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SAREPTA LAWRENCE HISTORY AS WRITTEN BY HERSELF

I met my late husband William Walter Samuel Hewson about August 1919, he was then suffering from war-neurosis, as he did all his life and received treatment at the military hospital for nerves and left shoulder wound and arm, which was almost useless, for 3" of the arm at the left shoulder had been removed by operation, making his left arm shorter than the right one .

He had at that time a small hotel, St Francis in Albion Street Surry Hills, which was closed in 1922. We were married on 5th February 1921. After the hotel was closed down my husband asked me if I would go with him to his father's property near Cooamble NSW so that we might assist his father anyway possible. Mr Walter Hewson, my father-in-law had purchased a property and was in some difficulty following the very heavy floods, I later, on my husband's behalf, lent Mr Hewson the sum of three hundred pounds to help him out, some years later he gave me a Gulbransen piano as a gift.

While at Augathella (the Hewson property) my husband tried to suicide, but the german luger pistol which he had tried to use would not fire,my husband had forgotten how to use the gun . On that occasion he left a letter with me asking that his goods be divided among his family, he made a gift to me of five hundred pounds, to make up for the worry he ahd caused me he said. Later that year, while riding, his horse fell through a rabbit warren and he was kicked about the face and head while he was struggling to rise, his lower lip was torn away from the jaw, two teeth were broken and he suffered servere concussion and sun stroke, the shade temperature that day was 108LF. He was several weeks in Coonamble hospital, he was attended by Dr Rosati (now deceased).

About a year later my husband heard of a little property "Warrawee" about 11 miles from his father and 4 miles from Gulargambone NSW. He asked me what I thought about it, I knew that I would have a very big load to carry, for I was still more or less nursing him, he was still suffering badly from the effects of the sun stroke, the doctors had told me that it would be a full seven years before he would be anything like his old self again, but I felt that I should fall in with his ideas and also that he needed something to do, and to be working wit h his own crops and sheep might be beneficial to him, also an old army mate of his had the ad joining property and I felt that the constant meeting with him (Mr William Matthews, marrie d to my husband's eldest sister) would help, also that William Hewson (now deceased) would as sist us in small ways, which he did, we could always get his advice and personal aid in anyth ing, of course, if he came to help us, my husband went to him with whatever help he was abl e to give in return.

At first I thought the work was doing a little good but eventually I could see that he was losing interest, then he told me that he wanted to leave, sell or give the place away. I spoke to Mr Jack Hewson (Estate Agent in Coonamble) he advised us to sell (William Matthews bought it) and we returned to Augathella until a few months later we went to manage a small property of Mr William Strudwick (near Coonamble, now of Orange NSW) called Brolga. I think we were there about a year when my husband suggested that I preceed him to the city to obtain a flat for us so that he could look around for something to do, in the meantime he would rest at Augathella. Eventually he bought a half share of a Produce Business at 116 Anzac Parade Kensington. His partner was also another war pal, Mr Jim Reece (also now deceased). That was , I think, about 1927. About 1935 he had a very bad nervous breakdown and was advised medically that he was not capable of working, that he should sell outand take a long rest. He ask ed me if I thought that I could carry on, I said that I thought I could, and did.

Ever since I had first known him, my husband was having recurrent fits of vomiting and dizzin ess, usually lasting a week, sometimes longer. He was unable then to remain in an upright po sition, often his partner, Mr Reece, would bring him home in the back of the produce truck an d we would carry him in, eventually he took a major epileptic fit, and that was when the doct ors advised him to sell.

At the time of the purchase of the partnership in business we were living in Dowling Street , but when my husband paid a deposit on a block of land at Maroubra No 1 Inman Street (my pre sent home) we moved out to a flat at No15 Inman St (owner Mr J Skelton). My husband paid the deposit on the block and I paid the balance (280 pound) and we agreed that he would build the house (War Service Homes) and that I would buy the furniture and all the fittings, which I did, but only part of the furniture then, that I added to over the years, for I began to teach Music and Singing and Elocution and most of what I earned went into our home. In 1928, when we moved into our new house, I would have been 32 years of age and it was discovered that my voice had matured and was of excellent quality, Mr Roland Foster of the Conservatorium said that it was the best voice of its kind in Sydney at that stage, but I had to forgo any idea of a career overseas because of my belief that my husband needed me by him, but he was always very proud of my ability as a singer, and in 1933 when my husband had to rest I was very glad to have my music to keep the "pot boiling" as it was because then I had to do the providing. I earned then, I think, between 70 and 80 pound yearly even thought my earnings did increase over the years it never did go up over the 100 pounds, my husband always used to tease me by saying "not up to the century yet". The most I ever earned in one year was 99 pounds odd ... Besides this we had a small War Pension about one pound a week between us , which up to his death had increased to an 80% pension (5 pounds, 16 shillings and 21/2 pence per week for both of us). The pension just covered the installment each week on the house and even though our bank balance dwindled gradually between 30 and 40 pounds, with my small earnings we were content enough, although my husbands health was still very erratic we felt that life was good and we were very happy together, indeed I felt that ours was a very good marriage and that I have been a good wife to him, my big regret was that we had no family. I had 3 operations to enable me to have a child but the results were negative. My husband was very fond of children and a very good man, I often thought it was a great pity that we had no family but even with that lack we still had a very good marriage and were proud of it.

