Warrawong c 1930

Found the title deed for Lovells land (I don't think he got to build there sadly). It was sold by the public trustee in 1947. In the 1930 electoral roll it says he lives at the Hotel Wollongong and he is a cellarman there. Must find some photos of the Hotel in the 1930's...

posted for histroical researh purposes only

Who was George Tresham?

Vera and Gary have stumbled on a record which has Sparked the idea that Lovell might have taken his surname form a colleague he made friends with... It appears that Lovell worked with a man called George Tresham, and that they may have become friends (based on their militia service records), perhaps Lovell took the surname from him. An interesting idea also in regard to the fact that Stellas' grave has an inscription from a George... I'll need more evidence to be convinced but a fascinating avenue to explore.

The only flaw I can think of off hand is that Lovell met him at work, so unless Sydney water has records for a Lovell Smith as well as a Lovell Tresham, or the two were friends before he took the work at Sydney water then the idea is flawed. Lovells' first use of the Tresham surname is 1930 based on the records I've found. I'm sure that there will be other records to more precisely date the name change but have yet to find them...

Tresham is a very rare surname in Australia; most Treshams are of Burmese decent and are the ancestors of a British Army officer who went "native" and the only other Tresham is a New Zealander living in northern Victoria). I have the Tresham records as I contacted the family some years ago in search of Lovell so once I've dug them out I might find out who George Tresham was.

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Old Pay Records - Lovell Glendower Tresham

Every now and then, the genealogical research hits a speed bump and you get stuck for years trying to work through it. In my case I'm a bit fixated on Lovell and have had no end of troubles but then along comes a very kindly historical records archivist (and an amazingly generous and dedicated payroll man called Gary Adams') and suddenly I'm getting pieces of the puzzle again...

It's hard to explain the feeling of forensically rebuilding the life of a man (essentually a nobody, he wasn't famous, he didn't have a lot going for him as far as I can see although he seems to me to be a hard worker and a good man and a battler, in the noble sense (not that demeaning, self serving and patronising sense in which it is frequently used by Australias politicians)).

Again I am indebted to Vera Jeffrey and Gary Adams at Sydney Water /Sydney Catchment Authority - Historical Research and Archives Facility. Suddenly all those water bills I've paid over the years feel like the money has gone to an organisation that is more than just a business* and I have to say that I like that feeling...

* Insert caveat here. I am beginning to wonder if they ever put on exhibitions of their historical artifacts because the more I talk with Vera the more I realise that much of what they have is truely fascinating!

Lovells Probate

I finally recieved Lovells Probate records and it turns out that he owned a house in Wollongong 2 FIRST AVE SOUTH, WARRAWONG 2502 which went to his wife when he died. He bought it in 1930... I knew he worked in the gong as a cellerman in the 1930's because of the electoral role record but this fills in an interesting space. I'll have to find Stellas probate records next to see what happend and hopefully find out more about George...