Cyrus Kinder (b 1839)

parents James Kinder & Mary Ramsbottom


born 23 October 1839, Dukinfield, Cheshire, England[1]
died 7 May 1913, Kew, Victoria, Australia
buried 8 May 1913, Kew, Victoria, Australia



Cyrus was probably born at his parent's house at 10.00am.  His father’s occupation is noted as Warehouseman and his address as 21 Parliament Street, Dukinfield, Cheshire, England[1].


From Cyrus’ birth certificate

Cyrus arrived in Australia, with his parents James and Mary in 1841 aboard the immigrant ship Wallace.  He was just two years old when they arrived in the Port Phillip District of Victoria, (now Melbourne).  Young Cyrus was named in the ship’s manifest as Livius, apparently a transcription error.  As a child and a youth, Cyrus moved around with his parents, James and Mary from Collingwood to central Melbourne and Windsor before settling at a house on the corner of St Davids Street (now Upton Road) and Peel Street, Windsor sometime between 1854 and 1861[2,3].


Mary Hickey

Mary Hickey was born in 1839 at Stonehall, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare, Ireland.  
Her parents were Patrick Hickey and Elizabeth Shiel[15].

She was baptised on 6 October 1839 at the catholic church in the diocese of Killaloe, possibly St Flannan's

She (may have) arrived in Australia ca 1855-56.




Mary Hickey's baptism entry


Cyrus and Mary were married on 25 November 1859[15].  Mary was only 19 years old.  They were married by Rev. Middleton who ran the local Methodist Free Church in Prahran.  They were married in Rev Middleton's house - probably because Mary was an underage Roman Catholic girl.




Mary had a sister, Elizabeth Hickey.  Later, Mary's daughter, Elizabeth Alice, born 1879 married her first cousin, Peter Lawrence-Snip who was Elizabeth Hickey's son.  Read more at Hickey-Kinder-Snip.


Moving About

From 1862 to 1875, Ref 3 lists Cyrus Kinder of Albert Street, Prahran (this part of Prahran is now called Windsor) and of 62 Albert Street, Windsor.  Albert Street crosses St Davids Street (now Upton Road) and lies close to Peel Street, the home of his parents James and Mary Ramsbottom.  It is likely that Cyrus and Mary’s first four children were born and initially raised in this Albert Street home.

The south side (the "even numbers") of the west end of Albert Street was demolished when Queens Way was put through to connect with Dandenong Road in the 1960s.
Google Maps

See also Prahran & Windsor


The Prahran rate book of 1870, page 345, lists Cyrus Kinder, occupation Carter of Union Street and the property rated at a value of £0.15.0.  Union Street runs in an east-westerly direction and crosses Upton Road not far from Peel Street. He may have used these premises as storage for his cartage business equipment, stables, etc.


From the Prahran Rate Book, 1870


Around 1876, Cyrus and his family appear to have moved to the Carlton area.  In 1877, Ref 3 has Cyrus Kinder of Orr Street, off Victoria Street, Carlton.  It is noted that he was working with or assisting the "United Christian Workers".  In 1880 and 1881, Ref 3 has Cyrus living at Rodney Place, Pelham Street, Carlton.  Cyrus and Mary’s last two children, Mabel Ruth and Elizabeth Ellen were born during this period.


Google Maps


Jack Kinder (b 1922), a great-grandson of Cyrus, recorded:-

Cyrus, as a young married man, worked for a Mr Beath  who lived in a house on the corner of Walmsbury and Princess Streets, “The Grange”, Kew, Victoria.  Beath was connected in some way with the Mission Hall which was then located on the corner of Charles Street and Bulleen Road, Kew.  Mary managed a small shop next door to the Mission Hall.  When Beath returned to England for a visit, he left Cyrus  in charge of his interests.  On Beath’s return to Australia, he was so impressed with Cyrus’ efforts during his absence that he offered to help Cyrus establish his own business if he ever needed help.  This may be how Cyrus got established as a Wood Merchant.  Both Cyrus’ sons – James and John Franklin, worked for their father until James went into engineering and John Franklin into employment with the Kew Municipal Council. [Ref 5]

In 1882 and in 1885/86, Ref 3 cites "C Kinder, in charge of Mission Hall, Bulleen Road, Kew”.

After Beath's return, Cyrus established his woodyard businesses.  Ref 3 has many citations:-
The Burwood Road address was probably no. 111 since in 1893, a "Maria" Kinder (Mary Hickey) was noted as a Grocer at that address.

The Post Office Directory of  1888-1892 cites Cyrus as a Stone Merchant.  We also know from his frequent run-ins with the law that he operated a sand and gravel business - probably at the Burwood Road address.

Life Wasn't Always Easy...

During Cyrus' time working as a Carter and operating his woodyards, stone and gravel businesses, he occasionally crossed the line in his entrepreneurial endeavours.

