may have attended the wedding include Patty Miller as mother of the bride, George Leonard Darby as father of the bride, Lucy Deane as mother of the groom and Walter Thomas Smith as father of the groom.24

On 21 January 1908, a large fire at Mylor threatened the Darby home, but a number of fire fighters come to the property and it was saved by back-burning. Ultimately, only a few fence-posts were burned.25,26

She married William Walter Gilbert, at Manthorpe Memorial Congregational Church on Tuesday, 18 February 1908 at the Adelaide suburb of Unley..27

Mabelle died after 1916.

Timeline

DateEventPlace
Family
Family
1882BirthChorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester1,2,3
School attendanceMylor, South Australia11
1894School attendanceMylor School, in Mylor, South Australia17
1908Married Name27
1908Marriage at Manthorpe Memorial Congregational Church in the Adelaide suburb of Unley27
1916Death

Family

William Walter Gilbert (c 1890-)
Children

Citations

  1. [S1062] Mylor Historical Society,"Mylor School Enrollments," School Enrollments , n.d.. Currently held by Mylor Historical Society, Cotton Memorial Hall, Mylor, South Australia 1894 (for exact date of birth).
  2. [S228] General Register Office, England - Birth Certificates, Certified copy of an entry in a Register of Births, Jul Qtr Chorlton Vol.8c (index only).
  3. [S338] Ancestry.com.au Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com.au/) Ancestry.com. Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2009.
  4. [S228] General Register Office, England - Birth Certificates, Certified copy of an entry in a Register of Births, 1884 Book 137 No. 263.
  5. [S338] Ancestry.com.au Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com.au/) Name: Martha A Darby; Nationality:     English; Arrival Age: 34; Birth Date: abt 1852; Departure Place: London;
    Arrival Date: 9 Feb 1886 [Sydney]; Arrival Place: Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia
    Ship:     John ElderAncestry.com. Victoria, Australia, Assisted and Unassisted Passenger Lists, 1839–1923 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2009.
  6. [S336] The Argus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1885 'EUROPEAN TELEGRAMS.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), 31 December, p. 5, viewed 7 April, 2013, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article6078638
  7. [S243] The Adelaide Observer (later The Observer), Adelaide, South Australia, 1886 'SHIPPING.', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 6 February, p. 19. , viewed 10 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160749768 (The paper states that the passengers were "Miss Young, Miss Walker, and Mr. N. Darby and family", almost certainly an error when compared to the passenger list).
  8. [S1068] The Evening Journal, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1886 'Shipping News.', Evening Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1869 - 1912), 8 February, p. 2. (SECOND EDITION), viewed 10 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197810115 (For class).
  9. [S243] The Adelaide Observer (later The Observer), Adelaide, South Australia, 1886 'SHIPPING.', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 6 February, p. 19. , viewed 10 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160749768
  10. [S971] The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, South Australia), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1886 'GENERAL NEWS.', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 10 December, p. 2. (Second Edition.), viewed 12 Feb 2023, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208498398
  11. [S1061] Mylor Historical Society,"Rockford School Enrollments," School Enrollments , n.d.. Currently held by Mylor Historical Society, Cotton Memorial Hall, Mylor, South Australia.
  12. [S1055] The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser, Mount Barker, South Australia, 1892 'SMALL HOLDINGS.', The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser (SA : 1880 - 1954), 9 December, p. 3. , viewed 03 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147624577
  13. [S244] The South Australian Register, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1892 'THE MYLOR HOMESTEAD BLOCKS.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), 5 December, p. 7, viewed 17 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48557693
  14. [S1055] The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser, Mount Barker, South Australia, 1892 'HOME FOR THE PEOPLE.', The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser (SA : 1880 - 1954), 16 December, p. 3. , viewed 09 Feb 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147624615
  15. [S244] The South Australian Register, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1892 'CORRESPONDENCE.', South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), 17 December, p. 4, viewed 17 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48555401
  16. [S243] The Adelaide Observer (later The Observer), Adelaide, South Australia, 1892 'CORRESPONDENCE. TO CORRESPONDENTS.', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 24 December, p. 30. , viewed 04 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article160801675
  17. [S1062] Mylor Historical Society,"Mylor School Enrollments," School Enrollments , n.d.. Currently held by Mylor Historical Society, Cotton Memorial Hall, Mylor, South Australia 1894.
  18. [S243] The Adelaide Observer (later The Observer), Adelaide, South Australia, 1896 'THE CHILDREN'S "SUNBEAM" SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA.', Adelaide Observer (SA : 1843 - 1904), 15 February, p. 35. , viewed 04 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161835402
  19. [S322] The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1898 'THE COUNTRY.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 24 January, p. 6, viewed 18 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35103487
  20. [S322] The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1898 'TO CORRESPONDENTS.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 27 January, p. 4, viewed 18 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35103716
  21. [S322] The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1902 'SERIOUS VEHICLE ACCIDENT.', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), 8 May, p. 4, viewed 18 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4917238
  22. [S1055] The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser, Mount Barker, South Australia, 1902 'THE SOUTHERN DISTRICTS.', The Mount Barker Courier and Onkaparinga and Gumeracha Advertiser (SA : 1880 - 1954), 9 May, p. 2. , viewed 03 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article147767668
  23. [S7] South Australia, Marriage Certificate, Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages 1904 No. 1183.
  24. [S7] South Australia, Marriage Certificate, Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages 1904 No.1183.
  25. [S458] The Register (Adelaide), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1908 'FIRE AT BLACK HILL.', The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), 21 January, p. 6, viewed 24 January, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56980262 ("By about 5 o'clock the fire was apparently under control, but the wind changed, and after a time the flames burst out again with renewed vigour. The fire passed alongside Mr. Currie's property, but preparations had been made for it, and its course was diverted from this land. Continuing its progress, the fire threatened the property of Mr. Darby. A number of fire fighters, however, gathered here, and by lighting small fires round the home and stables, and aided by the wind, the flames were prevented from doing more damage than the destruction of a few posts.").
  26. [S971] The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, South Australia), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1908 'OUTBREAK AT MYLOR.', The Express and Telegraph (Adelaide, SA : 1867 - 1922), 21 January, p. 3. (4 o'clock.), viewed 02 Jan 2019, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article208911900
  27. [S338] Ancestry.com.au Ancestry.com, (http://www.ancestry.com.au/) South Australian Marriages Vol.234 p.315.