This story is my most confusing one and perhaps one that won�t be solved. The story that was passed on to me a few years ago by a new found relative, is that we have John Harms FLENTJAR born in Hanover Germany in 1840. His parents were Harold FLENTJAR and Olga NAMANU. He arrived in Australia about 1861 and it is believed that he jumped ship to avoid national service in the German army. He never spoke about his family in Germany and it is thought that this was avoid repercussions against them for his desertion. None of this has been able to be verified.
Some months ago I was sent copies of his naturalization papers dated 1901, they state his age as 60 at that time, which makes his date of birth correct. But they also state that he arrived in the colony of Victoria, Australia on the 8th of March 1864 on the ship "Felicio" from London, England, and that he had been a resident in the colony of Victoria, since his arrival for 37 years. I have not been able to find any information on this ship as yet. The papers also stated that he was born in Stickhausen, which I discovered was in Ostfriesen. Two people were kind enough to do searches for me there, but were not able to turn up anything. One of them even tried different variations of the surnames, still nothing. I have searched the German white pages and German sites, it seems those surnames don�t, or never did exist. It has also been suggested that the names might be Dutch, Finish, Polish or Russian. And the christian names Harold and Olga were not German names in that period, Harms was. Were the names changed to cover the desertion, or was it something else? Maybe we will never know.
In 1871 John married Ellen HEATHER who had arrived in Australia on the "Electric" in 1869. It is believed that Ellen was sent to Australia to live with an Aunt in Melbourne because she had become pregnant. Her daughter Alice was born soon after Ellen�s arrival in Australia. Ellen was born in Guildford Surrey in 1848; her parents were Richard HEATHER and Charlotte STANDING. John and Ellen had 10 children, Ellen�s daughter Alice was raised with the family. It is said that John came home one day with some books on German and said that he wanted his children to learn German. But Ellen laughed at the idea and the books were put on the shelf and forgotten. Surely this is proof that John was in fact German.
John and Ellen�s fifth child, Harms John (Jack) FLENTJAR born 1878 married Alice SIMMONS in 1901. Parents, Isaac SIMMONS and Harriet WARD. Harms and Alice�s fist child, Ormond Isaac FLENTJAR married Lily May PATTERSON, parents not known. Ormond and Lily had several children; their son Ormond William John FLENTJAR married Amy Jean EAST. And there we have my parents; Amy Jean�s parents were William Joseph EAST and Amy Jane SAUNDERS. See East and Saunders Family story.
The story of my grandparents William East and Amy Jane Saunders. This is the story of my mother�s parents William Joseph EAST and Amy Jane SAUNDERS. So far for William it begins with convicts Samuel BAKER and Mary Ann BRENNAN. Samuel BAKER was transported from England on the "Matlida" in the third fleet for seven years in 1791. In his English trial records he was referred to as Samuel ODKENBAKER, it is not known if this was his actual surname or whether perhaps it was a middle name and surname that somehow became combined. No details of his family in England are known. On his arrival in the colony he became known as Samuel BAKER. He spent his time at Norfolk Island and in 1813 he was transferred to Van Diemen�s Land.
In Nov 1814 Mary Ann BRENNAN arrived on the "Kangaroo" from Port Jackson NSW. Mary Ann had been tried in Ireland and had been transported on the "Catherine" for seven years, arriving first in Sydney in May 1814. She was then transferred to Van Diemens Land on the "Kangaroo" in November 1814. She was probably originally assigned as a servant to Samuel, but in 1816 became the mother to the first of their three daughters. Nothing is known of Mary Ann�s family at this stage.
Their eldest daughter Mary Brennan BAKER was only 14 when she married James EAST in 1831. James EAST arrived in Tasmania from England as a free settler in 1824 on the "Aquilla", he had no family with him when he arrived and nothing is known of his parents or family in England. Mary and James had quite a few children, one of who was James Lewis EAST.
James EAST married Charlotte THOMAS (nee HUGHS) in Tasmania. Charlotte was a widow when she married James, she had been married to a man with the surname THOMAS and they had several children, nothing is known of Charlotte�s parents at this stage. James and Charlotte only had two children, James Lewis born 1867, and Clara born 1864.
James Lewis EAST married Theresa Mary GARLAND born 1867. Theresa�s parents were Patrick GARLAND and Emily HOWARD. Patrick GARLAND was a convict and was tried in Dublin Ireland for highway robbery in 1849. He was transported on the "London" for seven years arriving in Van Diemen�s Land in March 1851. Nothing is known of his parents or family in Ireland at this stage. Emily arrived in Tasmania at the age of 12 with her parents William HOWARD and Mary Ann STICKWOOD (STIGWOOD) from England. William and Mary Ann were bought out to Tasmania in a government assisted scheme as farmers on the "Whirlwind" in 1855.
James Lewis and Theresa Mary had quite a few children one of who was my grandfather William Joseph EAST, and at some stage the family moved to Victoria. James Lewis Married a second time in Victoria. He married Mariesheal Esther ARMSTRONG in 1925. I know of one daughter, Sylvia Marie EAST. They must have moved back to Tasmania because Sylvia married William Henry OAKLEY in Devonport in 1949 and James Lewis died in Launceston in 1943.
