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| nora_m-p [2026/01/25 21:38] – [Stepchildren] judith | nora_m-p [2026/01/25 21:45] (current) – judith |
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| Nora may have had another family link to TLM-P: possibly her uncle (from 1877, Sir) [[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/darvall-sir-john-bayley-3370|John Darvall]] had been educated by the [[tlm-p_s_childhood|Rev. William Drury]], as had TLM-P.((The //Australian Dictionary of Biography// states that John Darvall was educated at Eton, but Isobel Hannah claimed that he was educated by Drury, Isobel Hannah, 'The Royal Descent of the First Postmaster-General of Queensland', //Queensland Geographical Journal//, vol. LV, 1953-54, p.11. Possibly both statements are correct.))\\ | Nora may have had another family link to TLM-P: possibly her uncle (from 1877, Sir) [[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/darvall-sir-john-bayley-3370|John Darvall]] had been educated by the [[tlm-p_s_childhood|Rev. William Drury]], as had TLM-P.((The //Australian Dictionary of Biography// states that John Darvall was educated at Eton, but Isobel Hannah claimed that he was educated by Drury, Isobel Hannah, 'The Royal Descent of the First Postmaster-General of Queensland', //Queensland Geographical Journal//, vol. LV, 1953-54, p.11. Possibly both statements are correct.))\\ |
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| ==== The marriage ==== | ==== Marriage ==== |
| TLM-P had a strong need to remarry: to provide a stepmother for his eight surviving children, the youngest of whom (Egerton) was 6 years old. Yet Nora's maternal suitability was not his only consideration. There is a letter from TLM-P to Nora nine days before they married - handle it carefully as it is still smoking with passion! TLM-P's letter was desperate as it appears Nora had cold feet, most likely because she became aware of his illegitimate children: he implored her to have faith in him as a husband, underlining 'I love you. I want you'.((M-P family papers, NLA MS 7801, Special Set 14, folder 20)) She believed him enough to go ahead with their wedding at St Anne's Church of England,[[wp>Ryde,_New_South_Wales| Ryde]] on 18 December 1872. One of the witnesses to the wedding was TLM-P's daughter Lizzie.((BDM, registration number 3393/1872; St Anne' Parish Register, microfilm 0110, Society of Australian Genealogists.)) The day before, TLM-P signed a marriage settlement ensuring her an income in widowhood, with her two sisters' husbands as trustees.((TLM-P, Last will and testament, 1892. As noted above, after Henry Martin moved to England with a cloud over his reputation, TLM-P got him to renounce his role as trustee ((Diary 5 July 1882, ML.))\\ | TLM-P had a strong need to remarry: to provide a stepmother for his eight surviving children, the youngest of whom (Egerton) was 6 years old. Yet Nora's maternal suitability was not his only consideration. There is a letter from TLM-P to Nora nine days before they married - handle it carefully as it is still smoking with passion! TLM-P's letter was desperate as it appears Nora had cold feet, most likely because she became aware of his illegitimate children: he implored her to have faith in him as a husband, underlining 'I love you. I want you'.((M-P family papers, NLA MS 7801, Special Set 14, folder 20)) She believed him enough to go ahead with their wedding at St Anne's Church of England,[[wp>Ryde,_New_South_Wales| Ryde]] on 18 December 1872. One of the witnesses to the wedding was TLM-P's daughter Lizzie.((BDM, registration number 3393/1872; St Anne' Parish Register, microfilm 0110, Society of Australian Genealogists.)) The day before, TLM-P signed a marriage settlement ensuring her an income in widowhood, with her two sisters' husbands as trustees.((TLM-P, Last will and testament, 1892. As noted above, after Henry Martin moved to England with a cloud over his reputation, TLM-P got him to renounce his role as trustee ((Diary 5 July 1882, ML.))\\ |
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| ===== Stepchildren ===== | ===== Stepchildren ===== |
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| As well as having these eight children of her own, seven of whom survived infancy, Nora was stepmother to the eight surviving children from TLM-P's first marriage to Matilda Harpur - making 15 in total. While many of these children had significant problems as adults, notably alcoholism, her relations with them were generally positive. It is significant that the level-headed eldest son of the family, Thomas de M. M-P, appreciated his stepmother. One piece of evidence is a two-volume book by the explorer Henry Stanley,((//Through the Dark Continent//, London, 1878. Provenance: J. Godden.)) which he gave to Nora with, as he wrote in them, his 'best love'. Nora also demonstrated her goodwill when she named her first daughter Matilda. Her choice of second name Aimee (meaning beloved) could apply to both Matildas. It is probably no coincidence that, a year after Nora did so, her eldest stepdaughter Rosa also called her first-born Matilda.\\ | As well as having these eight children of her own, seven of whom survived infancy, Nora was stepmother to the eight surviving children from TLM-P's first marriage to Matilda Harpur - making 15 in total. The older stepchildren were a similar age to Nora. While many of these children had significant problems as adults, notably alcoholism, her relations with them were generally positive. It is significant that the level-headed eldest son of the family, Thomas de M. M-P, appreciated his stepmother. One piece of evidence is a two-volume book by the explorer Henry Stanley,((//Through the Dark Continent//, London, 1878. Provenance: J. Godden.)) which he gave to Nora with, as he wrote in them, his 'best love'. Nora also demonstrated her goodwill when she named her first daughter Matilda (always called Meta). Her choice of second name Aimee (meaning beloved) could apply to both Matildas. It is probably no coincidence that, a year after Nora did so, her eldest stepdaughter Rosa Praed also called her first-born Matilda (always called Maud). Rosa and Nora bonded over common interests including a love of literature and a distaste for constant childbirth. Nora, as with others in the family, welcomed Rosa's gifts of her latest book, no matter how controversial. They corresponded regularly and intimately, with 66 of Nora's letters to 'My dearest Rosie' surviving - sadly, Rosa's to Nora haven't survived. Nora's love for Rosa was passed on to Dorothy and Ruth, her two youngest daughters. In their letters, Rosie was 'Dearest Rosie' and they signed themselves 'Your loving sister'. ((M-P family papers, NLA, Box 4, folder 26.))\\ |
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| Nora's eldest stepdaughter, Rosa Praed, was only five years older, and they bonded over common interests including a love of literature and a distaste for constant childbirth. Nora, as with others in the family, welcomed Rosa's gifts of her latest book, no matter how controversial it was. They corresponded regularly and intimately, with 66 of Nora's letters to 'My dearest Rosie' surviving - sadly Rosa's to Nora haven't survived. Nora's love for Rosa was passed on to Dorothy and Ruth, her two youngest daughters. In their letters, Rosie was 'Dearest Rosie' and they signed themselves 'Your loving sister'. ((M-P family papers, NLA, Box 4, folder 26.))\\ | |
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| ==== Pregnancies ==== | ==== Pregnancies ==== |