DANIEL, CLARKE, ANDREWS, CROISSETTE, WOHLMANN, WOODRUFF & RELATED FAMILIES
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There are two dates of birth suggested by the public record, 1808 and 1810. (A family note
in the Benfleet Bible also has a date of 20 June 1810 which is supported by a second family
Bible.) The second, one might think, could be her baptism date, but that seems unlikely as
the Benfleet Croisette Family Bible is quite precise about the time of birth. According to
this record, Amelia Diana, named by Alfred in the Bible as as Amelia Diana Lecoissett, was
born 'att a Quarter before 6 OClock in the morning.' There is no reference to Amelia Diana's
baptism in the St Martin's register at a date near her birth, although both family Bibles state
this stook place and the Huguenot records for her admission to the Ecole Francais in London
include a copy of her baptism record, said to be from St Giles in the Fields, not St Martins.
According to the Benfleet Bible, she was 'Free Born of the City of London,' meaning she was
a member of a Guild through patrimony. The stories in the family were that Amelia was a goldsmith
and was sent out to Australia to buy gold for the family business. She certainly worked --
she refers to the fact in a letter to one of her sisters (Betsey), dated September 6th 1871.
This is in the hands of the owner of this website. Amelia indeed turned up in Australia, calling herself Amala De La Croisette of Sydney, spinster. The first appearance of the name related to a marraige by banns at the age of 24. The presiding chaplain was John Dunmore Lang and the witnesses were K. D .Smithe and Henry Hook. She is said to have married twice more in Australia, but had no children. Reg details in NSW records: V1834372 73A/1834 HOOD (or was this Hook?) OR FLOOD CHARLES CROISBETTE EMELIA DE LA JA After Charles Hood came John Lockett, although no death has been traced for Mr Hood and Amelia herself made no mention of a husband before Lockett in her correspondence home. Lockett marriage reference V1840221 24B/1840: LOCKETT JOH N DE LACROSSETTE AMELIA D MF. A third marriage attributed to her was it seems to her niece Emma Caroline through her brother Frederick Thomas. George Nelson Dingle at Redfern in 1880 to Emma. Reference: 2133/188 0 DINGLE GEORGE H CROSSIETTE EMMA DE LA at REDFERN. To see the details of this, search down the line of Amelia's brother Frederick Thomas to Emma Caroline. A letter discovered among family papers in 2005 in England was written to Elizabeth Armour Wohlmann (the Sister 'Betsey of the letter) in 1871. In this there is no mention of a first marriage to Hook or Hood. She is quite clear that Lockett was her first husband. If so, maybe a cousin was in Australia too -- this was not the only branch of the De La Croissette family -- indeed Amelia had a second cousin with the same name through her father's cousin Charles but she seems to have stayed in England. This does not mean she didn't go to Australia then perhaps returned. This is the text of Amelia's letter to her sister in London - 'Betsey', Elizabeth Armour nee Le Croissette Wohlmann. Sydney September 6th 1871 11 Woodburn Street, Chippendale My Dear Sister I felt great pleasure in receiving your letter, for I little thought of ever hearing from you, for I gave up all hopes of finding any of you out, Dear Sister. I have not succeeded in finding Dear Fred out he his [sic] not in any of the Townships of Australia, I will advertise for him or any of his family if they are alive, Dear Sister. I have been a great traveler all over Australia while the death of my first husband John Lockett which occurred 7 years ago, I married a second time Henery Nauvra and he was breathing his last, when I received your welcome letter, for I was in great troble or I would have been so glad to answer your letter by the return of post, Thank God I shall not have to work the remainder days of my life, I have three Premises Inside the one I live in and the rents is sufficient to keep me with economy, Thank God. I enjoy good health, which I hope will find you the same, for I hope I shall have the pleasure of reading many letters from you yet, give my love to Dear Sister Betsey, and her husband Fred [Godfrey Frederick Wohlmann] and to all my brothers and relations and received the same yourself. I remain Your Affectionate Sister Amelia Nauvra Interestingly, Amelia's first supposed marriage took place a year before her brother Frederick Thomas left for Australia with his wife and five children. They at first settled in Victoria. It is strange that she does not mention this. It is tempting to wonder what took Amelia to Australia. Did she follow Charles Hood? Or did the family already have contacts out there, perhaps from earlier generations? There is a headstone recorded in the Melbourne General Cemetery index: Emma Lockett 7th February 1890, C of E, Secton M. |