The Grim Reaper

Did you know that the Grim Reaper was never far away 100 years ago. Death was an all too common feature of life in the Menzies family.

In 1891 Annie Isabella Warner nee Menzies, eldest daughter of George and Jeanetta Menzies and who had married Captain Ernest Warner in 1885, lost her third child, a son called George Warner, within a few days of his birth. There were no post natal clinics in those days.

In 1896, her mother, Jeanetta, lost one of her 5 sons, her 4th born child, also called George Menzies. He had gone to the new gold rush at Coolgardie and contracted typhoid fever and died within weeks of his arrival at the field. He was only 24 years old.

In 1904, little Jack Menzies, first child of Jeanetta’s third born, John, died at Stockton. He was aged only 19 months. The cause of death was diphtheria which the old folk used to call the ‘strangling angel of children’. Unfortunately, although the antitoxin against diphtheria was developed in the 1890s, the first vaccine was not developed till 1920.

In 1907 Jeanetta’s husband George died. He was 74 years old. The Newcastle Morning Herald reported that he suffered a stroke one morning and lingered all day until succumbing in the evening. His funeral was intriguing in that his casket was conveyed to Stockton cemetery by boat. Presumably the pall bearers had to place the coffin in a large boat and row up river until opposite the cemetery where they ran the boat ashore, climbed out and carried the remains across the road and into the cemetery. Maybe the officiating minister sat in the bow of the boat. No doubt the family and friends travelled from Stockton by more conventional means.

Also in 1907, in North Sydney, Annie Warner, Jeanetta’s eldest daughter, lost another of her sons, a boy called Ernest Woodley Warner after his father. At the time of his death he was employed as ‘an engineer’s apprentice’. His death certificate says that he had suffered from endocarditis for 6 months. This was an inflammation of the lining of the heart and caused swelling and a consequent loss of blood pressure resulting in him lapsing into unconsciousness. He was just 18 years old. All for the want of some good antibiotics which were not available for another 30 years.

In 1909, Jeanetta lost her 6th born, a son called Robert Menzies. He was a young man of 34 years of age, married to Ethel North but they did not have any children. Robert was employed in a small goods shop in Newcastle, which was something like the one time ‘delicatessen’. The Newcastle Morning Herald reported that one Friday he was rushed to Newcastle Hospital with a case of severe appendicitis and operated on immediately. However, his condition deteriorated over the weekend and on the following Monday he was taken back to theatre to see if something more could be done but to no avail. He died that night. No doubt infection set in and there were no antibiotics to counter his condition.

Also in 1909, Maggie Brew nee Menzies, Jeanetta’s last born, lost her first baby. He lived just a few hours. He was named Richard Brew perhaps after Maggie’s brother Richard, the man who introduced Maggie to her husband Bert Brew in 1905.

In 1919, Annie Warner, Jeanetta’s first born, last her 6th born, a daughter called Annie Isabella Warner, after her mother. She was a pretty girl of only 23 years and was not married when she died. The cause of death was reported to be pneumonia. This was the time when the so called ‘Spanish Flue’ was sweeping across the world resulting in millions of deaths. Again a sad loss for the want of modern antibiotics.

In 1924, Maggie Brew lost her 5th born, a boy they called John. He survived on a few hours. Perhaps he was named after Maggie’s brother John. It is interesting to note that Maggie’s eldest son, Albert, named his eldest John Richard, perhaps in memory of his parents sad loss of two sons at birth.

1924 was also the year in which Annie Warner’s husband, Captain Ernest Woodley Warner died. He was aged 67 and had been retired only 2 years. He had worked hard all his life and been at sea for 52 years since the age of 14. It is thought he died of stroke.

In 1925, Annie Warner lost yet another of her children namely her 7th born, a daughter called Ruby Garde nee Warner who had married a banker called James Garde only four years before. She died aged 27 leaving a small son called Peter who was just 3 years old. She died of cardiomyopathy or chronic disease of the heart muscle. If only she had been born 100 years later she might have survived. Happily for little Peter Garde he was taken in by his aunts, ‘Netta and Ethel Warner who were not married and out of the kindness of their hearts they raised him till he went to sea 14 years later. (photograph above)

In 1926 Annie Warner, herself passed away at her home at 23 Glen Street, Milson’s Point and in the same year her brother John, 6 years her junior, also died. He was only 56 years old but succumbed to a series of heart attacks. The Newcastle Morning Herald reported that after being hospitalised after his first attack he was sent home to rest but having received no treament such as is available today, he succumbed to a second attack a week later. He left a grieving widow, Alice and two daughters ‘Dody aged 21 and Jeanette aged 19.

In 1932 Jessie Aubrey, Jeanetta’s 2nd daughter suffered another blow when her eldest daughter, Annie Browne nee Aubrey died of a melanoma on her lip. She was 40 years old. She was married to James Browne and left a boy called Jim who was 10 years old.

In 1935 another of Annie’s brothers died, Captain William Menzies, Jeanetta and George’s 5th born. He was only 61 years old. At the time he was working as the master of a dredge on Sydney harbour and left two boys, George aged 20 and Jack aged 18. Sadly the boys mother, ‘Bessie Burgess, died the following year. Again it is thought that the cause of death was stroke.

Sadly, in 1935, the remaining brother, Richard Harris Menzies also died but in London. This tradgedy was all the more upsetting because Richard had relocated his whole family to the UK. His death at 57 years of age followed closely after his eldest son, Tom, had suffered a mental breakdown while stydying at Oxford University. His widow, Zilla had to bring back a sick 21 years old son, a another son, Donald aged 14 and a daughter, Jeanette aged 19 as well as her husband’s ashes.

In 1935 there were only the 3 left of Jeanetta and George’s 9 children; sisters Jessie Aubrey, ‘Netta Carson and Maggie Brew. The average age at death of George and Jeanetta Menzies and their 9 children was 59 years.

Ruby Warner at 16 years of age approx.c 1914