Tait collection: item 27 of 62 This document contains details on the will and probate of Sarah Fry who died in Warrnambool in March 1905 at the age of 47. She was the daughter of Edmund and Jane Lord and came to Australia with her parents and some of her siblings aboard the Electric in 1869. In 1888 she married Francis Joseph Fry, a Warrnambool plasterer. Sarah Fry left real estate to the value of £450 and personal estate to the value of £202. The beneficiaries of her will were her husband, Francis and her three children, Sarah, James and Doris. The lawyer Ernest Chambers had offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had this document in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 and handed over to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of interest as it contains information on the will and probate of Sarah Fry, a resident of Warnambool in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It will be useful for researchers.This is a 1906 cream-coloured parchment sheet folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. Three of the pages are ruled with black ink. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria attached with a blue ribbon and a red stamp of the Master-in-Equity of the Supreme Court. The document includes the will and probate details of Sarah Fry, a married woman from Warrnambool. All the pages are somewhat stained but one page is very grubby. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Sarah Fry late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceased.ernest chambers, sarah fry, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 46 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton (called Miles Stanton in the Will and Myles Staunton in the official Victorian death records). He died at Tower Hill in 1898 at the age of 72. He was a farmer in the Koroit district and left real estate to the value of £2799 and personal estate to the value of £128. The chief beneficiaries were his wife and children. Miles Stanton was unable to write and signed his will with a cross. The lawyers involved, Fletcher and Mackay and Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century. The document, with others, was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler street (Fletcher and Mackay, later Mackay Taylor) and located in this building in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton who was a 19th century farmer in the Koroit district.This is a white piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages have ruled margins in red and there is handwritten material on four pages in black ink. There is no proper seal attached but there is a hand-drawn circular sketch representing the seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria. The document contains information on the Will and Probate of Miles Staunton of Koroit who died in 1898.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Miles Staunton in the Will named Miles Stanton late of Koroit in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceasedmiles staunton, ernest chambers, fletcher and mackay, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 32 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart, a married woman of Warrnambool who died in January 1905. Ellen Hart (nee Stocker) 1829-1905, came to Victoria in 1859 with her first husband, George Greening, and two of their children. George Greening died in 1863 and Ellen married a widower, George Hart, in 1881. Ellen and her second husband were involved in the activities of the Warrnambool Methodist Church. Ellen Hart left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £9. The beneficiary was her stepdaughter, Charlotte Hart. Ernest Chambers, who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, was the lawyer concerned with this document. He had it in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society.This document is of interest as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart who lived in the Warrnambool area for many years in the 19th century. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten information on the Will and Probate of Ellen Hart of Warrnambool. She died in January 1905. Three of the pages have black ruled lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are three red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is slightly discoloured. In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Ellen Hart late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Married Woman deceasedellen hart, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens

Tait collection: item 24 of 62 This is a 1904 document giving information on the Will and Probate of Robert Cuppage. He was a labourer who lived at Woodford and he and his wife, Jane received much sympathy following the deaths from diphtheria of five of their children in 1866. Charlotte (3) and Elizabeth (14) died on 26th August, Robert (6) died on 27th August, Hanne (8) died on 30th August and George (15) died on 14th September. Jane Cuppage died in 1889 and Robert died in December 1903. He left real estate to the value of £240 and personal estate to the value of £5 to his daughter, Margaret Trigg. Ernest Chambers had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document was in his possession and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal offices in Kepler Street and located in this building in 2014 and passed on the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This is an interesting document as it gives the Will and Probate details of a well-known Woodford resident in the 19th century. It will be useful to researchersThis is a piece of cream-coloured parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four sides of the paper. It contains details on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth, 1904. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are two purple stamps, one from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne and the other from the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The document is somewhat stained on one side but the writing is legible.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Robert Cuppage late of Bushfield near Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Labourer deceasedrobert cuppage, ernest chambers, warrnambool, bushfield, tait collection

