Chapter 6.6
William Edward Mosman 1851-1876
Emma Florence Brett 1856-1881
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| William Edward Mosman (Courtesy Mosman Library) |
Sadly about 18 months later William died of pneumonia at age 25. Three years later Emma had married Arthur Gosset. She was 22 and he was 47.
Arthur was a dominating husband and the marriage was not a happy one. He didn’t want Ida and she was sent to live with her kind and loving maternal grandmother, Ruth Illidge. As the marriage went downhill Emma started drinking heavily. Things got worse after Emma started an affair with one of William’s friends which culminated in a “scandalous” divorce hearing.To get away from things Emma moved to Manly in Sydney. She died in 1881, probably the inevitable outcome of alcoholism. She was only 25.
Harriet was very protective of her children and in 1880 stepped in to protect her granddaughter from the impact of Emma’s very public affair and the divorce. She arranged for Ida to live with her Aunt, Harriet Ann McIlraith who had recently had her first and only child. She fitted in well with the McIlraith household and was sometimes referred to as Miss McIlraith. When Harriet senior died she left a generous £500 per annum to her daughter for the care and education of Ida.
Sydney Wansey 1865-1939
In 1895 when she Ida was 20 she married 30 year old Sydney Wansey. Sydney had moved from England with his family to New Zealand and then to Australia, settling in Maitland. Sydney first worked for a wool scouring company before starting his own business as Sydney Wansey Ltd., which became a leading wool and produce merchant firm.
Ida and Sydney and had six children. The youngest was Sydney Mosman Berkeley Wansey who, with his son Michael, are included in this family history because they lived such remarkable lives.
Next Chapter - 6.6a Sydney Wansey family 1865 & 1910