The information and photos on this page are from many sources, but in particular the family periodical 'A Scarlett Letter', which was written in Australia mainly by my late cousin Errol Lea Scarlett between August 1980 and Christmas 1991. There followed a series produced in Ireland between May 1995 and June 2007 by Duncan Scarlett of County Antrim, with Australian Supplements by Leonie Scarlett on New South Wales. We have done a lot of research ourselves, especially searching through old newspapers and records and visiting places of interest in Ireland and Australia. The assistance of other family-history-minded members of the extended family has been invaluable, especially the late Errol Lea Scarlett. More recently we have had contact with distant relations in the USA, who matched on Scarlett Y-DNA and very helpfully shared their family tree. Please contact me if you have additions, corrections or questions. I would particularly like to hear from you if you are interested in or related to our branch of the Scarlett family.

Scarlett

The surname Scarlett is of Norman French origin and is an occupational surname for a dyer or a seller of rich, brightly coloured cloth, often of a brilliant, vivid red colour. The derivation of the name is from the Old French word 'Escarlate', and by 1182 was already being used as the name of a particularly bright red cloth. The ultimate derivation is from the Latin word 'Scarlata'. The first recorded spelling of the family name was in 1186, a William Scarlet in the Records of the Templars in England, (Oxfordshire), during the reign of King Henry II. All Scarletts, who have British and Irish ancestors, are thought to have descended from a common source in a Norman family named Écarlat or De Carlat who settled in England in the twelfth century.

Through Y-DNA our Irish Scarletts have been shown to be related to a family of Scarletts in North Carolina. They can reliably trace their ancestry back to a Humphrey Scarlett who was born in 1667 in Bedwin Magna, Wiltshire, the son of Mary Humphrey and Benjamin Scarlett. This Humphrey Scarlett (1667-1746) migrated to Chichester, Chester, Pennsylvania where he married Ann Richards and had eight children. It can be concluded from this Y-DNA connection that our Irish Scarlett ancestors were originally from Wiltshire or nearby.

Scarletts in Ireland

The first recorded Scarletts in Ireland were two John Skarlets who served under the Englishman Captain Roger Atkinson, who in 1602 was in command of 100 foot stationed on Loughfoile in County Tyrone. In 1611 Atkinson was granted Plantation Patent of the Manor of Coole, now known as Castle Coole, near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh. Under the terms of the 'Plantation', Atkinson was an 'undertaker' who undertook to bring British (i.e. English or Scottish) settlers to his estate, build a bawn or castle in which settlers could take shelter in times of emergency and to hold biannual musters at which each able-bodied male settler had to be present with 'armes' in order to be ready to defend the settlement from 'woodkerne', native Irish seeking to regain the lands they had lost to the Plantation. Often referred to as retainers, these first settlers had served under Atkinson in the army, including the two John Skarlets.

At the time of the Ulster Plantation, circa 1609, King James I granted an estate of three thousand acres in the area around the village of Loughgall in the Barony of Oneilland, County Armagh, to Lord Saye of Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Saye sold the estate, comprising the two manors of Derrycreevy and Drumilly, in 1611 to Sir Anthony Cope, who was recorded in the 1630 muster as the undertaker, i.e. owner of the estate. One of the English settlers recorded in the 1630 muster of Cope’s tenants, was a Marke Skarlet. It is possible that Marke died of natural causes but the absence of descendants in later records suggests that he and his family may have been victims of the 1641 Rebellion and its aftermath. This revolt by the native Irish who had been dispossessed of their land on the Plantation, was the realisation of the fears of the settlers and lay behind the building of bawns and the musters. The rebels seized control of central Ulster and then fell upon the small and isolated settler communities with merciless ferocity; many did not survive the onslaught. It seems probable that Marke and his family perished in the violence in north County Armagh at some time between 1641 and 1653. (Duncan Scarlett, A Scarlett Letter, November 2006)

Another family of Scarletts, descended from a John Scarlett, settled at Templemichael, County Longford. It is likely that the ancestor of this family was Israel Scarlett, a basket maker of Great St Helen’s, London, who laid down £100 in 1642 to obtain an estate in Ireland, but died before it was granted. His will, dated 25 September 1651 bequeathed to his sons, Nathaniel and John, and to his daughter, Elizabeth, "his share in the Irish adventure" in equal shares.

George, James and Tom Scarlett were three brothers thought to have arrived with the Cromwellian army in 1649 to fight the Irish. They then took up land in Drumboghena, County Fermanagh; their descendants are still in that area today. At one time there were twenty-seven Scarletts at the school. [Beverley Morling, as reported in A Scarlett Letter, April 1983]

It is not known whether our Scarletts are descended from the John Skarlets of Castle Coole, Marke Skarlet, Israel Scarlet, or the brothers Scarlett who settled in Drumboghena. However, our first Irish ancestor is most likely to be one of the Scarletts who arrived with the Cromwellian army, as County Cavan was an area reserved as ‘security’ to the Cromwellian soldiers. By the early 1800s our Scarlett ancestors were leaseholders of land in County Cavan, near the County Leitrim border.

               Marriage of Robert Scarlett and Mary Tubman

The Scarletts of Templeport, Co Cavan, Ireland

My great-great-great grandparents Robert Scarlett and Mary Tubman lived at the townland of  Ray (aka Rey and Roy), in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. The earliest record we have found is when they married on 8 Nov 1798 in Dublin. Robert was a servant of the City of Dublin and Mary was a spinster of the Parish of St Mark, Dublin.

