Amenuensis Monday: Will - Edward Daw of Tingalpa

Photo of Edward and Alice Sophia Daw courtesy of Alan Gibbs

This story is about my husband's side of the family.  Edward Daw is not a direct relation.  He is the brother of my husband's great-great-grandfather - Thomas Daw - or in other words his 2nd great grand uncle.  Having said that, he was much loved by Thomas' grandchildren for helping them in their early adult years when they were trying to make their own way, without the assistance of their father or grandfather. 

Edward was a dairyman at Tingalpa, Brisbane in Queensland, Australia.  Thomas, his brother, was a butcher by trade.They were the youngest of five children born of William Daw and Mary Anstey of Bradninch, Devon, England.

We decided to obtain Edward's will to try and find out a bit more about this kind man who provided a sulky for my husband's grandather's wedding and who helped the family out financially when my husband's grandmother was ill.

We obtained a copy of the will from Queensland State Archives. You can find out about Wills here. Edward's will is Item Number ID743962 (SCT/P2147) - No. 20 of 1938.  One of the added bonuses about getting a will is you get the death certificate as well.  Including postage, it cost $12.60 in September 2009.

The will is brief and to the point and reads as follows:

This is the last will and testament of me Edward Daw of Tingalpa.  After payment of all my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, I give, devise, and bequeath unto my wife Alice Sophia Daw of Tingalpa the whole of my real and personal estate whatsoever and wheresover situated.  And as to the residue and remainder of all my real and personal Estae, I give, devise and bequeth the same unto my Wife Alice Sophia Daw and I hereby appoint Alice Sophia Daw of Tingalpa, Executrix as wintess my hand this ninth day of August 1902 Edward Daw in the presence of William Porter and John Porter.  

Edward died 23 November 1937 at Olive Street Morningside at the age of 84 of chronic bronchitis.  He was cremated the next day at the Brisbane Crematorium according to the rites of the Mehodist church.  He was married to Alice Sophia Gode at the age of 30 and they had one living child, Alice Ellen aged 53.  

An inventory of the personal estate and effects and affidavit was filed by Alice Sophia Daw in the Supreme Court of Queensland 18 March 1938.  

The inventory was as follows:

Furniture                                                             66 : 8 : 1

Australian Commonwealth Inscribed Stock        510 : 2 : 6

Amount due under Mortgage 830617

by J.E. McDiarmid including interest                     81 : 2 : 0

Amount due under Policy 3273 in

Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society

Limited and Bonuses                                          281 : 6 : 0

10 Fully paid Shares in Queensland

Co-Operative Bacon Association                            5 : 0 : 0

10 Fully paid Preference Shares in

Queensland Co-Operative Bacon

Association Limited                                              10 : 0 : 0

Amount due under Loan to Epworth

House Trust with Interest accrued                        101 : 12 : 0

                                     Total                          £ 1055 : 10 : 7

So this gives me some other avenues to pursue - e.g. who were William and John Porter?  And I need to research more into the Queensland Co-Operative Bacon Association (there's some great images here from the Fryer Library at University of Queensland) and the Epworth House Trust which seems to have been something to do with the Church.  Edward had a lot to do with the Church as you can see from this article found in Trove.

I subscribe to the Australian version of  Find My Past.  Through this tool,  I discovered that Edward was appointed a Queensland State School Committee Member at Tingalpa on 18 March 1893 at about the age of 40.  His daughter Alice would have been seven years old.  He was appointed again in 1896 and in 1899.  (Queensland State School Committee Members 1876-1899)

Edward's farm was called Hillside (Queensland Horse and Cattle Brands Index 1872 - 1899) and his cattle brand was (Certificate Number E6DB24048, Date: 6 February 1886,Page:472)

My thanks to QFHS committee and its members for indexing these records and making them available on Find My Past.

Edward was certainly an active member of his community and missed for many years after his death as In Memoriam notices demonstrate here.