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FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH
REPORT TO
Client’s Name Withheld
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a son of William Robert Guilfoyle, Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, Victoria, Australia had married into the family of Isabella Ramsay of ’Banool’, Victoria, Australia.
RESEARCH
10 hours
BACKGROUND
William Robert Guilfoyle was born in Kensington, London, England on 8 December 1840 to Michael Guilfoyle (1814-1884) and Charlotte Delafosse Austin (1818-1885).
Michael, a landscape gardener and nurseryman, was foreman at the Royal Exotic Nursery in the King’s Road, Chelsea, London and had been born in Moneygall, King’s County, Ireland.
The Guilfoyles arrived in Sydney, Australia on 26 March 1849 on the ship The Steadfast where Michael firstly set up a nursery at Redfern and then, more successfully, opened his ‘Exotic Nursery’ in Double Bay, Sydney.
These retail enterprises were typically launched as sidelines to their proprietors’ work in the evolving landmark gardens in the district’s estates, but nevertheless developed into notable establishments in their own right.
The family settled in Mort Cottage, Cross Street, Double Bay. William attended Lyndhurst College, Glebe where he received botanical instruction and was encouraged to follow his father’s career.
In 1868 after several tours in northern New South Wales and Queensland collecting specimens, he joined the scientific staff of HMS Challenger on its expedition through the South Sea Islands. On returning to Australia he spent several years managing his father’s property near the Tweed River in New South Wales growing sugar and tobacco.
On 21 July 1873 at the age of 33 William was appointed curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne and, inspired by the tropical landscapes he had seen, began extending and re-modelling the gardens.
Following in his father's footsteps he also undertook private landscape work and is credited with creating (amongst others) the gardens of the properties of ‘Mooleric’ and ‘Turkeith’ in Birregurra, Victoria, and ‘Banool’ in Yarra Glen, Victoria.
William himself owned a property in Victoria - Mount Yule in Healesville.
‘Banool’ was owned by Isabella Milne Ramsay - widow of the Rev. Andrew Ramsay and it is well documented that William and her daughter-in-law Isabella Urquhart Ramsay were friends and correspondents.
It is believed by some that William designed the gardens at ‘Banool’ as one of his sons had married into the Ramsay family.
RESEARCH NOTE
To establish any connection between William Robert Guilfoyle and Isabella Milne Ramsay it was necessary to research both the Guilfoyle and the Ramsay families and this report is divided as such.
THE GUILFOYLE FAMILY
William Robert Guilfoyle (1840-1912) married Alice Darling in Melbourne, Victoria in 1889 at the age of 48. Alice was 29 having been born in Melbourne in 1860.
They had one child, a son, named William James Yule, born in Danube Street, Edinburgh, Scotland on 17 October 1890.
William James Yule Guilfoyle had a varied military career. In World War I he enlisted with the 4th Light Horse Regiment and in August 1914 sailed to England; six months later he joined the Royal Field Artillery. In July 1915 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corp and records show that in October 1915 his address was 39 Havelock Road, Southsea, Hampshire. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 with the London Gazette entry stating: “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He carried out a daring bombing raid and made a valuable reconnaissance under heavy fire during the same flight. He has at all times set a fine example.” In World War II William James Yule served in various posts with the RAF rising to the position of Commandant Air Training Corps (North West command) from 1942-1946 based at RAF Cosford, Shropshire, England.
In 1946, he returned to Australia on behalf of the Air League of the British Empire. Whilst there he suffered severe burns when a spirit stove exploded.
He died from his injuries in the Royal Melbourne Hospital on 24 April 1948.
His death notice states:
“Guilfoyle - On April 24, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia as the result of an accident, Air Commodore, O.B.E., M.C., beloved husband of Elsbeth Guilfoyle of Shakerley Hall, Allbrighton, Nr Wolverhampton, aged 57.”
MARRIAGE RESEARCH
The England & Wales BMD Marriage Indices 1837-1915 and 1916-2005 show two possible marriages for William James Yule Guilfoyle.
1. October 1915 to Mary G. Taylor in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
2. September 1933 to Elspeth Child in Chelsea, London, England.
As neither have Ramsay as a maiden name further research took place into the background of each of these possible wives.
1. Mary G. Taylor
William James Yule Guilfoyle was based in Southsea, Hampshire in 1915 which placed him in the area at the time of the marriage in October 1915. As the marriage record showed him as ‘William J.Y. Guilfoyle’ it seemed extremely likely this was indeed him.