Robert and Mary had a large family, which is reputed to have included eight sons and possibly four daughters:

• John Scarlett (c.1799-1874). His age is given as 13 on a lease on Ray in 1911 and he appears to be the eldest son. His death certificate states he was a bachelor and a farmer. He died on 24 Dec 1874 at Ray, Gortaclogher, Templeport.
  
  
• George Scarlett (c.1801-1880) married (1) Ann Maud Uriell in 1826 and (2) Sophia Walker on 1 October 1879 in My, County Tyrone. He was a Senior Constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary and retired to Portadown, County Armagh where he died at age 79 in 1880.
  George and Ann Maud Uriell had 4 children:
  
  
  • Mary Scarlett (1827-1800) who married Thomas Gilpin (c.1827-1908) on 13 April 1855 in Killoghter, County Cavan. They had six children, all but the first born in New Zealand. Mary and Thomas died in New Zealand. Two sons settled in the USA, joining uncles Joseph and William Scarlett.
    
  • Robert Scarlett (c.1828-?) arrived in New York, USA on 20 October 1851 on the 'Garrick' with his brother William.
    
  • William George Scarlett (1835-1900). Arrived in New York, USA on 20 October 1851 on the 'Garrick' at age 16, with his brother Robert. He was a lawyer in Baltimore, USA. He married Corilla Carson Armstrong. They had 1 son who died young.
    
  • Joseph Alexander Scarlett (1841-1914). He emigrated to the USA at age 17 and joined the Marines. He married (1) Sarah Caroline Leeds and they had 5 children before she died in childbirth. He married (2) Elizabeth Evans Sullivan and they had 3 children.
    
  • John Scarlett may have emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in 1854 with wife Margaret and two children, but this may be another John Scarlett.
    
    
• Robert Scarlett (c.1804-1841), my grandfather, see below.
  
  
• James Scarlett (c.1808-1885) was a farmer at Gortaclogher, Templeport, co-occupying the land with Matthew Rooney who was married to his sister. James married Elizabeth Spotten in c.1840 and they had 4 children, including 3 sons who emigrated to the USA. James died on 5 January 1885 at Gortaclogher, Templeport, Ireland. He was described in his death certificate as a 77-year-old widower.
  
  
• William Scarlett (c.1809-1881) married Jane Haughton (1837-1886) on 11 May 1837 in Limerick Cathedral. William joined the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1831, recommended by Mr Crowes, and was promoted to Constable in 1846. He was posted to County Clare where he lived at Sixmilebridge, and  became the postmaster there on his retirement from the RIC in 1853. William took in and raised his deceased brother Robert's son George Scarlett (my grandfather, see below). He died on 28 June 1881 at Sixmilebridge, County Clare. William and Jane had 8 children:
  
  
  • Thomas Haughton Scarlett (1840-1894) who married Sarah Honora Watson on 10 August 1867 at Tulla, County Clare. He served in the British Army as a schoolmaster in locations which included Malta and Newfoundland, Canada. They had 4 children.
    
    
  • Marianne Scarlett (1842-1929) who emigrated to Australia in 1963 and married Richard Francis Woodcraft (1846-1908) on 31 May 1866 In Brisbane, Queensland. They had 10 children and have numerous descendants in Australia.
    
    
  • Charles Scarlett (c.1845-1866), He was a non-commissioned army instructor in Ireland and did not marry. He died and was buried at Sixmilebridge.
    
  • Anna Scarlett (c.1848-1860) died as a child at Sixmilebridge.
    
    
  • Emma Scarlett (c.1850-1916) aka Coz Jenny. She was the mistress at Sixmilebridge before emigrating to Australia. She lived in a women's hostel, Lady Musgrave Lodge, and was recalled as "a rather eccentric old lady" who had a dog which preformed tricks. She died on 26 December 1916 and is buried in a rather elaborate grave at South Brisbane Cemetery.
    
    
  • Jane Scarlett (dates unknown) was recalled by a family member to have emigrated to Australia with her sister Emma, but no record has yet been found.
    
    
  • William Haughton Scarlett (1854-1908) married Margaret Harrison Thompson (1863-1916) on 8 July 1889 at Christchurch, New Zealand. He was a brewer who founded his own brewery in Christchurch NZ in 1882, then in c.1900 took up a position with Swan Brewery in Perth, Western Australia. He died on 5 January 1908 at Cottesloe, Western Australia. William and Margaret had 5 children who settled in Western Australia.
    
    
  • Francis Scarlett (?-1868) is thought from his will to belong to this family. He died in 1868 in County Cavan.
    
    
• Thomas Scarlett (c.1810-1853) married Ellen Ferguson (1820-1887) on 21 January 1840 in Limerick, Ireland. Thomas had followed his brother William into the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1832, also recommended by Mr Crowes He was a Sergeant on 28 January 1853 he and his two Constables were assassinated by Fenians at Lisdoonvarna, County Clare. His widow and four sons went to America, where her late husband's cousin Robert was in business.
  
  
  • William Wellington Scarlett (1841-1825) married Diademia Smallwood Hider (1844-1921). They had 4 sons.
    
    
  • Robert Wetmore Scarlett (1844-1897) was badly wounded early in the Civil War. He later founded the successful Ramsay Scarlett shipping company. He married Anna Carrington Brown (1846-1910) on 13 April 1860 at Somerset, New Jersey and they had 5 children.
    
    
  • Colonel Thomas Scarlet Jr. (1846-1920) was a drummer boy in the army of the North during the Civil War and was promoted to Full Corporal on 1 May 1865. He was later a Postmaster in Baltimore. He married (1) Mary Jane Daymond (1849-1908) on 13 September 1867 and they had 4 children. He then married (2) Mary Norris McCann Walker (1846-1916) on 17 July 1913.
    
