139. George Wills
Notes from Ireland, May 2020 state:-
3rd child of 8 children.
141. Thomas Wills
Thomas and his brother Lewis moved together to Lake Bolac, half way between Ballarat and Hamilton in western Victoria, in 1903 to purchase land when the
Nerrin Station was subdivided.They purchased the "Bluestone Woolshed" property when it came on the market in 1905, and called it "Fintry". They continued purchasing land there and at Carranballac until they had sufficient for Thomas to move his family onto a farm there. He and his sons later also purchased land at Lake McLaren, as well as "Cherrymount" near Streatham.
189. Thomas Wills
The cause of death was drowning. He was buried in Moonambel.
Thomas drowned while staying with his aunts at "The Vale", the
Power's family home on the Avoca River, at 3 years, 10 months, of age.According to records held at Avoca on the Moonambel cemetery, he is buried either at the foot of, or to one side, of his grandparents grave.
They lived most of their married life at Lake Bolac, but they retired to Ararat, Vic. in 1948.
144. George Wills
His birth does not appear to have been officially registered.
George went to Stony Creek in Gippsland, Vic. with his brother John (Jack). He later moved back to Carranballac in western Victoria, where he stayed for a time. After moving several times, near Boort, and to Talbot near Maryborough, he bought a farm property at Lilydale, northeast of Melbourne, where he eventually died.
At the same time as they had property at Lilydale, he and his wife lived on Albion
Street, St. Kilda, an inner suburb of Melbourne.
204. John Rodger Wills
Died at 7 months of age. While his death certificate states the cause of death as "muco - - - enteritis", the description does not mean very much. Family legend has it that he developed a fever and high temperature after being circumcised and had been given a hot water bottle, unfortunately without a cover, had received severe scalding, gone into shock, and died at the Leongatha Hospital. If this story is accurate, what is written on the death certificate appears to be a nonsense, presumably to cover up negligence.
Her maiden name may be CARLTON as it appears in some registrations.
162. George Herbert Wills
Notes by Max Parsons, 1989.
George, the eldest of Charles & Elizabeth's four children, and spent most of his youth in the Launceston-Georgetown area. His occupation was labourer when he married Elizabeth Hepburn Doak on February 21 1661. Both bride and groom were 23; they were married in the home of John Doak at Upper Piper according to the rites of the Congregational Church. Present as witnesses were Fanny Sarah Wills, William Doak and William James Rudd.
The couple went to live in Launceston, they had 5 children - Herbert Sydney Norman
(31 July 1883). Ethel Elizabeth Jessie (1882), George Charles John (23 August 1885), Edgar
Amos (born Launceston 10 July 1887 and died Georgetown 5 January 1888) and Leslie Hepburn
Wills (2 Sept. 1888). A few months after Leslie was born, the children's mother died
of Pthisis on December 15, 1888.After the death of his wife, George Herbert gave his children into the care of
others. It is believed that Ethel and Leslie went to live with an aunt in Launceston
and the boys were put into a Roman Catholic boys' home which neither liked. Then
George Herbert Wills left Tasmania and some say he went to the Victorian goldfields
and later remarried, others think he went to United States of America.After some years in the boys' home Herbert Sydney Norman obtained a job in
Georgetown and ran away from the home. Later both he and his brother George Charles
John worked for a Mr Frank Gale at "Daisy Dell", Kindred - on the way to Cradle
Mountain.Herbert Sydney Norman Wills married Lillian Kathleen Brown, they lived in
Victoria and had 3 children. We believe that Lillian died about 1924 and Herbert's
second wife was named Jessie - they both visited Devonport about 1954. We have no
other information about them or the three children - Ethel, Jack & Grace.George Charles John married Jessie Smith at Paloona 21 July 1909, George was a
trooper from 1910 to 1917. The couple had 7 children, all of whom married in due
course. Two of the sons served in the police force. George died at Latrobe about 1955 and his widow, Jessie, died at New Norfolk on November 19,1968.Ethel Elizabeth Jessie Wills married Edward Harris and they settled in Western
Australia. The Harris's had 5 children - Lucie Ellen (1913) who married (in 1955)
James Cummins; Edward Herbert (1915) married (1935) Christina Elizabeth Ferguson and
they had 5 children; Eva Frances died aged 11; Elizabeth Maud (1922) married (1944)
Joseph Milsom and had 7 children; the fifth child Florence Harris died at birth.
241. Leslie Hepburn Wills
Died young.
Notes by Max Parsons written in 1989.
