(1847-1920) Robert Roland Stevenson

Robert Rowland Stevenson 1867

The story of Robert Roland Stevenson, adventurer, surveyor, explorer, railway-man and father, as told by his grand-daughter, Eunice Margaret Stevenson. Researched and written over several years. Completed in 1985.

 

Family

Grandparents

Robert Stevenson, a weaver of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland and his wife Christina (née Ferguson). Married October 27th. 1816, Paisley.

Parents

Captain Walter Stevenson, Master Mariner, lost at sea 1859, and his wife Margaret (née Robertson) - (1825-1888) of "Glen Darrick", Paisley. They married at the parish church of Paisley Low on November 17th 1843 when Margaret was aged 18. There were only two children of this marriage. Malcolm, the elder, born c.1844 became a seaman and was swept over board in the Bay of Biscay on December 15, 1870, aged about 26 years. He married early, and his wife apparently died young as two children were left with their maternal grandmother at Paisley. One died "the time Malcolm was in America" according to one of the American letters written last century, copies of which were sent to the writer by her distant cousin Franc Ryan (née Burns) of New York in 1967. The other, also Malcolm who used the surname Robertson as did his father, was living at Paisley in 1888 where he was employed at an engineering works. He was married with children. Nothing further is known of this nephew of RRS.

Younger son of Captain WALTER & MARGARET STEVENSON of Paisley, Renfrewshire, was born on July 3, 1847 in Perthshire. According to the marriage certificate of RRS the place was "Ardeevalloch". However no such town or village of this name exists. It is thought that the spelling is phonetic and should be Ardvorlich, near Killin, Perthshire. This is a village on Loch Earn and also the name of the hereditary house of the Stewarts. How the mother of RRS came to be at that remote place for the birth of her child must remain a mystery. He was named simply Robert Stevenson and assumed the second name of Rowland at a later time at the behest of his father, apparently to ensure identification if such was ever needed.

Marriage: On January 5, 1877 to MARIA NICHOLLS (born 28/1/1855 at Inverleigh, Victoria) the 2nd. surviving daughter of MARIAN (née DOWNES) and HENRY NICHOLLS of "Sutton Grange", Linton, Victoria, and formerly of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. The marriage took place at "Sutton Grange", the Rev. J.B. Smith, Methodist minister, officiating. Witnesses were Maria's sister Clara Isabella (Mrs. John Inglis) and her brother, Edmund Nicholls.

Children

1. ADA MARGARET STEVENSON born June 29, 1878 at "Belleview Cottage", Port Wakefield, S.A.
2. FLORENCE MARIAN STEVENSON born April 16,1880 at Ewen Street, Kadina, S.A.
3. CLARA HARRIETT (HETTIE) STEVENSON born February 14,1882 at Bowden, S.A.
4. WALTER ROWLAND STEVENSON born September 3,1883 at Kingston, S.A.
5. RONALD ROBERT STEVENSON born December 11,1885 at Bordertown, S.A.
6. STUART HENRY STEVENSON born February 10,1888 at Bordertown, S.A.
7. BLAINE REID STEVENSON born March 31, 1890 at Bordertown, S.A.
8. KEITH MELVILLE STEVENSON born June 11,1893 at Bordertown, S.A.
9. JEAN LILIAN STEVENSON born July 15, 1896 at 79 Unley Road, Unley, S.A.

Robert Rowland Stevenson died at his residence "Craigielea", 79 Unley Road, Unley, S.A. on October 24, 1920, aged 73 years. Interred West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide.

His wife, Maria, died at her residence, Unley Road, Unley, on July 25, 1935, aged 80 years. Interred in the family plot at West Terrace, Adelaide. There is a headstone with dates.

Childhood

RRS told his children that he was born with a caul over his head, which according to an old Scottish legend ensures good fortune and safety from drowning. If the first failed to eventuate at least the second proved correct for him. As a lad at Paisley when skating with a companion one winter they ventured onto thin ice. RRS narrowly escaped falling through but his companion was drowned.

The captain, his father, was absent for long periods at sea. According to RRS Walter Stevenson owned his ship and conveyed emigrants to America and as he was domiciled at Paisley it is presumed that he plied from the Clyde and the sea port of Glasgow. His young wife Margaret was a native of Paisley and had been married at 18. Perhaps being alone with two young children so much, although she had many relatives in the town, she was persuaded to elope by a plausible rogue named John Burns. RRS was 5 years of age and never saw his mother again and knew nothing of her at first hand until he was put in touch with her when he was 29.

There was no divorce at that time except by act of Parliament so that her American marriage to John Burns made during the lifetime of her first husband was bigamous and her three Burns sons were illegitimate. However, she was a woman of upright character and innocently believed that her marriage to Burns was legal. He proved to be a very weak reed indeed. Not only was he a poor provider but mostly a non-provider so that to take care of her children she was forced to set up as a boarding house keeper, in New York.

John Burns joined the Northern Army during the American Civil War but deserted from a Maryland hospital and returned to Paisley in 1864. His letters to Margaret have been preserved. This venture was also unsuccessful and he wrote demanding that she pay his fare back to New York which she did. He was deceased by 1868. According to his descendants, when the authorities approached his wife for the cost of burial she refused, as by then she had had more than enough of his careless behaviour. He was interred as a pauper in "Potter's Field" at a New York cemetery. Margaret died aged 63 years on September 29, 1888 at her New York residence. Copies of the letters which have survived will be included later in this account.

So, RRS and his brother Malcolm were virtually motherless from an early age. They were placed with a grandmother, but whether the Stevenson or the Robertson one is not stated. RRS was aged 12 years when his father failed to return from a voyage in 1859. Malcolm was already at sea following his father's profession. It was the termination of the young Robert's education, the lack of which was to haunt him for the remainder of his life. His writing, that was so poor when he was young, gradually improved, so that when he commenced an account of his life in old age, he did very well.

The next two years were difficult. He worked by day for local farmers and tried to improve himself by attending night school, but by then he was too weary to absorb much in the way of lessons. At 14 he left Paisley, as it proved, forever. Some of the Robertson relatives farewelled him at Glasgow Quay. These included his cousin James Clark junior who later corresponded. He travelled to London to be apprenticed to the Black Ball Line of ships, a well known one of the period that was owned by Scottish James Bayne. In his unfinished biography RRS gives no indication of any voyage taken prior to the one which took him to Australia, but as this took place a year later, in 1862, there was doubtless an earlier one.

Arrival in South Australia (1862)

RRS was 15 when the "Morning Star", a sailing ship of 1285 tons left Liverpool on November 20, 1862 with Captain Matthews and First Officer Grainger and 400 passengers, bound for South Australia. They reached Port Adelaide on February 15, 1863. RRS hated the sea life and the considerable hardships of an Able Seaman. Reports of the harsh treatment of the crew by Captain Matthews were hinted at in Adelaide newspapers. RRS had discovered that the sea was definitely not his vocation and with a fellow crew member of like mind, was given leave to travel by train to the city, eight miles inland. They took the precaution of conveying their sea chests too.

They hid at an Adelaide boarding house for three days then RRS made his way to a sheep and cattle station 100 miles north of the city. This was "Wandillah" at Kooringa, which is now part of the Burra District. At that time Richard Hallett was the proprietor. Meantime Captain Matthews was advertising for his missing seamen. A £10 reward was offered for any information as to their whereabouts. None was forthcoming and 3 weeks later the "Morning Star" sailed minus two lads. RRS remained at "Wandilla" for about three years and must have left in January 1866. His relative, Alexander Gray, made enquiry from Paisley and received this curt reply:-

Wandillah
17th June 1866
Mr. A. Gray,
Sir,
R. Stevenson left my employment six months back, and at present I have not the slightest idea where he is. I have returned you the letter as requested.
Yours truly,
Richard Hallett.

Surveyor (1865)

Some later research at the Adelaide Archives brought forth the record of RRS entering the South Australian Survey Department on November 18, 1865 as a cadet Chainman on ordinary surveys at a weekly wage of 6 shillings which included Sundays. He received rations and was housed in a tent. He was now 17. A letter which he wrote his cousin Catherine Risk in April 1867 (given verbatim) describes his early years in South Australia.

Survey Camp,
Adelaide, Australia
24/12/1867
Dear Sister,
I now embrace the opportunity of writting to you to let you know that i am well and hopping this will find you & Robert & family the same, i hope i have given no offence by the way in which i have headed my letter; for Caty you know you were always a sister to me and i have always had a Brother's love for you; never shall i forget the time when I was ill with the fever when no-one was there even to wet my lips; you who attended all my littel wants as if i had been a child. But indeed i was littel more than a child at the time but now Dear Sister i have grown up to the state of manhood and now it is that i feel the want of your council and advice. Dear sister, since i came out to this Conlia [colony] i was for nine months confined to a sick bed, a sick bed which i thought i should never rise from any more in this world but i prayed often to God that the cup of agony might pass away, but God was pleased to let the cup pass from me without me having to drink of its bitterness. Dear Sister, when the doctors pronounced their hopes of my recovery my heart overflowed with joy at thoughts of at some future day of seeing those that i Love and are dear to me. Dear Sister, no-one knows what the disentry is but those that has suffered with its pains and had to bear with its agoneys; when i was able to sit up in bed i happened one day to look in the Looking Glass; i almost got afraid of my own Shadow, my face was pail and my cheek bones were projecting through the scin; i looked a perfect fright, even the young lady that used to attend me when i was getting better used to say that she often heard of a ghost but had never seen one but me; many a time i laughed at her sayings since i got better. She was a Miss Obrine and is now a Mrs. Rayn [probably Ryan].
Dear Sister, i am at present in a government situation on the Survey Department; the wages is small they are ninety five pounds per annum [$195] and have to find myself; it costs me nothing for lodgings because we live in tents out in the bush; at present our camp is over two hundred miles from the city of Adelaide & i intend to get my likeness taken as soon as i can get to the city and i should like very much to get a card of visite of yours & Robert's & also Margaret & Anne; i have written to Craigielee twist and have got Know answer yet so i intend to write no more; and yet i should like to see that place where memry brings back to my recollection where i spent the happy days of boyhood but alas those days are gone and will never return, they are gone, gone like those that have gone to sleep until the world that is to come.
Dear Sister, i have to ask you to ask Robert if he will be kind enough to call upon a Mr. John Ward who is a Taillor & Clother and tell him that his Brother-in-law, Mr. Michael 0'Reilly, Surveyor, sends his compliments and best wishes to him and Famley; i believe his establishment is in the high street or about the Croos somewhere; by doing so he will oblige Mr. 0'Reilly and me. I hope dear sister you will write by the following [mail] after the receiving of this i must conclude with Kind Love to all Uncals and Anuts and cousions and hope to be allowed to remain your affect. Brother
R.R. Stevenson.
P.S. Dear Sister perhaps you will wounder how that i sine my name Robert Rowland but if ever it pleased God to spare us to meet again you shall know what it is for and why it is that i have taken it; it was a request of my father before he died. Dear Sister, when you write be sure to let me know about Mr. Ward; be sure to write soon as i shall be expecting, yours R.R.S.
Direct to care of Mr. Henry Davies, Cooper, Walkerville via Adelaide, Australia.

The photograph which RRS desired to have taken was duly executed that same year (1867) when he was aged 20. It shows him in Highland costume. He was bearded and of strong build. However the kilt appears to have been made for a larger man so undoubtedly had belonged to his father. Some copies are still extant and one has been engraved on brass with his name and dates of birth and death beneath. This costume was subsequently lost in a house fire at Linton, Victoria. The tartan is the Royal Stuart. He was also entitled to use the Robertson. According to the father of RRS their family was given permission to use the Stuart tartan in perpetuity by Bonnie Prince Charlie as reward for saving his life during the 1745 troubles. Blind Willie Stevenson, a famous fiddler played "The Campbells are Coming" outside the inn where the Prince was staying enabling him to escape his enemies. Sir Walter Scott mentioned this in his book "Red Gauntlet".

According to the reminiscences written in pencil by RRS, in 1868 he was told to hold himself in readiness to be one of the party of the Surveyor General, George Woodroofe Goyder, for a journey of exploration to the Northern Territory which at that time was largely unknown. RRS must have informed the Paisley relatives of this proposed trip. His position was at the beginning "Axeman" but he was promoted in the field during the course of the exploration. One of his aunts had an exaggerated idea of the importance of the position RRS held. This letter was written from Scotland to his mother in America. He had still not been put in touch with her as this particular aunt refused to give their addresses to either of them. She apparently enjoyed her position of go between too much to oblige. The letter is also one of condolence at the death of John Burns.

