Florence Annie Mary Kinder (b 1869)

parents Enoch Kinder & Matilda Maud Crask


born 4 October 1869, Windsor, Victoria, Australia[1]
died 4 April 1941, Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia[2]
buried 7 April 1941, St Kilda Cemetery, Victoria, Australia[3]



Florence Annie Mary Kinder


 Florence was born on 4 October 1869 at her parents' home in Green Street, Windsor, Victoria[1].

Green Street is very nearby St Davids Street where her grandparents were living.

As a child, she moved around with her parents to 18/3 Church Street, Richmond and later, around 1873, to the more permanent family home at 31 Evelyn Street, St Kilda[4,5].


Florence's birth certificate


Marriage to John Dunwoodie

Florence’s first marriage was to John Dunwoodie on 9 June 1888.  John Dunwoodie stated that he was born in Belfast, Ireland, he was 24 years of age and his occupation was Bricklayer.  Florence ws 21 years old and described as a Spinster, living at Balaclava Victoria (most likely at her parents’ house at 31 Evelyn Street)[6].


Florence & John Dunwoodie marriage certificate


John Dunwoodie

John Dunwoodie was born, not in Belfast, but Crumlin, Country Antrim, Northern Ireland on 4 February 1864. 

His parents were William Dunwoodie and Martha Gibson[6,7].

John may have had 3 siblings - William Mack, Eleanor and George[8].

No record of his arrival in Australia has been found.
Google Maps

Florence and John Dunwoodie were married according to the Rites of the Free Church of England at a church in Moor Street, Fitzroy, Victoria by a certain Nathaniel Kinsman. Kinsman set up the Free Church of England in Collingwood and enjoyed a rather notorius reputation.

What became of John Dunwoodie?  It is belieed that Florence never had any children.  It also seems strange that her first marriage took place in a Free Church which suggests that she may have been pregnant at the time.  Perhaps the birth was a miscarriage and caused damage to her so that she was unable to have any children subsequently?  After the miscarriage, John may have scampered off – off the hook!  There is no Victorian registration of a Dunwoodie or Kinder child’s birth or death around this time[9].


Marriage to Herbert Reginald Bosisto

Florence’s second marriage was to Herbert Reginald Bosisto on 18 July 1899 in Armadale, Victoria.  Florence was not divorced however!  Her marriage certificate states that she was married but has not seen her husband, John Dunwoodie, since 1887 or 1888, that is,  more than 10 years[10].

Florence & Herbert Reginald Bosisto marriage certificate

Also, how can she marry for a second time without either a divorce or a dead first husband?  It was possible but tricky -- click here to learn about the rules of the day.

Interestingly, Florence stated that she was living with her mother at 22 Little Alma Street, East St Kilda (her father, Enoch had already died), and Herbert stated he was living at the former Kinder residence of 31 Evelyn Street, St Kilda[10].  Maybe Matilda Maud kept this house when she moved to Little Alma Street and gave Herbert and Florence occupation of it.

Herbert Reginald Bosisto

Herbert Reginald Bosisto was born on 7 October 1874 in Norwood, South Australia.  Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide.  His parents were Reginald George Bosisto and Hannah (Annie) Hall[11].  Bert was the 2nd of 4 children together with Ethel Helen (b1872), Royden Russell (b1876) and Harold Ernest (b1878).  All the children were born in the vacinity of Adelaide but sometime before 1894, when Ethel Helen married, the family had already moved to the Melbourne area of Victoria and remained there.  Reginald George Bosisto died in St Kilda, Victoria in 1915 and Hannah Hall died on 31 December 1945 in Sandrinham, Victoria[9].

The Bosisto family was a close, tight knit group in Australia and South Australia in particular.  Alan Bosisto Haines maintains a Bosisto family history[12].  Here is small Bosisito family tree.

Herbert Reginald was generally known as Bert.  He was 28 years old when he married Florence and his occupation was stated as a Dentist. 




Bert and Florence lived in Adelaide for perhaps 10 years. 

On 29 June 1907, while living at 92 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia, Florence sent a postcard to her mother, Matilda Maud with the short note (at left).  On the other side of the card is a picture of a young girl (not related) who reminds Florence of her niece, Doreen Skoglund, and she wanted to share this with Matilda Maud.

It appears that Florence and Bert separated (divorced?) sometime before 1918.  On 19 October 1918, Bert married again, this time with Eileen Junita Brockman Johnstone[13].  Not death record for Bert has been found.  Lilian Punch, remembers him as an alcoholic who drank himself to death but nothing has been confirmed[14].


Life After Bert

Florence returned to the Melbourne area and is noted living at 35 Adler Street, Caulfield in 1919, at 10 Henry Street, Oakleigh (her sister Frances Ruby's home) in 1931 and 401 Kooyong Road, Elsternwick in 1936 and 1937[15].  She retained the surname - Bosisto.
This birthday card was found in the belongings of Frances Ruby Kinder so it is assumed that she is the sister this was intended for.


Passing On

Florence suffered from debilitating arthritis and spent at least the last 10 years of her life in a wheelchair[14].

Florence died on 4 April 1941 and was buried on 7 April. 

She was interred in the same grave as her mother, Matilda Maud at the St Kilda Cemetery, St Kilda, Victoria, grave reference IND-23-C-293A[3]. 

She was 71 years of age.

Florence's death certificate staes that she died of Uraemia (kidney failure) and had suffered from Chronic Nephritis for a number of years. 

At the time of her death, she was at “Helenirma” Private Hospital, Gladstone Parade, Elsternwick, Victoria. 

Her usual residence was stated as 401 Kooyong Road, Elsternwick.



Notice that the death certificate
incorrectly states her place
of marriage and Bert Bosisto's
second name.




Florence's death notice from The Argus



References
  1. Florence Annie Mary Kinder b1869 birth certificate
  2. Florence Annie Mary Kinder b1869 death certificate
  3. St Kilda Cemetery online records
  4. Enoch Thomas Kinder b1872 death certificate
  5. Ellen/Eleanor b1873 birth cirtificate
  6. Florence Annie Mary Kinder b1869 & John Dunwoodie marriage certificate
  7. John Dunwoodie birth entry, FamilySearch.org
  8. Thyne Family Tree - Ancestry.com
  9. Victorian Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths
  10. Florence Annie Mary Kinder b1869 & Herbert Reginald Bosisto marriage certificate
  11. South Australia Pioneers Index
  12. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/a/i/Alan-B-Haines
  13. South Australia Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths
  14. Lilialn Florence Eleanor Punch - private communication
  15. Victorian Electoral Rolls 1903-1980