He was convicted 6 times for unlawfully removing materials that didn't belong to him as reported by the Argus newspaper[13]:-
  • 3 March 1870 - fined 10s and costs of 5s 6d
  • 6 April 1870 - fined 10s and costs of 12s
  • 6 July 1870 - fined 10s and costs of 3s 6d
  • 1 December 1870 - fined 20s and costs of 3s 6d
  • 21 June 1871 - fined 40s and costs of 3s 6d


The Argus, 20 October 1869[13]
- fined 1s and costs of 10s
He also had insolvency problems:-



Reported by The Argus newspaper on 24 June 1865[13] 



Reported by The Argus newspaper on 6 January 1882[13]

Discharged!



Reported by The Argus newspaper on 11 February 1882[13]

It is not known if Cyrus was an Insolvent for the whole period from June 1865 through February 1882 but no other mentions were found in The Argus newpaper during that period.


The Argus 17 September 1861[13]


Clearly, Cyrus learned well from his earlier problems and established a stronger business model in his middle years and grew to be quite a wealthy man.

During the time of establishing and operating this empire, from 1887 to 1896, Cyrus and Mary were living at "Ebenezer", 172 Derby Street, Kew.  It is likely that around 1901, they moved to their home, "The Rest" at 108 Derby Street, Kew and they stayed for the rest of their lives.

A Man Of Many Names

One problem which often occurs in researching people who lived in the pre-1900s especially, is the variety of forms of their names which appear in various documents such as birth, death and marriage entries.  Cyrus in particular has been a regular victim of these errors which occurred, generally, because the people giving the information could not write themselves and so names were entered by registrars based on the sound of the name given to them.  Examples which have been found for Cyrus include:-

Passing On

Cyrus died on 7 May 1913 at his home –  “The Rest”, 106 Derby Street, Kew, Victoria[7].  His occupation is noted on his death certificate as Wood Merchant (retired).  He died of heart failure after three days of suffering which was preceded by myocardial degeneration and which was in evidence for several years previous.  He was survived by Mary and all six of his children. 

Cyrus was buried on 8 May 1913 at the Boroondara Cemetery, Kew Victoria, in Grave No 217, Wesley Compartment B.  The inscription reads – "In Loving memory of Cyrus Kinder, the beloved husband of Mary Kinder who died 7th May 1913, aged 73 Years - Peace Perfect Peace”.


from Cyrus’ death certificate


Mary died on 5 June 1921 at “The Rest”, 106 Derby Street, Kew, Victoria.  She had suffered from Diabetes for several years and Gangrene[14].


from Mary Hickey's death certificate
Note, her parents names are incorrect!
From The Argus, 6 June 1921[13]

She was buried the same grave at Boroondara Cemetery as Cyrus.  Under her name on the headstone, the inscription reads – "At Rest".

Cyrus and Mary's grave[11] Location of Cyrus and Mary's grave[5]
Click on image for a larger version

Others in the Grave.  Interestingly, there are also two children buried in Cyrus and Mary’s grave.  Both these children were buried before either Cyrus or Mary died[5,10].  The grave headstone does not mention either of  them. They are:-

Last Wills and Probate

Cyrus left Mary a rather wealthy widow judging from her Probate records.  In his Last Will dated 19 December 1881, Cyrus left everything to Mary alone but his probate does contain an inventory of assets[8].  Cyrus appointed his son-in-law, Edgar Wallis and his second son, John Franklin as his Executors.



Mary’s Last Will was dated on 24 January 1919 and she also appointed Edgar Wallis, son, John Franklin as her Executors[9].  When Probate was filed on 29 June 1921, her estate totaled over £3,600 comprising cash, furniture, personal belongings and included nine separate properties, viz:-
Mary bequeathed “Ebenezer” entirely to her second son, John Franklin.  At the time of the probate application, this property was described as having two weatherboard cottages erected on it known as numbers 172 and 174 Derby Street.  At this time, number 172 was occupied by John Franklin rent free and number 174 was let to an unnamed tenant at a weekly rental of 10/- (Ten Shillings).

The Pilgrim Street, Nelson Street and Rodney Place properties were rented to tenants.  The tenancy status of number 112 Derby Street however, is not clear.  It is cited as one of the properties sold and the proceeds counted in the total of the estate, but strangely, it is not included in the Inventory of Real Estate, which was one of the documents submitted by the executors as part of their Probate application.

The balance of Mary’s estate was to be divided “equally between my four children John Franklin Kinder, Sarah Ann Flagg, Mabel Ruth Wallis and Elizabeth Alice Lawrence-Snip”.  Mary’s eldest son, James and second daughter, Mary Ellen Firth have already passed away in 1916 and sometime between 1906 and 1919 respectively and are therefore not mentioned in Mary’s Last Will.

