A long and happy life

Keith was first taken with Albert’s story after he read a letter written by him in The Biggleswade Chronicle and North Bedfordshire Gazette which was published in 1911 and gave some fascinating personal insight into Albert’s long journey on the Miltiades passenger ship to the New World.

Keith had originally been led to believe that after marrying wife Lizzie, Albert died when he was relatively young (in his 40s). He concluded that this was probably due to Albert having been gassed and injured while fighting in the First World War. Memory Lane published a follow up with Keith’s conclusions on May 27, 2011.

However, after Keith had sent his reasearch and related articles to Sidney Library for their records, some further unexpected help came from Sidney librarian Yiasong Ye. With Yiasong’s assistance, Keith has now discovered that not only did Albert have a long life, but has also found a photograph of him, published here by kind permission of author and historian Kenneth Wood.

The confusion surrounding Albert and Lizzie’s later life occurred because of a name change to the district in which they lived from South Randwick to Maroubra North which made it difficult to trace their records following a move from their last registered address. They also had no children.

With new information, Yiasong was able to locate obituaries for both Albert and Lizzie which were published in the Sydney Morning Herald. Lizzie died first in 1970 and Albert passed away as late as 1983, aged 95.

It also revealed that Albert’s sister was in fact called Katie, and not Hatie as previously thought (probably thanks to an errant handwritten ‘k’ in the old records) and that she followed her brother to Australia, becoming Katie Buck by marriage.

Keith examined the passenger list of the MIltiades and found that a 27 year old machinist named Miss Lizzie Surplis was listed, prompting him to wonder if this was the Lizzie that Albert later married.

“Dare I assume that Lizzie and Albert formed a relationship on their long voyage across the Indian Ocean...watching the sunsets under the star studded Southern Cross sky?” asks Keith. “That letter of Albert’s has led me through many twists and turns..I’m sure our history society historians of the future will find it as fascinating as I did.”