    
  • Jane Scarlett (1847-1855) did not go to the USA with her mother and older siblings in 1853. She died at age 8 at Sixmilebridge, County Clare.
    
    
  • Richard Lancelot (Francis) Scarlett (1850-1925) arrived in the USA in 1864, a decade later than his siblings. He married Kathryn Geary (1850-1907) on 1 November 1876 at Cook, Illinois and they had 2 children.
    
    
• Isabella Scarlett (c.1812-?). Nothing is known of her.
  
  
• Launcelot Scarlett (c.1814-1894) married Catherine Tubman on 8 November 1847 at Templeport, County Cavan. He was a farmer, mentioned in the Griffith Valuations as living at Ray, Gortaclogher, Templeport. He died on 17 August 1894 at Rey, Gortaclogher, Templeport. Launcelot and Catherine had 4 children:
  
  
  • William Lancelot Scarlett (1850-1924), emigrated to Ohio, USA where he married Myra Belle Siebert. They had 5 children.
    
    
  • Robert Scarlett (1854-1895) was a farmer on his father's property. He had epilepsy from childhood and did not marry.
    
    
  • John Scarlett (1847-1899) also stayed in the family property. He did not marry. 
    
    
  • Margaret Scarlett (c.1858-?). Nothing is known of her.
    
    
• Christopher Scarlett (c.1819-1894) joined the Royal Irish Constabulary in 1839, recommended by George Finlay JP. He had 31 years of service in Co Down and was promoted to Sergeant. He married Mary Rowe on 14 December 1847 in County Down, Ireland. They had 2 daughters.
  
  
• Edward Scarlett (c.1818-1889) married a cousin Catherine Scarlett in c.1847 Ireland. He emigrated with his family to Ohio, USA. Edward died on 15 February 1889 at Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Edward and Catherine had 5 children, all born in Ireland:
  
  
  • Margaret Scarlett (1848-1906) who married Henry Dewar (1839-?) on 5 September 1875 at Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
    
    
  • Edward Scarlett (1852-1905) married (1) Mary Jane Love (1855-1901) on 5 September 1876 at Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They had no children. Married (2) Pauline Oeh née Degischer (1859-1944) on 3 February 1902 at Hamilton, Ohio, USA.
    
    
  • Mary Jane Scarlett (1855-1932) married David Love (1855-1880) on 17 September 1875 at Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. They had 2 children.
    
    
  • Robert Scarlett (1859-1890). He was a carpenter; did not marry.
    
    
  • Letitia Scarlett (c.1863-?) may have married John Smith on 5 April 1887 at Hamilton, Ohio, US.
    
    
• Three other daughters, including Letitia Scarlett, Jane Scarlett and possibly a Frances Scarlett who died in 1868 in County Cavan. One of these daughters married Matthew Rooney and had a son James Rooney. Matthew farmed with his brother-in-law James Scarlett.
  

It is interesting to note that Robert and Mary Scarlett must have valued education for at least the sons in their large family. Three of their sons joined the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC). Recruits accepted into the RIC had to have a level of education above that of the local population. They were required to be vouched for by the local gentry or clergy with testimonials as to their character and deportment. Their duties were varied and along with the local priest or clergy, policemen often provided the only source of reading and numeracy skills in the parish. They regularly attended social functions and important gatherings in their assigned rural communities. Except for periods of civil unrest when confrontations often led to bloody and violent interaction, life for the policeman held a certain amount of privilege and prestige.

  
           Driveway of Ray, Templeport Co Cavin in 2009                        'St Peter across the water' at Templeport, Co Cavan        

 

Robert Scarlett and Isabella Elliott, my great-great-grandparents   

Robert Scarlett (c.1804-1841), the third son of Robert Scarlett and Mary Tubman, was born circa 1804 at Ray, Templeport, County Cavan. He was a farmer of Ballygovern, Drumreilly, County Cavan. He married Isabella Elliott on 21 November 1839 in Killeshandra, Co Cavan. He died on 1 July 1841, four months before his only child, George Scarlett, was born.

Isabella Elliott (1799-1875) was one of the seven children of Francis Elliott (c.1754-1840) of Condry, Derrylane, County Cavan, and his wife Mary Ann (c.1774-1834). Isabella had one child, George Scarlett, who spent the first years of his life with her at Condry, where she had returned after her husband died. Isabella died on 26 July 1875 at Killeshandra, County Cavan. In a letter from Condry dated 16 February 1876, Isabella's brother John Elliott wrote to a nephew in Australia: Mrs Scarlet [sic] is now no more. She died in harvest last; her son, George, used to send her some help from England. Poor Isabella, she had foolish ideas and strange notions which did her much harm. I trust that her Saviour had a home for her, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.

George Scarlett and Ann Devine, my great-grandparents   

George Scarlett (1841-1915) was the son of Robert Scarlett and Isabella Elliott. He was born on 16 November 1841 at Templeport, County Cavan, four months after his father's death. He and his mother went to her family home at Condry, Killeshandra, where George spent his early years.