In 1938 or 39 my husband enlisted again, how he was accepted I'll never know, besides his health generally being so bad, the state of his foreshortened arm, he had had an operation on both his feet for bunions (war disability) and his feet were very bad, one big toe had dropped and he always had to have special boots made. I think he must have deceived them right and left, he was given clerical duties, lastly he was a filing clerk at Victoria Barracks. After his discharge from the Army he got a job as guard at the Military stores at Kensington. At the time of his death he was employed by the AJC as an assistant carpenter at the Randwick Race course, and also by them as a guard on the gates and later as an Inspector on the race-cours e at the AJC meetings, he had been employed in this capacity for from 15 to 20 years before his death, or at least until his accident on 18 May 1959. He very rarely either bet or drank . He was a Life Member of the Randwick-Coogee RSL. They paid for his funeral.

In 1946 each member of the Hewson family (9 children, 4 boys and 5 girls) received a legacy from their father's will - about 350 pounds each, my husband decided to pay off the full amount owing on our home (785 pounds) and he asked me if I'd be prepared to put in half, this I did )342 pounds and 10 shillings) which left me with exactly a 7 pound bank balance.

Sometime in the mid 1930s we had the sewerage installed and had to erect a laundry cum toile t and in the corner that was left I fancied a sun room, my husband said "If you can pay for i t you can have it". So I had it, the cost for the one room was 80 pounds.

Over the years I did most of the business with the repatriation in connection with the house and pension because of his ill health. On one occasion I was approached by someone there and asked if I would consider getting a Power of Attorney since I seemed always to be the on e to do the business as he was seldom able to cope. I answered that I would be afraid of what it would do to him if everything were taken out of his hands. I never told him of their suggestion as he was then in a low enough state of dejection as it was.

Although I do not appreciate the fact that Mr Hewson left his Will as he did I can readily understand him leaving some portion to his younger sister, she was the baby of the family of 9 and always had a soft spot in his heart. This sister, Maud, Mrs Jack Hardiman of Oxley St Campbelltown NSW id comfortable, they have their own home (War Service) she received the sa me as the others from her father's Will, she has her husband to support her, they receive a W ar Service Pension. I think Jack is a labourer. But I cannot understand him leaving anythin g to Mrs Lawrie except that perhaps in his state of mind at that time - he made his last Wil l only a few days before his death - the Coroner's verdict was Suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed. There is another Will made in 1953 leaving one third and the other 2/ 3rds to his four sisters. That Will is also in the hands of the Public Trustee. Mrs Lawrie has a grown up family both married I think, she has a husband to support her and she also work s as a waitress at the AJC meetings. Her husband is a Baker and they own their own home. Th ey used to live about 4 doors up from us in Inman St but moved to Kensington when the owner s of their flat wanted it for a member of their own family, they later bought the house at 60 4 Anzac Parade Kensington.

On 18th May 1959 my husband was knocked down by a taxi in Queens Square and sustained very serious injuries, these were a fractured skull, broken left leg and a fractured spine, and he h ad a silver plate in both the leg and the spine. He was in hospital on the first occasion for 9 months and one week (18-5-1959 to 26-2-1960) at Sydney Hospital.

Because I was suffering from the after effects of Golden Staph and Asthma we decided it woul d be best for him if he went to his sister at 15a Bungaloe Ave, Balgowlah, his sister, Mrs Li la Hosking had a car and could easily bring him in for the treatment which he had to have, w e thought that it would only be for a few weeks, but he had to go back into hospital and alto gether it was not until his 67th birthday that he returned home. (18 July 1960). He was hom e from then umtil hios death on 26 August 1960, He was in very great pain continually and sl eeping very badly, he was still on crutches and a very worried man because the Dr' had told h im that he would never work again but I hadn't the remotest idea that he was contemplating su icide. I believed that we could manage well enough, although we were not elligible for the O ld Age Pension because we were drawing the War Service one, we still had 5 pounds 16 shilling s a week, we owned our home, he had a bank balance of over 2,000 pounds and mine was about 88 4 pounds then, it is now around 700 pounds. And there was a 'damages' case pending. This wa s in the hands of Mr Clive Galea of Bondi Junction. At the Coroners Court it was stated tha t the case would come up for hearing in May-June of this year, 1961. I have not heard if th e case has been brought on or not as Mr Galea has notified me concerning it and I have no wis h to contact him further so I not tried to find out.

