Historical information

Henry Box ,who was born in Withyham in 1839 , was the 3rd son of George and Mary Cripps Box and came to Australia in 1856 with the family. Henry paid his own fare so was not ‘bound’ to any employer. Henry helped his brother William establish his market garden on the site of Box Cottage, Jasper Road 1865 and by 1870 was purchasing property in East Brighton (Bentleigh.). He continued to purchase land, which he rent / leased to family members, and at his death in 1913 owned property in East Boundary Road, Murrumbeena and Elsternwick. Henry married Elizabeth ‘Emma’ Ward in 1868 and they had 9 children but 2 died in infancy.

‘ Emma’ was the daughter of William Ward 1820- 1908 who was born in Norfolk and emigrated with his wife Ann Ostler in 1853.
Henry was a member of the Court Pride of St George AOF, and a lay preacher at the Bentleigh Baptist Church..
Surviving Children were - Caroline Alma Box 1863-1943, Mary Anne Box 1865- ?, Lydia Elizabeth Box 1867- 1957, William Henry Box 1869- 1945, Emma Elizabeth Ellen Box 1875 – 1964, Olivia Christina ‘Chrissie’ Box 1878 – 1963, Archibald Ward Box 1882 -?

Significance

Box Cottage Museum, a reconstruction of an early settler hut, is named after the Box family who resided there 1865 -1913 . William Box who with his wife Elizabeth Avis Box and 13 children lived and farmed on the block of land in Jasper Road, East Brighton ( now McKinnon / Ormond) that was part of the Henry Dendy Special Survey 1841 . Henry Box, a brother of William Box, was born in Withyham, Sussex and came to Australia with his parents George and Mary Box and siblings in 1856. He purchased property and helped the family establish market gardens in East Brighton (Bentleigh). Henry and his wife Elizabeth Emma Ward Box had 9 children, Henry was a lay preacher for the Baptist Church Bentleigh.

Inscribed in Album
“ The early photos in this album were found by Mr (Laurie) Lewis when he was demolishing the Old Box Cottage. He gave them to Mrs Avis Box Eldridge who in turn gave them to me. They were not identified. I believe they rightly belong in the Cottage. I have attempted to identify them and present them in a way they can be preserved as a historical record of the era.” A B Leigh

Physical description

A black and white photograph of a young girl and boy who may be 2 of the surviving 7 children of Henry Box 1839 -1913

Inscriptions & markings

Goulter Prahran