Photo ca 1918
| parents | James Kinder & Mary Ramsbottom |
| born | 18 February 1846, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia[1] |
| baptised | 3 May 1846, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia[1] |
| died | 5 August 1891, East St Kilda, Victoria, Australia[12] |
| buried | 6 August 1891, St Kilda Cemetery, Victoria, Australia[12] |
|
Matilda Maud Crask was born in
Overstrand in the County of Norfolk,
England on 3 September 1847[27]. Photo ca 1918 |
 Google Maps |
According
to the 1851 UK Census, at age
3 years, Matilda Maud was living in Overstrand, Norfolk with her
parents, James
William and Ann Susannah Emery together with her siblings -
James
William, Henry Emery and Lucy Ann, all of whom were older than Matilda.
The family emigrated to Australia (Matilda then aged 6 years), arriving in Melbourne in December 1854 aboard the ARGO. The family surname is listed as Craske in the ship’s manifest[3]. On Percy William Kinder’s birth certificate, Matilda stated her birthplace as Overstrand, Norfolk but later, on John Henry Kinder’s birth certificates she says Cromer, Norfolk. Cromer is just a little north-west of Overstrand. Click here for more information about my Crask family. |
| Enoch
and Matilda were married on 4 August 1868 at the Manse (the
Minister’s residence) of the Scots Church, Melbourne[28].
It is probable that they were not permitted to marry in the Church proper since Matilda was very pregnant with their first son, Enoch William, at the time. Unfortunately, with Enoch and Matilda having been denied a formal church wedding, Enoch William died only two days after his birth. On Enoch and Matilda’s marriage certificate, Enoch is noted as living in Windsor (probably with his parents in St Davids Street) and his occupation was Whitesmith. A Whitesmith was a tradesman who worked with metals other than precious metals eg tin, lead, pewter and possibly aluminium to make decorative/useful objects, as opposed to a silversmith/goldsmith. |
 From Enoch & Matilda's marriage
certificate
|
| On 28 January 1868, Enoch was convicted and fined for discharging a firearm in a public place. Was he shooting at someone or just celebrating? |  The Argus, 28 January 1868[25] |
| We can see a
consistency of metal working in Enoch's life – Whitesmith, Locksmith,
General Smith and Fitter.
It is believed that he designed an early version of the modern kitchen stove which had a wood fired hot top and a cooking oven below. It is reported that he held a patent for this invention[10]. It is not yet known if the newpaper report (at right) relates to that patent or another. |
 The Argus, 22 April 1889[25] |
| Windsor
Station was originally called "Chapel Street Station", and was
the terminus for trains from the Brighton Beach line. It was run by the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company, who built a loop branch line connecting the Brighton line to the now defunct St Kilda line. The loop line was constructed on wooden trestles across the swampy grounds now known as the Albert Park Lake, and had a raised embankment with a bridge over St Kilda Road. The first train on this loop line was on 3 December 1859. The railway lines traversing Windsor effectively cut the settlement into parts with the railway lines having sited in deep trenches over much of their length through Windsor. High and Green Streets had bridges and today the southern line has a bridge under Dandenong Road just to the east of Chapel Street, Windsor Station still exists today. |
 Attribution required |
On the afternoon of Wednesday, 11 May 1887, there was a terrible railway accident on the Melbourne to Brighton railway line at Windsor. Five people were killed and 154 people were injured – Enoch was one of the injured. It was caused by the 5.40 Brighton express running into the rear of an ordinary train, which had preceded it, on the curve between Prahran and Windsor. The ordinary train had broken down. The accident occurred in a deep cutting which hampered rescuers. The engine of the express train overturned and there was fire. It was later revealed at an inquest that an untrained station hand was left in charge of the signalling. On Friday, 13 May, The Geelong Advertiser reported amongst the injured were Mr E Kinder, Prahran; injury to the spine, deep wound across right eye and severe shock. Enoch was taken to the nearby Alfred Hospital and treated. |
 Geelong Advertiser, 12 May 1887 Courtesy of Helen Muldoon |
| One of the most sensational occurrences in Prahran was the Windsor railway accident, which took place shortly before six o'clock on Wednesday, 11th May, 1887, when the 5.40 p.m. express overran the 5.30 p.m. ordinary passenger train. On approaching the Green-street overhead bridge, on the Prahran side of the Windsor Station, the driver found the semaphore against him. He therefore pulled up in the cutting to await the signal, "Line clear," to proceed on his journey. After some delay the "Line clear" signal was given, but on attempting to release the brake a pipe burst, and the driver found it impossible to move the train. While he and the guard were trying to discover the cause of the blockage, the express, which left Flinders Street station ten minutes after they did, dashed round the curve and crashed into the standing train. An awful scene of carnage followed, full of the horrors that usually attend such railway accidents. The noise of the impact could be heard in Chapel Street, and over 10,000 people were soon on the scene. Four (sic) persons were taken from the wrecked train dead, and over 100 passengers were more or less severely injured. |
| Enoch’s Last Will was dated 29 June 1891. He and
Matilda were living
at Evelyn Street, East St Kilda. He bequeathed “… the full amount of
my life policy with all other worldly goods …” to Matilda alone.