Francis Charles, second son of Charles and Elizabeth, was born at Glamorgan on June 24 1859. He was educated at Cressy and was only 15 when his father died. Five years
later Frank, as he was generally known, married a bonny lass of the Clan Farquharson.We stated earlier that the information on official certificates was often incorrect
due to faulty information supplied or written down by the registrar. Frank's certificate of marriage is such an example. His bride affected different Christian names and both parties "squeezed" the difference in their ages!Francis Charles' marriage certificate states that he was a bachelor farmer, aged 21
(he was 20). The bride was "Alice Jean" Farquhar (actually she was christened Jane
Nilson Farquhar) spinster aged 24 (she was 25). They were married in the Wesleyan
Parsonage, Margaret Street, Launceston on December 16,1579. Clergyman was John
Greer, witnesses were Clara Williams and Elizabeth Greer.Frank always called his wife "Jenny" but she obviously preferred to be known as "Alice Jean" rather than "Jane Nilson", for she gave her name as Alice Jean on the birth certificates of most of her children. In her more mature years she used the name Jane Nilson Wills and when she died in 1932 she was buried under that name.
Having disregarded for so long about given names we will settle on using "Frank" and "Jenny" for Charles and Jane Nilson Wills.
Frank and Jenny farmed at Launceston and Upper Piper. As well as chickens, they raised four children on the farms - Charles Eric Neilson (born 31 May 1880), Clara Jean Mary (23 January 1882), Alfred Robert Francis (11 January 1884) and Claudia Frances Margaret (13 February 1886).
In 1887, Frank was appointed Police Clerk at Georgetown and while there the couple added two more to the family - Norman Reginald Farquhar (6 February 1888) and Eveleen Agnes Winifred (25 January 1890). Then Frank was posted to Burnie to a senior position with the court and while at Emu Bay the family was completed with two boys - Vivian Thomas Malcolm (13 June 1893) and John Manfred McGregor Wills (9 July 1895).
In a publication entitled "The Cyclopedia of Tasmania" (An epitome of progress - business men and commercial interests.) published in 1900, the article below appeared on page 304.
MR. FRANCIS CHARLES WILLS,
Police Clerk, Registrar of the Court of General sessions, etc., Burnie, was born
at Swansea, Tasmania, in 1859, and educated at Cressy.
He was appointed police clerk at George Town in April, 1857, and remained in this position till November, 1890, when he was removed to Burnie. Mr. Wills is very popular throughout the district by reason of the fact that he takes an interest in all matters that affect the welfare of the district, as well as in athletics. He is the hon. secretary of the Burnie Poultry and Dairy Produce Society, and is mainly responsible for its many successes.
Mr. Wills was married in Launceston, to Miss Jane Farquhar, of Hobart, and has a family of three daughters and five sons.In Walch's Tasmanian Almanac 1905 we saw this item - Francis Charles Wills - (1) Police Clerk, (2) Sub-Inspector of Police, (3) General Sessions - Deputy Clerk of Peace and Registrar, (4) Court of Requests - Registrar, (5) Registrar Births,Deaths & Marriages,
(6) Crown Lands Bailiff. So it appears that Frank "wore many different hats".Even with all his "portfolios", Frank still enjoyed farming. A picture of his large two-story home in Burnie "Brooklyn", clearly shows that the whole of the front garden, from fence to verandah, was planted with potatoes. The humble "spud" played an important part
in determining the destiny of Frank and Jenny's family. When potato blight hit Tasmania, unemployment worsened and Frank decided to leave and establish his family in Victoria. Even the older children, some married, made the move to Victoria.Francis Charles Wills secured a large property fronting to Mackie Road, Bentleigh and worked the land with the help of Chinese gardeners and ran a small dairy farm. Directories show that he lived there in 1911 and 1912. About 1913, Frank bought a large home at 66 Murray Street, Caulfield and this became the family staging place.
Almost all of the family (with their wives and children) spent some time there while they were setting up their own family homes.In 1915, Frank made his last will and testament, it read, in part :- "..give and bequeath all to my dear wife Jane Nilson Wills, on her death to my son Norman £75, Vivian Malcolm £100, John McGregor £100, my daughter Eveleen £50 and a knitting machine. The remainder to be equally divided among my eight children. My son Charles Eric and my dear wife to be executors." It was signed by F.C.Wills, 27 July 1915 and witnessed by A.M. Welchman and H E Alder.
(Frank's will and testament also establishes, without doubt, that Jenny's name was Jane Nilson Wills.)
