Tait collection: item 45 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall (nee Wood) who died intestate in Warrnambool in 1897 at the age of 53. She lived in the area in north Warrnambool known as Spring Gardens and left real estate to the value of £400 and personal estate to the value of £484. The estate was granted to her husband, Joseph Wall. The lawyer concerned with this document, 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. He was in possession of this document and it was passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street. It was located in this building in 2014.This document is of some significance as it contains details of the Letters of Administration of Jessie Wall who was a 19th century resident of Warrnambool. Her husband’s father was an important early settler in Warrnambool. The document will be useful to researchers.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two pages (brownish-black ink). One of the pages has hand-ruled black lines on the edges of the page. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there is also a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is a little stained but the writing is legible. The document gives details of the Letters of Administration following the death of Jessie Wall of Warrnambool who died in November 1897.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Jessie Maria Wall late of Spring Gardens near Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria Married Woman deceased Intestatejessie wall, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection, spring gardens

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 47 of 62 This is a document giving details of the Will and Letters of Administration following the death in 1895 of Charles Spencer of Brooklands, Birchanger, Essex, England. It is not known why the document has been drawn up in Melbourne and also makes reference to Warrnambool lawyers but it is presumed that some or all of the beneficiaries of the will lived in the Warrnambool district at the time. Charles Spencer left personal estate to the value of £689 to his wife, Emily, and children. Mentioned in the document are the lawyers J.S.Tait and Henry Parrington who were partners in a law firm in Warrnambool at the end of the 19th century (going under the name of Higgins and Parrington). The document has been passed down to successive lawyers occupying legal premises in Kepler Street and it was located in this building in 2014. The Letters of Administration for this estate was granted to Henry Parrington. The personal estate comprised £689 which had been lent to Spencer Smith on the security of land in the Parish of Wangoom, County of Villiers the repayment of which is secured by an indenture of mortgage dated 1st June 1892. [Ref: PROV. VPRS28/P0002, 73/750 Charles Spencer Grant of Administration] This document has no known local relevance except for the involvement of two Warrnambool 19th century lawyers. Further investigation has shown the personal estate mentioned in this will comprised £689 as a mortgage secured loan to a local resident, Spencer Smith.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two and containing handwritten material on four pages which have black ruled lines on the edges. The 1899 document gives details of the Will and Letters of Administration of Charles Spencer, of Brooklands, Birchanger, in the County of Essex in England. The blue seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are two red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is a little stained but legible.In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Charles Spencer of Brooklands Birchanger in the County of Essex England Gentleman deceasedj.s.tait, henry parrington, warrnambool history, charles spencer, tait collection, spencer smith

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 53 of 62This document gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines, a widow, who died in 1904. She was previously from Woodford but was resident in Warrnambool at the time of her death. She left personal estate to the value of £772 with the chief beneficiary being her daughter, Jane. The Wines family was a well-known one in the Woodford/Mailors Flat areas with Charles and Hannah Wines arriving in the district in the early 1850s. The lawyer involved in drawing up this document was Henry Parrington who was in partnership with Jabez Higgins in the 1880s and 90s and from 1900 to 1901 in partnership with John Tait. From 1901 on Henry Parrington had a legal practice on his own account. The legal practice was in Kepler Street. Parrington died in 1926. This document was passed down to successive lawyers occupying the Kepler Street law premises and located there in 2014. This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines who was a resident of Woodford (19th century) and later Warrnambool (early 20th century). It will be useful for research. This is a white piece of paper folded in two to make four pages. Three of the pages had ruled margins in red and have handwritten material in black ink. The document gives details of the Will and Probate of Ann Wines of Warrnambool who died in 1904.In the Supreme Court of Victoria In the Probate Jurisdiction In the Will of Ann Wines formerly of Woodford but late of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria widow deceasedann wines, henry parrington, tait collection, warrnambool, woodford

Tait collection: item 54 of 62 This document gives the details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney who died intestate in 1907. He was aged 64. In this document he was described as a farmer from Dennington, near Warrnambool but a Michael Maloney is listed in 1866 as a butcher and this may be the same person or a member of his family. Michael Maloney left real estate to the value of £160 and personal estate to the value of £38. This was passed over to the son, Michael Maloney, a railway employee of Flemington, Melbourne. The lawyers involved in drawing up this document were O’Mahony and Murray who had legal offices in Warrnambool in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Con O’Mahony had established his practice in Warrnambool in the 1880s under the name of Klingender, O’Mahony and Murray and by the 20th century this was operating under the name of O’Mahony and Murray. Con O’Mahony died in 1920. This document was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street where it was located in 2014 (the former premises of the legal firm of Mackay Taylor). This document is of some interest as it gives details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney, a farmer in the Dennington area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful for researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two to make four pages. The front page has ruled black margins and there is handwritten material on two of the pages in brown ink. These two pages also have printed italic script on them in black ink with the handwritten material inserted in the spaces left. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there is a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court on the first page. The document is somewhat stained. The document gives the details of the Letters of Administration of Michael Maloney of Dennington who died in 1907. In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Estate of Michael Maloney, late of Dennington, in the State of Victoria, farmer, deceased, intestate. Letters of Administration.o’mahony and murray,, warrnambool solicitors, michael maloney 1907, warrnambool, michael maloney dennington 1907, michael maloney, 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 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

