Thomas and Hester

I found this photo amongst my mother's collection, which we're just having another sort through. It's Milliman Thomas Joyce and his wife, Hester, nee Harwood.

Typically, they're taking the occasion very seriously, particularly Hester, whose voluminous dress hides her figure almost completely.

Thomas Milliman Joyce turns up...

Earlier this year, one of the librarians at the Dunedin Public Library wrote to me, in reponse to an enquiry I'd made about Thomas Milliman Joyce. I've mentioned this previously in this blog. I've finally received the piece of paper from NZ and here's what's printed on it. Note that Thomas Milliman Joyce has got his name around the wrong way, which might account for some of the confusion about where he was and so on.

Summary of information on Lee Stream and Traquair P.O.s

Lee Stream, from the beginning of the settlement, lay on one of the routes used by horsemen riding to inland sheep runs, and is said to have had an accommodation house of sorts as early as 1858. its importance increased rapidly when much of the same route was used by the miners going first to the West Otago rushes after mid-1861 and then to the Dunstan the following year.

Robert and Elizabeth Simmers, who had been living in Melbourne, crossed the Tasman in April 1862 with three young children, and built the long stone building which was to serve as the Lee Stream general store, with a ‘bush licence,’ during the following years.

Although mail passed this way at various times in the early years, Lee Stream did not itself become a post office until October 1, 1876; and for many years thereafter the post office operated in conjunction with the store and hotel, and either form the building that Simmers had erected, or, possibly, from a lean-to attached.

These are the early postmasters recorded on John Slattery’s cards, and all are verified as publicans from directories and other sources:

Jane Snow, from October 1, 1876

William Wallace, July 1, 1882, (then the Carrier Arms Hotel)

Henry Phillips, April 1, 1887

D. McDermid, July 1, 1889

P. Ferguson, September 1, 1891

John McEwan, April 1, 1894.

Whether the list is complete is not certain. A William Nicholson, who appears in Stone’s [Directory] as a publican, for instance, does not appear on Slattery’s list of postmasters; and the complete list of ownerships and leases of the pub has not yet been established by those researching it.

On May 24, 1895, the post office temporarily closed for a period of approximately ten weeks. This may have coincided with a fire in the pub which took place about this time. The Post Office reopened on August 2, 1895, and as the next Post Master was the publican, it presumably reopened at the store by the hotel.

Thomas Joyce Milliman, August 2, 1895

Mary Johnston, May 25, 1896

John Wellman, June 1, 1898

James Borthwick, February 14, 1899

Once again it is not certain whether the list is all inclusive.

Flora and Thomas Joyce

I've had a bit of a discussion with Des Stokes about his mother-in-law, Flora living at some point in Hindon, and his understanding is as follows.

Flora Joyce, as she was then, lived in the Lee Stream Hotel (I remember hearing this too). Whether her father (Thomas Joyce) ran the hotel at that time or not, we don't as yet know - though's that an avenue someone might be able to investigate. It seems that Flora might have gone on horseback to school at Hindon - again something that rings a bell with me. Des thought she also learned the piano at Lee Stream - or maybe at Hindon School. (Presumably there are school records for Hindon School, if it still exists.)

Des also reminded me of another point about Thomas Joyce - he died of 'softening of the brain.' Not a very complimentary-sounding statement, though Des suspects it probably had something to do with dementia, rather than a physical softening (!)

He also thought that Thomas might have done some goldmining up Hindon/Lee Stream way. Flora's wedding ring was made from gold got from that area, but whether he mined the gold himself, or bought it, isn't clear.

I'm assuming I'm correct in thinking this is Flora as a child, and also with her father, but correct me if I'm wrong!