William married Amy Jane SAUNDERS Victoria in 1913. Amy Jane�s parents were Matthew SAUNDERS and Amy Jane RYLES (see RYLES-SAUNDERS family story). William and Amy also had quite a few children, and of who was Amy Jean EAST, my mother. Amy Jean EAST married Ormond William John FLENTJAR (see FLENTJAR family story).
This story starts with Ephraim RYLES and his wife Catherine SAUNDERS arriving in South Australia in 1849. They arrived on the "Eliza" along with seven of their children, Aaron 17, Mary Ann 16, Margaret 14, Joseph 11, Ephraim 8, John 4 and Esther 2. Ephraim senior was born in 1811 at Newcastle, Northumberland, England. His parents were Aaron RYLES and Margaret WRIGHT. Nothing is known of Catherine�s parents at this stage.
There were two other known children born to Ephraim and Catherine after their arrival in South Australia. Julia Ann, born 1851 and Amy Jane, born 1854. Amy Jane married Matthew SAUNDERS, it is thought that his name could have actually been William Matthew but this has not been verified. Matthew was born in Adelaide in 1849; his parents were Richard SAUNDERS and Rebecca JONES. Richard and Rebecca arrived in South Australia in 1849 on the "Calphurnia", they had 4 children with them when they arrived one of them called Robert. The names of the others are not known at this stage. It is believed they came from Cornwall.
Amy and Matthew had five children before moving to Victoria, where another four children were born. One of Matthew and Amy�s daughters Rosey Rebecca SAUNDERS' first marriage was to George SAUNDERS; it is also not known at this stage where George SAUNDERS' family came from. Their seventh child Amy Jane SAUNDERS married William Joseph EAST. Amy and William had eleven children one of who was my mother Amy Jean EAST. Amy Jean married Ormond William John FLENTJAR.
The history of David Graeme Bell born 26th Jan 1952
The BELL family history is still being researched but this is it so far. We have David Henry BELL born at sea on route to Australia. The parents of David Henry BELL were David BELL and Margaret ELVIDGE(ELRIDGE). The parents of this David BELL were David BELL and Mary BAIN(This is still to be verified). The parents of Margaret ELVIDGE were George ELVIDGE(ELRIDGE) and Catherine MORRISON, all from Ireland. David Henry and Margaret were married in Dublin, Ireland on November 2nd 1846. They arrived in Australia in April 1853 on the "Albatross" with a daughter Maria Amilia aged 3.
David Henry BELL married Elizabeth KENDALL in Victoria in 1876. The parents of Elizabeth Kendall were Joseph KENDALL (Born c1831 Liverpool, England, died 1915 Melbourne East, aged 85 years) and Maria THOMAS (born c1830 Manchester England). Nothing is known of maria THOMAS at this stage. The parents of Joseph KENDALL were Thomas KENDALL and Elizabeth ELLISON, they were married on January 1-1822 at Wigan, Lancashire, England. Joseph and Maria were married 3rd August 1851 at St Silas Church, Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Joseph arrived in Victoria, Australia in 1852, name of ship not known at this stage. His occupation was stated in the Eaglehawk Pioneer register as goldminer. Maria arrived in Victoria, Australia in April 1853 on the �Albatross� with infant son Thomas aged 1 year. David and Elizabeth had several children one of who was Albert Robert BELL.
Albert Robert married Lilian Ellen STEMP, born 1884 in Victoria. Lilian�s parents were Charles STEMP and Ellen Louisa MARSHALL(nee JACKA). All that is known of Charles STEMP is that he arrived in Australia in 1875 from NY, USA. His parents were Joseph STEMP and Sophia, maiden name unknown at this stage. Ellen Louisa was a widow when she married Charles STEMP, her previous married name was MARSHALL and it is believed there were two sons from this marriage. Her parents were Abraham George JACKA and Maria Louisa AYRE. Abraham JACKA was born in Cornwall(?), England and his parents were George Jacka and Honour WALLIS(WALLACE). Maria EYRE was born in Truro, Cornwall, England in 1820 and her parents were Thomas EYRE and Elizabeth Isabell MURPHY (?) Albert and Lilian had several children one of whom was Walter Henry BELL born 1915 in Werribee Vic.
Walter married a woman by the name of Alma, maiden name unknown. Walter and Alma had four children. Walter seperated from Alma and formed a relationship with Eileen Mavis FLEMING (nee HANDS) untill his death in 1966. Eileen was married to Alexander FLEMING and had four children. Eileen�s parents were Herbert James HANDS and Eileen May BEDGGOOD. Herbert James HANDS was born in Plaistow, West Ham, England. His parents were George HANDS and Sophia LIVERMORE He arrived in Australia at the age of 17. Eileen May BEDGGOOD was born in Berwick Victoria, and thanks to fellow BEDGGOOD researchers we have the BEDGGOOD history going back to 1650 in England. Walter and Eileen had three children one of who was David Graeme BELL born 26th Jan 1952.
David Graeme BELL and Kathleen Rae FLENTJAR were married on the 3rd July 1971 in Warburton, Victoria.