(Transcribed by Ailsa Le Page (nee Elmslie))
Some excerpts from Chris’ journals – family events and addresses etc. (some trivia)
1864 My mother settled down with us children at 9 Park Place Greenwich
1867 JAE took command of Sobraon, Alex of Cospatrick
17/12/67 Cospatrick London-Aust cabin passenger Mr Elmslie
July 1872 Sailed for Melbourne with Edie, Archie, May and Mary Ann E. (Chris had been laid up with rheumatic fever 4 mths so went too)
25/5/73 Mary Ann E died. G.mother and Aunt Gussie kept home at Manaer House, Greenwich (owned by JAE)
Summer 74 Household broken up – Edie and younger children to Miss Price’s at St Leonards, brothers to spend holidays there.
12/1874 JAE married Miss Cheyne in Melbourne.
17/11/74 Cospatrick lost.
June 1865 Took a house in Penge (near Crystal Palace) and all children there.
June 1876 Took furnished house Earlscourt Sth Kensington.
May 77 All stayed in lodgings at Poplar then all moved to Ashburnham Rd, Bedford. (good schools nearby).
1879 Cape Town – market for meat & flour good. JAE did well out of it.
Spent 8 days at Mr James Bissett’s (distant connection of mine, lived at Claremont, few miles out of town).
St Helena – saved person from drowning.
June-Aug 79 Home to Bedford.
Mar-May 80 Home to Bedford.
Dec 80 In Calcutta – ship Duke of Buccleigh. “I remembered that one of the numerous sailor members of our family had belonged to it, when I was last at home, viz T M, an uncle by marriage”.
1881 census Ellismont(sic) Kimbolton Rd, Bedford St Peter.
“ “ Jean at Belle Vue Hospital, Herne Kent.
11/1882 Went home to Essilmont Bedford.
8/1883 Whole family together at Bedford.
11/10/83 Left home for Glasgow, Edie & Jessie seeing me off (to Aust for good).
14/11/83 Left Glasgow SS Adelaide.
11/85 Letter from Edie. Cecilia, Alex & younger children coming out in Sobraon. Edie left with a Mrs T, May & Mary at Ramsgate, Jessie in Westmoreland, Jean in Germany, Essilmont let.
29/12/85 Wire from JAE in Melbourne. Alec coming to Townsville.
17/1/87 Alex has been working in Melb 1 year. Will come back with me.
2/1887 Visited CR Tatham in Melb who has been out 1 year via Sobraon.
3/1889 To CR Tatham’s in Melb who is married with 1 daughter.
20/7/90 Decided to take trip to London on pleasure & business. Alec in charge of the business in Croydon.
26/9/90 Arrived Albert Docks London, father & stepmother meeting me. Home to Anerley (19 Anerley Park, Norwood SE) finding all well.
1/10/90 Edie in France, May in Germany. Others at Anerley Park
14/10/90 Returned to London with my stepmother after seeing Sobraon off. We went down channel to Plymouth in the old ship and only left her with the pilot, when fairly under weigh for Melbourne. My father anticipates selling her to the NSW Govt. Archie is Chief Officer..
30/11/90 The Mater & I have had a trip to Bremen to see May, whom we found well & happy. She lives with a Frau Schutte, whose husband is one of the leading men in the city.
18/12/90 “Edie came home some time ago & we have been out dancing a good deal. The stiffness & formality in society in England is depressing after the free Aust manners.”
2/1891 All business completed & left UK, arranged for Edie & May to draw on me if they require it. A cable is through that Sobraon is sold as my father anticipated
31/3/91 Arrived Croydon. Alec as well as ever. I find that father & Archie are in Sydney handing the Sobraon over to the Govt. She has been purchased to replace the “Vernon” training ship. Mostly all the Sthn papers have commented on the long & successful career of my father & his ship, 24 years in the one vessel and 24 voyages to Sydney & Melb without an accident or loss of a man. The Sobraon has been so great a factor in our family that parting with her is like losing an old & dear friend. I am glad she is to end her days honourably. Sentiment apart, the sale is a good one & timely, for steam is fast rendering sailing ships obsolete as passenger carriers. The Sobraon has always been a full ship up to the last, but of late she has been an exception in this respect.
6/1892 Some time ago Alec built a house for himself on a Homestead near mine & we now live each in our own houses, messing at Palace Hotel. Archie has arrived in Sydney chief officer SS Gulf of Mexico. Father is living at Lancing Sussex.
1/7/93 I wrote to Archie some time ago relative to his giving Croydon a trial, & it is probable he will come & join us.
13/9/93 Archie arrived today from London.
12/12/93 Alec has left for Melb for a spell.
31/3/94 Alec & Archie given shares in Elmslie Ltd Archie lives with me & will take care of the house in my approaching absence.
3/7/94 Arrived London & went straight down to Lancing, Sussex, to Father’s house. Father, with his second family & Mary, has been living here for some 3 years. Edie is housekeeper at the City of London Hospital & May is still in Germany.
31/3/95 Have just recovered from short attack of influenza in London. On falling ill I went to Essilmont, Bedford, my father’s house to which he returned in October last. The Mater has nursed me well.
12/1895 May married from Dapooli, Linden Road.
30/9/96 Alec arrived here a few days ago, coming from Qld via America. He is to take my place in London as I wish to have a look at Croydon again.
31/12/96 Left Tilbury, Father & Alec seeing me off.
19/2/97 I went to Kyneton & spent a day with the Cheynes, my stepmother’s brother.
11/8/97 Married Katie Lawry
2/10/97 Arrived London
15/10/97 Alec’s illness has been a very serious one & has left him weak & shaken.
31/12/97 Alec to escape the winter has gone off to Jamaica & Caracas with Father.
22/6/98 Katie presented me with a fine little son, Kenwyn Aberdour Elmslie.
30/7/98 My sister Mary has been living with us for some time as companion to Katie.
30/9/98 Alec who returned from the West Indies in the spring has been at work here since He left a few days ago for Brisbane taking Mary with him. He is going to open an office for Elmslie Ltd in that city & Mary is to housekeep for him.
25/12/99 Moved to Hampstead. My cousins Alice & Bessie Tatham live close to us.
30/6/00 Archie, his wife, Katie & I spent a few days with Father at Bedford. Visited May Shand at Newcastle on Tune.
12/7/00 Left London for Sydney & Brisbane.
2/9/00 My cousin CR Tatham came to see me. His circumstances are not very flourishing & he has 7 children.
31/10/00 Moved to Sydney
23/11/00 Alec & Mary came to us from Brisbane.
14/10/01 Katie, Mary & I visited the Sobraon by invitation. The old ship has moved off Cockatoo Island and is used as a school ship. She is much altered generally but the saloon and some other parts remain much as they were in our day. We made a thorough inspection and the boys were put through their drill for our edification.
11/1901 Admiral Beaumont, inspecting the reformatory boys on the Sobraon a few days ago said that while well looking he did not think that any of them – nearly 400 – would pass the physical tests for the Royal Navy.
12/4/02 Left Brisbane for London
28/6/02 Docked London 7am. Katie baby Alan & nurse went to Archies at Crouch Hill, Kenwyn, Gracie Haussmann and self to my father’s at Bedford, 11 Linden Rd.
7/7/02 Went to Alice Tatham’s flat at 1 Lyncroft House, West Hampstead. It is a squeeze but suits while we are looking round.