No information has been found on the Commission Agent John Fitts except that he died at the Yarra Bend Asylum at the age of 51 and was formerly a resident of Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne. His estate was valued at £600. Yarra Bend Asylum, near the junction of the Yarra River and the Merri Creek was the first institution for the mentally ill in Victoria and operated from 1848 to 1925. Tait collection: item 5 of 62This document is only of interest in that it came from the former legal offices of Mackay Taylor in Kepler Street, Warrnambool. It originally came from Thomas Goodall, a legal clerk in the office of the lawyer Ernest Chambers who passed it on to George Mackay, the lawyer in the forerunner firm of Mackay Taylor where it remained until the firm of Mackay Taylor ceased to exist and the buildings were cleaned out. This is a piece of parchment paper with printed black lines and handwritten material in black ink. There is a fold at the bottom of the document with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached by a green ribbon. The document is slightly discoloured but is otherwise in good condition. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, Probate jurisdiction, In the Estate of John Fitts, late of the Yarra Bend Asylum, formerly of Ascot Vale in the Colony of Victoria, commission agent, deceased intestate, Administration, Edwards and Perry, Proctors’yarra bend asylum, john fitts, warrnambool

Nothing is known of Robert Main except that he was a Warrnambool carpenter who had a wife named Jane and he died on 9th August 1880. He left an estate to the value of £35. The Warrnambool lawyers, Bayley and Higgins operated in Warrnambool in the 1880s. Mr Bayley came from Port Fairy and Jabez Higgins, well-known in Warrnambool for his sporting and community interests, purchased the legal practice of Bayley and Higgins with his brother in 1875. Jabez Higgins built the residence, ‘Corio’ in Warrnambool and died in 1886. Tait collection: item 6 of 62This document is of significance only in that it is an example of probate papers drawn up by Warrnambool solicitors for a deceased Warrnambool resident in the 1880s. This is a piece of white parchment with ruled black lines and folded and sealed at the bottom with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a blue ribbon. There is also a red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is dated 1881. Apart from some minor staining the document is in good condition. The material is handwritten in black and red ink‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, in its Probate Jurisdiction, in the Estate of Robert Main, late of Warrnambool, in the County of Villiers in the Colony of Victoria, carpenter, deceased, Letters of Administration, Bayly and Higgins, Proctors, Warrnambool, Recd. 6/9, 25o, 8/11/81, W.A.R.’robert main, bayley and higgins, solicitors

No information is available on George Murray except that he was a Melbourne accountant and died intestate in 1885. He left property to the value of £91 and the lawyer, Ernest Chambers, who was at that time at 12 Chancery Lane, Melbourne, was directed to list the creditors of George Murray and distribute the estate accordingly. Mr Chambers was one of George Murray’s creditors. Ernest Chambers later had a legal practice with offices at Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy with the known dates 1897 to 1910. Thomas Goodall was the manager of the Warrnambool office and he was the one who had this document in his possession at that time and it was passed down to succeeding lawyers in the Kepler Street building. Tait collection: item 7 of 62This document is of interest in that it was originally issued by the lawyer Ernest Chambers who later had an office in Warrnambool. This is a piece of parchment containing the 1885 Letters of Administration in the estate of George Murray, a Melbourne accountant. The document is white with black ruled lines and has handwritten material in black ink. The document is folded at the lower edge with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria. The seal is attached to the document by a green ribbon. There is also a blue stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is in good condition apart from some minor staining. ‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction, in the Estate of George Murray, late of Melbourne in the Colony of Victoria, accountant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that no duty is payable on the within Letters of Administration, John W. … (office under section 6), 15/6/85’. george murray, ernest chambers, warrnambool

