The True Story Of Emma W: A Fictionalized Biography

The remarkable (and true) story of Emily Jane Wellington. Emma W was born at Cowandilla near Adelaide in 1841. She made a return sea trip to England at the age of five or six. She had her first child Janey at 17, in 1858. The father was Joel Skipwell, her brother in law. In 1861 she had a son William with father unknown. Then in 1864 she had a daughter Matilda with father declared to be one Thomas Whitingdon, a carpenter. By this time she was working as housekeeper-nurse for Robert March. In 1865 she went to live at Meningie on a dairy farm with Robert March, and they had six more children. So in all Emma had nine children, eight of whom lived to adult age. Three girls (Janey, Matilda, Sarah) and six boys (William, Henry, David, John, George?, Albert) So her story is the story of her many descendants. Janey (Mary Jane) had four (or five?) children (Kate, Sylvia, William, Andrew Henry, ...) Matilda had four children (Lake Albert Jeffrey, ...) The other March children had numerous descendants, too many to be enumerated here. Emma is bured at Meningie cemetery with Robert March. She died in Adelaide in 1824. How did they meet? I would go for the Oyster Shop, in Rundle Street, but I might be mistaken. The Oyster Shop was a place selling light refreshments, a place where destitute young women men wealthy middle-aged men. A word about Robert March. Born in Fletching Sussex in 1814 he was deported to New South Wales for seven years for stealing poultry in 1835. On ticket of leave he married a widow Agnes Stewart in 1840. Then a few years later, released in 1843 he married Mary Lindsey and had three children. Mary died in 1852 and Robert went to Sofala, to try his luck on the gold fields. He struck it rich and went to Adelaide, bought a property at Dry Creek around 1858, and settled down as a farmer. In 1862 he married Mary Magnell and had one son James. Then Mary left home accusing Robert of cruelty. Later, around 75, she found Robert in Meningie and started a divorce proceedings, but failed. So Robert remained married to Mary until his death in 1900, though he lived with Emma W for more than 35 years, and had six more children with Emma.

Author: Jeremy D. McFarlane

Publisher: Independently published

Publication Date: Jan 10, 2017

Number of Pages: 191 pages

Language: English

Binding: Paperback/Biography & Autobiography

ISBN-10: 152026948X

ISBN-13: 9781520269481