When he reached school age, George was 'adopted' by his uncle William Scarlett and went to live in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, where he had cousins of a similar age. In moving away from the north of Ireland, George found himself the only Protestant boy in a class full of Roman Catholics. The story goes that he was set upon by another boy who hoped to punish him for his failure to be a Catholic. Young George floored him, then had to beat off two boys, and finally three, before the local priest became aware of what was happening and intervened. The teacher, it seems, was the motivator of the whole incident. [Dorothy Scarlett's recollections of her grandfather]

The next we know of George is that he appears to have eloped with Ann Devine (1844-1915) to Liverpool. Two children were born, Robert in May 1864 and Margaret in August 1865. Then, on 28 September 1865, George Scarlett and Ann Devine were married in the church of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Liverpool. It can be assumed that Ann had now turned 21 and so no longer needed a parent's permission to marry. George gave his occupation as a porter, probably a railway porter, and their address as Porter Street, which was near the Mersey waterfront and less than a mile from the church.

                                  
    Ann Devine and George Scarlett at their marriage in 1865                    Our Lady and St Nicholas, Liverpool 

Ann Devine had been born in circa 1844 at Killeshandra, County Cavan. She was the daughter of Francis Devine (c.1815-1893), a shoemaker, and Margaret Pearson (1812-1894). Margaret was the daughter of David Pearson and sister of Thomas Pearson, who died in the USA. Ann Devine had six siblings, including a brother Francis Devine (c.1853-1906) who later lived with the Scarlett family in Liverpool and travelled to Australia with Ann.

George Scarlett and Ann Devine had 12 children (including two who died in infancy and two who were stillborn):

• Robert Campbell Scarlett (1864-1924) was born on 7 May 1864 at Patricroft, Greater Manchester, and baptised on 20 November 1864 at Holy Trinity, Birkenhead, Cheshire. In April 1882, he arrived in Australia, with his mother and siblings, as an assisted immigrant on the Hereford. He married (1) Emily Florence Hancock (1866-1929) on 11 May 1886 at Darlinghurst, New South Wales. They divorced in 1906 and he married (2) Margaret Boundy (1881-1979) on 5 June 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria. He died on 24 March 1924 at South Yarra, Victoria.
  Robert and his first wife Emily had five children:      

  • Robert Dalley Scarlett (1887-1959). He was an organist and musicologist and was the first Australian-born recipient of a Doctor of Music. He married (1) Gertrude Alice Peir (1886-1970) in 1909 in Sydney; they had two children: Grahame Yorke Dalley Scarlett (1910-1979) and Hubert St Pierre Bach Dalley Scarlett (1914-1995).
    That marriage was dissolved and Robert married (2) Joyce Buckingham in 1930 in Brisbane, Queensland. He died in 1959 at Brisbane, Queensland.

  • Dorothy Evelyn Emily Scarlett (1889-1958) was born at Darlinghurst, New South Wales and died in 1958 at Petersham, New South Wales. She was a nurse and did not marry.

  • Mildred Maude Yorke Scarlett (1891-1892) was born at Neutral Bay, New South Wales and died aged 4 months in 1892 at Stanmore, New South Wales.

  • Egerton Cedric Scarlett (1899-1949) was born in 1899 at Stanmore, New South Wales. He married Olive Emily Fenwick (1900-1984) in 1929 at Darlinghurst, New South Wales; they had no children. He died in 1949 at West Maitland, New South Wales.

  • Wilfrid James Lea Scarlett (1904-1951) was born at Stanmore, New South Wales. He married Constance Mary Tuttell (1905-1988) in 1927 at Newtown, New South Wales. They had 3 children: Geoffrey Anthony Gerard Scarlett, Errol James Lea Scarlett and Janice Ursula Scarlett. Wilfrid died in 1988 at Roseville, New South Wales.
    

• Margaret Scarlett (1865-1916) was born on 28 August 1865 at Peasley Cross, St Helens, Lancashire, and was baptised at the nearby St Peter's, Parr. Her parents married in Liverpool 4 weeks after her birth. With her mother and siblings, she came to Australia in 1882 on the Hereford, to join her father. They travelled as assisted immigrants and her occupation was given as Domestic Servant.
  In 1886, Margaret was described in the Bulletin as "a young and highly attractive Sydney lady". This description was on the occasion of her marriage on 30 August 1886, without her father’s permission, to Mei Quong Tart (1850-1903), a respected and well-known Chinese identity in Sydney society. They had first met several years earlier, on a family holiday, and married two days after Margaret's 21st birthday. Her father, George Scarlett, was furious and demanded that that each member of the family should swear on the Bible not to have anything to do with her ever again. Several of them refused and continued to defy his edict. He later relented and was a chief mourner at his son-in-law's funeral. Margaret died on 27 July 1916 at Ashfield, New South Wales. Mei Quong Tart had died 13 years earlier. They had 6 children:

  • Ann Alice Vine Tart (1887-1946) was born at Waverly, New South Wales. She died in 1946 at Manly, New South Wales. She married Douglas Edward Davidson (1874-1956) and they had one child, Douglas Bruce Davidson (1918-1980)

  • Henrietta (Ettie) Isabella Margaret Tart (1890-1942) was born at Ashfield,New South Wales, and died in 1945 at Ashfied. She married John Henry McEvoy (1893-1945) in 1913 in Sydney. They had 3 children.
          John Henry McEvoy (1915-1963) who married Lois Beale Meldrum (1921-1996); they had seven children
          Robert Andrew McEvoy (1917-1993) who married Heather Jean Macdonald (1915-1990); they had three children
          Cettien McEvoy (1919-1984) who married Jacques Helenus Thesingh (?-c.1970); they had one daughter

  • Arthur Malcolm Quong Tart (1892-1927) was born at Ashfield, New South Wales, and died in 1927 in Sandgate, Queensland. He did not marry.

  • Maggie Winifred Georgina Tart (1897-1917) was born  at Ashfield, New South Wales, and died in 1917 in Sydney.