Tait collection: item 25 of 62 This is a 1904 document containing information on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth. He died in September 1904. He was a chimney sweep and nightman who came to Warrnambool in 1854 and married Sophia Ingham in 1855. They had six children but their married life was stormy because of Sophia’s problem with alcohol. She became notorious for her court appearances and gaol terms and her erratic behaviour in public. William Charlesworth was not able to control the situation and tried several times to get her to leave the town. Sadly she committed suicide in 1891 by throwing herself off the Hopkins River Bridge. William Charlesworth left real estate to the value of £650 and personal estate to the value of £194. The main beneficiaries were Charlesworth’s son, Alfred, his daughter Amelia Charlesworth and his grandchildren, George and Alice Tait. Ernest Chambers, the lawyer concerned with this document, had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The document was passed down to successive lawyers who occupied the legal premises in Kepler Street and located there in 2014 when it was passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of considerable interest as both William and Sophia Charlesworth were well-known residents of Warrnambool in the 19th century. It will be useful to researchers.This is a piece of cream-coloured parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four sides of the paper. It contains details on the Will and Probate of William Charlesworth, 1904. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are two purple stamps, one from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne and the other from the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The document is somewhat stained on one side but the writing is legible.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of William Charlesworth late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Laborer deceasedwilliam charlesworth, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 56 of 62. This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of Warrnambool. She died in 1909 at the age of 77 years. She was the widow of Charles Wines who died in 1900 and they had migrated to Australia from England in the early 1850s. They settled first in the Woodford area and in the 1880s moved to Mailors Flat. Hannah and Charles Wines had a large family with eleven surviving children at the time of Charles’ death in 1900. Hannah Wines left no real estate but had personal estate to the value of £8. This she left to her daughter Sarah Lees. This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers, the lawyer involved in drawing up the document. He had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The document then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool where it was located in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines who was a well-known resident in the Warrnambool area during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Two of the pages have ruled black lines around the edges and three of the pages have handwritten material in brown ink. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There is also a blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The document is a little stained and the writing is somewhat faded but legible. This is a 1910 document giving details of the Will and Probate of Hannah Wines of WarrnamboolIn the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Hannah Wines late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria Widow deceased.warrnambool, hannah wines, charles wines, hannah wines will, tait collection, ernest chambers

Tait collection: item 41 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips who died in Warrnambool in 1895 at the age of 55. He came to Australia from England in 1861 and established a hay and corn store in Liebig Street, Warrnambool. He was a prominent member of the Congregational Church and lived at ‘Ilfracombe’ in Lava Street. He and his wife Emma had eight children, two of whom had businesses in Warrnambool. Henry Phillips left personal estate to the value of £521 and the beneficiaries were his wife, Emma and their children. This document came into the possession of a Warrnambool lawyer, Ernest Chambers and passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. The document was located in this building in 2014 in the former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of considerable importance as it contains details of the Will and Probate of Henry Phillips. He was a prominent businessman in Warrnambool in the 19th century. The document will be useful to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing the Will and Probate details of Henry Phillips, a Warrnambool hay and corn merchant who died in 1895. The document has handwritten material (black ink) on three sides of the paper. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court on the second page. The handwriting is fading in some places but is still legible. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Henry Phillips late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Hay and Corn Merchant deceasedhenry phillips, walter briggs and son, tait collection, ernest chambers

Tait collection: item 40 of 62 This document gives the details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones, an engine driver who died in Warrnambool in January 1895 at the age of 69. He had previously been a resident of Port Fairy. He left real estate to the value of £640 and personal estate to the value of £187. The beneficiaries of the will were his daughters, Margaret and Mary Jones. The lawyers connected with this document were Ernest Chambers and the legal firm of Fletcher and Mackay. Ernest Chambers had legal offices in Port Fairy, Koroit and Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and the signatures of two of his law clerks, Thomas Goodall and John White are included in this document. James Fletcher had a legal office in Port Fairy and in Warrnambool in the 1870s and in Warrnambool in the 1880s (Koroit Street). In the late 1890s he commenced a partnership with George Mackay who had previously had his own practice in Warrnambool. In the 1920s the firm became known as Mackay and Taylor and later Mackay Taylor (Kepler Street). This document was in the possession of Ernest Chambers and was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises. It was located in 2014 with other documents in these premises last occupied by the firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones who had been a resident of Warrnambool in the late 19th century. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on three sides of the paper. It gives details of the Will and Probate of Edward Jones of Warrnambool who died in 1895. The pages have printed red lines on the edges of three pages. The written material is clean and readable.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Edward Jones late of Warrnambool and formerly of Belfast in the County of Villiers in the Colony of Victoria Engine driver deceasedfletcher and mackay, lawyers,, warrnambool, ernest chambers,, edward jones, tait collection