Further research showed that a Mary G. Guilfoyle died in Cornwall on 5 September 1931 with probate records showing that her Estate of £78 17s 5d was left to her widower, William James Yule Guilfoyle, Wing Commander RAF.
No other marriage record could be found for a Mary G. Taylor in the Hampshire area before 1915 and as she was 23 at the time of the marriage it was assumed that this was her first marriage - her maiden name therefore being Taylor.
2. Elspeth Child
Research was then conducted to ascertain whether Child was Elspeth’s maiden name or her name from a previous marriage.
Marriage records in the UK and Australia were searched for an Elspeth marrying a ‘Child’ prior to 1933.
Scottish marriage records show an Elspeth Kininmonth (spinster aged 29) marrying a William Noel Child (medical practitioner) in Edinburgh in 1913.
Elspeth’s parents are recorded as James Kininmonth (sheep farmer/deceased) and Euphemia Russell Kininmonth (maiden name Carstairs) deceased.
A birth record was found for an Elspeth Kinimonth in the Australian Birth Index 1788-1922 showing her being born in 1884 in Ondit, Victoria to James Kininmonth and Euphemia Russell Carstairs.
William Noel Child died in Devon in 1927 and records show that probate was granted to his widow Elspeth Child and son John Faulkner Child, solicitor, in the sum of £30,836 18s 0d.
Elspeth died in Scotland on 9 November 1954 at ‘Seafort’, South Street, Elie, Edinburgh. Her death certificate reports her as “Widow of 1st William Noel Child and 2nd William Guilfoyle Air Commodore”.
It is interesting to note that William James Yule’s mother, Alice Guilfoyle, died while living at the same address a year earlier in 1953 at the age of 93.
THE GUILFOYLE FAMILY
William Robert Guilfoyle (1840-1912) married Alice Darling in Melbourne, Victoria in 1889 at the age of 48. Alice was 29 having been born in Melbourne in 1860.
They had one child, a son, named William James Yule, born in Danube Street, Edinburgh, Scotland on 17 October 1890.
William James Yule Guilfoyle had a varied military career. In World War I he enlisted with the 4th Light Horse Regiment and in August 1914 sailed to England; six months later he joined the Royal Field Artillery. In July 1915 he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corp and records show that in October 1915 his address was 39 Havelock Road, Southsea, Hampshire. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917 with the London Gazette entry stating: “For conspicuous gallantry in action. He carried out a daring bombing raid and made a valuable reconnaissance under heavy fire during the same flight. He has at all times set a fine example.” In World War II William James Yule served in various posts with the RAF rising to the position of Commandant Air Training Corps (North West command) from 1942-1946 based at RAF Cosford, Shropshire, England.
In 1946, he returned to Australia on behalf of the Air League of the British Empire. Whilst there he suffered severe burns when a spirit stove exploded.
He died from his injuries in the Royal Melbourne Hospital on 24 April 1948.
His death notice states:
“Guilfoyle - On April 24, 1948 in Melbourne, Australia as the result of an accident, Air Commodore, O.B.E., M.C., beloved husband of Elsbeth Guilfoyle of Shakerley Hall, Allbrighton, Nr Wolverhampton, aged 57.”
MARRIAGE RESEARCH
The England & Wales BMD Marriage Indices 1837-1915 and 1916-2005 show two possible marriages for William James Yule Guilfoyle.
1. October 1915 to Mary G. Taylor in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
2. September 1933 to Elspeth Child in Chelsea, London, England.
As neither have Ramsay as a maiden name further research took place into the background of each of these possible wives.
1. Mary G. Taylor
William James Yule Guilfoyle was based in Southsea, Hampshire in 1915 which placed him in the area at the time of the marriage in October 1915. As the marriage record showed him as ‘William J.Y. Guilfoyle’ it seemed extremely likely this was indeed him.
Further research showed that a Mary G. Guilfoyle died in Cornwall on 5 September 1931 with probate records showing that her Estate of £78 17s 5d was left to her widower, William James Yule Guilfoyle, Wing Commander RAF.
No other marriage record could be found for a Mary G. Taylor in the Hampshire area before 1915 and as she was 23 at the time of the marriage it was assumed that this was her first marriage - her maiden name therefore being Taylor.
2. Elspeth Child
Research was then conducted to ascertain whether Child was Elspeth’s maiden name or her name from a previous marriage.
