Ancestors: The Palmer Family Story

The earliest member of my ancestral PALMER family for whom there is definite evidence is John Palmer born in March 1730 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire England. 

He married on 14 February 1763 to Sarah COWMEADOW possibly in Richmond. 

Sarah was born 07 June 1735 in Longney, Gloucestershire to Ann Bullock and Richard Cowmeadow. 

(Don't you love the joining of those two surnames) 

#52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week 46, Prompt: 'Random Facts'

Week 46 Prompt: Random Facts

One: 

I never knew that I had relatives who lived in and around Wales – the Monmouth area.

In 2004, my brother was on a retreat and caretaking a house in Wales for an English friend.  He suffered from Myasthenia Gravis and on deteriorating took himself to the hospital in Abergavenny where he unexpectedly died not long after on 09 October.  He was 63 years old and had been ill intermittently for a few years.  

Neville Hill Hospital, Abergavenny, Wales

So, when I was researching and found that my grandmother Palmer Mum’s mother’s side of the family originally came from Ross on Wye and lived in and around that area, I felt like my brother had completed a family circle. Wales/Herefordshire to Australia and back to Wales.

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Two:

My grandmother Violet Palmer and I also have something in common.  I only found out on a Trove search (good old Trove).

When I was four years old, I had a machinery accident.  My family was visiting an orange orchard near Mildura, the Vic/NSW border.  My sister and I were in the packing shed and should have been safe there as we had a similar environment at home.  However, being a bit bored whilst the adults talked, we started getting rid of the foliage caught at the feeding end of the grader.  Next minute my left arm was dragged into the machine through the rotating cogs. 

It could not be removed so they had to reverse the machine and support it coming out.  What a mangled mess – hanging together by some skin.  Mum held my tightly wrapped arm on her lap and cuddled me as best she could in the front seat of our Holden car. As we were nowhere near a doctor Dad drove frantically to a town where one was available, and he checked my arm. Bleeding was stopped, and bandages applied with a splint. I guess I was given painkillers too.

Then Dad raced back to Mooroopna Hospital near Shepparton and Dr Dickman operated on me.  He saved my arm from amputation – apparently, I was in theatre for hours. He was a brilliant surgeon to be working in a country hospital and I was very lucky to have him.

Thus, to come across the following article in Trove was a real surprise as no-one had ever mentioned it – and maybe didn’t know.

“A little girl two years of age, the daughter of Mr. A.S. Palmer, of Jindivick, had her right hand nearly cut off by a chaff cutter which she and her brothers were playing on Friday evening last. She was attended on Saturday morning by Dr. Herberts. of Warragul, and under his able treatment there is every reason to hope that her hand will soon be all right again, although, at first sight, the doctor thought amputation would be necessary.”

Trove. Violet Palmer accident - Warragul Guardian, Thursday, Nov 17, 1881. Page 2 Article.

Grandma Violet Palmer (Crop from wedding photo, Jan 1904)

#52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week 43, Prompt - ‘Cause of Death'

Week 43 Prompt: 'Cause of Death'

The first person who came to mind for this prompt was my Grandmother Violet Maude Cottam nee Palmer.  The reason not to do with the cause of death, but the fact that she died 20 days before I was born, the 6^thJuly and my birth 26^thJuly.  I totally missed out on meeting her.  I like to think that she had a few words to me whilst I was in utero, because she and my mum were very, very, close, and I would have loved to have known her.  

I have always thought what a difficult time it would have been for my mother.  Grandma and Grandpa Cottam were living with my Mum and Dad at the time in Shepparton, Victoria. 

Mum explained to me that it was easier knowing that she died in communion with God, that it was a beautiful way for her to die. What did she mean by that? 

Well, when Mum went into her bedroom to say goodnight, she found Grandma kneeling, leaning on the bed in the act of saying her prayers. 

Still, Mum was close to having me and to walk in and find her like that – it must have been an awful shock. 

Grandma was 66 years old, not that old really especially now I have passed it some time ago.  

I was named after both my grandmothers, Isabel from Dad's mother Maude from Mum's mother. I always thought to myself I would have preferred Violet ! 

Violet Palmer - as a young girl - family photo

Violet Maude Palmer was born on 16 October 1879 in Belfast Victoria  – the original name for Port Fairy. She was the fifth child of six to Arthur Samuel Palmer and Eleanor Wells, both from the Sussex/Kent area of England. 

Violet was 18 going on 19 when her mother Eleanor died 01 June 1898 and the family all went to different places depending on their work. Violet went to her Aunt Ett’s (Henrietta Carmichael née Wells).  I have a Needlework Book with Violet’s name and address inside -  North St, Coburg - 18 June 1900 .

Violet 's Needlework Book frontispage

According to the Electoral Rolls, she was living out at her Uncle’s farm  - Henry Wall Palmer at Jindivick in 1903.

When she was 24, residing at Ackland St, St Kilda, Violet married Joseph COTTAM, son of James COTTAM and Eliza SHANKS, on 27 Jan 1904. The wedding was held at St John’s Church of England in Footscray, Victoria.  (Maybe she stayed with a friend that night?)

Joseph Cottam and Violet Palmer - Wedding - family photo

Grandpa and Grandma Cottam lived in the electoral district of Gisborne, Victoria in 1909. Then they were in Kew, Victoria in 1914 (where my mother was born in 1913). They had six children all up - four boys and two girls.
They had moved with the family to a farm at Jindivick, Drouin by 1919 and were still living there in 1925. 

 Two Show Prize cards 1925, for Cooking and Sewing.

Their next move took them north to Numurkah, where they were farming in 1936.  However, by 1942 they were in Shepparton at our place and still there when Grandma died.

Violet and Joseph at their second youngest son, George's wedding.

Violet by her mother, Eleanor's grave 

Joseph and Violet on the farm in latter years.