The Mann Family
Basan Family
Canet Family
Dudley Family
Hovey Family
Lyons Family
Mann Family
Sandilands Family
Sarah Jane Marks
Wilkinson Family
Valerie Carnegie's
Dudley Story
My father, Thomas Mann, at Lexton State School in 1920
Front row, far left
My father, Thomas Mann, at Lexton State School in 1923
Front row, far right
From Herefordshire (England) to Lexton (Victoria, Australia)
The first of our Mann family to arrive in Australia was my great great grandfather James Mellin Mann (1811-1892) who was born in Moreton Jeffrey in Herefordshire in England. On 25 May 1833, James married Elizabeth Wilson (1814-1866) at St John the Baptist in Worcester, Worcestershire.
Twenty years later the couple left England and arrived in Australia on 6 May 1853. They had eight children, all born in England - John (1834-1854), Elizabeth (1836-1847), James (1836-1907), Jane (1839-1892), William (1840-1857), Charles (my great grandfather, 1842-1925 - see headstone below), George (1844-1910) and Elizabeth (1847-1924).
Headstone Charles Mann 1842 to 1923
Photo credit Headstone Photographs
Charles Mann was born in Bromyard, Herefordshire England and was christened on 4 September 1848 at Ullingswick in Herefordshire. Charles, who was only 11 when he emigrated to Australia, lived in Victoria for 70 years altogether and spent 33 of those years in Lexton. He was married, on 26 December 1861 at Maryborough in Victoria to Ellen Lyons, the daughter of Michael Lyons and Sarah Jane Marks.
My great grandmother, Ellen Mann nee Lyons is on the far right.
Charles and Ellen had 11 children. Charles (my grandfather 1862-1943), William (1864-1937), Thomas (1868-1870), Ellen (1870-1949), Thomas (1872-1959), Laura (1875-1935), Mary (1877-1949), Eliza (1880-1949), Elizabeth (1882-1898), James (1884-1962), Jane (1886-1886). Son James married Victoria Robinson whom I knew as Aunty Tory.
Headstone Victoria (Robinson) Mann
Photo credit Headstone Photographs
Headstone Elizabeth Mann 1882 to 1898
Photo credit Headstone Photographs
Headstone Charles Mann 1862 to 1943
and his wife,
Isabella Hovey 1869 to 1932
Photo credit Headstone Photographs
My grandfather, Charles, who was always known as Jack, married Isabella Hovey on 5 August 1888 at Ballarat. They had ten children of whom my father, Thomas Edwin, was the baby. Ellen (1889-1944), Charles (1891-1891), Hilda (1893-1979), Myrtle (1896-1958), Eva (1899-1970), Charles (1902-1973), John (1906-1980), Elsie (1907-?), James (1908-1973) and Thomas (1910-1989).
The Ballarat Courier ran obituaries on both Charles and Isabella (known as Chatty Mann). They lived next door to Charlie’s father and mother and although both my grandparents died before I was born, I do have vague memories of visiting the remains of their old home, which had been left to my father.
My father, Thomas, married my mother, Merlyn Isobel Dudley on 8 April 1939 at Brunswick in Victoria. I understand they met on a train on their way to Euroa where these two teetotallers were going to pick hops.
Emily Chellew and Massmino Gaicometti
Touch the photographs below with your mouse and they will amazingly expand. The photographs are from Russell Giacometti and are of his great grandparents, Emily Chellew and Massimino Giacometti. They are also the parents of the man I knew as Uncle Vic (William Victor Giacometti 1895-1967) who was married to my father's sister, Eva Caroline Mann.
For many years Uncle Vic came to my parent's house (just a few blocks away from his home) twice every week to play euchre and five hundred with my parents, Tom and Merl, and with Merl's brother, Lester Dudley. From the age of about five I was shanghaied into playing while my mother made supper.
The wedding of Dad's niece, Thelma Giacometti, to George Brown.
The flowergirl was extremely well behaved.
Dad's niece, Thelma, and her father, Vic Giacometti.
Many thanks to Russell Giacometti for the photograph (above) taken on the day Dad's niece, Thelma (also known as May), married George Brown.