When World War I started Vivian and Jack (the two youngest boys of the family) enlisted in the AIF, as did Frank Dunt, boyfriend of their sister Eveleen. Vivian, a corporal in 5th Battalion was killed in action at Gallipoli on the third day of that historic campaign, Frank Dunt died in the sea while attempting the landing and Jack made it safely home after serving also at Anzac Cove.
Francis Charles Wills died a few years later on January 2, 1919 aged 59. He was
buried at Brighton Cemetery in Grave E7 Baptist Section (No.12318). Jenny erected
a headstone which reads :-
"In memory of my beloved husband, Francis Charles Wills, who passed away
2 January 1919 aged 59 - Till the Day Dawns - also our beloved son, No. 886
Cpl Vivian Malcolm Wills, 5 Batt.,AIF, Killed at Anzac 27 April 1915 aged 21.
(John 15 - 13)."Jenny continued to live at 66 Murray Street with various members of the family. At one time her son, John McGregor, ran a small knitting factory in a large room of the house. As the house was so large with several outside bungalows, boarders were taken in, among them was Herbert Wilson a music teacher who later became Eveleen's husband. Jenny's home was always open to her family and their children until she died September 11, 1932 at Caulfield. Her body was laid to rest beside her husband Frank.
Jane Nilson (Alice Jean) Farquhar
Notes by Max Parsons in 1989.
"Jenny" was born in Hobart, daughter of Robert Farquhar of the Clan Farquharson. We need to regress several centuries to understand a little of the Clan. Their story is one of
castles and kings, huge estates and thousands of clan members of whom Jenny is one. It is more difficult to decide what to leave out, than what to tell of their story, so if you wish to learn more of the Farquharsons go to your local library end borrow "The Clans of the Scottish Highlanders" by R.R.Mclan and "Scottish Clans and Tartans" by Neil Grant.The "dear ones" the Farquharsons are descended from Farquhar, son of Shaw of Rothiemurchus. They acquired 'Invercauld House' (built of granite with a battlemented tower rising to 70 feet) on Upper Deeside by the marriage of Donald to the heiress Isobel Stewart.
During the 17th century Sir Robert Farquharson of Invercauld greatly improved the family fortunes by his commercial and political activities and later they acquired the seat of the Earls of Mar, Braemar Castle, which they still hold today.
The estates include 4 deer forests in surrounding hills and corries, 9 grouse moors and 26 miles of fishing on the Dee. The present resident chieftain of the Clan is Captain Aiwyn Compton Farquharson.
Jane's father, Robert Farquhar was born in Aberdeen and our research leads us to
believe that he was born 6 April 1817 to Robert and Jean (Rae) Farquhar and he came to Hobart and set up in business as a cabinet maker in Bathurst Street. On 4 Sept. 1846 he married spinster Janet Baxter at St George. Church, Hobart, they had 3 children, Mary Jane who died of convulsions aged 5 months on 2 Feb.1850; Robert (born 1850) who later married Catherine Campbell Nance in 1872 and they had 10 children - the third of Janet's children was Margaret Jane (born 1 Sept.1852). Robert's wife, Janet, died of dysentery on 17 Sept.1853 aged 27.Six weeks later, Robert married a widow, Mary Toomey (nee Currie) at Hobart on October 31, 1853. They lived at 6 Argyle Street with the family and Robert continued as a cabinet-maker and carpenter. On October 17, 1854, Jane Nilson Farquhar was born to Robert and Mary. On 1 December 1856 another girl, Mary, was born.
After his second wife died, Robert (then aged 51) married Ellen Neagle, a 35 year-old
spinster at All Saints Church of England, Hobart, on 2 Feb. 1869; present as witnesses
were Robert Farquhar Jnr and Anne Wheeler. On July 19, 1870 Robert and Ellen had a
son, Thomas.As stated before, Jenny enjoyed being known as "Alice Jean" during her younger years
and, to further add to the confusion, Alfred Wills' marriage certificate showed the
groom's mother to be "Jean Mary". When Clara Wills married Herbert Parsons in 1907
the bride's mother was correctly shown as "Jane Nilson" Wills and from that time on,
Jenny was referred to as Mrs Jane N. or Jane Nilson Wills.
248. Vivian Malcolm Thomas Wills
By Pamela Sullivan 9 Oct 2001.
Vivian Malcolm Thomas Wills ( Corporal 5th Battalion AIF ) died at Gallipoli on Sunday, 25th April 1915 - the same day that William Henry Wills died. They were in different battalions, on separate parts of the beach. They were second cousins.