Martha Stephens

  General Notes:

Martha left Liverpool on the 26th December 1866 on the "Underley" arriving at Hobson's Bay on the 8th March 1867. The ship contained 103 single women, 2 single men and 24 married couples. Martha was coming to Australia to act as nursemaid for her sister Ann Whitehead and arrived four months before her father died.

Martha trained as a tailoress after she left school.
When she was 27 she had a son William Stephens born out of wedlock on the 20th October 1877. She gave birth in a lying in Hospital at Carlton. This was a place for unmarried mothers. There is a blank space where the father's name should be on the birth certificate. The father was a married man whom she had worked with.
Later, she married Robert Dickinson and they had two children Robert and Ruby.
To keep the fact that he was born out of wedlock hidden, William was enrolled at school and was always known by the surname Dickinson. His friends at school nicknamed him "Dick".
He probably wouldn't have found out about his surname being Stephens until he was nearly grown up.
Martha and Robert lived in Camberwell in their later years. They were caretakers of a large two-story house, which was filled with lovely furniture and had happy mottos in frames on the walls. The owners lived elsewhere in Burke Road, so although Martha and Robert lived in the back part, they had the run of the house to themselves
Martha was a very gentle lady, always lovely. Robert was a silent man.
The older grandchildren would regularly visit during the school holidays and stay for a while.

Granddaughter Ruby, on a holiday at her grandmother's, remembers going with her to visit to some of her relations name
d Johnston. Mr Johnson was a tailer and Martha was helping him with some sewing, which was done by hand. When they were ready to start sewing, Martha said, "Let's get up on the table". So they both stepped up on a chair and onto the large table. Once there they sat croslegged and commenced stitching whilst chatting away. Ruby was shocked that her grandmother, usually so lady-like and proper, had behaved in such a manner.
At this time there was a strict code of behaviour. Women always wore skirts so sitting croslegged wasn't done. Most of the furniture was polished wood, so of course people kept off it to protect it. Children got into trouble for climbing on the furniture.
Martha explained to her later, that it was a practice of tailors to sit on the table. This kept the floor clean and it was easier to clear the snippets of cotton and material off the table.

Martha passed away on 18 August 1929 at the residence of her niece Mrs Moad.

  Noted events in her life were:

• connection.

• connection.

• Death Certificate Number: (8525).

Martha had a relationship with Unknown.

Martha next married Robert Dickinson, son of George Dickinson and Sarah Marshall, on 28 Mar 1885 in Lilydale, Melbourne, Victoria Australia. (Robert Dickinson was born in 1842 in Bitchfield, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire England, died on 21 Jul 1930 in 87 Johnstone St, Collingwood, Victoria Australia and was buried on 22 Jul 1930 in Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria Australia.)