Tait collection: item 59 of 62. This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in September 1901. Frederick Gazzard owned the ‘Tooram’ bacon and ham curing factory at the corner of Carrolls Road and Tooram Road in the Allansford area and employed six men. He was a founding member of the Allansford Church of England and lived with his family of seven children at ‘Como’, Allansford. He left real estate to the value of £1,440 and personal estate to the value of £1,664. The beneficiaries were his children, with his household effects and £200 going to his daughter, Ellen. She is believed to have taken an active role in the administration of the family factory. This document was drawn up in the office of William Ardlie, a prominent lawyer in Warrnambool for over sixty years. It has then been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street until it was located in these premises in 2014. This document is of considerable interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard. He and his family were prominent and influential in the community life of Allansford in the 19th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with blue lines ruled at the edges of three of the pages. There is handwritten material (brownish-black ink) on three of the pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are six red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one blue stamp of the Warrnambool Savings Bank. The writing is somewhat faded and the pages are stained but the text is legible. The document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick Gazzard of Allansford who died in 1901. In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick William Gazzard late of Allansford in the State of Victoria Bacon curer deceasedfrederick gazzard, tooram bacon factory, carroll's lane allansford, como allansford, tait collection

Tait collection: item 48 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Probate of William James Osborne, a Tallangatta farmer who died in 1896 at the age of 59. His death place is given as Tower Hill. A William Osborne is listed as a Wangoom farmer in 1856, a farmer at ‘Thompson’s Old Farm’ in Allansford in 1866 and a farmer at Winton Farm on the Allansford Road near Shipley in 1869 but these references may be to William Osborne’s father as there is mention of a William Osborne, Junior at that time. William James Osborne left real estate to the value of £560 and personal estate to the value of £81 to his wife, Hannah. The lawyer who drew up this document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He was in possession of this document and it has passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 (former premises of the law firm of Mackay Taylor). This document is of interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of William James Osborne, a farmer in the Allansford area in the 19th century. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages have handwritten material in brown ink and the pages are not ruled. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat stained but legible. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of William Osborne of Tallangatta in the County of Heytesbury. He died in 1896. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of William James Osborne late of Tallangatta in the County of Heytesbury in the Colony of Victoria Farmer deceased. ernest chambers, warrnambool lawyer, william james osborne, tallangatta, tait collection

Tait collection: item 57 of 62 This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a Nirranda farmer. He died in 1900 at the age of 85 and left real estate to the value of £600. The main beneficiaries were his sons and £30 was left to Mary Le Couteur, his daughter. He also bequeathed to the Wesleyan Church the half acre of land that the church was on at that time (presumably in the Nirranda district). The document has been drawn up by the law firm of O’Mahony and Murray which operated in Warrnambool early in the 20th century. The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located there in 2014 in the same building, the premises last occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Thomas Sleeman, a farmer from Nirranda.This is a piece of white paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages are ruled with blue lines and have margins ruled in blue. There is handwritten material on three pages. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are nine red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court and one purple stamp of the Savings Bank (Head Office). The document is a little stained and the writing is fading but legible. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of the Nirranda farmer, Thomas Sleeman who died in September 1900. In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its Probate Jurisdiction in the Will and Codicil of Thomas Sleeman late of Naranda in the County of Heytesbury in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased.o’mahony and murray, warrnambool lawyers, thomas sleeman, warrnambool history, tait collection, nirranda