  • Florence Gertrude Elliott Tart (1898-1949) was born at Ashfield, New South Wales, and died in 1949 at Waterfall, New South Wales. She did not marry.

  • George Henry Bruce Quong Tart (1903-1970) was born in 1903 at Ashfield, New South Wales, and died in 1970 in Sydney. He married Marie Gabrielle Byrne (1911-1973) in 1930 at Hornsby. They had 2 children.
     

• George William Scarlett (1867-1928) was born on 26 April 1867 at Halewood, Lancashire and baptised on 7 July 1867 at Hale, Lancashire. He arrived in Australia as an assisted immigrant on the Hereford, with his mother and siblings in April 1882. He married Jane Adelaide McMurtrie (1874-1949) on 26 Mar 1894 at Ashfield, New South Wales. He died on 1 Aug 1928 at "The Braes", Arthur Street, Ashfield, New South Wales. George and Jane had 2 sons:

  • George Alan Scarlett (1900-1967) was born at Ashfield and died in 1967 in Sydney. He married Winifred Avice Harrison in 1938 in Sydney.

  • Philip Maxwell Scarlett (1911-2000) was born at Ashfield and died in 2000 at Killara. He married Elmer Nancy (Pril) Edwards in 1938 in Sydney.
    

• John (Jack) Scarlett (1869-1957) was born on 22 January 1869 at 35 Moorgate Street, Edge Hill, Lancashire and baptised on 6 February 1869 at nearby St Catherine's, Edge Hill. He came to Australia in 1880 with his father, ahead of the rest of the family. He became a bank manager. He married Lucy Rachel Hirst (1873-1946) in 1896 at St Peters, New South Wales. He died on 9 September 1957 at Gulgong, New South Wales. Jack and Lucy had 4 children:

  • John Alistair Scarlett (1897-1963) was born at St Peters and died in 1963 in Gulgong. He did not marry.

  • Muriel Irene Scarlett (1899-1995) was born at Marrickville and died in 1995 in Mudgee. She married Francis Harold Wisbey (1898-1979) in 1942 in Sydney.

  • Dorothy Anne Selby Scarlett (1902-1996) was born in South Africa and died in 1996 in Gulgong. She did not marry.

  • George Frederick Arnott Scarlett (1907-1998) was born in South Africa and died in 1998 in Gulgong. He did not marry.
    

Isabella Scarlett (1870-1952), my grandmother, was born on 19 December 1870 at 35 Moorgate Street, Edge Hill, Lancashire, but not baptised until 29 November 1875 at St Peter's Liverpool, Lancashire. She arrived in Australia as an assisted immigrant on the Hereford, with her mother and siblings in April 1882. She married John William Walter Croker on 16 September 1891 at All Saints, Petersham, New South Wales. She died on 6 May 1952 at "Clermiston", 29 Boundary Street, Roseville, New South Wales. Isabella and John had 11 children:

• Annie Isobel Croker (1892-1967) was known as Nance. She was born on 4 August 1892 at Five Dock, New South Wales. She ran a boarding school for girls, Brighton College, Manly. She did not marry. She died in 1967 at St Leonards, New South Wales.
  
  
• John William Croker (1893-1964) was known as Jack. He was born on 9 August 1893 at Five Dock, New South Wales. He served in WW1 and then went on the land at Cootamundra, New South Wales. He married Gwendoline Bucknell (1899-1982) on 8 March 1934 at Sydney. He died in 1964 at Cootamundra. Jack and Gwen had 4 children:
  • Peter (John Geoffrey) Croker (1924-2003) who married Kathleen Ogilvie (1928-2019); they had 3 children.
  • Judith Ann Croker (1925-1928)
  • Pamela Alison Croker (1926-2010) who married David Bruce Pillinger (1917-1991); they had 4 children.
  • Gwendoline Jill (1928-2020) who married Richard John Moore (1921-1984); they had 2 children.
    
    
• Margaret Hilda Croker (1895-1971) was known as Hilda. She was born in 1895 at Five Dock, New South Wales. She married Kirby Vincent Dixon (1889-1964) on 8 January 1925 at Lindfield, New South Wales; they had no children. She died in 1971 at Brisbane, Queensland.
  
  
• Beatrice Evelyn Croker (1897-1912) was known as Evelyn. She was born in 1897 at Five Dock, New South Wales and died at age 14 in 1912 at Ashfield, New South Wales.
  
  
• Ettie Winifred Croker (1898-1981) was born in 1898 at Five Dock, New South Wales. She married Howard Gilbert Dunn (1893-1973) in 1924 at Chatswood, New South Wales; they divorced in 1933. They had had and lost two children, Isobel Winifred Dunn (1925-1926) and Mary Dunn (who died at birth in 1927). Ettie died in 1981 in Brisbane.
  
• Alice Mabel Yorke Croker (1901-1987) was known as Mabel. She was born in 1901 at Five Dock, New South Wales. She married Malcolm Russell Macdonald (1904-1983) in 1935 at Brisbane, Queensland; they had twin sons. Mabel died in 1987 in Redcliffe, Queensland.
  
  
• Lillian Mary Croker (1903-1966) was born in 1903 at Five Dock, New South Wales. She had a very successful nursing career and did not marry. She died in 1966 at St Leonards, New South Wales.
  
  
• Walter Graham Croker (1903-1907) was born in 1903 at Five Dock, New South Wales and died there in 1907, at age 3 years 11 months.
  