64 Canal Street,
Paisley
25th. Nov. 1868
My Dear Sister,
I again embrace this opportunity of writing you to let you know that we are all well, hoping this will find you all enjoying the same. I have now received 3 papers from you which I beg to thank you very heartily. And would still wish you to send me on more because I enjoy reading them very much.
We were very sorry to hear of your husband's death, also of brother William's which we are informed took place some time ago. But if it was God's Will, we cannot murmur and may they have both been able to say ere they closed their eyes to this world and took the long, long sleep of death -- may they have been able to say with Job of old, the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. Any information you can give us regarding WILLIAM'S death will be thankfully received.
We have had several letters from ROBERT since we wrote you last. I may state that he is in the highest stages of a government situation. In fact, he cannot get any further without the aid of some very influential gentleman of that country to speak in his favour. In his last note he takes leave of us for 3 years, perhaps forever, as he leaves the place he is at present in to explore the "Northern Territories" of "New Zealand". They have to carry firearms with them as the people are very savage, and don't know when they may be attacked.
The last note we had from MALCOLM he was cruising about the Spanish coast. When we wrote him we gave him your address in "New York" and likely he will have written you by this time.
Trade in general in Paisley is very slack at present.
Paisley is at present the scene of great confusion on account of the Election, but it is all over now. We have sent you by this post a newspaper containing all the news of the Election.
Allow me to conclude with all our best compliments and as this is likely the last letter before New Year's we wish you all a Happy New Year and many happy returns,
No more but remain your affectionate sister
Mrs. James Clark

Hilarious as the above appears in retrospect it would not have been exactly comforting to the mother who had not seen her son for 14 years. Also there is more than a little doubt over her New York address being sent to RRS at this time as it was another 8 or 9 years before mother and son commenced to correspond.

The Goyder Expedition (1868-1870)

RRS kept a diary of this period which in later years he lent to a friend. It was never returned. His other pages which included a hand drawn and coloured map of Darwin were given to the Adelaide Archives by his youngest son Keith in 1920. The original acknowledgment of this is held by the writer. The following account gives the kind of detail which would have been recorded in the missing diary. Since this was originally written in 1967 a book has been published by Goyder's grand-daughter, Margaret Goyder Kerr, called "The Survivors" - "The story of the Founding of Darwin" - Rigby 1971. It of course includes the material I found in the Adelaide "Advertiser" and "Express & Telegraph as well as much more.

That RRS "held himself in readiness" indicates that he was ordered to be of the party and was not one of the 1400 applicants from the eastern states as well as from South Australia. The final number selected was 140 men. George Woodroffe Goyder was to lead this expedition to the far north, 2000 miles from Adelaide, choose the site for a town and survey half a million acres of tropical territory, which was expected to take about 2 years. Previous expeditions had failed so that the general opinion was that this one would also prove disastrous.

Goyder, known as "Little Energy" for his size and his industry, and his party left Port Adelaide on December 23, 1868 in the "Moonta", (Capt. Thomas Barneson). It was an old but seaworthy vessel. It was packed so tightly with men, livestock, 100 water tanks of 400 gallons each which had to last the whole journey and tons of equipment that there was no room on deck for exercise. RRS had to provide himself with knife, fork, spoon, towel and bedding (a mattress was provided) and the only luggage permitted was a sailor's canvas bag for clothes etc.

There had been a great send-off with hundreds of persons on shore cheering and waving but bad weather held them up for 3 days in the north arm of the Port River with only an outlook of swamp and mangroves. Contrary to a newspaper report of a "fine Christmas dinner on board" the fare that day was the usual sea rations of salt pork and hard tack without so much as a taste of plum pudding. By January 10 (1869) they had rounded Cape Leeuwin and were heading north. They were becalmed in oppressive heat for 5 days and to lessen the tedium of tiny cabins without ventilation, poor food and overcrowding a newspaper was published with W. Fisher as editor. It was called "The Moonta and Northern Territory Gazette". Church services conducted by Dr. Peel (the surgeon with the expedition) a choir was formed (there was a harmonium on board) and concerts and amateur theatricals were performed. RRS does not appear to have had any musical ability so it is presumed he formed one of the appreciative audience.In spite of such poor conditions on the "Moonta" not one real disagreement occurred. Every Saturday Mr. Fisher held an auction on the forecastle and a great variety of goods changed hands at inflated prices.

They were becalmed again in sight of Timor, 90 miles distant, but Fort Darwin was reached in a record 40 days. Within half an hour Mr. Goyder was on shore looking for a suitable camp site which he chose on a high bluff known as Point Fort. A well was sunk in excessive heat, a thunderstorm arrived punctually every afternoon as it was the wet season and prickly heat commenced to plague everyone. Once the bluff was left sand flies and mosquitoes swarmed so nets were made "square rigged" of cheese cloth taken along for that purpose.

Although RRS is shown as "axeman" in the M.G. Kerr book, the official record of Mr. Goyder lists him as starting out as a "trencher", then "axeman", followed by "chainman" and finally as "Head man in the Field". He was one of the No. 6 party under the leadership of George MacLachlan and second class Officer Daniel Daly, a nephew of the recently deceased Governor Sir Dominic Daly of South Australia. Daniel had been sent out to be aide-de-camp to his uncle which position had ceased when the uncle died in office. He kept a diary and in lieu of RRS's own, some extracts are included. No 6 party was composed of the above leaders plus Cadets Thos. B, and C. Wells. Headsmen were E. Ryan - G.A. Armstong - J. Gerrald - and M.Ryan. The chainmen were W. Fisher (the former auctioneer) and J. London. Trenchers: RRS, P. Healy, D.Heir and H.H.Irwin with T.Stevens as their cook. I noted in another party two of the men who were to accompany RRS to the north in 1872, namely Will Collett and Richard Robinson. This group surveyed the East Arm although in view of his gradual move up the ladder he may have been attached to other groups as time progressed.

Within 3 weeks a road to the well had been constructed, the livestock landed (horses, cattle, goats and hens), a store built for perishable goods, a jetty erected, a substantial one, Point Fort cleared of dense scrub and a trig station set up there and several other roads made. Trees, flowers, animals and insect life were listed and the painting and photographing of these was begun enthusiastically by the officials of these arts. But the men worked immensely hard. The scrub barriers had to be hacked through for the surveys and the spear grass was so tall that small men moving through it were quite invisible. Then the natives began to filter around the camp sites and brought bark for roofing in return for food. Fresh food was a problem as game was not readily available and fish were scarce. Lime juice had been overlooked when provisions were ordered and gradually ailments showed up amongst the men. Boils, headaches, sore eyes, swollen legs, swollen gums, loose teeth and the ever present bites of insects.During this early part of the survey the party with RRS had been timber cutting at the East Arm and camping on the beach and so escaped mosquitoes and flies, those inland all suffered from the exhausting humidity and heat.

The "Moonta" left on March 4, and Daly took his party to survey a new township called Virginia still on the East Arm but 20 miles away. Mr. Goyder was tireless and drove the men hard and they would return to the camp at night too exhausted even to eat. The "Gulnare" from S.A. arrived on Easter Sunday with very welcome fresh supplies and clothing which included cabbage tree hats to replace the sweat blackened felts. RRS was still away at the Virginia camp as Daly reported their whereabouts at this time in a letter which survives at the Archives (Adelaide). There was a good deal of sickness amongst the men, the doctor was inefficient so Daly was dosing them himself from the medicine chest in his charge. The natives were peaceable but they all slept with loaded revolvers at their sides.

J.Bennett who had been learning the native language had been rather too friendly with the aborigines in the opinion of Mr. Goyder. He warned this man to be less trustful, in case of treachery, but he was speared by them and died on May 25.Daniel Daly wrote, "We have our perils here. The natives that appeared so quiet at first have turned most treacherous and savage. A great friend of mine, Mr. J.W.O. Bennett was murdered by the blacks about 5 miles from where I am camped with my party. Another man ran to his rescue and received a spear wound in his back which has crippled him for life. After that they came to my camp, but I turned out at the head of my men and gave chase to them, firing our revolvers so close that we frightened them away." As RRS told his children of this incident he was still with the Daly party. Daly continued "They followed us several times after that and used to hide in wait in the long grass and suddenly jump up with their long spears (14 feet long) poised in their hands, ready to kill us, but we were always too sharp for them and had our revolvers always ready, so that we used to blaze away at them before they could throw their spears."They had been camped for a month at a waterhole (in July) and had daily swum and bathed there until the day a large crocodile appeared and took Daly's dog as it drank. Daly jumped from his horse and ran into the water firing his revolver but was unable to save his dog.

On August 23 the "Gulnare" returned for the second time with supplies and brought monkeys for food but the men promptly made pets of them. The survey had been completed in six months instead of the expected two years. At the main camp a theatre had been built and when available the irrepressible Daly took to the boards. He wrote that they had been indulging in splendid ragouts of snakes, guanas, lizards and hawks, all very good eating for those who had been without fresh meat for so long. He didn't care for alligator - "too oily".

Mr. Goyder left for Adelaide by the "Gulnare" on September 28. Ten officers accompanied him in the Cabin (First Class) and 24 were in the main hold. They reached Port Adelaide on October 17. RRS was still at Darwin. Incidentally it was to have been called Palmerston, changed to Port Darwin, then Darwin. Daly wrote at this time ..." I have just returned to our main camp after a month's dreadful hard work, but for which we have been complimented by the Surveyor-General. He leaves in the schooner in a day or two with about forty of the party to return to Adelaide, but I, and a few more officers and about 100 men are left here till a steamer is sent round for us which we expect to take us away the first week in December ..... My only duties during the next two months are to keep watch over the camp. I am the officer of the guards to defend the camp against the natives....."

RRS stayed on for several more months. His superior George MacLachlan remained as senior surveyor and a number of men set up concerns and formed the nucleus of what was to eventually become the city of Darwin. Dr. Peel was to be in charge until the appointed Government Resident arrived, but he was so unpopular there was near mutiny. Fortunately Dr. J. Stokes Millner came to relieve him. With the work completed, the commencement of the overland telegraph between Darwin and Adelaide was soon in hand.

Under water cable was already at Java from Europe and was extended to Darwin. By August 1872 Australia was linked directly with England.What occupied RRS until he reached Adelaide late in May 1870 is not recorded. His pencilled notes tell of severe ague (malaria) and that Dr. Millner recommended his return south to recoup his health. On June 21 his cousin James Clark wrote from Paisley to New York that they could not expect to hear from Robert for at least another year. Robert had already despatched a letter to James Clark senior. It is not exactly chatty and gives not one of the many adventures he had in the North.

South Australia.
Walkerville,
via Adelaide.
18th. June 1870.
Dear Uncal,
I now embrace the opportunity of writing to you. Since my return to Adelaide again. You will remember that when I wrote to you last I said that I was about to leave Adelaide for two years. Well, I returned to Adelaide about three weeks ago and am well, hopping this will find you all enjoying the same Blissing. I will not say anything about the hardships that I had to go through since I wrote to you last. It is true that I was pretty well paid. I had 12 pounds per month.
Adelaide is in a very dull state at present. There is some hundreds of men out of employment and it has got no appearance of getting much better for some time to come.
The party that went on the survey that I was with surveyed 800,000 acers of land in the years that we were away. We had to go 1800 miles inland before we could begin our work. Give my love to sister Kate and the young Risks and likewise to all Uncals, Aunts and Cousions,
And allow me to remain your affec. nephew,
R.R. Stevenson.
Address to R.R. Stevenson,
C/- H. Davis - Cooper,
Walkerville,
via Adelaide.

Surveyor General Goyder gave RRS a letter of recommendation. I have the original.

MEMORANDUM
Surveyor General's Office,
Adelaide 12th. October 1870.
This is to certify that Mr. R.R. Stevenson served as Headman in the Field in one of my parties in the Northern Territory, and remained there until the party was disbanded. He was also employed in ordinary survey work near Adelaide for two (2) years during the whole of which time he conducted himself with much propriety and to my entire satisfaction. I can recommend him with confidence to any person requiring his services.
G.W. Goyder,
Surveyor General.

RRS was with the Survey Department about three and a half years. He resigned on his return from Darwin as his health was by no means as robust as he made out to James Clark, senior. A letter of early 1872 from Paisley to New York referred to RRS having gone to Sydney "for his health", the news having been received from a Mrs. Morrison of Paisley. This then must have been when RRS first contacted his father's sister, Christina Morrison, in Victoria, and she in turn wrote home to her sister-in-law.A letter of November 1871 from James Clark, junior, to Margaret Burns, New York, was in his usual exaggerated style. The cottage occupied by RRS was a rented one. At no time did he build a house for himself. Like his mother Jane Clark, nee Robertson, James could not help dramatising nor were his letters guaranteed to comfort.