Tait collection: item 16 of 62 This is the probate document for Harold Dawkins who died in 1898 in Warrnambool. He left no real estate but had personal estate to the value of £369. This was inherited by his widow, Margreta Mary Elizabeth Dawkins. Harold Dawkins’ father, William, established a timber business in partnership with George Hockley in the 1870s in Timor Street. The business was known as Dawkins and Son after 1890 and moved to the corner of Fairy and Lava Streets before again moving to the corner of Lava and Kepler Streets. In 1923 this business was taken over by the Ponting Brothers. Harold Dawkins, a carpenter and builder, married in 1884 and built a house at 68 Hyland Street (previously Nicol Street) which still stands. Harold died of typhoid fever when he was 37 and the family moved to Western Australia. This probate document was prepared by Ernest Chambers, a Warrnambool lawyer with offices in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy in the late 19th century and early 20th century. This document has been passed down by the successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street building and was located in the old premises of the legal firm, now defunct, of Mackay Taylor. This document is of considerable interest because it contains information on Harold Dawkins, a resident of Warrnambool in the late 19th century and a member of a prominent Warrnambool family. It is also of importance because it was a document prepared by a local Warrnambool lawyer at that time. This is one sheet of parchment paper folded into two and with handwritten material on three sides. Three of the pages are edged with black lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. ‘In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Harold Dawkins, late of Warrnambool, in the Colony of Victoria, carpenter, deceased – Probate. I certify that no duty is payable on the within probate. J. Poole, Officer under section 96 Act 1060, 7/4/98, E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’harold dawkins, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection

This tin or trunk came from the old Kepler Street, Warrnambol Tait legal offices. The tin originally held legal documents connected to John Hyland (1830-1908). Irish-born John Hyland came to the Warrnambool district in 1850 working as a mounted trooper and a rate collector. He then farmed in the Mortlake district for some years before returning to Warrnambool and setting up as an auctioneer and stock and station agent. He was a Warrnambool Councillor (1880s and 90s) and Mayor (1891-2). His trunk of legal documents was first held by the lawyer, Henry Parrington, operating in Warrnambool from 1888 to 1917 (1888-1900 Higgins and Parrington, 1900 Parrington and Tait, 1901-1917 Parrington). Following Hyland's death in 1908 Henry Parrington has used the tin to house his probate documents and when John Sym Tait purchased the Parrington practice in 1917 he has obviously taken over the Hyland trunk. This tin is of some considerable interest as a memento of past Warrnambool identities - John Hyland and Henry ParringtonThis is a metal tin, rectangular in shape. It has a ridged top, two metal handles and a key mechanism.John Hyland Esq. Parrington Probates & Deeds (keep)henry parrington warrnambool lawyer, john hyland warrnambool, john sym tait warrnambool lawyer

These are the Probate papers for Patrick Mahony, a farmer from Wangoom who died in 1894. He left an estate of £995 and personal effects worth £138. The estate was to be administered by the two sons, William and Timothy in trust for another son, Michael Mahony. The wife Margaret was granted three acres of land, £25 a year and ‘the choice of two cows out of my stock’. The daughter Johanna was to receive the same benefits after the death of her mother. Patrick Mahony, being illiterate, signed his will with a cross. Tait collection: item 12 of 62This document is of interest as it concerns a local farmer, Patrick Mahony and a local lawyer, William Ardlie. The latter had a practice in Warrnambool for the best part of seventy years, firstly in Timor Street and then in Kepler Street. He was a prominent resident in Warrnambool. The document was originally in the hands of the law clerk, Thomas Goodall and it was passed on to lawyers occupying the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the buildings once used by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two with writing in black ink on all four pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and three red stamps of the Master in Equity in the Supreme Court. The document has ruled lines and some annotations in the margins. ‘280, In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Patrick Mahony, late of Wangoom, in the Colony of Victoria, Farmer deceased, Probate. I certify that there is no duty payable on the within Probate, J. Poole, Officer under Section 96 of Act 1060, 24/October/1894, William Ardlie, Proctor for Executors, Warrnambool’patrick mahony, william ardlie, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 19 of 62 This is an 1899 document giving Will and Probate details of William Cox who died in Warrnambool in March 1899. He was a farmer residing in Moore Street Warrnambool at the time of his death at the age of 83. He left real estate to the value of £425 and personal estate to the value of £412 to Gwenllian Williams who may have been his sister or niece. A Mr and Mrs Williams were also living in the Moore Street house at the time of Cox’s death. His executors were Thomas Goodall, a law clerk who managed the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers in Warrnambool and John Ward, a pioneer settler in Warrnambool and a shopkeeper in Jamieson Street in 1899. No other details are available on William Cox. This is an interesting document as it gives details of the Will and Probate belonging to a local Warrnambool person, William Cox. The lawyer dealing with the document was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Warrnambool, Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document has been passed on to successive lawyers occupying legal chambers in the Kepler Street building and that is where the document was held until passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014.This is an 1899 piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on three sides of the paper. The seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with blue ribbon and there are two stamps, one blue one of the Colonial Bank in Warrnambool and the other a red one of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court in Melbourne. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The writing is very clear but the pages are a little stained.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In its Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of William Cox late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria farmer deceased; Probate; I certify there is no duty payable on this probate (signature) Officer under Section 96 of act No 106; E J W Chambers Warrnambool Proctors for the Executorswilliam cox, ernest chambers, john ward, thomas goodall, tait collection