I believe that Mrs Hardiman's family will stand by her, particularly her youngest brother, M r Alec Hewson of Armatree, via Gilgandra and one or two of her sisters. But Mrs Lawrie, I d o not know, but the Public Trustees will have to protect their rights won't they? so both o f that will have that firm on their side.

I believe that I have the right to do what I am doing but I do not altogether like this busin ess, you see I have always had a very high regard for the family, they are fine people, all o f them including my late husband and my late father-in-law, I loved them all, and although th ey showed almost a contemp for me at the funeral I still do not feel any animosity towards th em. I do not know the reason for their action and do not feel guilty in any way and I did no t feel disposed to seek the reason for Alec Hewson's statement "I am shocked that you came t o the funeral". I doubt that his shock was greater than mine when he made the remark.

After my husband's death the only income I had was my war pension of 1 ound 8 shillings an d 5 pence per week, I applied for the War Widow's Pension but was informed that I was not eligible for, as my husband's death was not due to war injuries, but to apply to the Repatriation personnally for it. I have applied 3 times now, each time to a higher tribunal but after t he 3rd last August I received a communication from them stating that they had passed the cas e on to yet a higher tribunal because I had supplied the added information that my husband h ad tried suicide in the early 1920s. I have not heard the result of that move as yet, but a t least the Tribunal did not reject my application.

In October last year I applied for the Civilian Widow's Pension to the Welfare Dept., the off icer there changed the application to the Old Age Pension which was 25 shillings more. It wa s granted pending the final hearing of the war-widow's appeal or the finalising of the Will.

I did not try to upset the Will because of one reason, the shock of his death had bought o n a reoccurance of Asthma and I was not very well up until May this year, 1961, when I bega n to improve, and now I'm feeling fairly well. The second reason I was unmilling to face th e ordeal of meeting with the Hewson family and I thought i would have to attend, although no w I would attend if needs be. The 3rd reason is that I believed that I wuld receive the Wa r Widow's Pension and I could make do with that. But I have not been granted this pension, s o when I discussed the natter with a Legatee of Legacy I was advised to put everything in th e hands of a Solicitor, although the time had already expired when I should have attended t o this action.

Perhaps I should state here for the record that I did attempt to upset the Will last year, 1960, the Coogee-Randwick Soldier's Club gave me the name of Kenin Ellis & Price of Martin Pla ce, Mr Price took particulars and before he could continue with the case Mr Clive Evert (Juni or) after the hearing at the Coroner's Court asked me if I would see Mr Galea and sign a docu ment giving him the right to get the papers from Mr Price so that Mr Galea could carry on wit h the case, Mr Evert believed that it would be to my advantage if Mr Galea handled that as we ll as the "Damages Case" but Mr Galea then advised me that he didn't want to go on with the T FM. I was never ...... he did it and was a little disgusted about it. I did not ..... to M r Price as I didn't want to take the case out of his .... as I have already stated I was no t well so ... when last month a Legatee advised me to put .... he advised that I contact Mr P rice and ..... me with him, the rest you know.

Gifts of money that I remember over the 41 years. My father gave me before my marriage 250 pounds, 10 pounds and 15 pound s 280 My stepmother 10 pound s 10 Mr Walter Hewson many gifts of 5 pounds when visiting us (I think it would amount to well over 100 pounds ) 100 Mr Jack Hewson 10 pounds in 1950 My late husband made many gifts of money - a CL Bon d 100 Each Xmas and birthday his gift was 5 pound s 410 500 pounds after suicide attempt in early 1920 s 500 Several gifts from lottery wins 35, 30 and three 20 pound s 125 and several smaller amounts about between 25 and 30 pounds in al l 30 1,55 5 pounds

Before I came to Sydney to live I taught music in a town in Victoria called Tallangatta for 3 years and I had a small amount of money saved from tha t 190 Average of 85 pounds per year from music at Inman st and city also 3 years (1 day a week ) in Wollongon g 2550 Money earned from pet lambs (Warrawee & Augathella ) 78 I only ever had 2 wind in lotteries 5 pounds and half share of 2 pounds 10 shilling s 7.10 4,380.10

Gifts (other than money) Mr Walter Hewson (Gulbranson Player Piano) My late husband (Radio) My father (Thomas Lawrence, violin, typewriter and metronome) John O'Brien (Poet, 8 day chiming clock, inscribed)

Items for which I paid. All fittings (stove, sink, bath, hand basin, shaving cabinet, 2 Dux heaters, copper, tiling o f kitchen 12 pounds, 2 pillars for front porch, 2 oak mantle pieces, towel rails and soap fix tures in bathroom.

All furniture (insured for 600 pounds with United Insurance Co) All tools All furnishings and floor coverings Final payment on block of land 280 pounds, Sun room 80 pounds. Final payment of home 342 pounds and 10 shillings, representing half of final payment.