Marriage records in the UK and Australia were searched for an Elspeth marrying a ‘Child’ prior to 1933.
Scottish marriage records show an Elspeth Kininmonth (spinster aged 29) marrying a William Noel Child (medical practitioner) in Edinburgh in 1913.
Elspeth’s parents are recorded as James Kininmonth (sheep farmer/deceased) and Euphemia Russell Kininmonth (maiden name Carstairs) deceased.
A birth record was found for an Elspeth Kinimonth in the Australian Birth Index 1788-1922 showing her being born in 1884 in Ondit, Victoria to James Kininmonth and Euphemia Russell Carstairs.
William Noel Child died in Devon in 1927 and records show that probate was granted to his widow Elspeth Child and son John Faulkner Child, solicitor, in the sum of £30,836 18s 0d.
Elspeth died in Scotland on 9 November 1954 at ‘Seafort’, South Street, Elie, Edinburgh. Her death certificate reports her as “Widow of 1st William Noel Child and 2nd William Guilfoyle Air Commodore”.
It is interesting to note that William James Yule’s mother, Alice Guilfoyle, died while living at the same address a year earlier in 1953 at the age of 93.
THE RAMSAY FAMILY
Isabella Ramsay was born Isabella Milne in Hull, Yorkshire, England to George and Hannah (nee Haldenby) Milne and christened at Holy Trinity Church in Hull on 23 September 1814.
In July 1840 she married the Rev. Andrew Ramsay in Hawick, Roxburghshire Scotland. Andrew was the Minister of Allars Relief Church, Hawick from where he resigned on 17 February 1846. Andrew and Isabella and their family arrived on the ‘Anne Milne’ in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in January 1847 where Andrew ministered at St Enoch’s Church until his death in 1869.
Their eldest child, Robert Ramsay, had been born in Hawick on 16 February 1842 and travelled with his parents on the ‘Anne Milne’ with his two brothers and two sisters.
In 1868 Robert Ramsay married Isabella Catherine Urquhart in Victoria. They had two sons - Robert Jnr born in 1869 and Urquhart in 1870; two daughters followed - Edith Isobel in 1874 and Constance Marion in 1879.
Both Edith and Constance died at an early age - Edith at the age of 18 in 1892 and Constance in 1882 at 3 years old. Edith is noted as a spinster on her death record.
Robert Ramsay Snr, a solicitor and politician, died of pleurisy on 23 May 1882 in South Melbourne at the age of 40 leaving an Estate of some £40,000.
In 1899 his widow and two sons moved to Birregurra, Victoria, Isabella having purchased a property called ‘Mooleric’.
In 1903 Robert Ramsay Jnr, Urquhart Ramsay and their cousin Tom McKellar bought the property next door - ‘Turkeith’.
In February 1906 Urquhart Ramsay bought ‘Turkeith’ outright and Robert Ramsay Jnr took over the running of Mooleric where their mother still lived.
In 1907 Urquhart Ramsay married a local girl named Janet Kininmonth, and they set up home in ‘Turkeith‘. Isabella Milne Ramsay died at ‘Banool’ in the Yarra Glen, Victoria on 26 December 1905.
CONCLUSION
The only connection that appeared to have been established was that between William James Yule Guilfoyle’s second wife Elspeth and Urquhart Ramsay’s wife Janet who had the same maiden name.
The next step was to discover whether Janet Kininmonth Ramsay had the same parents as Elspeth Kininmonth Child Guilfoyle.
The Australian Marriage Index 1788-1950 record for Janet Kininmonth and Urquhart Ramsay gives Janet’s name as Janet Russell Kininmonth. Her birth record in the Australian Birth Index shows her being born in 1833 in Geelong, Victoria with her parents being James Leonard Kinimonth and Euphemia Carstairs. In the Australia Death Index 1787-1985.
Janet is recorded as dying in Sirr, Victoria in 1968 with her parents given as James Kininmonth and Euphemia Russell.
It can be concluded that Janet Kininmonth Ramsay and Elspeth Kininmonth Child Guilfoyle were indeed sisters.
Therefore, although William Robert Guilfoyle’s son did not marry into the Ramsay family a connection has been established between the Guilfoyles and Ramsays as his grandson, William James Yule Guilfoyle’s sister-in-law (Janet Kininmonth) married into the Ramsay family.
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FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH
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