64 Canal Street,
Paisley.
26th. November 1871.
My Dear, Dear Aunt,
Your very welcome letter came duly to hand and with pleasure we see from it you are all well and we are enjoying the same Blessing. You express a wish that you would like to come home if you thought your boys could get work. There are two carpet factories in Paisley and I think there is some possibility of them obtaining work in some of them, and as you say, if they did not like Scotland you could easily go back to America. You have no idea of the great pleasure it would give all your dear friends to see you once again among us and I am sure it would also be a pleasure to you to once again see the land where you were born. It is not like the town it was when you left it. Now we have "Public Parks" and we have too a Public Library and Museum. All these things are added to the town of Paisley.
You ask if we have had any word from Robert. Yes, the last letter we had from him he was staying in a neat little cottage in "Australla" which he got built for himself but I am sorry to say he is still an old bachelor [Note: RRS was 24] and has the appearance of still remaining one. He was not quite so well when he wrote us last but we hope by the next letter we get from him he will be alright and able to resume his daily work.
As for Malcolm, while in the Bay of Biscay on the 15th. of December 1870 while in the noble discharge of his duties he was carried overboard by a wave there to sleep till the sea gives up its dead. No time to prepare had he. No kindly hand to soothe his last moments, but there amidst the roar of the waters and while buffeted with the waves he crossed that borne whence no traveller returns.
You also ask to know how your sister Janet [Gray] is. She also on the 22nd, of November 1870 died, but how different was it from Malcolm's. She had kindly hands about her, she had a loving son's ,earnest prayers. loving daughters' tenderest nursing and an affectionate sister's careful watching and all these seemed to comfort her as she went forth to meet her God, but why sorrow we as those who have no hope, let us trust that she rests from her labours and her works do follow her. Her son Alex wrote you and told you of the death at the time we are sorry if the letter did not reach you......"

The remainder of the letter will be given in the Robertson record as it deals with other members of that family.

In his unfinished memoir RRS wrote that while in the north on the survey he had seen deposits of gold, silver lead, copper, tin ore and other minerals and he was determined to go back. He consulted Mr. Goyder and received much good advice and practical aid concerning mining laws. This was 10 months after he had left the Government's employ.

Explorer (1872)

We find him next, in July 1872 at Melbourne, busily purchasing supplies for his proposed expedition to search for minerals. He had earlier visited his Morrison aunt at Happy Valley and the Nicholls at nearby Linton. He gave his future wife, then aged 17 years, a brass bound Bible of a size suitable to carry to church. It is now owned by the writer. RRS wrote on the fly leaf: "Presented to Miss Maria Nicholl; as a Remberence [Remembrance] of the giver- June 14th. 1872•" He did not sign his name.

Some of the receipts of the supplies are with the papers of RRS at the Adelaide Archives.

From William Redford, 19 Post Office Place, Melbourne.

(1) can at 2/6 [$0.25]
(1) tea, billy at 9/9 [$0.99]
Total 12/- [$1.23]

James McEwen and Co - dated July 15th. - £10/14/7 - ($21.47) worth of goods which included saws, nails, hammers, 5 picks with handles, a magnet, frying pan, tin dishes, long handled shovels, pair of bellows, 4 iron buckets, adzes, "gimblets", a pit saw and shingling hammer. He later returned for copper nails, boiled oil, ropes and timber.

July 17th. - 5 soup plates, 5 mugs, 5 knives and forks (ditto), 5 spoon and one 2 key padlock for £1/3/2 [$1.32].

July 18th. - groceries - the heaviest expenditure - from Robt. Walker, Provision Merchant, Melbourne.

600 pounds sugar £8/15/0 [$17.50]
40 pounds salt 4/6 [$0.45]
60 pounds jam £1/17/6 [$3-75]
2 pounds pepper 1/9 [$0.19]
12 pounds rice £1/4/0 [$2.40]
4 bottles curry 8/0 [$0.80]
2 pounds hops (for yeast making) 2/8 [$0.28]
2 pounds carb. soda -/8 [$0.8]
2 pounds acid 4/6 [$0.45]
1 pound cayenne pepper (the remains of which until recently
survived in my laundry cupboard) 2/6 [$0.25]
20 pounds soap 5/- [$0.50]
1 gross matches 4/6 [$0.45]
1 box Sp. Candles £1/4/- [$2.40]
1 half chest (40lbs) tea £2/10/- [$5.00]
1 case (3 dozen) ...? £1/6/3 [$2.63]
10 sacks silk drest, flour (200lbs) £16/10/- [$33.00]
1500 pounds preserved meat (in tins) Irish stew, mutton,
tripe, beef & bouilli £31/5/- [$62.50]
_____________________________
Grand total £67/3/10 [$134.40]
Less cash discount of £1/0/4 [$2.04]
_____________________________

A final purchase of luxury items:- 2 dozen tins of sardines at 9/- [90 cents] per dozen and 2 tins of herrings at 3/- [30 cents)] each. They were ready.

The ship they chose was the "Condor" (or perhaps the "Conda", the old hand writing is faded and hard to decipher now). They left from Hobson's quay, Melbourne, on July 30, 1872. How many of the party left Melbourne is not stated and possibly some joined at Darwin. The lading bill for shipping the supplies was £9/15/- ($19.50). No price for the human freight shows in the papers remaining. The voyage was via Sydney and Brisbane and they were two months in reaching Darwin. There, where a township was already in the making and the cable from England and the Overland Telegraph had been connected the previous month (Aug. 22), RRS formed the "Gol Conda" Gold Mining Company. The document is quaint, set out by RRS with his own special brand of spelling.

Port Darwin - September 2, 1872.
All had to agree to a partnership to last not less than 8 months and and not more than 12 after arrival at Palmerston [Darwin].
(1) Parties to share one sixth each in all profits and losses.
(2) Anyone wishing to dispose of his share must give the other partners first opportunity of purchase and 24 hours notice to the Secretary.
(3) Any new partners must be approved by all.
(4) Each had to guarantee £120 [$240] and each must pay £20 [$40] towards expenses immediately.
(5) A Secretary to be appointed at once to take charge of finances. This last was undoubtedly RRS as he did all the purchasing at Darwin.

Those who signed were:- (1) W.Collett (2) Antonio Charles (3) John Gunn (4) Richard Robinson (5) Bernard Menghine (6) R.R.Stevenson.

A month later, having made a thorough investigation, they registered their claim. It was described as "near Darwin, and 200 yards by 400 yards near the beach." On October 28, RRS on behalf of the Company, purchased two Timor ponies branded "D" near the shoulder from T.V.J. Weir for £20 [$40]. He paid cash as the receipt (still extant) shows. On November 4 he was at Palmerston and bought 200 pounds of potatoes for 18 shillings [$1.80]. Four days later one of the partners sold out to his fellow share holders. Perhaps he didn't care for potatoes. This was Charles Antonio, or maybe Antonio Charles as he signed both ways.

It was not until the following year, on May 16, 1873, that RRS bought a set of pony harness from Fred Dixon for £5/10/0 Sterling. A couple of ropes must have sufficed meantime. RRS rented a house on allotment No. 649 for three months for £1/2/6 [$2.25] from September 26 and a little later paid a whole years rent of £4/4/- [$8.40] for the same. The Company of five partners was reduced to four when Will Collett died of fever [malaria]. They scrupulously drew up an account of the profits and bought in his tools. On October 23, 1873 the balance sheet of the "Gol Conda" Gold Mining Company showed a profit of £53/6/6 [$106.65]. RRS was to write later that while they did not make a fortune they made a living. But only just, I imagine.

The four partners now remaining left the Darwin area and penetrated south as far as the McDonnell Ranges (Alice Springs Telegraph Office was perhaps sighted) and in that remote and lonely land, Richard Robinson died of fever. They were all ill of fever, but they had discovered a rich deposit of gold, and a fortune was close. However, this was not to be. Hostile natives surrounded their camp and one morning RRS discovered the body of the companion sharing his tent pierced by a spear through the canvas wall as they both slept. Whether this was John Gunn or Bernard Menghine RRS did not say, but he and the only other left of the original six returned to Darwin minus the hoped for riches. Dr. Millner was again consulted and he strongly advised a quick return to the south where fever and scurvy could be cured much quicker with good food and a more equable climate. He also advised at least five months rest.

Railway Worker (1874)

On August 23, 1874 RRS was ready for work again. He was now aged 27 years. On this date he joined the South Australian Public Works Department. He was to have commenced in the Railway Workshops, perhaps he did, but with Fitter Cockran he was sent to work on the original Wonga Shoal Light House, off the suburban beach of Semaphore. According to his sons, RRS had the knowledge that enabled him to set the light and did so. But, considering the earlier experience of RRS - apprentice seaman, cattle station rouse-about, survey work and gold mining, this has a doubtful aspect. The lighthouse no longer exists. It was rebuilt in 1906 only to be rammed and wrecked by a sailing ship, the "Dimsdale". on 17th. November 1912. The two keepers died and the light was replaced by an automatic beacon which in turn, was removed in 1970.

RRS returned to the Railways on May 17,1875, and noted sadly that the locomotive Engineer in Charge reduced him from 8 shillings [80 cents] per day, to 5 shillings and sixpence [55 cents] and sent him to the "running sheds" as a cleaner. RRS naturally regarded Engineer J.H. Clark without affection. Later in this same year (1875) RRS was instrumental in saving the Railway Workshops. When a fire began he organized Fitters Appleby and Cameron and himself into a team, and together they had extinguished the flames and saved the store rooms before the horse drawn fire brigade galloped to the rescue. He had been used to doing fire duty every second Saturday at the railway yards (Adelaide) so was familiar with the equipment.

1885 Margaret RobertsonOn March 3, 1376 he was sent to Port Wakefield, north of the city. This first of several such moves to country depots was also the time when his mother in New York was taking her initial step toward direct contact with RRS. The hypocritical James Clarks of Paisley, who wrote so regularly to "Dear, dear Aunt (or sister)", were not the means by which Margaret Burns found her son. That they could have obliged many years before is clear, and that they deliberately held back from doing so, is equally clear. Margaret's original enquiry to Henry Davies of Adelaide has not survived, but the reply has.

Leigh Street, Adelaide,
July 4, 1876.
Dear Madam,
In answer to your letter I consider it was no liberty of you writing to my Father, it being the wish of a Mother to know about her SON. Your son, I believe he is your son, Robert Rowland Stevenson. He is at present driving an Engine on the Railway line. He is enjoying good health. He often writes to us. Any information I can give you I will with pleasure. With this letter I will send you his portrait in his Highland costume. This R.R. Stevenson has got a peculiar mark on his ear that I would swear to wherever I seen him. When I was but a youth I recollect seeing him sign his name R.R. Stevenson Burns. You write a letter to him and Direct it to R.R. Stevenson care of Henry Davies, Cooper, Leigh St., Adelaide. As I have answered your kind letter would you be so kind as to write to me and tell me where you got your information about his letter being addressed in care of us, by doing so you will greatly oblige. Hoping this will find you enjoying good health, wealth and prosperity, I remain,
Henry Davies.

Margaret Burns replied promptly:-

New York,
Sept. 25, 1876.
Dear Sir,
I received your kind and welcome letter and portrait which I believe to be my son from strong likeness to our family, but it being 24 years ago since I saw him I cannot remember his features. In regard to the mark on his ear that you speak of, I cannot bring it to my mind, but by the portrait I fully believe it is him. In regard to where I got my information about his letters being addressed to you, I got it from a letter dated back six years ago that he sent to his cousin Mrs. Risk in Paisley, Scotland. So you see by that I wrote just by Chance, not knowing if ever it would find you or not. I could not express to you how thankful I am to you for writing in Return. Hoping this will find you all in good health, I remain,
Yours,
Margaret Stevenson Burns.
Address:
Mr. John Burns,
Care Mitchell Higgens Carpet Factory,
East 43rd. Street, New York, America.

John Burns senior had died long since. This John was the eldest of the three half brothers of RRS. He never ever contacted RRS though the other two corresponded spasmodically after their mother's death in 1888. The first letters that RRS and Margaret Burns exchanged are lost, but she must have written to him at the same time as she answered Henry Davies.

Marriage (1877)

In South Australia RRS was preparing for his marriage. Nothing remains of the correspondence between him and Maria Nicholls during their courting days. The one concrete memento is the previously mentioned inscription in the brass bound Bible, his gift to her in 1872. They could not have known each other very well or met more than a few times as the railway to the east went only as far as Nairne in the Adelaide Hills. The Parliamentary Act to continue the line to the Victorian border was not passed until 1882. Travellers from Adelaide used either the sea route or went by road with Cobb & Co. coaches although those in no hurry sometimes took a Murray River paddle steamer up to one of the Victorian towns and thereafter went by coach to Melbourne or the desired Victorian destination.

