THE WIDOW
Updated: May 15, 2022
MRS OLIVE MAY AMERY (1864-1945)
From 1928 to 1929 Mrs. Olive May Amery resided at Corio Bay Villa whilst in her sixties. However, due to her large family with long names, her multiple surnames and lots of addresses, it's difficult to pin this woman down. In the end, I had some help from a discussion forum from 2009 on family names, as it all became just too confusing.
The details surrounding Olive's birth are unclear. She was born around 1864 in Ballarat as either Olive Elizabeth Semple, Olive Elizabeth Bryant or Olive Elizabeth Watson. She is believed to have been a ward of the state and may have been adopted, which would account for the multiple surnames. Around the age of 20, Olive met Phillip Amery (1847-1912) and together they have a succession of eight children, each endowed with multiple first names. From this time onwards, Olive was mostly known as Olive May Amery. Where 'May' came from is unknown, but as she gave it to three of her five daughters have it must have meant something to her.
Adding to my confusion was the repeated and similar names of Olive's children. Her husband Phillip Amery was one of eight children, and had already had seven children by another woman before meeting Olive, so there were a lot of people with the surname Amery running around the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Many Olive's own children had similar names. For example, one daughter was called Florence Beatrice Amery (1892-1975) and another Florence Olive May Amery (1908-1988). Not only did they share a first name, but the second Florence shared her two middle names with her mother. To avoid confusion, this younger Florence was known by Dollie.
Olive and Philip Amery appear on the electoral roll together in 1903, living in Melville Street Hawthorn. Six years later, however, after the birth of Dolly, Olive disappears from the local voting register for a time. Her husband Phillip, now aged 56, is listed at Hawthorn living with Jane Amery. Who is Jane Amery, you ask? Who knows! She may have been one of his daughter-in-laws, or even his new partner, as there is no known daughter or sister called Jane. But perhaps it was a nickname, like Dolly.
Phillip died in 1912, when Olive was 48, leaving her a single mother. Her youngest child, Dollie, is just 5 years old. By 1919 Olive is living with her former neighbour, William John Winnell. William died in 1923, leaving Olive as the executor of his will. By this time, Olive was around 60 years old and had lost two partners.
In 1928, Olive was living with her married daughter, Dollie, now 20 years old, in Canterbury Road, Surrey Hills. Dollie had married Albert Sydney Stevens (1899-1988) in 1926, and she now went by the name of Olive May Stevens. So both mother and daughter were known as Olive May, which must have made it very confusing, especially when living at the same address. Although Dollie had married Albert two years earlier, he is not listed at this address with his wife and mother-in-law. Albert Sydney Stevens, was born in Sydney and was in the armed forces for 12 years from 1921, which may explain why Dollie was living with her mother.[1]
From 1928 to 1929 Olive May Amery is a tenant at Corio Bay Villa. Whether her daughter was living with her is unknown, but interestingly, the tenant just prior to Olive is Ethel May Stevens. My first thought is that she may have been a relative of Dollie's husband Albert Stevens, however, no connection between the two tenants could be found. There is very little known about Albert's extended family and it may have just been a co-incidence considering Stevens is a common surname.
After leaving Corio Bay Villa, Olive moved a few streets away to live with her adult son, William John (aka Wilfred), her daughter Dollie (aka Olive May) and her son-in-law Albert Stevens, who had now left the armed forces and was working as a motor driver. Olive May Amery remained in the local area for the rest of her life.
Olive May Amery died in 1945, aged approximately 80 years old. No doubt she was a tough old woman, having survived being a ward of the state, giving birth eight times, living as a single mother during the First World War, and burying her two partners. Her death notice in the Argus, 3rd July 1945 read as follows:
AMERY - On July 1, Olive May, of 261 Union road, Balwyn, beloved wife of the late Philip, loved mother of Arthur, Ethel (Mrs. E. Hill), Nellie (Mrs. R. Barwood), Walter, Myrtle (Mrs. R Davy), Lily, Wilfred, and Olive (Mrs. A. Stevens).
After a very busy life, I hope that Olive eventually found rest.
REFERENCE
[1] Albert Sydney Steven's record of service, sourced from the National Archives of Australia, viewed 25 April 2022, https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4524635
