Click Back on Browser to Return to Previous Page

Click to go to-    Family Tree       Main Index      Information Index

Maurice Miles (Myles) WITTS 

Birth: 23/ Feb/1877 in NSW., Australia- Reg. No. 8753/1877
Death: 1/July/1966 in Moss Vale NSW [Australia] 26027/1966
Buried in The Berrima Cemetery  (Church Of England Section) at Berrima NSW [Australia]

Sex: M
Father: Alfred Edward WITTS b. 22/5/1837- in England
Mother: Sarah Anne TIVEY
   

      Spouses & Children  

Wife: Mabel Kate Herring: Death 25/Nov/1942 in Moss Vale NSW [Australia]
         Buried in The Berrima Cemetery  (Church Of England Section) at Berrima NSW [Australia]

         Children

1.  Helen Kate WITTS: b.23 /Oct/1907: in Santo: New Hebrides
2. Betty Lesley WITTS: b. 13/july/1912: in Wyong: :(reg. Gosford)  NSW Australia d: 9/August/2006 in Narrabri NSW [Australia]
3.  Nancy Mabel WITTS: b. 25/Dec/1912: in Wyong:(reg. Gosford) NSW Australia

 Link to Entry- Boer Memorial http://www.bwm.org.au/site/Maurice_Witts.asp

Notes by John Witts

Educated Sydney Grammar July 1896 to Oct 1996  (19 Yrs Old)

Plantation with cousins Arthur and Theo Thomas before establishing his own

Notes by Paul Jones Grandson of Maurice Witts

Maurice Myles Witts Was born on the 23/ 2/1877 The second youngest of 11 brothers and 2 sisters. He went to school locally, and finished his education at The Sydney Grammar School as a boarder.
After this he held the position of overseer of the Indian Labourers with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company in Fegi for 14 months, and was held in high regard until he resigned.
Later he served with the 2nd. N.P. Mounted Rifles in the war in South Africa against the Boers. He was discharged with the rank of Quarter Master Sergeant in about June 1902. (He was recorded in the South Africa War records as Morice M. Witt.)
   It was after this that he headed off to the New Hebrides to join his cousin Theo Thomas on a coconut plantation- and not long after started up in his own right, naming the plantation "Lelek". It was during this period That he married Mabel, and there first child Helen was born at the local mission station at Santo
23 /10/1907.
   He left the New Hebrides at the end of 1911 to return to Australia and reunite with Mabel- Who had returned some time before due to Malaria, and was living with her parents- Lesley and Kate Herring. who had a orchard at Beecroft NSW.
                   The original Maurice Witts diaries for year 1905 and 1911 are held under
                     P.M.B Manuscripts No.8
                     Pacific Manuscripts Bureau
                    The Research School Of Pacific Studies
                    The Australian National University
                    Canberra ACT.

On the 20/11/1911 Maurice and Mabel bought a Dairy at Wyong NSW, and named it "Lelek" (the same as the plantation). They lived on there for about 7 years, and it was during this time that Betty Lesley was born on the 13/7/1912.
Nancy Mabel born on the 25/12/1915 and passed away at the Westmead Hospital NSW on the 16/7/2004 shortly after suffering Cerebral Haemorrhage.
She was laid to rest at the Pinegrove Cemetery at Minchinbury NSW
  The Farm not being a great success, and on the Death of both Mabel's parents within a short time of each other, and with Mabel's share of the inheritance- ( which was considerable )- enabled them to sell the farm and Purchase  Willow Grange a rambling house with numerous sheds and out buildings, surrounded by a picturesque Eight acres of pine trees, pasture and orchard, one mile along the Berrima road out from Moss Vale NSW.
  After Maurice's wife Mabel died- 25/11/1942 he lived on- and in later years was cared for by his daughter Betty, until at the age of 89 he died on the 1/9/1966, and was laid to rest with his wife in the Berrima Cemetery NSW.

The following note was copied from  Legion of Frontiersmen (New Zealand) Commands Web Site

Maurice Myles WITTS

Maurice Myles Witts was born in Bombala, NSW in 1877 and died in Moss Vale, NSW in 1966.  During 1899-1900 he worked for the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. in Fiji.  In 1900 he enlisted in the Mounted Rifles and fought in the Boer War, after which he was discharged as a Sergeant in 1902.  In 1904 he moved to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides where he established a coconut plantation at Hog Harbour.  In 1904 he married Mabel Herring (born Sydney, 1877) on Santo.  The Witts returned to Australia about 1913.

In a diary of Mabel Witts, 7 February to 4 November 1909, it describes daily life at Hog Harbour, including the birth of daughter Helen in October 1909.  Family correspondence, business and other documents, 1900-17, 1931, 1941, 1968.  Includes personal and official letters, printed material and other papers documenting inter alia: Maurice Witts' work in Fiji, 1900; Boer War service, 1902; planting activities on Santo, 1905; membership of the Legion of Frontiersmen, 1906-7; marriage in 1907; appointment as a police constable, 1911; and purchase of property at Wyong, NSW, 1911. Also includes letters from Witts to daughter Betty, 1931 and wife Mabel, 1941 and a letter from a firm of Port Vila Solicitors to Mrs Betty Tyler of Moss Vale re the ownership of Lathu Island off Hogg Harbour, 1968.

 

{ Added Link to war records: 30/3/2012 }

{ Added Link to Boer Memorial: 29/9/2012}