That RRS took leave to visit Linton in the mid 1870s and asked Maria to be his wife, is certain. The engagement ring was of turquoise and pearl stones and eventually went to their eldest grand-daughter, Kathleen Schulte, on her 21st. birthday.
The marriage certificate (now owned by the writer) and a newspaper cutting of the announcement give the details of the wedding. The two witnesses were Clara Nicholls (Mrs. John Inglis) and Edmund Nicholls, sister and brother of the bride. She so disliked her name that she answered only to Viola, usually shortened to "Vi". Her son Stuart never called her anything else although the remainder of the family called her by the more dignified "Mater".

STEVENSON – NICHOLLS
On the 5th, of January 1877, at the residence of the bride's father, by the Rev. J.B.Smith (Wesleyan), Robert Rowland second son of the late Walter Stevenson of Renfrewshire, Scotland, to Maria, youngest daughter of Henry Nicholls of "Sutton Grange", Linton, Victoria.

There is no indication as to which newspaper carried this announcement. Three days later RRS and his bride were at Ballarat where they were photographed. A copy was later sent to Mrs.Burns and the writer also has one. The bride stands beside the seated bridegroom. He wears a light summer suit in the fashion of the time and holds a bowler hat. His brown hair has begun to recede and he has both beard and moustache. She leans on the back of his chair wearing a checked gown with bustle and frills on the skirt, the sleeves are full length and a white muslin bertha drapes the shoulders. Her small hat is of the "pork pie" variety with lily of the valley flowers as decoration within folds of ribbon. Her gold tassel ear rings were made into brooches for two of her daughters many years later. One has been altered again and is now used as a pendant by the writer who also now owns the gold locket on a fine gold chain which RRS gave Maria as a wedding gift.

Their pictured heads were set in this locket, but in after years Maria took so strong a dislike to the lily of the valley hat that she removed hers. RRS is still in place. The photo is of course in black and white so does not show that her eyes were a vivid forgetmenot blue which were to be unfaded at 80 and that her soft brown curls had a hint of gold. At her death there was no gray in her hair. She was very small and slight and remained so even after the births of nine children.

Maria's parents had emigrated from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, where Henry Nicholls had managed a carpet factory owned by his father-in-law John Bill Downes (born 1798). Henry (1820-1888) and his wife Marian (1821-1903) travelled by the ship "James T. Ford" with their young family, one of whom died on the voyage. They arrived at Port Lonsdale, Victoria on December 22, 1852. He tried farming but was too inexperienced to succeed. He did a little better at gold mining and better still at storekeeping and as an orchardist. Maria was born at Inverleigh on January 28, 1855, the first of the Nicholls children born in Australia. They were afterwards at Snake Valley, then at Orchard where the house was burnt down before they could move in, and later at Linton where again their house was burnt in a bush fire, but they rebuilt. Henry's diary is included with the Nicholls history.

On reaching Adelaide, RRS took Maria to rooms at the house of his friends Mr. and Mrs. R.W.Winter at Finniss Street, North Adelaide. They were a childless couple who remained lifelong friends. Harriett, the wife, was known to the Stevenson children as Aunty Winter. She died in the early 1900s and left her opal jewellery to Maria. The writer has some of it now.

On the marriage certificate the place of residence of RRS is shown as Hoyleton, S.A, but this was no more than a railway siding though an important one for the railing of wheat. Whether there were railway cottages at this siding 80 miles north of Adelaide on the Gladstone line, or whether they first set up house together at the northern depot at Port Wakefield, is no longer known, but RRS still gave Hoyleton as his address at the end of that year when he wrote his second letter to New York.

Locomotive Department,
Hoyleton, South Australia,
November 24th. 1877.
My Dear Mother,
Your letter of August came to hand after a great deal of knocking about. I was very glad to hear that you were well and I am glad to say that this leaves us the same at present. I was very much pleased when I read yours as it has explained to me that which I never knew before. You seem to think that my last letter to you was Both unfeeling and slanderous. I only told you what Father told me when he was alive.
Grandmother died when I was very young and as for my Aunts they seldom did ever mention your name. When my Father died I was cast upon the world then to do for myself. After Father died I went to work for Aunt [Janet] Gray, but her family and me could not agree, so I went then to work for the farmers and used to go to School at night and get what larning-I could, this I did for about 2 years after father died. My Aunt Mary [Millar] was the only one that used to give me clothes when I was in need of them, both Sunday and working ones untill I could earn enough to keep myself. 15 years ago I left Scotland and came out to Australia and here I have been ever since. I am something like Yourself Mother, I had a good deal of hardship to contend with for the first five years I was in Australia. I was so ill with Disentrey for 7 months that the Doctors gave me up for to die. But I got the turn for the better and recovered although it was very, very slowly.
I was two months before I could walk by myself but that is ten years ago and I have enjoyed very good health ever since. I have struggled very hard here to place myself in a position to be my own master but fortune seems to frown on me as I cannot get above a working man. There was one thing that was greatly against me out here, that was my Education, if I had had a fair Education when I arrived in this country I might have been in a position now that would have made me my own master and independent, but I have had to work hard for the last 20 years and I suppose I will do so to the end of Existence in this world, but as long as God grants me my health I shall not complain but work on to the last. The pay that I am in receipt of at present for Stoking on the Railways here is 2 dollars and 4 cents per day, but I hope to get more wages as I get older in the Servises of the railway Department.
I have been at all kinds of work in this country and likewise all over Australia. At one time I thought of leaving this Colony and going to the Unighted States, I wrote home to Scotland and asked my Uncal James Clark to send me your address but he replied saying he did not know if you was dead or alive so I gave up the Idea of comming to America from Australia and as for Scotland I suppose that I will not See it again without fortune smiles on me sweeter in future than it has done in the past.
As you do not say, Mother, in your letter, if you are in comfortable circumstances or not in America but I hope you are - perhaps you think I do not wish or desire to see you again. It is the fondest wish of my heart to see my Dear Mother whom I never saw, that I never knew, but still is ever as Dear to me as if I had been under her care from childhood. Many and Many a time have I thought and wondered if I would ever see her or if ever wee would meet one another in this world again, but if wee never meet in this world I hope that we will meet again in the next world.
Perhaps you think that my childhood days were happy ones because they were spent with my Father, but for years my Father drank very, very heavy, and when I had the sense to Speak to him and ask him why he drank so he used to tell me it was to drown his grief and his sorrow till he left this world.
You seem thinking that my letter to you was a very cold and hard one - but I assure you that though it may seem hard and cold to you it was not meant as such. I could not write otherwise than I did for I had written to Scotland several times to ask them if they knew anything of my Mother or my Brother Malcolm, but the answeare I always got was that they had not heard of you for years and did not know if you was dead or alive.
About three or four years ago I found out my Uncal [Daniel] and Aunt [Christina] Morrison and his Familey which consists of six sons namely Robert, Daniel, John, Walter, James and David & there was or 5 girls in the family but they all died before they was many years old. I did not stay at my Uncal's place very long when I first found them out, but I have seen them about twelve months ago and they were all well then.
I suppose you will want to know about my own familey, well Dear Mother, I have got Know familey yet. I was married last new years day to a young lady whose parents live close to my Uncal's place. She is the daughter of a farmer, her maiden name is Maria Nicholls. I had to go from Adelaide to Victoria for to get married which is a distence of 500 miles - her parents are English but she was born in Australia. I also send you a photograph of my wife and myself which was taken three days after we were married. There is one thing I would ask you for and that is your photograph - you are 54 so getting old now and I would like very much to get a photograph of you in case wee might never meet again in this world.
Maria says She would like very much to see you and she says as wee cannot come to America just yet to see you that surely you will send us your photograph. I send you the Envelope of your letter just to show you all the places it had been fore I got it, or I should have replied to it before this date.
I hope that this will find you well and that you will write to us soon and let us know how you are, and Allow us to remain your Loving Childern,
R. and M. Stevenson.
Please Address to R.R. Stevenson
c/- of R.W. Winter,
Finniss Street,
North Adelaide, South Australia.

As it will have been noted RRS could now manage a letter much less awkwardly than in earlier years but his spelling was to remain distinctive for the rest of his life. He was aged 30 years when he wrote this letter. Maria was 22. The photograph arrived from New York in due course and RRS had an expensive and greatly enlarged portrait reproduced on glass as was the fashion last century. It still exists and shows a severe lady in a plain bonnet with a somewhat sunken mouth, no doubt caused by loss of teeth.

Railway Fireman (1877)

The service record of RRS shows that he was by this time a "Fireman" at Port Wakefield (60 miles north of Adelaide), the date given is December 3, 1877. As a fireman he travelled on the steam engine with the driver, continually stoking the coal to ensure that the all important fire never went out. He and Maria occupied "Belleview Cottage" and one hopes that the view was of the sea and not just of the railway line. Here their first child was born in June 1878. RRS wished to call her Jessie, perhaps for the Robertson grandmother, but Maria preferred Ada Margaret. Their next move was to the early day copper mining centre of Kadina, 123 miles north of Adelaide, and here at Ewen Street on April 16, 1880, the second daughter was born. This time RRS decided on Janet but Florence Marian was much more fashionable so Maria had her way again. RRS was now a Spare Engine-man and no longer had to stoke and was required to do much shunting about of engines, and was soon moved to Adelaide to do so. The year 1881 was not altogether successful concerning his career. Perhaps having had early training as a sailor he was inclined to look at far horizons and dream, but there being much less space to manoeuvre railway engines this didn't answer at all. On June 16 he was fined 5 shillings [50 cents] because he moved an engine without first ascertaining that the line was clear and so damaged engine No. 120.

On August 27 came a second fine of the same amount and not easily spared with a wife, two bairns and a third on the way. This time he had neglected to report over-shooting Bowden Railway Station platform and some person unknown had told tales. Less than two weeks later RRS was removed from shunting,and driving engines with gay abandon, and reduced in status to First Class Fireman once more. The Line Engineer considered "that he was not competent to have charge of an engine", so back to the stoking and bad cess [luck] to the Line Engineer who had undoubtedly listened to the teller of tales.
Sometime during this year of 1881 a friend, Alexander Melville Durie, better known to RRS as "Owd Aelic" (just as RRS was "Owd Bob" to Alec), and neither of them more than 34 years of age, came across a newspaper item which he thought might be of interest to the Stevensons. It had been inserted by a firm of solicitors of Perth, Scotland, namely Robertson & Dempster. The Robertson half was a cousin, but of a different Robertson family from that of Margaret Burns. Robert Robertson and his son James continued this business from 1860 to 1900. The cutting survives and reads:- "If this should Meet the Eye of R0WLAND R. STEVENSON, aged 33 years, native of Perthshire, Scotland, son of the late Walter Stevenson M.M.F.C., last heard of 6 years ago as an Engine Cleaner with the South Australian Railways. If you will write to your Cousin, the solicitor of Perth, you will hear something to your advantage of the Glen-Darrick Property."

The code word of Rowland which RRS had also given as his first name when he entered the Railway Department had at last proved to be of value. The estate of Captain Walter Stevenson was in the hands of these lawyers for more than 20 years after his death netting them a steady profit, and their dilatory behaviour can be partly explained by the need to wait seven years for the Captain to be declared officially dead as he was lost at sea. The time having elapsed it was next necessary to trace the beneficiaries, the sons Malcolm and Robert. No doubt by the time they had traced RRS to South Australia he had left, as his Aunt Jane Clark so succinctly described, for the "Northern Territories of New Zealand". RRS had no sooner returned to Adelaide (1870) than Malcolm also was lost at sea which entailed yet another wait of seven years, but there is no explanation for the third period of seven years before an attempt was made to find RRS.

According to the sons he eventually benefited by about £2,000 [$4,000] with several accounts to be paid to the lawyer cousin, one seen by Keith, the youngest son, many years later was for £200 [$400], but most of the papers concerning this welcome legacy were destroyed by the wife of son Stuart who inherited them, as she thought such items made her house untidy. The writer contacted the still lively firm of Robertson & Dempster hoping that their records were still available, but all paper work to the year 1900 was handed in to Salvage during the 1939-45 war. Although Robertsons no longer were part of the firm some still live at Perth, Scotland, according to the Dempster half but when I requested the address he wrote curtly that they were not the kind of people to be interested in Australian connections, so another hoped for avenue was closed in the quest for information concerning the Stevensons.

There are a few penciled lines on a scrap of paper written by RRS in after years:- "Dear Blaine, You will wonder where this money came from, it came from your grandfather whom you never knew".

RRS had brought Maria and the children from Kadina to Park Street, Bowden, close to Adelaide. It was then a quite respectable working class suburb which in due course became a very run down one, so that to call anyone a "Bowdenite" was to infer that he was a very rough type indeed. At this stage most houses are occupied by either Greek or Italian migrants. Harriett Clara Stevenson was born at Park Street in February 1882, Aunty Winter and Maria's sister Clara Inglis being both honoured. RRS had given up suggesting girls' names and he got around these two which were not to his liking by calling the baby Hetty (not unknown in Scotland) and Hetty she remained all her life so that it was often thought that her name was Henrietta. Ada he called "Maggie" and to him Florence was "Flora" but these names did not survive childhood.