Probate of the Will of John Henry Clark, photographer and bootmaker of Main Road, Eltham South granted to John Francis Carrucan of Dalton Street, Eltham, the Executor of the Will.bootmakers, j.h. clark photo, john francis carrucan, john henry clark, photographer, probate, prov, will

This 1891 document contains the information on the Will and Probate of John Gould, an engineer from Russells Creek. No information has been found on John Gould except that he died in October 1890 at the age of 67. The solicitor, William Ardlie was a well-known Warrnambool lawyer, commencing a practice in 1865 and continuing well into the 20th century making him at the time one of the longest-serving lawyers in the British Empire. Tait collection: item 10 of 62This document is of interest in that it includes information on a resident of Russells Creek in the Warrnambool area, and also the lawyer concerned is William Ardlie, one of the best-known identities in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.This is an 1891 piece of parchment folded in half to give four pages of written material. This material is handwritten in black ink. A seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon. The document is somewhat discoloured. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in the probate jurisdiction in the Will of John Gould, late of Russells Creek near Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Engineer, deceased, Probate. I certify that there is no duty payable. J. F. Poole, Officer under Section 96, Act 1060, June 23rd 1891. Extracted by William Ardlie, Solicitor, Warrnambool’. john gould, william ardlie, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 23 of 62 This paper contains details of the Will and Probate papers of John Joseph Flahavin who died in December 1902. He was a farmer at Kirkstall but no further details on him have been found. He left real estate to the value of £100 and personal estate to the value of £5 to his wife Margaret Flahavin. She died in the June of the following year before her husband’s will had been finalized. The lawyer in the case, Ernest Chambers, had legal offices in Warrnambool. Port Fairy and Koroit at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This document in his possession passed to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and were located there in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of some interest as it concerns a Kirkstall resident in the early 1900s. It will be useful to researchers.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two (1903). It has handwritten material on three sides of the paper. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and there are three purple stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The paper is somewhat stained and the writing is faded but legible. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of John Joseph Flahavin late of Kirkstall in the State of Victoria Farmer deceasedjohn flahavin, ernest chambers, warrnambool, kirkstall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 27 of 62. This document contains details of the Will of William Stacey Spencer, formerly of Stanstead, Mount Fitchet but late of Birchanger, Essex, England. He was a corn merchant and malster and died in England in October 1897. He left an estate with a gross value of £4973, with the beneficiaries being his wife and children. Three codicils were added to the will, one being caused by the death of an executor, William Spencer’s brother. The English lawyers involved in drawing up this will were Richardson, Foxwell and Hart of Much Hadham, England. As this document is an Exemplification of the Will and was drawn up in the colony of Victoria it is presumed that one or more of the beneficiaries was a resident in Victoria and possibly in the Warrnambool district. The Warrnambool lawyers, Henry Parrington and Con O’Mahony have their names in the document. The document has been, with others, passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street, Warrnambool and located in that building in 2014. Unless some local connection can be found to William Spencer, this document is of interest only in that it was drawn up by local Warrnambool lawyers in 1899.This is a cream-coloured document consisting of five double parchment pages bound together with green cord and including a folded-over inset piece of paper on the front page. Nine of the pages have ruled black lines on the edges and there is handwritten material in black ink on nine pages. The document gives details of the will and codicils of William Spencer of Essex, England who died in1897. The document has the seal of Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice, Probate Division, attached with white binding and a stamp for three pounds attached with a metal insert. The document is somewhat grubby but is legible.In Her Majesty's High Court of Justice (Probate Division), Principal Registry Exemplification of Will of Mr William Stacey Spencer deceased Dated 15 August 1899william spencer, con o'mahony, henry parrington, tait collection, william stacey spencer

