Harriett Elizabeth GARDNER [4374] ⁴⁵⁸¹

   Another name for Harriett was Elizabeth GARDINER.

  General Notes:

Elizabeth came to Australia on the "Holmsdale" in 1879, to marry her boyfriend, but when she arrived, he had already married someone else. Her daughter Florence was born in a Destitute Asylum in Adelaide in 1881. Elizabeth also had a son named William Ernest who was born c. 1884, it is uncertain if he is the son of Alfred Dawes as no other birth can be found of a child to Elizabeth, a newspaper report into the death of John Chambers says that this child was adopted from Port Pirie and was 4 years old in 1890. Elizabeth married John Chambers in 1884 and moved to Broken Hill NSW after being in South Australia for some years. Mr Barry Vale of Queensland, the grandson of Florence, supplied some of this information via Ancestry.com messages in March 2012, the remainder has been found by personal research.

From the records of the SA Destitute Asylum: In the Admissions to the Asylum, Elizabeth Gardiner aged 19, living in Hackney, a general servant, who had a brother in the colony whose whereabouts were unknown at the time, was admitted to the Destitute Asylum in labour on 9 December 1881 (as Florence was born on Dec 8th, I think this must be an error in the records). The putative father of her child was Alfred Dawes, carpenter of Hackney, who was recorded as a married man living with his wife and family.

In the register of Infants born at the SA Destitute Asylum, Florence Alice Gardiner was born on December 8th 1881 to Elizabeth Gardiner. The putative father reported to be Alfred Dawes, Carpenter of Hackney. Elizabeth left the destitute asylum on February 7th 1882 taking the child with her and went to Dr Dendy's retreat.

Harriett married John Chambers in 1884. John Chambers was a 38 year old widower and Harriett was 22. Witnesses to the marriage were John Nash and Mary Thornton (?).

from Barrier Miner (Broken Hill NSW) Monday 12 Jun 1899 page 4

THE DEATH OF MRS. CHAMBERS.

THE death of Mrs. Harriett Elizabeth Chambers, of Crystal-street, was inquired into by the Coroner (Mr. Makinson, P.M.) at an inquest held at the Crown Hotel this after- noon. Sergeant Scott was present on behalf of the police.

Dr. Butler, acting Government medical officer, deposed that on Thursday he saw deceased at her house in Crystal street; she complained of excessive vomiting and intense internal pains; he found she was suffering from peritonitis; she denied, when questioned, that she had been tampered with ; witness was doubtful about this statement and wished to make an examination ; he could get no information from her as to what might be the cause of her condition, and, after prescribing for her, he left; he told deceased and her daughter that she (deceased) was seriously ill ; shortly after 7 o'clock the same evening he was called to the house again ; he found Mrs. Chambers showing all the signs of collapse; soon after he left he was told that she had died ; yesterday afternoon he made a post mortem examination of the body ; there were no external marks of violence ; in his opinion death was caused by acute peritonitis, due to a septic discharge ; he told the police he would not be able to give a certificate of death, as he had doubts about the cause of the peritonitis, and suspected that an illegal operation had been attempted; it was impossible to say from the post mortem appearances whether this was the case or not ; if an operation had been performed it must have been three weeks or a month before.

John Gardener, butcher, a brother of the deceased ; Florence Chambers, aged 17, daughter of deceased ; and Mary McCrae, a neighbor, also gave evidence as to deceased's illness. Deceased was 37 years of age, and was a native of Sussex, England ; her husband had been dead about 10 years ; she left two children ; she supported herself by washing.

A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.

Harriett had a relationship with Alfred Thomas DAWES [1278] [MRIN: 1345], son of Charles DAWES [1280] and Elizabeth CHANDLER [1279]. (Alfred Thomas DAWES [1278] was born on 19 Aug 1846 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia ²¹⁴³, christened on 25 Dec 1846 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,²¹⁴⁴ died on 2 Nov 1936 in Garfield, Vic, Australia ^2145,2146 and was buried on 3 Nov 1936 in Bunyip, Vic, Australia ²¹⁴⁷.)

Harriett next married John CHAMBERS [4386] [MRIN: 1348], son of John CHAMBERS [4617] and Sarah Frances DOISY [11765], on 4 Sep 1884 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.⁴⁵⁸⁰ (John CHAMBERS [4386] was born on 28 May 1840 in London, Middlesex, England ⁴⁵⁸², christened on 21 Jun 1840 in Saint Anne's Church, Westminster, London, England,⁴⁵⁸² died on 5 Mar 1890 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia ⁴⁵⁸³ and was buried on 6 Mar 1890 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia.)