Engineman (1882)

For RRS the year 1882 was free of chastisements and he was again promoted to Spare Engineman. It was during this time that some of his belongings, including the all too few letters from his mother, were destroyed by fire. Whether his sea chest containing his closest links with Scotland and his father's Highland costume were also burnt, or whether these things had been at Linton when the bushfire passed through is not now known. The sons said that the kilt and plaid of Royal Stewart tartan and the accoutrements and ornaments were valued at £300 pound ($5600), perhaps an exaggeration. Only one item from Scotland remained, a "pebble" broach, given to Maria. This was of silver set with semiprecious stones found in Scotland and a typical Victorian period piece. It now belongs to my sister Betty Muller.

On May 1st. 1882 RRS was notified that he must proceed to Kingston on the southern coast at Lacepede Bay, 293 miles from Adelaide, and Maria with the three children now aged 4, 2, and a few months, plus all their household goods had to be conveyed there from Bowden. How she travelled is rather a puzzle as the rail link from Adelaide had as yet not gone further than Nairne (28 miles) and although commenced toward Bordertown in 1883 it was three years in the making and the first Adelaide to Melbourne train did not run until January 20,1887 to pass through Bordertown and Wolseley just beyond. It was from these two country centres that were still too small to be called towns that the narrow gauge track wandered off south to reach Kingston via Naracoorte with a branch to Mt.Gambier further south again. It was a railway system all on its own in this southern part of the state with no connection with any other when RRS arrived.

The line, built for freight, had reached Kingston in 1876. The trains soon had the reputation of having square wheels, so rough was the journey until the widening of the gauge between 1955 and 1959. The stone ballast for this narrow gauge line was quarried from a property near Naracoorte, where by odd coincidence, a future daughter-in-law of RRS, wife of his son Keith, spent part of her childhood.

Bordertown (1883)

As there had been a small port at Lacepede Bay from the early days it is possible that Maria and company, and earlier the materials for the railway were shipped to Kingston. No sooner were they settled close to the sea (so healthy for the children) than RRS was ordered on July 17 of 1883 to Bordertown. Maria was still at Kingston in September when their fourth child and eldest son was born. This time RRS had his say with the naming and Walter (for the Captain) and Rowland (that talisman of a name) were firmly attached to the new infant.

RRS was to be centrally stationed for many years at Bordertown where the turntable and running sheds for the "square wheel" trains were sited. His engines were WX class, type 2-6-0, and three of them built by Beyer and Peacock in 1876 were numbered 18, 37 and 56. No. 18 and another (No. 9), resplendent with brass commemorative plaques, are now housed at a little park near Naracoorte and in 1960 three of the great-grand children of RRS were photographed with them.

In November of 1883 RRS was fined one days pay for Insubordination which was nothing worse than failing to show as much respect to the visiting Inspector as that worthy deemed was due to him. Nine trouble free years followed, at least no tale bearers were active.

That Maria, with appendages, was railed from Kingston to Bordertown there can be no doubt though one cannot believe that she would actually enjoy the journey. She made yet another home of a railway cottage though perhaps with wistful thoughts of the now distant seaside.

Ronald Robert came along next, at Bordertown, in December 1885, and does one detect the voice of Maria in the already fashionable name of Ronald or was it an echo from the boyhood of RRS when his friend drowned beneath the ice one winter day at Paisley and he so narrowly escaped.

Six years earlier he had been accused by the L.E. (who could have been either the Line Engineer or the Locomotive Engineer, the record is not explicit) of not being competent to be in charge of an engine and had him demoted. On September 15, 1887, RRS gained a Certificate of Competency after passing an examination in all electrical signalling and a second concerning Westinghouse Air Breaks.

When Stuart Henry made his appearance at the "Locomotive Cottages, Bordertown (according to the huge old family Bible) in February 1888 the family was divided neatly into 3 girls and 3 boys. This was the year when Margaret Burns died, at the end of October of cancer of the bladder. She only discovered her terminal illness after buying a steamer ticket home to Scotland and the journey was never taken. She purchased this ticket in the name of Margaret Stevenson, not Burns, as though she were aware that in Scotland her legal name would be Stevenson, but the American descendants cannot agree about this and merely remain mystified. RRS described how the news reached him to James, the second of his three half-brothers, although directing his thoughts to all three.

Loco, Dept.
Bordertown, S. Australia
28th. December 1888.
Dear Brothers,
I just received a letter from Mr. George C. Coffin, Attorney of Broadway, New York, informing me of Mother's death, it came to us like a thunder clap and has wrecked all the fond hopes I have cherished within my breast for years of some day being able to come to New York to see Mother before she died and also you whom I have hered of but never seen, but I trust that God will spare me to see you yet and also the Silent Grave where our dead Mother lies.
You do not know dear Brothers what I would have given to have seen her before she was called away from this world of sorrow, but let us pray God that wee will meet her in the world where there is no parting and sorrow is unknown. I will ask you to write Dear Brothers as soon as this comes to hand. I have much to say that I cannot say in this as I do not know if it will reach you safely. I am writing in the hope that Mrs. Wingate will be able to deliver it to you,
Your affectionate Brother & Sister,
Robert Rowland & Viola Stevenson.

This letter was written on mourning stationery with a deep black border At the same time he wrote to the solicitors who looked after the Adelaide end of all the business concerning the estate of Captain Walter Stevenson.

Loco. Department.
Bordertown,
28th. December 1888.
To Messrs. Stock & Smith,
Solicitors,
Adelaide.
Dear Sirs,
Yours of the 24th, inst. just to hand today, asking who sent me the papers. They came from G.C. Coffin, Solicitor, no. 234 Broadway, New York, who is Attorney to Robert Auld, the Executor of the Will of the late Margaret Burns. No letter came with them. The late Margaret Burns is my Mother. I am the second eldest son of her first marriage to my father, the late 'Walter Stevenson of Paisley, Scotland. My Mother was married to the late John Burns about the year 1860. Their offspring John, James and David Burns are my half-brothers whom I have never seen as my mother after her second marriage left with my step-father to live in New York, and my brother and myself remained in Paisley with our Aunt, my Mother's sister.
The last letter I received from my Mother was in 1883, I think. I was then residing in Kingston. I wrote to my Mother 18 months ago and I presume that is how Mr. George C. Coffin who is Attorney to Robert Auld, the Executor of my Mother's Will, got my present address, as the papers came direct to me from his office.
I have a friend in New York I could ask you to correspond with on the subject. I have looked everywhere I can think of, but have failed to find the last letter I received from my Mother. I have no recollection of destroying it, although all the previous letters I got from my Mother were destroyed by fire. I would like to get a copy of my Mother's Will. I suppose it could be obtained from the Executor or the Attorney.
Yours faithfully,
R.R. Stevenson.

The friend in New York who looked after the interests of RRS was Mr. H.S. Shippy of John Roeblings Sons Co. of 117-119 Liberty Street, New York.

It can be seen that RRS dealt gently with his mother's past history and was most careful to give no slightest hint that might possibly mar her good reputation. In giving the date of 1860 as that of her remarriage, of which no trace could be found by the Burns descendants, he either did not know or avoided their dates of birth which were John 1854, James 1856, David 1861 and that she left Scotland in 1852 when Walter Stevenson was still very much alive.

Meantime the Law Journal, and Register of New York Weekly, from November 1st. 1888, for six consecutive weeks published the following Citation:-

To Robert H. Stevenson,
Loco. Dept. South Australia.
From G.C. Coffin,
Attorney,
234 Broadway,
New York,
To Robert Auld, Executor.
In the Last Will & Testament of Margaret Burns late of New York, deceased, has proved at the Surrogates Court in the County of New York on the 29th, day of October, 1888, to Rastus S. Ransom Esq. Surrogate, that John, James and David Burns and Robert R. and Malcolm Stevenson are the only heirs and next of kin of the said Margaret Burns.

Naturally RRS did not see a copy of this Citation until much later. The Burns sons were able to identify themselves at once, Malcolm was dead and RRS at the other end of the world, and Robert Auld was highly suspicious of his existence. He set out a schedule which in part said:

1. John Burns, a son who resides at 560 Lexington Avenue, New York City.
2. James Burns, a son who resides at 213 East 102nd. Street, New York.
3. David Burns, a son who resides at 213 East 102nd. Street, New York.
4. Robert R. Stevenson, a son, a resident at some point in Australia.

A person claiming to be the said Robert R. Stevenson is said to reside at Border Town, South Australia, whether he is the person intended by and mentioned in the Will of the deceased: by the name Robert H. Stevenson I do not know. Dated February 12th.1889.

Auld wrote later:

I have never seen the person called Robert R. Stevenson referred to in said Will and mentioned in my Petition upon this accounting and in the late preceding Schedule. I was informed by the Testatrix shortly before her death that the person bearing that name and referred to in her was her son by a former marriage by her first husband and that he resided in North Adelaide, Australia as stated in said Will. I have been unable to find such person in North Adelaide but a person claiming to be the person referred to in and intended by said Will as Robert R. Stevenson, has been heard of at Border Town, South Australia. I have therefore upon information and belief alleged that said claimant is the son of the said Testarix referred to in her Will. Whether he be in fact such, I do not know, and I therefore submit my rights to the protection of the Court, leaving said claimant to make such proof of his identity as he may. So advised and as may be by this Court in the premises.

Through Mr. Shippy a firm of Solicitors named Brownlow & Lathrop acted for RRS so that he eventually received a share of his mother's estate.

Among the papers preserved by RRS was an account of the proceedings to the Surrogates Court New York with details of Margaret Burns' property. Margaret Burns died at New York, U.S.A. in the latter part of 1888. Robert Auld, Executor of her Will found it to amount to $5,421.48 in the Letters Testamentary issued to him on December 15th. 1888 being made up as follows:-

New York Savings Bank $661.77
Bowery Savings Bank $597.50
Emigrant Savings Bank $181.78
Greenwich Savings Bank $1,003.71
Franklin Savings Bank $566.74
East River Savings Bank $664.15
Bank for Savings, New York $1,348.83
Total $5,024.48
Draft Henderson Brothers to order of deceased
as Mrs. Margaret Stevenson $397.00
Accrued interest $74.63
_________
Full total $5,496.11

Margaret, a canny Scot, was making sure that in the event of one or more banks failing she would not be left without ready cash. The Executor also set out the expenses to be deducted.

Mrs. Annie Sands board and
nursing deceased $37.49
Serving Citations $4.50
New York Law Publishing (Journal) $9.80
New York Daily Register $12.75
Serving Citations $ 3.30
Fees to Witnesses (Mrs. Sands & Mrs. Green)
of Will and their fares $2.25
George C. Coffin legal services $90.35
John J. Cullen fees $15.00
Russell H. Roof fees $15.00
George C. Coffin
legal services on Inventory $28.70
Funeral expenses $98.00
Law Journal notices $3.21
_______
Total $319-65

These details have been set out for comparison with prices of the present time (1985). At that time the U.S. dollar was worth something less than 4 shillings Sterling. Even so, it was a remarkable effort on the part of Margaret Burns to have saved this sum by her own hard work as a boarding house keeper while raising three sons, after being deserted by the worthless John Burns.

This note in pencil by RRS - Papers handed by me today, January 28th. 1889, were the Citation from Rastus Ransom Esq. Surrogate of the City of New York, to the solicitor Mr. Stock, Adelaide. also a copy of my Mother's Will and a letter of instruction and declaration to be signed by the American Consul.

A second note dated 28/5/1889 stated that he had that day received £239/8/- [$478.80] sterling, being £252/16/6 [$505.66] less fees of £13/8/6 [$26.85] from Mr.W.F. Stock, of the firm of Stock & Talbot Smith of Clifton Chambers, King William Street, Adelaide. In present day figures the legacy would be worth about $35,000 (1985).

Letter from James Burns to RRS.

New York,
May 24th. 1889.
Dear Brother,
I received your letter of December 1888 informing me that you had received word of Mother's death. I would have written and told you but I did not have your address. When our Mother was taken sick I was away in California, but my brother wrote to me and I came home, and I stayed with her till she died. I think it very strange that you never answered the letter that she wrote you informing you of her sickness, for I heard that she wrote when I came home. When you write I would like if you thought I could get work if I was going to Australia, as I have a great longing to go there. No more at present,
but I remain yours truly,
James Burns.
Address:
329 East 106 Street,
New York City.