  
• Norman George Henderson Croker (1906-1960) was born in 1906 at Five Dock, New South Wales. He was a prisoner of war in Europe in WW2. He married his maternal second cousin Annabel May Cameron (1910-1997) in 1948 in Brisbane, Queensland; they had two children. He died in 1960 at Killara, New South Wales.
  
  
• Thomas Bruce Croker (1908-1975) was born in 1908 at Five Dock, New South Wales. He married (1) Ruth Harris Fayle (1909-1955) in 1934 at Annandale, NSW; they had one child. He married (2) Elizabeth Agnes Peacock (1896-1972) in 1958 in Sydney; she had one son from her first marriage. He died in 1975 in Greenwich, New South Wales.
  
  
• Catherine Grace McLean Croker (1914-1976) was born in 1914 at Ashfield, New South Wales. She married Graeme John Coates (1915-1983) in 1942 at Roseville, New South Wales; they had three children. She died in 1976 at Bowral, New South Wales.
  
  

• Elizabeth Scarlett (1872-1873) was born on 4 May 1872 at 24 Moorgate Street, Edge Hill, Lancashire. She was baptised on 6 June 1873 at St Catherine’s, Edge Hill and died on 13 June 1873 at Edge Hill, Lancashire and was interred in Smithdown Lane Cemetery.

• Edith Scarlett (1874-1875) was born on 4 April 1874 at Frances Street, Crewe, Cheshire and baptised on 4 November 1874 at Christ Church, Crew. She died on 15 March 1875 at Crewe, Cheshire.

• Henrietta (Ettie) Scarlett (1875-1957) was born on 27 April 1875 at Whitmore Station House, Staffordshire and baptised on 10 September 1876 at St Peter's Liverpool, Lancashire. She arrived in Australia as an assisted immigrant on the Hereford, with her mother and siblings in April 1882. She married Frederick Wilkin (1876-1928) on 24 November 1898 at Petersham, New South Wales. She died on 29 June 1957 at Sydney, New South Wales. Ettie and Frederick had 7 children:

  • Ann Isabella Margaret Wilkin (1899-1978) was born in 1899 at Ashfield, New South Wales. She married Daniel Robert Peterson (1899-1961) in 1928 at Sydney, New South Wales. She died in 1979 at New South Wales. They had two children.

  • Marjorie Henrietta Wilkin (1904-1993) was born in 1904 at Ashfield, New South Wales. She married George Bertram Unwin (1906-1979) in 1930 at Bulli, New South Wales. She died in 1933 at New South Wales.

  • Charles Frederick Wilkin (1907-1987) was born in 1907 at Ashfield, New South Wales. He married Jessie Wilson Macmillan (?-1965) in 1939 at Sydney, New South Wales. He died in 1987 at New South Wales.

  • George Martin Wilkin (1908-1993) was born at Ashfield, New South Wales. He married Bernice Agnes Smithhurst Bembrick (1910-1992) in 1949 at Broken Hill, New South Wales. He died in 1993 at Sydney, New South Wales.

  • Dorothy May Wilkin (1910-1983) was born at Ashfield, New South Wales. She married George Wilkinson Green (1908-1982) in 1932 at Sydney, New South Wales. She died in 1983 at Sydney, New South Wales.

  • Harold Gordon Wilkin (1912-1989) was born at Ashfield, New South Wales. He married Dora Jean Legge-Willis (1915-1963) in 1942 at St George's Cathedral, Jerusalem.St George's Cathedral, Jerusalem, Palestine. He died in 1989 at New South Wales.

  • Joan Wilkin (1916-1927) was born in 1916 at Ashfield, New South Wales. She died at age 10 in 1927 at Summer Hill, New South Wales.
    

• Stillborn boy Scarlett (1877) was born on 14 June, 1877 at Warrington and was interred on 16 June 1877at Warrington, Lancashire.

• James York Scarlett (1878-1878) was born on 30 May 1878 at White Street, Warrington, Lancashire and baptised at St. Catherine’s Church, Edge Hill. He died on 12 September 1878 at 14 Ridgeway Street, Liverpool and was interred in Low Hill Necropolis.

• Stillborn girl Scarlett (1880) was born at 14 Ridgeway Street, Liverpool, date unknown, and was interred in Low Hill Necropolis.

• Francis James Yorke Scarlett (1883-1949) was born on 3 February 1883 at Orimbah Terrace, 284 King Street, Newtown, New South Wales, the only one of George and Ann's children to be born in Australia. He married Martha (Pattie) Hibbert (1894-1978) in 1911 at Sydney, New South Wales. He died on 20 September 1949 at Sydney, New South Wales. Francis and Martha had one child:

  • Annie Scarlett (1913-1999) was born in 1913 at Cowra, New South Wales. She married Henry George Foster (1887-1965) in 1945 at Manly, New South Wales and they had 2 children. Annie died in 1999 in New South Wales.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scarlett family in Liverpool in 1880 just before George left for Australia
standing:  John Scarlett, Margaret Scarlett, George Scarlett, Robert Campbell Scarlett
seated: George William Scarlett, Ann Scarlett née Devine with Henrietta on her knee, Isabella Scarlett

 

 

 

George Scarlett in the Railways

When he moved to Liverpool in circa 1862, George Scarlett started in the service of the London North-Western Railway. Founded in 1846 with the amalgamation of three Railway Companies, the company initially had a network of approximately 350 miles (560 km) connecting London with Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.

