William & Letitia Osler

see Family Tree

(generation 20)

William was born in Warbstow during 1841,the son of James Trease and Elizabeth Gynn and a grandson of William Trease and Martha Uglow.

William appears to have trained as a Blacksmith, probably first with his father and then with Mr Doney at Valley Truckle, near Camelford, Cornwall. However in October 1860 he travelled to London and became a Police Constable in the Metropolitan Police Force. Whilst there until late May 1861 he kept a diary which still exists and has been transcribed. In October 1863 he left Warbstow to emigrate to New Zealand, with his sister Amelia, her husband Julius Bone, and his cousin William Gynn. During February 1864 the sailing boat they were travelling on, ‘The Hurricane,’ reached Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where, after a reconnaissance visit ashore, they decided to settle. William kept a daily diary of the voyage which still exists and has also been transcribed.

William appears to have settled in Ballarat, Victoria and during 1869 he married Letitia Osler, who had been born in Horningsea, Cambridgeshire, England. In 1879 William selected land at Mardan, Gippsland, Victoria which he started clearing. Around 1884 the family moved from Ballarat to live in Mardan where William established a farm with 30 cows. The farm became known as “Seven Streams”.

William died of cancer age 51 during 1893 in Mardan, Victoria and Letitia died age 60 during 1909 in Mirboo North, Victoria.

William and Letitia had eleven children, seven daughters and four sons:-

• Ada was born in Ballarat in 1869 and died there the following year.
  
  
• Ada Elizabeth was born in Ballarat in1871 and married John Edward Porter in Footscray, Victoria in 1891. They had a daughter Ada who married and had children. Ada died in Riddell’s Creek Victoria in 1953 and her husband John died there in 1931.
  
  
• Louise Sarah was born in Ballarat in 1873 and married John Munro Campbell in Mardan, Victoria in 1897. Both their son, William, and daughter Nellie married and had children. Louise died in Mirboo North, Victoria in 1946 and her husband died there in 1918.
  
  
• William James was born in Ballarat in 1874 and married Isabella Ann Chamberlain in Darlimura in 1904. They had two sons, Ernest and Ken, and a daughter Jessie. Both sons married and had children. William died in Mirboo North in 1950 and his wife died there in 1953.
  
  
• Jessie Letitia was born in Ballarat in 1876 and after the family moved to Mardan she became organist for the church held in Mardan State School. She married Angus Steele in Mirboo North in 1900? They had three children, son Malcolm and daughters Muriel and Jean, all of whom married. Malcolm and Jean are known to have had children. It is not known whether Muriel had children. Jesse died in Mirboo North in 1960 and Angus died there in 1931.
  
  
• Emily Maude was born in Ballarat East in 1878. In 1902 she married John Edwin Fisher and had two sons William and Charles both of whom married and had children. After her husband John died in Meekatharra, Western Australia in 1921, Emily remarried to Richard Rollings but had no further children. She died in Meekatharra in 1953.
  
  
• Henry Edward (“Harry”) was born in Ballarat in 1881 and married his first wife Matilda Frances Oxenberry in 1905? They had sons Harry and Percy, and daughters Elsie and Phyllis. By his second wife Gertrude Louisa Bewert, he had sons Thomas, and Ken and daughters Rita, Nellie, and Edna. All of Henry’s children married and, apart from Phyllis, all are known to have had children. Henry died in 1940 in Chinchilla, Queensland.
  
  
• Helen (“Nellie”) was born in Ballarat in 1883 and died in 1899.
  
  
• Leonard Thomas was born in Mardan in 1886 and married Adelaide Alice Dyke in 1907? After their marriage, they farmed half of “Seven Streams”. They had a son Vincent Leonard and daughters Ella May, and Alma, all of whom married and had children. Leonard died in Mirboo North in 1950 and his wife died there in 1951.
  
  
• Mabel Mary was born in Mardan in 1888 and married Frederick Riley in 1916. They had three sons Harold, Ronald and Walley all of whom married and had children. Mabel died in Bruce Rock, Western Australia in 1959 and her husband died there in 1966.
  
  
• Victor Osler John was born in Mardan in 1890 and married Ruby Isabel Hamilton in Dumbalk in 1914. They farmed the other half of “Seven Streams”. Vic and his brother Len also worked for a time with Bill Snell’s road construction gang. Vic and Ruby had sons Eric William and Allen Hamilton, and daughters Rita Olive and Eira Ruby. All children apart from Eric married and had families. Victor died in Mirboo North in 1962 and his wife died there in 1965.