This document concerns the estate of Alexander Florida Cameron, a seedsman from Melbourne in the firm of Grant and Cameron of 41 Bourke Street West, Melbourne. He died intestate in 1887 and left real estate to the value of £263 and personal estate to the value of £4744. This estate was to be administered by his son, Richard Ross Cameron. Tait collection: item 8 of 62This document has no apparent local significance and is of interest only as an example of the Letters of Administration issued in the 1880s. This is a piece of cream parchment with ruled black lines and the lower edge folded back with a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria attached to the document by a black ribbon. The document contains handwritten material in black ink and a blue stamp from the Revenue and Pay Office and a red stamp from the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat stained but is otherwise in good condition.‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria in its probate jurisdiction in the Estate of Alexander Florida Cameron, late of Bourke Street West in the City of Melbourne, Seed Merchant, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, I certify that the sum of £40-7-0 duty of the within Letters of Administration has been paid, Drake and Gair, 3 St. James Buildings, 59 William Street Melbourne, Proctors. W. Ravent Stephen, Office under Section 6, Act 388, 10/6/87’alexander florida cameron, drake & gair, solicitors, warrnambool

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

This document shows that Mary Irwin of Peterborough, Victoria, died in April 1892 without making a will and the Letters of Administration were granted to her husband, William Irwin. However he died in 1901 without having fully administered Mary Irwin’s estate. In turn the estate administration was passed over to Charles McGillivray of Peterborough and one of Mary Irwin’s sons, William Irwin, residing in New Zealand. This document was drawn up in 1907, fifteen years after Mary Irwin’s death. She left property to the value of £100. No other details on Mary Irwin are available. Tait collection: item 11 of 62This document is of interest because it was drawn up by a local Warrnambool solicitor, Ernest Chamber. He had a practice in Kepler Street, Warrnambool with the known dates, 1897 to 1910, with other offices in Koroit and Port Fairy during the same time. His manager in Warrnambool was Thomas Goodall who appears to have passed this document on to lawyers continuing on in the Kepler Street premises until it was found in the building once used by the legal business of Mackay Taylor.This is a piece of parchment paper folded in two and written on the back and front in brown-coloured ink (perhaps originally black). 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. Apart from some yellow staining the document is in good condition.‘In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the unadministered Estate of Mary Jane Irwin, late of Peterborough in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria, married woman, deceased intestate, Letters of Administration, de bonis non. I certify there is no duty or fee payable on these Letters of Administration, Dated 8th day of November 1907, Officer under Sec. 96 Act.1060, Extracted by E.J.W.Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’mary irwin, solicitor, warrnambool, peterborough, ernest chambers

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

This is an 1896 document containing the Letters of Administration following the death of Margaret Lord, a widow from Warrnambool. She died intestate in April 1896 and left real estate to the value of £15 and personal estate to the value of £250. The estate was to be administered by her son, John Lord, a draper from Warrnambool. Tait collection: item 13 of 62This document is of interest because it concerns a local Warrnambool woman, Margaret Lord and a local lawyer, Ernest Chambers The latter had offices in Warrnambool with the known dates 1896 to 1910, with other offices in Koroit and Port Fairy during the same period. His manager in Warrnambool was Thomas Goodall and this document with others was passed to lawyers occupying the same premises in Kepler Street and it was found in the buildings previously occupied by the legal firm Mackay Taylor.This is a piece of parchment paper folded in two with writing in brown-coloured ink on the back and front of the document. It has a seal of the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria and one red stamp of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The writing is somewhat faded but still legible.‘In the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria, In the Probate Jurisdiction in the Estate of Margaret Lord, Late of Warrnambool in the Colony of Victoria, Widow, deceased, intestate, Letters of Administration. I certify that there is no duty payable on the within Letters of Administration, J. Poole, Officer Under Section 96 Act 1060, Dated the 22nd day of July 1896. E.J.W. Chambers, Proctor, Warrnambool’ margaret lord, ernest chambers, warrnambool

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

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

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

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 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 26 of 62 This is a 1905 document containing information on the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright, a widow from Ellerslie in Victoria. She died in April 1905 and left real estate to the value of £540 and personal estate to the value of £412. The main beneficiary was her daughter-in-law, Ann Gibson, the wife of William Gibson, a dairyman from Ellerslie. No other information has been found on Elizabeth Bright. The lawyer concerned with the document was Edward Backhouse of Terang. He came to Victoria with his family in 1871 and was educated at Wesley College and Melbourne University. He was the founder and Head Teacher of the Alma Road Grammar School in St. Kilda and later was the Head Teacher of the St. Kilda Grammar School. He also was the Classics teacher at Geelong Grammar School. He practised law at Terang and Yea. This document is of some interest as it gives details on the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright who lived at Ellerslie, an area with some associations with Warrnambool at the time. This is white sheet of paper folded in two with hand written material on the four sides detailing the Will and Probate of Elizabeth Bright of Ellerslie, 1905. The pages have printed red lines on three sides. The document has one hand-drawn stamp of the Colonial Bank of Australia of Terang. The written material is legible. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of Elizabeth Bright late of Ellerslie in the State of Victoria Widow deceased.elizabeth bright, edward backhouse, warrnambool, ellerslie, tait collection