From his children's baptisms in the Family Bible and from other records, it is possible to follow George's changes in appointment and his family's frequent relocations. In May 1864, he was living in Patricroft in what is now Greater Manchester, but by November 1864 he was living at 88 Watson Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire, and gave his occupation as a labourer; he was a porter living at Porter Street Liverpool in 1865; a Signalman at Halebank in 1867; a Railway Agent living in Staffordshire in 1870; a Railway Clerk living in Overbury Street, Edge Hill, on the 1871 census (where Ann was recorded as a 'provision dealer'); a Railway Guard living at Moorgate Street, Edge Hill, in 1873; Inspector of the Crewe-Hollinsend railway and living in Crewe, Cheshire in 1874; Stationmaster and Goods Agent living at Whitmore Station House in Staffordshire in 1875; and then held the same position at Warrington Station, Lancashire by 1878. Next he was Assistant Traffic Inspector at Edge Hill Station, Liverpool, and from there he went to Peasley Cross as the St Helen’s District Traffic Inspector.

After hearing encouraging accounts from friends in Australia, George decided to emigrate with his family. He resigned his position in the London North-Western Railway in 1880, receiving excellent testimonials. On his arrival in New South Wales he entered the Railway department on 15 December 1880. As a stationmaster, he relieved at all the important stations on the different lines, including  Gundagai, Guyra, and a total of two years at the old Redfern Station when it was the principal Sydney Terminal, located between Cleveland Street and where Central Station is now located. The present Redfern Station was called Eveleigh Station until 1906. George Scarlett was appointed Stationmaster at Petersham, on 13 June 1892, on a salary of £275 per annum (with an allowance of £50 in lieu of rent). He remained at Petersham for 14 years, until his retirement.

George Scarlett's retirement was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald on 3 December 1903:
Last night Mr G. Scarlett was entertained at the Petersham Town Hall and tendered a presentation upon his retirement from the Railway Department as stationmaster at Petersham. The presentation took the form of an illuminated address, a gold watch and chain, and some silver for the afternoon tea table. The Mayor of Petersham (Alderman P. Hordern), who presided, spoke of the esteem in which Mr Scarlett had been held, and of his good repute in the service. Mr J.J. Cohen, M.L.A., also complimented Mr Scarlett upon his 14 years’ honourable service at Petersham. Mr Scarlett responded. A musical programme was contributed to by several artists. Mr C.H. Crammond was the hon. secretary of a successful function.

   
                   George Scarlett and staff at Petersham Station                             Illuminated address presented 1903

 

George Scarlett's obituary was published in The Daily Telegraph on 22 Jan 1915:

THE LATE MR. GEORGE SCARLETT

The funeral of Mr. George Scarlett took place yesterday from his residence, Addison Road, Marrickville.

Mr. Scarlett was born In County Fernamagh, Ireland, In 1842, and joined the London and North-Western Railway Company in England 1862. He was made an Inspector of the Crewe-Hollinsend system, having for his colleagues the late Mr. M. J. Eddy and Mr. Price, who afterwards was a stationmaster in South Africa. As a stationmaster in New South Wales, he opened up the Bourke and Wollongong lines. He was stationmaster at Redfern and Gundagai, and finally, in 1890, was appointed stationmaster at Petersham, which position he occupied until his retirement on a pension in 1908, when he was the recipient of an Illuminated address and several presentations from the residents of Petersham and Marrickville. He was a member of the Petersham Bowling Club, and of the Prince Alfred Masonic Lodge (Petersham). Mr. Scarlett leaves a widow, four sons, and three daughters. The Rev. William T. Prentice, of All Saint's (Church of England), Petersham, read a service at the house, and also the burial service at the graveside, Rookwood. W.M., Bro. G. H. Crammond, also rend the Masonic burial service, assisted by Mr. A.H. Price.

The Gundagai Independent and Pastoral, Agricultural and Mining Advocate on 23 Jan 1915:

George Scarlett, aged 73. father-in-law of the deceased Quong Tart, one time tea prince of Sydney.

George and Ann Scarlett remembered

Recollections of Mabel Macdonald (née Croker), daughter of Isabella Croker (née Scarlett).

On the whole, I’d say the Scarletts were rather a colourful crowd (no pun intended!). They were reasonably handsome and exuded a certain charm. They were haughty and most of them quick-tempered, indeed fiery in some cases.

Apparently punctuality was not their strong point. According to my mother they were frequently late for church. No matter how late, they had to go. Grandma [Ann Scarlett nee Devine] was very strict on that point. One Sunday they were very late, arriving just as the sermon was about to start, with the text ‘Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow’ – much to the discomfort of the late-comers.

I remember my grandparents George and Ann very well indeed. We saw them frequently and it was a special treat to be allowed to stay a night or two when we were quite young. When old enough – when living at Ashfield – we could take ourselves to see them at Addison Road and I don’t suppose a week went by without seeing them. I knew and remember all the Scarlett aunts and uncles, except Uncle Bob.

Grandpa [George Scarlett] was handsome and vain. He was high-handed and hot-tempered. He could turn on the charm at will and was a past-master of flattery. When Auntie Maggie married Quong Tart he was furious and demanded that all the family should swear on the Bible not to have anything to do with her. My mother flatly refused. He said he’d cut her off with a shilling. She replied ‘Keep it and give it to Frank’, Frank was the youngest and ‘the only one born in Australia’, so he was very spoilt. As a young man he’d run up bills for perfumes and music etc. for his lady friends and Grandpa would pay up – not without noisy protest.

