Charlotte Theobalds

Charlotte Theobalds

(February c1831 - 1 February 1880)

Charlotte Theobalds was the youngest child of Gamaliel Theobalds (23 Oct 1790 - 22 July 1866)  and his wife Elizabeth Hagger (c1793 - 25 Nov 1878). Charlotte was born in Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, England. It appears, judging by her burial records, that she was probably born in February 1831. The children of Gamaliel and Elizabeth are shown below:

• George Theobalds (20 Oct 1815 - 1866)
• Elizabeth Theobalds (1817 - ?)
• Hannah Theobalds (1819 - 1852)
• Eliza Theobalds (9 July 1821 - 1859)
• Ellis Joseph Theobalds (Dec 1822 - 12 Nov 1902)
• Amey Theobalds (1826 - 1826)
• Ann Theobalds (13 May 1827 - 27 Feb 1916)
• Amey Theobalds (1828 - ?1828)
• Martha Theobalds (2 May 1829 - 1904)
• Charlotte Theobalds (Feb c1831 - 1 Feb 1880)

When the 1841 UK Census was taken the Theobalds family were residing in the Parish of Foulmire, Cambridgeshire, England. Gamalial's occupation was listed as a carpenter, while Charlotte was listed as being 8 years old. Nothing else is known of Charlotte's childhood, although a family story, Red Roses by R. Kenward says that her father owned and operated a bookstore in England.

Charlotte's sister Eliza married Charles Gillson (1822 - 1861), a grocer, in February 1846 in Royston, Hertfordshire. [Note: The Gillsons are mentioned in the 1851 UK Census but immigrated to Victoria Australia (date unknown) where we know Eliza died in 1859 and her husband Charles died in 1861. Their daughter Elizabeth (1847 - 1891) died in Sale, Gippsland, Victoria.]

Charlotte was 17 years old when her brother Ellis married Martha Bennett (16 July 1827 - 7 Aug 1894) in March 1850. The very next month the Theobalds family immigrated to Australia on the ship Duke of Portland which sailed from London on Tuesday 9 April 1850 via Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, and arrived in Port Adelaide on 9 August 1850. According to the Adelaide Times of Saturday 3 August 1850, page 4, on board were passengers Gamalial and Elizabeth Theobalds, Hannah, Ann, Martha and Charlotte Theobalds, and also Ellis Theobalds and his wife Martha (nee Bennett). The family remained on board and ship and it sailed onwards, according to the Port Phillip Gazette and Settlers Journal of 24 August 1850, page 2, to Port Phillip, Melbourne, docking on Friday 23 August 1850. The newspaper lists the passengers arriving as: Gamaliel, Elizabeth, Eliza, Martha, Hannah, Ann, Martha and Charles Theobald. [The names Eliza and Charles must be errors, and should read Ellis and Charlotte.]


The 1850s were punctuated by weddings and funerals of Charlotte's siblings. Firstly her sister, Hannah, married Robert Ravenshaw Rogers (1828 - 1908) in Australia in 1852. Sadly, Hannah died the following year. On 20 December 1853 Charlotte's sister Ann married Isaac Geeves/Jeeves (1822 - 1879) in Melbourne.

In 1859 Charlotte's sister Eliza, died in Victoria. A year later, in 1860, Charlotte's sister Martha married Daniel James Joiner (1816 - 1889). Then brother, George, died in 1866.

Charlotte worked as a milliner. According to a Melbourne newspaper advertisement, Charlotte sold straw hats.

Charlotte (34) married 27 year old German-born immigrant, Frederick William Ellis Behrens (22 June 1841 - 12 June 1907), who was known as William, on 25 December 1868 at her home which was at 267 George Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne. The minister who married them was from the George Street Baptist Church. Charlotte's brother, Ellis, was one of the witnesses to the marriage.

William and Charlotte set up their home in Elgar Road, Doncaster where William had a market garden/orchard. They had no children, but by all accounts they had a very happy marriage. Family records indicate that Charlotte was fond of red roses and planted many beautifully scented rose bushes along the fence-line of the property.

On 25 November 1878, Charlotte's mother Elizabeth Theobalds, died in the Yarra Valley, Victoria.

Unfortunately Charlotte contracted cancer, and after a long illness, succumbed to the disease on 1 February 1880 aged 49. She was buried at Waldau Cemetery RG C4, a small cemetery that was used by the early Lutheran settlers between 1854 and 1888. Waldau Cemetery is located in Rieschiecks Reserve, Victoria Street, Doncaster. Charlotte's burial record is shows as follows:

Name:  Behrens, Charlotte
Age & Occupation: 49  years -
Address: Elgar Road
Date and cause of death: 1 February 1880 - Cancer
Cemetery: Waldau Cemetery - RG C4
Notes: Wife of William

Grave of Charlotte Behrens, nee Theobalds.
Photographed by A & N Holman c2007
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Bibliography

Anonymous. (1850, August 3). Passengers Inwards. Adelaide Times. 4. Retrieved from  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/207117854

Anonymous. (1850, August 24). Shipping and Commercial Gazette. Arrived. Port Phillip Gazette and Settlers Journal. 2. Retrieved from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/223158666

Anonymous. (n.d.). Smaller Cemeteries in Manningham and Whitehorse. Index. Retrieved from  http://vcourt.teesee.net/Bcemetery.html

Holman, A. R. (1993) William Behrens: Doncaster Farmer. Signs.

Kenward, R. (1962, December 11). Red Roses. The Youth's Instructor, 7-8, 15. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/YI/YI19621211-V110-50.pdf

Kenward, R. (1962, December 18). Red Roses. Part 2 - Conclusion. The Youth's Instructor, 8, 18-20. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/YI/YI19621218-V110-51.pdf

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank K J Bland for supplying family records, and photographs for this project, and also for sharing his recollections about his grandparents.

Many thanks goes to A and N Holman for sharing their years of research, and for allowing me to use many photographs from their family collection.

Last updated on 2 February 2020