RRS replied:-

Loco. Department
Bordertown
13th. July 1889
Dear Brother,
Your long looked for letter reached me yesterday which is dated 24th. May. I was very glad to hear you say that you got home to see Mother before she died and I only wish that I had been there to see her before she departed from this world. I had hoped that God who has the keeping of all our lives would have spared her to us for a few years longer, but let us hope that wee will all meet our Dear Mother in that Land where there is no parting and no sorrowing after those we love. You, my Dear Brother, have known what it is to have a Mother's love bestowed upon you. My life when young was like a blank, for years my heart yearned for the love of her I was doomed never in this world to see again.
You say, James, that you think it very strange that I did not answeare the letter that Mother wrote informing me of her illness. I did answeare it, James, the day after I received it, but you must understand that the letter was laying in the General Post Office (Adelaide) 4 months before I received it, the reason of that was that Mr. Winter who the letter was sent in care of had shifted from Finniss Street North Adelaide to McLearn Street, East Adelaide, and the letter not having been delivered to him it lay in the G. Post Office 4 months before I got it. You must also understand Dear Brother that Border Town is 200 miles from Adelaide. I have been living here for 7 years.
So you can see that I cannot get a chance of getting to the city very often. When I answeared Mother's letter I sent it care of Mrs. Wingate, it was written nine days before I wrote to you, John and David. I wrote to Mother in May 1887 sending a photo of Viola, myself and Maggie (i.e. Ada Margaret). I sent the letter to my aunt Jennie in Scotland asking her to send it on to New York. I had not got Mother's address, but I never heard if she got it or not.
I got a letter from my Cousin James Clark last week, he is my Aunt Jennie's only son. He informs me that he has written to me 7 times within the last five years yet I only had three of them out of the 7.
You do not mention John or Davy in your letter. Are they well and living in New York or are they in some other part of America? Dear James, you ask me to let you know if I thought you could get work if you came to Australia. There is no doubt but what you would get work of some kind or other, but you did not say in your letter what kind of work you have been doing, nor if you are married or single, as for myself I am working on the railway here. If you come to Australia, James, wee shall make you welcome. I hope that you will write soon and let me know how you are getting on. I hope Dear Brother some day to see the spot where our Dear Mother lies. Hoping that this will find you all well. Hoping that you will write to us soon, Viola and myself close with kind love to you, John and David and sisters if you are married,
Your affectionate Brother & Sister,
H.R. & V. Stevenson.

Margaret Burns and her three sons are buried at Machpelah Cemetery, North Bergen, New Jersey and photographs of two headstones were sent to the writer in March 1976. They have only the names and dates of birth and death year of each and the stones are set in well tended lawn in the American custom.

In the midst of these latest happenings Maria was preparing for the birth of her seventh child and Blaine Reid arrived in due course at the end of March 1890. To this day no one knows why these two names were chosen. Blaine did not ask his parents and was himself of the opinion that they were taken from an American newspaper which featured politicians with these names. This is doubtful as the exchange of newspapers did not commence until later. Meanwhile the letters continued.

James Burns, the only link with the American half-brothers, did not reply until October and then was far from informative and the names of the wives of John and David were not given as RRS had requested.

New York City,
October 13, 1889
Dear Brother,
I received your letter and I was glad to hear from you. I suppose you will think I am a long time in answering your letter, but the reason I did not answer was that I was not settled, but I am settled now. I never saw the letter that you say you wrote to Mother. Mrs. Wingate never gave it to us during Mother's last illness. She longed many and many a time to see you. John and David are both married but I am single and have no intention of ever getting married. When you write please address James Burns, 500 Madison Avenue,
No more at present, but remain yours truly,
James Burns.

RRS must have enclosed this New Year greeting "to my Brother Davy, care of James" in an earlier letter. It is undated but has "Health, Peace & Prosperity" printed at the top.

My Dear Brother,
Just a line or two hoping this will find you well as it leaves us all here. I will be very glad to hear from you. I am not in possession of your address so I am sending a line or two in Jamie's. He has never told me if you are married. So I hope that you will send me a line or two and tell me the news as Viola and myself will then write to you,
So with love to all from all,
your affectionate Brother & Sister
H.R. & V. Stevenson.

The reply that RRS sent to James to his letter of October 1889:-

Loco. Department,
Bordertown.
15th. January 1890
Dear Brother,
Yours of Oct.13 was duly received by us and we were very glad to hear from you and that you were well. I was rather surprised to hear you say that neither you, John or David received the letter I sent to you in the care of Mrs. Wingate. As our poor Mother was gone before the letter would reach New York I thought surely Mrs. Wingate would give the letters to either you, John or David as I thought by the letter that I got from Mrs. Wingate that she must have been a very old and esteemed friend of our dear dead Mother.
One thing I want you to tell me James, has there been a stone placed over Mother's grave by you John and David. If there has not been one erected yet I will try and arrange to have one put there when I hear from you again.
The reason Dear Brother I have been so long in answering your letter was that I thought to have been able to send a photo of Viola, myself and the Bairns by this letter, but I find that I will not be able to get a chance of having it taken for another month or six weeks yet, so I will be able to send it almost before this reaches you.
Wee were disappointed when wee read your letter as wee expected to hear you say that you were coming to Australia and you would be made heartily welcome, but I suppose that you do not like to leave America as it is your birthplace. Wee would like very much to hear from John and David, and trusting that you will write a few lines very soon, allow me to remain,
Your affectionate Brother & Sister,
Viola & Bob

On February 4, 1890, a photograph of the Stevensons was posted to New York but as a later communication of RRS shows, the Burns did not receive it. Only one further letter from James remained amongst the RRS papers at his death, and it is dated 1904. However, the answers from RRS indicate the general trend of James' correspondence. He kept most of those that he received from Australia and when he died in 1929 the David Burns family took charge of them. Photostats were received by the writer in 1967/68. The next RRS missive was written on the day Blaine was born but he didn't get a mention.

Loco. Department,
Border Town,
31st. March 1890
Dear Brother,
I hope that this will find yourself, John, David and their famileys are all well as I am glad to say that this leaves Viola, the Bairns and myself at the present. I have sent you a photo of the Bairns, it is taken by a travelling photographer and it is not a very good one but still you will be able to see what they look like. You see James, Border Town is 200 miles from the city and I could not see my way clear to get them (the children) all to the city for some time to come so I got it taken when wee had the chance by a travelling photographer but some day wee hope to be able to send you a better one.
So in looking at the photo as you hold it in your hand you will see Clara on the left, Flora on the right, Ronald on the left, Walter on the right, Stuart in the middle and Maggie behind. The photo of Viola and myself was taken a few years ago, but as soon as wee can get a chance of getting another taken at the same place wee will send it on to you. Wee would like very much to get a photo of yourself John, David and their wives, but wee would like much better if you would take a trip to Australia and come and see us.
You know James you are single and you can travel about without having to think about the wife and Bairns. You must tell me what trade you, John and David work at. I am an Engineer an the railway here but the wage is very small. 1 only get 9/6d. [95 cents] per day of 10 hours. Is the wages any better in America? I hope that you will droop us a line or two as soon as this comes to hand and please to let us know if you got the photo alright and I hope James that you will send us all your photos as the Bairns all want to see their Uncles and Aunts and Viola and myself are very anxious to see our brothers and sisters. I must now close this short letter with love from the Bairns to their Uncles and Aunts and with kind love from your affectionate,
Brother and sister,
Viola and Robert Stevenson.

The answer to the above was a long time arriving and another year had almost passed before RRS wrote again. The 1890 letter and photographs described were returned to South Australia but must have been forwarded once more for the letter to have been in the American collection. James never did give the names of his sisters-in-law or those of his nephews and nieces. The present generation of Burns sent a little information but as it is not much better at corresponding than the old one, and like James ignores queries, the Burns history to be given later, is a sketchy one.

Locomotive Department
Border Town
30th. May 1891
Dear Brother,
We were pleased to get your long looked for letter. I am very glad to say that Viola, the Bairns and myself are all as well as can be expected at the present after all of us having been laid up with the influenza which has been prevalent all over the world. I hope this will find yourself, John and faimley, Davy and faimley, all well. I am so sorry to hear that you are not very strong as I know that it is sure to make you feel miserable at times.
We were very pleased to get your Photo - as soon as I handed it to Viola she said that is your Brother I know, for he is very like [your] Mother. On the 4th. February 1890 we sent you a photograph of Viola, the Bairns and myself, but we got them returned and also the letter I sent with them, from the General Post Office saying that you could not be found. They were addressed to James Burns 306 Madison Avenue New York City, that is the address that you gave me in your letter. Wee thought when they were returned that I must have addressed them wrong but wee will send them again when wee can get another chance to get them taken.
You see James I am an Engineer by trade and I am stationed at an out station of the Railways 200 miles from the City of Adelaide and do not often get a chance of getting to the city.
Wee were very glad to hear that you had placed a stone at the grave to [the] Memory of our Dear Mother. I will send you some money by the Mail which leaves on the 4th. August as a Share of the cost of the stone at Mother's grave. May Heaven rest her. I would like very much to see John Davy and yourself and I hope the day will come when wee will all meet.
Recollect James if you should come to South Australia that you are not coming to a strange country where you would have no one to take you by the hand or no one to make you welcome, because if you should think to come Viola and myself will be only too glad to make you as comfortable as we can. I could not say that you would get work that would exactly suit you on account of you not being very strong, but still you might.
Give our love to John and family and Davy and family and allow us to remain your Loving Brother and Sister,
V & RR Stevenson.
P.S. Please to drop us a line or two soon.

Although the repetition in these letters may be tedious reading they have been included in full to show both the difficulty experienced in communication and how deeply RRS longed for some kindness from his half brothers. One feels that John and David's indifference in never making direct contact or even sending the occasional message may have been due to resentment at having to share their mother's estate with a relative who was no more than a name to them. James perhaps had a pleasanter nature. Neither his letter nor his photograph remain. No doubt the latter was unmarked as to identity so was not kept by the Stevenson children.

Loco. Department,
Border Town,
25th. August 1891
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Just a few lines to let you know that wee are all well, except Viola, who has been suffering with a pain in her side for the last eighteen months and the Doctors do not seem to be able to give her much releafe. We hope that you are all well and would like very much some day to see some of you. I would like very much to be able to pay [a] visit to New York to see our Dear Mother's last resting place but I cannot afford the expense. You see James I could not leave the Bairns here as Maggie is too young yet to be able to look after the others and I could not leave Viola behind owing to her weak state of health but I hope someday to be able to see you all.
I send you by this letter a Post Office Order as a share of the cost of the stone that you had placed over our Dear Mother's grave. Wee would like very much to hear from John and David and think that they ought to droop us a line or two. When you receive this letter please to write at once and let me know if you get the Post Office order alright as I shall be very anxious until I hear from you. The Bairns all send their love to Uncles and Aunts and cousins. Viola and myself send love to John & family and Davy and family and yourself,
From your affectionate Sis, & Brother
Viola and Bob.

Loco. Department,
Border Town,
19th. March 1892
Dear Brother,
I have no doubt but what you feel angry with us for not writing to you sooner as wee now have got two letters from you since wee wrote to you last. Well, I must tell you that when wee received your last letter wee were determined not to write to you until we were able to send you our Photos. So you see James, that is the only thing that kept us so long in replying to your welcome letter. The Photo wee send you with this letter was taken last week in Adelaide.
Wee had to go to Adelaide with our eldest boy to Dr. Hamilton who performed an operation on his ear and wee were obliged to stay in the city for a fortnight with him so that the Dr. could see him. I was glad to hear that you got the Post Office Order all right and hope that this will find you, John, David and their faimleys all well. Wee should like very much to hear from John and David but I suppose they do not care about writing to us.
I was going to ask you if you could send us a newspaper sometimes as wee [would] like to see the American news. You must not think that wee have been neglectful, James, in not answearing your letter sooner. The photo is considered to be a very fair one but the one wee sent you that was returned I think was a better one.
Dear James, please to droop us a line or two when this comes to hand just to let us know that you have got it. Give our love to John & family and David and faimly and accept the same from your loving
Sister & Brother,
Robert & Viola Stevenson.

Almost twelve months passed before RRS wrote to James again, his excuse being that there had been a strike causing him to be on half time at work which makes rather odd reading, as he had considerably more leisure time than when working a ten hour day.

