My mum grew up at 58 Lothian Street, North Melbourne. This property had first been bought by her grandfather, Henry Palmer Marr, around 1899.
I haven’t been able to Henry, or his wife Mary, in the 1903 Electoral roll. The 1905 Electoral roll only lists Mary:
The following is a photo of Mary and her mother, Mary Reeves nee Gill, at the front of 58 Lothian Street.
Mary Reeves, nee Gill, died in 1903, so the photo was taken between about 1899 and 1903.
My aunty Margaret sent me this photo in December 1998, and in the attached letter she wrote:
“Enclosed is a Photo of 58 Lothian Street Granny & Granddad built it nearly 100 years ago it is not now still standing there It was a Grocer shop too many got credit and had to close the doors. Aunty Amy and her sisters over seeing Grandad bought next door and built the factory”.
In my post about my grandfather John Ernest Whimpey, I mentioned the locality section of the directories, which lists everyone living on a street, and includes each cross street. The earliest directory I have been able to find Henry on was in 1907.
Henry and Mary’s daughter Amelia was first listed as a dressmaker at 56 Lothian Street in 1912.
Henry died in 1944, and his widow Mary continued to live at 58 Lothian St until her death in 1951. My mum was still living there until 1952 when she married dad, and her brother and sister lived there with their aunt Amelia until her death in 1954.
The following is 58 Lothian Street on Google Maps.