This document contains the Probate Papers following the death of Richard Bright, a Warrnambool stonemason who died in August 1897. No other information has been found on Richard Bright but he must have been a successful tradesman as he left real estate to the value of £680 and personal estate to the value of £94. His executors were his son, Daniel Bright of Terang and the law clerk, Thomas Goodall. Richard Bright left a number of properties to his wife, Elizabeth, his sons, Daniel and John and his daughters, Adelaide Scown and Martha Head. This document was in the possession of Thomas Goodall , a law clerk managing the Ernest Chambers legal offices in Warrnambool and it was eventually passed on to the law firms operating from the same premises in Kepler Street. It was handed to the Historical Society when it was found in the premises once occupied by the law firm of Mackay Taylor. Tait collection: item 14 of 62This document is of interest as it originally was drawn up by a local lawyer. Ernest Chambers, and the probate papers are for a local Warrnambool resident, Richard Bright. This is a piece of parchment paper, folded in two, with handwriting on all pages. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. There are ruled black lines on three pages and pencilled writing in the margin of the first page. Some of the writing is a little faded. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Richard Bright, late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Mason, deceased. Probate. I certify that no duty is payable herewith. J. Poole, Officer under Sec. 96, Act 1060, 16/11/97. E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’ernest chambers, thomas goodall richard bright, richard bright, tait collection

A4 folder containing genealogical information, copy of will and copy of probate administration record including real estate assets for A.W. Brown, Grandview Grove Ringwood (Warranwood) Vic.EXTRACT: Inventory of Real Estate Assets (for Probate purposes) 1. Grandview Grove, Ringwood Land containing 10 acres or thereabouts situate in Grandview Grove Ringwood being part of Crown Section 20 Parish of Warrandyte County of Evelyn and being the land described in Certificate of Title Volume 5781 Folio 174 on which is erected a 7 room house, a bungalow, shed and 2 glass houses valued by E. Miles, Ringwood - £5077-0-0 2. Kardinia Crescent, Ringwood Land containing 2 acres 3 roods 24-1/2 perches situate in Kardinia Crescent Ringwood being Lots 33 and 34 on Plan of Subdivision Number 12040 and being part of Crown Section 20 Parish of Warrandyte County of Evelyn and being the land described in Certificate of Title Volume 7141 Folio 080 valued by E. Miles at £350-0-0

Tait collection: item 18 of 62 This document contains information on the Probate papers of James Evenett, a fellmonger from Warrnambool. He died in September 1898. James Evenett had a fellmongery on the Merri River, commencing business about 1869 and continuing in to the 1890s. In the 1880s his woolscouring works employed four people and this increased to ten at the busy times. He purchased sheepskins from the neighbouring farms and sent the wool to England with the skins being used in the Merri River tannery works. He left real estate property to the value of £686 and personal estate to the value of £200. The three executors were William Ponting, James Harman and his wife Mary Evenett. These probate papers relate to James Evenett, a fellmonger from Warrnambool.This is an 1898 document containing the Probate papers of James Evenett. The paper has been folded in two with handwritten material on four sides. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached with a green ribbon and a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The writing in brown ink is legible but the paper is somewhat stained in places. probate papers, james evenett, tait collection, ernest chambers

William and Ellen Goodall were pioneer settlers in Warrnambool, with one of the sons, Thomas (1852-1917), becoming a law clerk and accountant. It is not known for which legal firm Thomas Goodall worked but he handed in these Probate and Letters of Administration documents and the lists to George Sutherland Mackay at some unknown date (pre 1917). George Mackay (1850-1926) began a legal practice in Warrnambool in the 1890s and was established at 131 Kepler Street when he took J. McD. Taylor as a partner. George Mackay was a prominent Warrnambool resident, involved in civic affairs and the Presbyterian Church. The firm of Mackay, Taylor and Co. was a dominant one in Warrnambool until the 1990s. The list of Probate and Letters of Administration documents is of some minor importance as it provides an historical context for the location of the documents themselves, prior to acquisition by the Warrnambool and District Historical SocietyThese are two typed quarto-sized sheets of paper (typed on both sides) with lists of Probates and Letters of Administration from 1874 to 1909 handed to George S. Mackay, Warrnambool lawyer, from Thomas Goodall, Legal Clerk. Three on the lists are handwritten in red ink and one page is ruled with red lines. There are 65 items on the lists.william and ellen goodall, warrnambool