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 25 of 62 This document contains details on the will and probate of Joseph Kelson, a farmer from Kirkstall who died in April 1906. He was a contractor who died at the age of 46 leaving a widow, Margaret (nee Flahavin) and eight children. The two oldest boys took over the contracting business and Joseph’s brother, David, supported the family during their time of need. Joseph Kelson left personal estate to the value of £460 with the chief beneficiary being his widow Margaret. Ernest Chambers, the lawyer who drew up this document had a legal practice in Warrnambool, Koroit and Port Fairy at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. He had possession of this document and it passed down to successive lawyers who occupied the Kepler Street legal premises and it was located in this building in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This document is of interest as it gives details of the will and probate of Joseph Kelson who lived in the Warrnambool area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It will be useful to researchers. This is 1906 cream-coloured piece of parchment folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. It contains the will and probate details of Joseph Kelson, a farmer from Kirkstall, Victoria. There is a seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria and four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The material is written in black ink. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will of John James Kelson late of Kirkstall in the State of Victoria Contractor deceasedernest chambers, joseph kelson, kirkstall, tait collection

Tait collection: item 29 of 62 This document contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The document indicates that he died intestate in August 1896 at the age of 57 but details of a will are included in the document. The fact that this document was drawn up 14 years after his death indicates that there was a problem with the will. James Jones left real estate to the value of £80 and personal estate to the value of £10. The sole beneficiary was his widow, Mary Ann Jones. No other information has been found on James Jones. No Warrnambool lawyer is mentioned in this document but it was located at the former legal premises in Kepler Street of Mackay Taylor and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society in 2014. It is presumed that it had been passed down to successive lawyers occupying the same building since 1910. This document is of interest because it contains information on the Will and Letters of Administration of a Warrnambool resident, James Jones. It will be useful for research.This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper (1910) folded in two with handwritten material on three sides. The first page has black printed material in script with the information filled in in black ink. It contains the information on the Will and Letters of Administration of James Jones, a gardener from Warrnambool. The paper is ruled on one side with black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon. One page is very stained. In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Will and Estate of James Jones late of Warrnambool in Victoria Gardener deceasedjames jones, warrnambool, tait collection

Tait collection: item 30 of 62 This document contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran of Port Fairy Road, Warrnambool. She died in December 1889 but, as she died intestate, the Letters of Administration were not processed until 1911. Ann Doran left no real estate but left personal estate to the value of £116. The sole beneficiary was her daughter, Jane Doran. The lawyer in the case was Ernest Chambers who had legal offices in Port Fairy, Warrnambool and Koroit 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. It was located in this building in 2014 and passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society at that time. This document is of some interest as it contains information on the Letters of Administration of Ann Doran who lived in Warrnambool at the time of her death in 1889. It will be of use to researchers. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment paper folded in two with handwritten material on two sides. One page has ruled black lines. A seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with a green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. One page is somewhat stained.In the Supreme Court of Victoria; In the Probate Jurisdiction; In the Estate of Ann Doran late of Port Fairy Road Warrnambool in the State of Victoria married woman deceased intestate. Letters of Administration.ann doran, ernest chambers, warrnambool

Tait collection: item 31 of 62 This document contains details of the Will and Probate of Frederick John Jones, a farmer of Nirranda who died in October 1910. He left real estate to the value of £200 and personal estate to the value of £43. The beneficiaries were his daughter Harriet Jones, his son Frederick Augustus Jones and his grandson, Claude Eagle. No other information has been found on Frederick Jones, Senior. This document was in the possession of 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. It was then passed down to successive lawyers occupying the legal premises in Kepler Street and located in 2014 in the same building, the former offices of Mackay Taylor. It was then passed on to the Warrnambool and District Historical Society. This is a cream-coloured piece of parchment folded in two containing handwritten material on the Probate of Frederick Jones of Nirranda, 1911. Two of the pages have ruled black lines. The seal of the Supreme Court of Victoria is attached with green ribbon and there are four red stamps of the Master in Equity of the Supreme Court. The document is somewhat discoloured.In the Supreme Court of Victoria in the Probate Jurisdiction in the Will of Frederick John Jones late of Nirranda in the County of Heytesbury in the State of Victoria farmer deceased frederick jones, ernest chambers, warrnambool, tait collection