Apart from the properties mentioned above, Mary's estate included – “Live Stock - 1 Horse, very old” (valued at £3.0.0), “Carriages etc – 1 Phaeton, Harness” (total value £12.0.0), “Furniture and household effects” (value £52.10.0), “Trinkets and Jewelry (cameo brooch, ebonite brooch, gold brooch)” (value 35/-) and a little over £227 in cash and bank savings.


from Mary Hickey's Last Will[9]


From The Argus, 1 Jul y 1921[13]



Children of Cyrus Kinder and Mary Hickey

Family Photos

Cyrus and Mary Hickey had a large family[12] – do you recognize any of them?




Key to Photo....


1  -?- 2  -?- 3 Jack Verity
4 William Charles (Bill, b 1894, m Beatrice Cooper) 5 Albert Victor (Bert, b 1889, m Catherine Egan) 6 Cyrus Henry (b 1884)
7 Arthur James (b 1892) 8 John Franklin (Frank, b 1886) 9 Harold Edward (Harry, b 1896)
10 Emily Louisa Dalziel (m Harold Edward) 11 William Harold Frederick (b 1918) 12 Robert Enoch Murdoch (husband of Ethel May, b 1887)
13 Edith Annie (b 1899, m Charles Emerson) or Dorothy McMillan (nee Gilbert) 14 Mrs Dalziel (mother of Emily Louisa) 15 Mr Dalziel (father of Emily Louisa and Amy)
16 Janet Nettleton (nee Dalziel) 17 Ethel May (b 1887, m Robert Enoch Murdoch 18 Amy Dalziel
19 Jessie Marion (b 1904, later she married Frederick Fanning) 20  -?- 21 Beatrice Jane Cooper (m William Charles)
22 William Henry (Bill, b 1908) 23 Catherine Egan (m Albert Victor) 24 Francis Albert (Frank, b 1907)
25  -?- 26 Ethel Annie Laidlaw (1st wife of Cyrus Henry) 27 Mary Hickey
28 possibly – Arthur James’ girlfriend? 29 possibly – Christina Martha Hunter (wife of John Franklin, Frank, b 1886) 30 Sarah Ann Kinder b1863
31 Annie Doris (Dorrie) Murdoch 32 possibly – Emily Holbrook (sister of Annie Louisa Holbrook) or Emily Verity 33 Annie Louisa Holbrook (wife of John Franklin, b 1865)
34 John Flagg b1859, husband of Sarah Ann Kinder 35 John Franklin (b 1865) 36 David Cyrus (b 1911)
37  -?- 38  -?- 39  -?-
40 William James (Bill b 1915) 41 Alice Maud (b 1910) 42 Lilian May (b 1911) or Caroline Gertrude (b 1916)
43 Zilpah Annie May (b 1913) 44  -?- 45  -?-
46  -?- 47 Albert Westerson (b 1909) 48  -?-
49 Thelma Lilian Murdoch (b1912)

51

Most of the above names have been attributed to the people in the photograph by Jack Kinder (b 1922, son of Arthur James (top row in uniform))[5].   The names in black are from Jack Kinder’s notes.  Those in blue are Geoff Roosen’s suggestions.  Those in red are from Renee Kinder’s notes.  Those in green are Rhonda Newberry’s suggestions.  Please advise the author of any changes, additions, etc.  Nos 30 and 34 corrected by Kate Duggin, April 2012.


Mary Hickey with son John Franklin Kinder, dau-in-law, Annie Louisa Holbrook and grandson Arthur James Kinder (in uniform), ca 1918-19 Mary Hickey with son John Franklin Kinder, grandson Cyrus Henry Kinder and great-grand-daughter Jessie Marion Kinder, ca1918-19
Photos courtesy of Neil Kinder

It would apear that these 3 photos were taken on the same day to remember a family gathering - probably Albert James' return from the war of 1914-18.



References
  1. Cyrus Kinder b1839 birth certificate
  2. Directory for the Town and District of Port Phillip, 1841
  3. Sands and McDougall Directories
  4. Victorian BMD Register No 4709
  5. Jack Kinder b1922 - family history notes
  6. Victorian Post Office Directories of 1897-1898 and 1899-1900
  7. Cyrus Kinder b1839 death certificate
  8. Cyrus Kinder b1839 Last Will and Probate
  9. Mary Hickey Last Will and Probate
  10. Booroondara Cemetery Records
  11. Boroondara Cenetery grave headstone, courtesy of Rhonda Newberry, 8 July 2001
  12. From Jack Kinder's (b1922) collection.  Thanks to Neil Kinder, Renee Lynch and Rhonda Newberry for their help identifying most people
  13. Australia Trove, http://trove.nla.gov.au
  14. Mary Hickey death certificate
  15. Cyrus Kinder & Mary Hickey marriage certificate
  16. Mary Hickey baptism entry, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare, Ireland