This
Will was witnessed by his brother, Alfred, a Draper, who was living at
Denham Street, Hawthorn, Victoria at the time. Unfortunately for Matilda, Enoch had no substantial assets (only a small life insurance policy and some personal effects) to help her raise her 7 living children! Presumably even the young teenagers were working and so Matilda was able to live independently until her later years. |
In Matilda’s probate application dated 3 September 1891, it is stated that Enoch left a personal estate of £122.12.6 but no real estate (they must have been renting the Evelyn Street house for many years). Of the total, £103.2.6 came from a life policy from the Mutual Insurance Company, his Tools of Trade were valued at £13.10.00, Furniture valued at £5.0.0 and a Silver Watch valued at £1.0.0. By way of surety, Enoch’s brother, Alfred Kinder declared before the Supreme Court of the Colony of Victoria that he was worth “property in the Colony of Victoria of the value of £123 over and above what will pay my just debts and liabilities”. In fact, Alfred claimed his Denham Street property to be worth £400. |
 From Enoch's Probate[13]
|
| After
Enoch’s death, Matilda was left in a rather poor state and yet she
still had a number of children to raise and educate. Enoch’s estate contained very little. She moved around regularly from one rental property to another and stayed on and off with her various children. According to entries found in References 8 and 29, Matilda lived at 31 Evelyn Street until 1895. From 1896 to 1902, she lived at 22 Little Alma Street, St Kilda (now King Street). In 1903, she lived at 12 Eliza Street, Richmond, 126 Albert Street, Windsor and 19 Nightingale Street, St Kilda. |
 East St Kilda[26]
|
| In 1905-06, Matilda was
noted as being a Dressmaker
living at 20 James Street, Prahran. From 1906 to 1910 she was at 58 Marlborough Street, St Kilda. In 1912-14 at 57 Earl Street, Prahran. In 1914-16, when her son, Enoch Leslie was away at war, she stayed at Horne Street, Elsternwick and 420 New Street, Elsternwick, the homes of her son, George Herbert Kinder[29,30]. When her daughter, Frances Ruby married Frederick Laban Punch in 1915, Matilda stated she was living at 22 Waterloo Street, Balaclava and likely, the home of her son, Henry Emery Kinder. |
 Waterloo
Street is now joined at the east end with Argyle Street after the
widening of High Street in the 1960s[26]
|
| Matilda
died on 23 July 1930 and was buried on 24 July 1930 in St Kilda,
Victoria. She died at 10 Henry Street, Oakleigh, Victoria which was the house of her daughter – Frances Ruby who lived with her husband Frederick Punch. and their three children. |
The Argus, 25 July 1930[25]
|
 |
|
| The
author’s mother, Lilian Roosen (Punch) remembered
that Matilda lived at the house for several years. She died of cancer of the stomach and heart failure. She had suffered for approximately 12 months. She was 82 years old and was survived by 7 living children[14]. Matilda was buried at the St Kilda Cemetery, Independent Section C, Grave 293A. The headstone reads – "In Loving Memory of Mathilda Kinder". |
 Matilda Maud Crask’s Grave |
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Matilda Maud Crask in 1918Photo postcard sent "To Harry and Jane, With fond love from Mother" and dated 15 July 1918 (presumably sent to Henry Emery Kinder and Jane Roffey). |
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