Dip pens emerged in the early 19th century, when they replaced quill pens. They were generally used prior to the development of fountain pens in the later 19th century, and are now mainly used in illustration, calligraphy, and comics. A nib pen usually consists of a metal nib with capillary channels like those of fountain pen nibs, mounted on a handle or holder, often made of wood. Other materials can be used for the holder, including bone, metal and plastic. Generally speaking, dip pens have no ink reservoir; therefore the user has to recharge the ink from an ink bowl or bottle in order to continue drawing or writing. Birmingham, England was home to many of the first dip pen manufacturers. John Mitchell pioneered mass production of steel pens in 1822; prior to that the quill pen had been the most common form of writing instrument. His brother William Mitchell later set up his own pen making business in St Paul's square. The Mitchell family is credited as being the first manufacturers to use machines to cut pen nibs, which greatly sped up the process. Germany 1842 began at the factory of Heintze & Blanckertz in Berlin By 1860 there were about 100 companies making steel nibs in Birmingham, but 12 large firms dominated the trade. Dip pens are rarely used now for regular writing, most commonly having been replaced by fountain pens, rollerball pens, or ballpoint pens. However, dip pens are still appreciated by artists, as they can make great differences between thick and thin lines, and generally write more smoothly than other types of pens. Dip pens are also preferred by calligraphers for fine writing. Richard Esterbrook was a Cornish Quaker from England who saw an opportunity in the United States to manufacture Steel Pens. In 1856 R.Esterbrook traveled to the US to set up shop as 'The Steel Pen Manufacturing Company' where Richard made these steel pens by hand using special tools and machines (mostly that Richard had to invent). In 1858 he was able to establish himself as the sole pen manufacturer in the USA and he changed the company name to 'The Esterbrook Steel Pen Mfg. Co.' The company settled down in Camden, New Jersey. Quality was a key factor in his success. His steel pens were versatile, long lasting, and came in many different styles to fit the varied writing styles of the public. Sadly, Richard Esterbrook didn't see the 'empire' his company was to become as he passed away in Atlanta on October 12th 1895 . in 1896 they started an Esterbrook branch in England to join the ranks of the other main pen manufactures in Birmingham . In 1912 the company had gotten so large that they erected a 5 story building, just to continue manufacturing pens. By 1920 the fountain pen was fast becoming more popular amongst people who were tired of 'dipping.' To meet this demand the company manufactured its first fountain pen. In 1930 the company sought less expensive means of manufacturing pens because gold and 'jewel' tips were too expensive and in this same year they began selling fountain pens in England . The Esterbrook Company began using the metal Iridium which they called 'Durachrome.' To meet the fountain pen demand the company reformed as 'The Esterbrook Hazel Pens Ltd.' In 1940 war had come to strike a blow at the Esterbrook company. On November 19th 1940 their England location was hit by an incendiary bomb destroying half of the location! To make matters worse, when putting out the fire using a human water bucket chain, someone accidentally grabbed a bucket of paraffin and set the place further ablaze. Oddly enough, the company was able to rebuild the structure during the war. However, the government had placed a stipulation that 50% of its capacity was to be used for government related purposes. In 1947 the company bought out John Mitchell and the American branch had already acquired Hazel Pen Co. The company re-formed again as 'The Esterbrook Pen Company.' This is the last company name the dip pen nibs were manufactured under. A box of Steel dipping nibs for writing pensOn Box; Photo of man / R. Esternbrook Co. / PENS / PROBATEsteel nibs, writing pens, education, schools, writing, caligraphy, artists, moorabbin, bentleigh, cheltenham, dip pens, inkwells, fountain pens, mitchell john, birmingham england, esternbrook richard, maple barbara

Settlement of the will of Jonathan Harris, Harriet Harris (Executrix) Probate granted 25/8/1881). This document dated 7/12/1882.person, individual, harris