Locomotive Department,
Border Town,
lst. March 1893
My Dear Brothers & Sisters,
Wee received yours of the 4th. of July in due course. Wee were very glad to hear that yourself and John, Davy faimlys were all well and I am very glad to say that wee are all in good health at present. I was sorry to hear that you were out of work at the time you wrote but I hope you are in work again long before this.
I would be very glad James, to see you in Australia if I thought you could get suitable work and could content yourself here. Life in Australia I believe is very different to what it is in America. You see wee have not many large cities in Australia to be compared with the large cities in America so you will quite understand that it is very different from Yanky Land. There are no large factorys like there are in America or Scotland. Nearly everything of the manufactory is imported into Australia.
Wee were pleased to hear that David had been to Scotland. I have not had a letter from Cousin James Clark or Aunt Jennie for some time although I wrote to them several times since Uncel James died. The last letter we had from Paisley was from Cousin Katey Gray. I suppose Davy went to see her when he went to Paisley, also Sandy & Annie Gray, and also our other Cousins Jessie Millar, Jessie Robertson John & Willie. They were all in Glasgow when we heard from Paisley last. Our Aunt Mary, I have not heard from her for some years past.
James, I would like very much to see Paisley once more before I die and hope that the day will come when I will be able to see both America and Paisley. You must forgive me James for not answearing your letter sooner, fact is wee have had a great strike here at the Silver Mines and it has caused all the Engineers in the Loco. Department to be put on half time for several months past. But wee have all started to work full time again last week and things are beginning to look brighter and I trust that it will be a long time before wee have a great strike again.
I hope James that you John & Davy will write to us very soon and let us know how you are all getting on and allow us, with love to all from all, to remain,
Your affectionate Brother & Sister,
R.R. & V. Stevenson.

After nine years of unblemished record with the Railway Department RRS erred again and was fined one days pay for "damaging the eccentric gear on the engine for want of lubrication" on August 29, 1892, which rather spoilt his good record of 1889-90 for which he was awarded a bonus of £10 [$20] "Clause 59" having been brought in, apparently a system of rewards. Then on November 9, of 1892 he was cautioned to exercise care in future for running the train late from Bordertown to Kingston and for failing to account for loss of time on the daily (report) ticket. And thereby hangs a tale and had it been set out on the ticket the stern authorities, like their sovereign, would not have been amused. Alec Durie, already mentioned in connection with the newspaper cutting concerning the estate of Captain Walter Stevenson, had also been sent to work on the south eastern line and was also based at Bordertown and was usually fireman to RRS.

Alec was friend, crony and literally a silent partner. Except for an occasional "Aye" between puffs of (doubtless) evil smelling pipes, they seldom spoke being always in excellent accord. On this occasion of the mysteriously lost time, as they travelled towards Kingston there was an even longer silence than usual, and RRS, noting the diminishing steam, turned to make a request for more coal and found that he lacked a fireman. Alec, quiet as always, had fallen from the engine. RRS backed his train 14 miles (so he said) before he came across Alec striding along beside the rails, shovel on shoulder and quite unharmed. "Aye, I kenned ye'd be back," said Alec, and climbed aboard.

Alec had reached South Australia by the "Tanjore" on February 1st. 1877 from Scotland, with his wife Dinah, and children David, Jane and Mary and from 1885 owned a house at Rose Terrace, Wayville, close to the city. He named it "Craigie" and installed his family there while he continued at Bordertown.

RRS was not yet free of censure for 1892 as just a month later he was fined one day's pay for blithely sailing off from the Frances station in his engine and minus the train and had to again retrace his track, but the next three years saw him gaining another £30 [$60] in bonuses under that same Clause 59.

After the-letter of March 1893 already given which mentioned David Burns having been to Scotland, there was a gap of eight years before RRS wrote to America again. Ada Margaret. or Maggie according to her father, was 15 when the eighth child was born at the Bordertown Railway Cottage and having left that small country school was her mother's most able helper. The baby arrived prematurely in June 1893 and almost cost Maria her life and only the skill of the town doctor who was much experienced in such matters saved her. Alec had referred all along to the expected newcomer as "Wee Melville", being determined to have at least one Stevenson bairn named for himself. He and RRS and their train were all at the railway station of Keith when a message saying that a fifth son had been born to Maria came by the railway telegraph, so they "wet the baby's head" from that distance and RRS named him Keith Melville, but forever he was Wee Melville to Alec.

79 Unley Road (1894)

As Alec's children near the city were receiving an education of a much higher standard than the little country school at Bordertown afforded, RRS determined to do as his friend and purchase a suburban residence for his family though he must remain at Bordertown alone and so see them only occasionally. He had money from both parents, and in spite of the Great Strike, and his statement to James that he could not afford a trip overseas, he was in a position to buy a house and pay cash for it. It is quite understandable that though he might dream of once more seeing Paisley, and even New York and Margaret's grave, he really had no intention of doing so for it would mean leaving the Bairns to their own devices and that was not to be thought of.

In this year (1894) people from all Australian States were leaving to join an organisation being set up in Paraguay, South America, to begin (so they believed) a Utopian life. The famous Australian poet Dame Mary Gilmore and her husband were amongst them and suffered great hardship before escaping back to Australia. The project was a dismal failure. A Mr. and Mrs. James Sutler of Unley, about a mile from the city, were desperately anxious to be part of this soon to be disillusioned band and had their agents, George Heckwith & Co. place an advertisement in an Adelaide paper:-

FOR SALE - MUST BE SOLD - great sacrifice in price - Owners going to New Australia, South America.
Unley Road opposite Dr. Wigg's residence - Superior Double Fronted Villa containing six rooms, bathroom, pantry, etc. Drawing room 16 x 12 feet 6 inches, corniced and centre flowered; Dining room 12 x 14 feet; Bedrooms 12 x 12, 12 x 13, 11 x 12 feet; Kitchen opening from large Lobby 10 x 11 feet fitted with cooking stove, fireplaces in every room with pretty mantelpieces and grates; hall 5 feet 6 inches wide, corniced and flower centred and large dividing glass door; the doors are all grained and varnished; front verandah tiled; asphalted footpaths, neat garden in front; enclosed back verandah, yard planted with fruit trees and vines; connected with deep drainage; land 50 foot frontage to Unley Road and 120 feet deep with Ella Street at the side. This villa was built expressly for the owner under his own supervision, and every item of material used is of the very best. A CHANCE like this is seldom met with, it being the Owner's determination to SACRIFICE.
PRICE - £550 [$1,100] - reduced from £600 [$1,200] - TERMS EASY.
Call early for cards to Inspect.

RRS did inspect and was pleased with the bluestone construction, the large high ceilinged rooms and not mentioned in the advertisement a big galvanized iron shed divided into two sections, one a workshop and the other a laundry with a wood copper. Forty years later when the writer stayed at this house the laundry still had only a dirt floor and wooden stands for the vast tubs of galvanized iron that had to be filled by hand (and emptied the same way) from a rain water tank alongside, a heavy task for such a small woman as Maria, and the only way to get a hot bath was by heating water in tin buckets on top of the wood burning stove. Later gas was installed for cooking in summer and for lighting so that the cleaning and filling of lamps became a thing of the past. With three daughters growing up now Maria was not without household help. Earlier she had been a tireless worker and most particular about the appearance of her children. Quite often she would not finish ironing the starched white petticoats and pinafores, the frilled drawers and print dresses of the girls until 1 a.m., using flat irons heated on top of the stove. Not for her girls was the red turkey twill underwear so widely worn at that time.

So RRS established his family at 79 Unley Road, and on the day they all reached Adelaide en route, three year old Blaine, never having previously seen horse trams with people riding on the upper deck, demanded of his father, "Why are all those mong-kis [monkeys] sitting up there?" He was to recall this with amusement when he had passed 80. The children went off to the Unley Primary School and RRS returned to Bordertown to look after himself and to the company of Alec Durie.

The nineth (and last) child, Jean Lilian, was born on July 15 1896 "at the corner of Ella Street and Unley Road, Parkside" according to the entry in the family Bible in Maria's writing. Parkside was and still is the formal address but letters had to be addressed to Unley Road, Unley. Brief Ella Street with only two cottages to face it led to the entrance of the grounds of an elegant two storey house (now demolished) belonging to the Hall family who possessed a horse drawn carriage. This property barred the way, and beyond it Ella Street started again and continued further. The part of it which touched the Stevenson boundary is now called Belgrave Crescent but the other section retains the original name.

1895 Maria Viola Stevenson Maria had her hands full with nine lively children to keep in order on her own as each had a forthright personality and entirely lacked any meekness of spirit. She developed the bossy manner and reputation for being a severe disciplinarian which remained with her to the end of her life. Without these two props chaos would have been inevitable. Far away from the thumping of nine pairs of feet (excluding Maria's) RRS had his own little problems. The station master at Hynan: reported him for not obtaining Proceed Orders before leaving that station, the periods between November 1 and December 18 of 1897 and also from January 17 to February 4, 1898 being the precise times. For this misdemeanour RRS was fined one day's pay of fourteen shillings [$1.40]. But in March for "not keeping a proper lookout, thus causing the engine to collide with, and damage the breakvan" he was fined only one quarter of a day's pay, 3/6d. [35 cents]. Two days later came the loss of another whole day's pay for not promptly obeying the Porter's signals whilst shunting at Mt. Gambier. The punishments seem oddly unequal. In 1901 his correspondence with half-brother James Burns was resumed. The note paper has a reproduction of a street in Mt. Gambier on the first page.

Loco. Department,
Bordertown,
1st. January 1901
My Dear Brother,
Just a line or two to let you know that I received your long looked for letter and was glad to hear that you were all well and very glad to be able to say that we are all, except Viola. She has not been well for the last two years but I am still in hopes that she will pull through and get strong again.
You will recollect James when you wrote me about 6 years ago that you told me not to write to you again until I heard from you again as you were on the move and not settled down. So that is the reason I say that I was glad to receive your long looked for letter. I hope that when you reply to this letter that you will tell me all the news and how you are getting on yourself. I would like very well to hear from John and Davy. I suppose they are both married and got familys.
Maggie, Flora and Hattie [Hettie] say if they have any cousins in New York that they would like to know their address so that they could write to them. So I hope that you will send it when you reply to this and tell us all their names and if any of them are grown up. I hope dear Jamie that you are looking after Mother's grave some times and that although she is gone she is not forgotten.
Well there is nothing much of any importance happening here that is worth writing about. I am sending two papers by the same mail as this which I hope that you will get alright so I must close with love from all the Bairns to all and accept the same kind love from Viola and myself to all,
From your affectionate Sister & Brother
Bob & Viola.

It will be noted that RRS was no more forthcoming with details of his family than James was about his nieces and nephews, so that except for "Maggie and Flora and Clara alias Hattie or Hettie" the American relations were not informed of the number or names of the others, so that the customary seen but not heard attitude toward the small fry went ever further and totally ignored them.

March brought the fine of a half days pay of seven shillings [70 cents] for not detecting faulty brake gear on tender No. 13 before leaving Bordertown but this did not jeopardize his10 pound bonus [$20] for 1899/1900 and in the latter year the first marriage of a Bairn occurred. Florence married much against her parents' wishes a widower, much older, before she was 20 and for a long time the brothers and sisters had to visit her unbeknown to the very disapproving Maria. Ronald ran away from home and Walter left to board with friends when he could no longer endure Maria's dictating of his life style and Stuart later followed suit. There had been much amiable squabbling amongst the Bairns (and occasionally not so amiable) that was scarcely known to RRS who continued to be far distant in the south east with only the occasional visit home. Maria's long and grim determination to train her children in the ways of righteousness had been effective but her reign was almost over.

James' letter of 1904 was not kept, but the reply from RRS was and is given here. It is his last in the collection as after just one more from James the correspondence lapsed, and although RRS lived on until 1920 and James to 1929 there seems to have been no further contact. RRS was transferred from Bordertown to Mt. Gambier in August 1902 and wrote from there.

Loco. Department,
Mt. Gambier,
August 28th. 1904
Dear Brother,
Just a line or two to let you know that I received your letter on the 25th. inst. I was very glad to hear that you were well. We were beginning to think that you had forgotten us altogether. I have sent three letters to you within the last three years but did not get any answer to them. And about ten months ago Maggie wrote to you and sent you a photo of herself and Hattie but she got her letter returned as unclaimed but they did not return the photos.
Well, however, we are all right, pleased to hear from you and hope this will find you in good health as it leaves us all well except, Viola. She has been in very poor health for the last two years.
She is a bit stronger now but still she is far from what she ought to be.
Dear Jamie, we were greatly surprised when we got your letter for to see that you were in Texas. Viola thinks that it is time that you got married and settled down and give over roving about from place to place. And I think, myself, that you would be better to settle down to something steady and enjoy the comfort of a home life which I suppose you have not had since Mother died. So I think it is almost time that you got some girl and made a home for yourselves. I am sure if Mother was alive that would be her dearest wish to see you married and settled down to a quiet steady life. And I am sure that it must be the wish of John and David and their wives, and we hope to hear you say when you answer this letter that you are married and settled down.
You did not say in your letter if John, David and their wives and bairns were all well. You must give me the address of John and David when you write to me next time. I asked you twice before for it but I suppose you forgot but I hope that you will not forget this time when you write.
Things has been very bad in Australia for the last four years but there are signs of the times getting a lot better and I think Trade will soon be in a flourishing condition again.
It is very distressing to see in the papers that you sent me the sad fatality that happened to the excursion steamer and to think that there was so many perished and them so close to land. You did not say in your letter what you were doing in Texas so when you write you must tell me all about what you are doing.
All your nephews and nieces join Viola and myself in sending kind love to your dear self and to John, David and their families and hope to hear from you very soon.
We remain your loving Brother and Sister
R.R. & M.V. Stevenson.
P.S. Be sure to send us John and David's address. RRS.

