Friday 24 May 2013

Agnes Fisher nee Jenkins (1865-1911)

Agnes, the wife of Joseph Fisher sadly died on 4 January 1911, at Elsternwick, aged only 45.  Her daughter Elsyian was at the time aged 22 and son Jenkinson aged 19.   My search of Trove newspapers particularly the Argus, and local Elsternwick and Brighton papers has yielded no death or funeral notice for her at that time.  Both Agnes and Joseph were buried nearby at Brighton General Cemetery,  

Brighton Historical Society have little on Joseph Fisher who appears in listings of rateable properties and in Sands and McDougall Directories around that time as a contractor at 169 Cochrane Street Elsternwick.  Electoral rolls in Ancestry.com list him at times in Cochrane Street, also listing his sister-in-law Jane Helen Fisher.

Sometimes you need to look outside the square!  A search of Fisher at that time in Victoria yields a small notice of her death in The Northern Ensign, a Benalla paper on Friday 6 January 1911,


DEATH.  FISHER.—At her residence, Cochrane-street, Elsternwick, on the morning of the 4th January, Agnes, the dearly beloved wife of Joseph Fisher, builder.


In the same paper on that day under Obituary - Demise of Four Mothers appears an entry for Mrs Fisher.


MRS FISHER. News of the death of another lady well-known in Benalla reached here yesterday, the sad event happening at Elsternwick on Wednesday morning last. The demise alluded to was that of Mrs Agnes Fisher wife of Mr Joseph Fisher, the wellknown building-contractor, who carried out, an important enlargement of the Continuation School in Benalla West, and who, whilst doing the work alluded to attracted the notice of observant people as being a gentleman of unique kindness and integrity. The late Mrs Fisher, who formed an agreeable acquaintanceship with not a few people in our midst through her husband's business connection with Benalla, was a lady with a large heart, a true Christian spirit, and a most friendly disposition, so that her loss to her husband will be sadly felt, the news of her death to-day will be read with a feeling of regret in many quarters locally and much sympathy will be felt for Mr. Fisher in the loss of such an estimable partner-one who, however, goes to a happier sphere than that of earth ; the laud of God beyond the grave. 


This may explain why I haven't been able to find out much about Joseph Fisher the contractor!  I was not aware of the Benalla connection and if he is doing works on Schools this may mean there may be  more information in records at the Public Records Office - Victoria.

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