Sunday, January 24, 2010

New Web Photograph Album - Yvonne Sumner

This information relates to Chart 39 - Thomas PASK, (1766-b1851) who lived in St. Pancras.

Over the past year we have been working together with Yvonne Sumner from Australia. She has provided extensive information on Walter & Jane Annie Pask née Chester, and their descendants.
This was a very interesting, albeit a sad story. Walter married Jane Annie Chester on 21 May 1898 in Gateshead. Unfortunately Walter was killed in a railway accident on 18 July 1908, leaving Jane a widow with 4 children, the youngest George being only a few months old. With no means of support Jane gave the 2 middle boys, Arthur and Walter, to her mother-in-law Mary Ann. She kept Laura the eldest and the baby George.
Jane's mother-in-law, Mary Ann Pask née Ruddock emigrated to Melbourne Australia in 1912, together with her daughters Nellie, and Kate, and taking with her grandsons Arthur and Walter. Jane wrote to her mother-in-law begging for Arthur and Walter to be returned to her as she was getting married again and her circumstances were much better. Evidently Jane was horrified that they were going to Australia and was allowed to see them only a few days before they left.
Arthur, Yvonne's father, was very talented. He played the cello in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, he was an accountant, and also the Team Manager for the Australian Archers in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

Yvonne has provided over 30 photographs. These have now been included in a web photograph album.