This next and final letter from James was written in a very large hand indicating that he could no longer see well.

Beaumont, Texas,
October 21st.1904
Dear Brother,
I received your kind letter and was glad to hear you were all well except Viola whom I am sorry to hear has been sick, but I hope will soon be better. The letters you speak of I do not remember receiving. Do not answer this letter until next Spring when the days are long, then it is daylight at night. When I get off work I can see to write better then. I will now close hoping this will find you all in good health which it leaves me at present,
From your loving brother,
James Burns,
General Delivery,
Beaumont, Texas, America.

RRS was to be at Mt. Gambier for another two years. The Railways felt no concern that he had been away from his family,except for an occasional visit, for ten years. There was another 7 shilling fine [70 cents], in February 1905 for not seeing the points set right at Mt. Gambier so that they were trailed through and damaged. The next year, in September he was merely cautioned for trailing wheels of engine No. 100 which was derailed at Woodville. He had been transferred at long last, to Port Adelaide and was paid a Bonus for each of the next three years.

Family together at last (1909)

At last, at the end of 1909 he could live at home when Adelaide became his central depot. Old friend Alec was still with RRS as his fireman. With the rail link between Adelaide and Melbourne completed in 1887 it was much easier for RRS and Maria to make some visits to see her people, also there would have been an annual free pass, at least as far as the now actual border town of Serviceton. Maria's father had died at Linton in 1888, and thereafter, until her death in 1903, her mother lived at Ballarat, no doubt with daughter Clara Inglis. Keith recalled one such visit by his parents when he was left to the not so tender mercies of his sisters Ada and Hettie, Florence having married by then.

The Nicholls' relatives occasionally arrived from Victoria to stay at Unley. Brother-in-law Edgar Nicholls of Melbourne, once made a special trip to Bordertown (about 1892) to beg RRS to buy heavily of B.H.P. shares at the peak profit time of the Broken Hill mines, but RRS had already lost several amounts on shares which proved to be worthless so declined to risk anymore. Edgar did very well indeed from his speculation and RRS was to always regret his refusal.

From 1909 to 1915 RRS was a driver of trains out from Adelaide to suburban termini. The year 1910 was yet another one of censure for minor peccadilloes. In February for "losing time and with-holding actual facts when reporting same on the daily ticket", and a few days later he was most severely censured for a similar offence. This was to affect his bonus but it did not for he received £10 [$20] in the following April. The record stated - "for failing to report all the facts why his engine failed at Woodville in accordance with Rule 434 and that he did not note delays were caused by bad coal" and again on May 12 - "whilst working No. 43 Up Port (Adelaide) Line he overshot Port Adelaide platform to such an extent that he passed the starting signal whilst at danger." Shocking!
In September while running through Croydon he overshot Kilkenny when working No.31 down train, Adelaide to Henley Beach, and he finished 1910 by colliding with dead end No. l platform, Adelaide Station, with No 33 Up Port train. For this only a mild verbal caution was administered.

In 1912 he ran past only one station (not named) and the next year pulled up short at Adelaide no doubt remembering the former collision.

In 1915, aged 68, he was ordered to the Mile End goods yards to end his career with the Railway Department by shunting engines about in that area. However as he damaged the dead end at Bowden in 1917 (the final entry of his papers,) it must be presumed that he was not entirely confined to shunting. During the time at Mile End he daily walked the three miles there and back in all weathers, and as his way lay past the Wayville home of Alec, if the hour was suitable, a call was made to "hae wee crack wi' Alec" and the days he missed Alec usually turned up on the Stevenson doorstep.

There had been some lighter monents while travelling the suburban lines, such as the competition between Alec and RRS as their train passed the backyards of the little cottages at Bowden, to see who was the more accurate in lobbing pieces of coal into the 0. S. pair of cotton drawers left by one shrewd old lady on her clothes line near her fence, thus ensuring a constant supply of fuel for her stove. At Unley Road there was Max the fox terrier who was fond of nipping ankles sharply and biting babies of which he was inordinately jealous, and a mad cockatoo that helped to keep the household lively. The latter would remove pegs from the washing on the line and release the hens, no matter how secure the gate fastening, then shriek that they were loose in the yard. He mimicked everyone's voice and caused much confusion and more than one family argument with snide remarks wrongly attributed to one of the members.

Retirement (1917)

1917 Robert Rowland Stevenson With the years the accent of RRS grew broader and he more silent, leaving all the talking to his women folk and in this they were by no means backward. The most he said to my mother, newly engaged to his youngest son Keith in 1916, when she was at the Stevenson house for Sunday tea was, "stretch oot your hand lass, and help yoursel', or you may go short." He retired from the Railway Department in 1917 when he was aged 70. Maria was presented with a silver teapot which could not be used due to a defective lining, and RRS received a gigantic, and then fashionable "Morris" chair with massive polished wooden arms, and complete with silver plate, suitably engraved. This chair ended up at Keith's house and caused so many bruised shins and sore elbows, and occupied so much space, that the writer disposed of it as soon as it came into her possession, but preserved the engraved plate. The oak chair used exclusively by RRS at the head of the dining table is still in excellent condition.

He was an Elder of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Unley, where he took up the collection on Sundays and helped with church affairs. He was also a Free Mason in the Duke of Leinster Lodge of which he was a Past Master. In old age he was no longer bearded and was rather bald with the remaining hair and moustache white, and his Scotch "agate" eyes, grey flecked with brown, were unfaded. All ties with Scotland and New York seem to have ceased and he never spoke of his relatives until he was dying when he tried to tell his son Blaine, who seeing his father's distress of body, said not to attempt this so the opportunity was lost.

Death (1920)

Keith and Blaine sat with their father on alternate nights during the week he was dying and unconscious with only his powerful heart and lungs keeping death at bay. Keith was with him when he died October 24, 1920 and he was surprised to note how quickly the white hair and moustache turned to a youthful brown. He was buried at West Terrace Cemetery (the State's earliest) on the outskirts of Adelaide in the park lands. With typical forethought he had purchased a plot. At the foot of this large old burial ground, about a half mile distant from the Stevenson grave where Florence was the first occupant, the trains pass to the south and west and the Mile End yards and running sheds were at that time close by.

RRS left £1,626/6/6 in cash [$3,252.65]. By his Will Maria received £482/2/0 [$964.20] and each of the 8 surviving children had the sum of £125/16/6 [$251.65]. A Trust (to mature) was set up for the grandchildren and Keith's younger daughter Betty missed out as she arrived later. Eventually the 5 grandchildren each received £16/16/6 [$33.65].

Maria

1910 Maria Viola Stevenson Maria remained at the family home at Unley Road. It was left to her for her life time. Daughters Ada and Jean were with her, and for a time bachelor son Ronald. She had a small Superannuation pension and the sons put their shares of the father's estate into a special fund that was invested, so that there was always sufficient money for any large expenses. Maria's reputation amongst her children was that of a stern Victorian moralist, a strict disciplinarian with almost no sense of humour and easily shocked, but to her grandchildren she was kind and generous and liked nothing better than to prepare elaborate meals. Her wine trifles were guaranteed to intoxicate the most hardened infant in spite of keeping to her narrow Methodist outlook which should have eschewed Strong Drink in any form. When this trifle was a bit much for a child its parent or an uncle was by no means averse to cleaning up the plate.

Maria and her daughters kept the house spotless and the children well dressed. She had a certain elegance of attire though always in black after RRS died. Her black seal skin fur stole lined with heavy satin still survives. The house as the writer recalls its appearance in the 1920s retained its late Victorian furnishings. These had been purchased by RRS mainly at auctions and according to Ada, some pieces and ornaments had belonged to a State governor who held a clearing sale before returning to England.

Mother' s Day, Maria' s birthday (January 28), and the family get-together held annually on Boxing Day, were about the only occasions when the front parlour was used. There were floor to ceiling tapestry curtains in dark green and gold tied back with thick silk cord at the bay window which faced Unley Road and lace curtains veiled the glass. The carpet was of so dark a green, that to a child moving into the room there was fear that there was no substance under foot and one just might step into nothingness.
There was an upright piano (Jean was the musician) and six chairs of Italian walnut with carved round open backs, a lady chair and a scroll back sofa, all in matching upholstery, the original floral tapestry but much faded. A papier-mache firescreen in shiny black had a sea scene complete with light house, outlined in mother of pearl - the walls were decorated with large photographs of the family, each in a broad carved frame. The front bedroom had cedar furniture, some of which is at this house and in excellent condition. Maria took a daily siesta after the midday dinner upon a cedar couch upholstered in delicate pink.

The dining/living room was the largest with a family size table and the many chairs needed and a tall backed sideboard laden with an array of glass and silverware. The silver tea service of ornate design has an 1843 hallmark. Under the window with its cedar venetian blind and Nottingham lace curtains was a sofa. This black leather covered horror was stuffed with horse hair that sharply pricked young bare legs and was so slippery that the same child continually slid off and so was scolded by Maria for supposed restlessness. There were some very large engravings of the Zulu Wars with gory details and black and white prints of Marcus Stone drawings such as "The Love Letter" and "Two Strings to her Bow". The children presented Maria with afternoon teacups on the occasion of her Silver Wedding and a half dozen of these are intact. The truly vast cheese dish and cover, redolent of past occupation, and patterned with cabbage roses, was to eventually bring a good price from an antique dealer.

On one side of the small tiled grate (where the fire radiated almost no heat) was the "Morris" chair and something a lot more comfortable for Maria on the other side. The high mantel piece had carefully spaced ornaments and in the centre the presentation clock from the Railway Department fellow workers. It was of imitation onyx and brass, very ornate, with double pillars at each end so that it looked like a miniature building. It was wound with a very large brass key. The remainder of the house was unremarkable except for the deal kitchen table which was scraped and scrubbed to keep its original pale surface. Yet another sofa was beneath the window for Ada to take her siesta, and both took up a lot of space.

The writer lived Maria for for a period in 1933 while Ada was away on an extended holiday and can testify to the excellence of her grandmother's cooking. A truly sumptuous high tea was prepared each Saturday to be eaten when I returned from the matinee at the local cinema. Maria of course supplied the necessary sixpence (5 cents) to go in. It was winter and almost dark when the picture ended and after the screening of "The Invisible Man" it was a case of run home as fast as possible. At night Maria wandered about the house with a candle. She said her nocturnal walks were due to getting up to children for so many years and she had never been able to sleep well since those days. However, Keith who suffered a similar inability to sleep, merely put it down to an ancestor having murdered a Chinaman. She presented me with my first wristlet watch for being her companion during those weeks.

By this time Unley had become densely built over and the open land round about when RRS purchased had all vanished. There is an envelope still extant addressed to "Mrs. R.R. Stevenson, Truly Road, Imly, Adelaido" which came from America when Maria sent for coloured prints of Ida Rentoul fairy pictures for me in the 1920s. The pictures (framed) remain also.

It was from "Truly Road, Imly" that Maria took her last outing to Clarence Park one Sunday, with Ada. She had a premonition this would be her last visit and brought a prized glass beer mug she filled with port wine jelly (made with port wine) to Keith. There was no indication of any illness and her very blue eyes were bright as ever, but in the early hours she had a stroke and remained unconscious for eight days. She had a dread of hospitals so was nursed at home. She awoke just once when Keith was keeping the night watch and accused him of putting her in hospital. He pointed out the familiar furniture, the pictures and ornaments of her own room, and comforted she slept again, never to awake.

At death she returned to lovely youth and to me, in her coffin looked no more than 17. Her hair was almost untouched with grey which added to the young look, and she had retained her slender figure.

There were violets and narcissus in her hands. She was buried beside RRS at West Terrace in the family plot. She left an estate of £377/10/1 [$755.99] and a statement dated October 2, 1935 shows her two bank balances and Elder Smith & Co. shares and sets out the expenses. These include £19/5/6 [$38.55] funeral costs. The seven surviving children each received £47/14/11 [$95.49].
The house which in 1893 RRS had purchased for £550 [$1,100] to be sold under the terms of his will and the money divided between the children, but the Contract note is dated some 5 years later, on August 29th, 1940 and says that "the house at the corner of Unley Road and Ella Street, Parkside, having a frontage of 50 feet to Unley Road by a depth of 120 feet or thereabouts, together with the villa house of 6 rooms and all conveniences and improvements now thereupon, at present occupied by Mrs. Bowden, and known as street no. 79 was purchased from the agents Allen and Barton of Unley for £800 [$1,600] by Rich. Sidney Fidock, master printer, of Cottonville, S.A." The Executors were Blaine and Stuart.