Marriage Register entry - Evelyn Ann Salisbury & William Clarke - June 29 1899

Left hand side

Right hand side

The above are cropped digital images of a photocopy of Ann's marriage register entry dated 05Oct1994.

The information given is : -

1272 234 Johnstone St., Fitzroy, June 29th 1899, William Clarke, Bachelor, born Staffordshire, England, Traveller, age 34, presently and usually residing at Spottiswoode, parents, Henry Clarke, Miller, and Alice Clarke (maiden name Barton) to Evelyn Ann Salisbury, Spinster, born in Italy, Domestic duties, age 42, presently and usually residing at Spottiswoode, parents, William Bartholomew Salisbury, Gentleman, and Eleanor Salisbury (maiden name Villiers)

Marriage by licence and according to the rites of the Primitive Methodist Church. Witnessed by Annie E Lord ?, Laura Brown, and Henry Heathershaw, Methodist Minister.

Ann incorrectly states : -

1. She is Evelyn Ann Salisbury, a spinster. She obviously does not wish to state she is a widow as this would expose her to having to give her married name Trease. The addition of the extra christian name Evelyn is presumably to hide her true identity.
2. She was born in Italy. The reason for this is thought to be to indicate to others a reason for her receiving post from Italy where it seems that Annie Elizabeth Rollini of Milan may have been used by Eleanor Hardy as a go between to facilitate correspondence between herself in England and Ann Trease in Australia. This would have enabled Eleanor to hide the originating country of the letters from any of Ann's children staying with her.
3. Her age is 42, 10 years younger than she really was and the same age age difference she gave on the ship's passenger list on entry to Australia. She obviously would want to hide the age disparity between herself and William. Possibly even William did not know her true age.