Grandpa’s gallant manner may have earned him the name of “a ladies’ man”. My mother often said that when he spoke to a woman he made her feel a person of importance. (No doubt, he forgot her immediately afterwards). He had a dimple in his chin, of which he was very proud. One day he referred to it and said: ‘You know I have a dimple in my chin, Ann?’
- ‘Have you, George?’
- ‘You do know I have.’
- ‘If you say so, George’ and so on, whereupon he shaved off his beard to prove it. Ann said ‘I knew you had it. I didn’t say you hadn’t.’
I love that story. It showed Ann had quite a bit of spunk.

 I didn’t have the impression that Grandpa liked us very much but he always gave us threepence each when we visited Addison Road.

Grandma [Ann Scarlett née Devine] was a contrast to George – no fuss and bluster about her! She was strong beneath her quiet manner. She was not emotional nor very demonstrative. She had tremendous fortitude and dependability. I couldn’t have put that into words as a child, but she always gave me a safe feeling. She was a very special person to me, whether she knew it or not. I was not a demonstrative child. Some years after her death I was told by my mother that I had always been Grandma’s favourite, which pleased me tremendously.

When I was young and foolish I went with a friend to a fortune-teller who told me my grandmother would always watch over me. If there is anything in that sort of thing I could well believe it as I have had a fortunate life.

Grandma never raised her voice to reprimand her children, yet had complete control. She was brought up a Methodist and was inclined to pray over them, rather than chastise them. My mother used to say ‘Beat me, Mother, but don’t pray over me!’ She always knew when she was in for trouble as she’d be called Isabella instead of Belle. One cold winter’s night she was in bed suspiciously quickly, so:-
‘Isabella, have you said your prayers?’
‘Yes, Mother.’
‘Isabella, I repeat, have you said your prayers?’
‘Yes, Mother. I said them seven times last night, for the whole week.’ ‘Get out, and say them now and every night.’

She was evidently a wise person. She knew my mother visited Aunty Maggie [who was married to Mei Quong Tart], yet never let on. No doubt, in her wisdom, she felt justified in keeping in contact with Maggie through my mother. She was always eager to get all the latest news. Of course, my mother was free from any parental control after her marriage.

Grandma was very fond of birds. She had a cockatoo in a big cage in the kitchen, two magpies (Billy and Bella) and a seagull which roamed the garden. It used to amuse me when a magpie would leave a dropping on the verandah and she’d always say ‘Oh dear, Billy has dropped a sixpence.’ She also loved her flower garden, just about every flower she could think of. She didn’t like picking them much – preferred to see them growing in the garden. It was a great mark of favour to be given a flower.

Recollections of Marjory Unwin (née Wilkin), daughter of Ettie Wilkin (née) Scarlett

My grandparents, George and Ann Scarlett, were magnificent people; I have never met finer people. They were generous to a fault. Grandpa was a gentleman; Grandma was a lady. They had a lovely home where we were always welcome. To put it in a nutshell, they were delightful people.

I am not sure of the name of their home but I certainly remember the birds and animals they had there. My sister, Isa, and I, who used to go down there frequently, were scared of the magpie and the seagull that they kept in their garden. Magpies have a peculiar way of getting wild at times, and when the magpie was in a vicious state my sister Isa used to pull a piece of stick from the plumbago hedge that they had, to protect us. One day when I had fallen over, I had a bandage on my knee. The magpie flew from the tree, pulled the bandage off and went up into the tree with it. Grandma had to put a dressing on it.

Grandpa in his early days had a dog but I can’t remember a cat. In the early days they had a horse and sulky; later on they didn’t have any animals at all. Grandpa used to get very upset because the dog had a habit of wandering. In those days there were huge paddocks and lots of unsettled country and the dog, Carlo, would go away for days and days. I do not know what kind of dog it was, but it was a big dog.

Grandpa owned a cottage behind his home. He had an enormous garden with trees - everything. As the land was so large he built another cottage at the side, facing Addison-road, adjoining his place. There were the three cottages, but later on he sold the property at the back. His property was in Addison-road, next to the military camp. His house faced Addison-road also.

They used to have a State girl living there from time to time (in those days they used to have State girls) but there was no-one else living there except when Cousin Jackie came to stay when he attended Newington. Normally they were on their own. Later, Uncle Frank and Pattie and little Annie [Francis James Yorke Scarlett, his wife and daughter] lived there. When Uncle Frank joined the army he was stationed next door at the camp, and he was able to come home at night. After Grandpa died Auntie Pattie stayed on.

          

Charles Scarlett, Thomas Haughton Scarlett and William Haughton Scarlett, Sixmilebride, c1865
sons of William Scarlett and Jane Haughton




Emma Scarlett aka Coz Jenny with her dog
daughter of William Scarlett and Jane Haughton




Marianne Woodcraft née Scarlett
daughter of William Scarlett and Jane Haughton




Ann Devine and George Scarlett
thought to be taken on their wedding day in 1865




The Scarlett family in Liverpool 1880
standing: John, Margaret, George Snr. Robert
seated: George William, Ann with Henrietta, Isabella




George Scarlett




Robert Cambell Scarlett
son of Ann and George Scarlett




Margaret Tart 1886
daughter of Ann and George Scarlett




George William Scarlett
son of Ann and George Scarlett




Henrietta Wilkins, Margaret Tart, Isabella Croker
daughters of Ann and George Scarlett




Francis James Yorke Scarlett
the Youngest of Ann and George's children
 and the only one born in Australia



Isabella née Scarlett and John William Walter Croker
in c1891





Margaret née Scarlett and Quong Tart





Robert Dalley Scarlett
son of Robert Campbell Scarlett
and Emily Florence Hancock



Isabella Croker née Scarlett seated in front of most of her children and some grandchildren.