Dear Little Man,
History is full of wonderful achievements, but also great tragedy. Your ancestors are so much more than just names on a family tree, and lived full and rich lives. This is the story (as far as I know it) of one lady in your tree whose life was cut short by the decisions she made.
Sarah Jane MASON (1873-1916)
Sarah's birth was registered in 1873 in Mudgee, NSW (13930/1873). Her parents were William and Charlotte Jane MASON. I don't know much about her early life (yet) until she married William EVANS on 16 January 1894 in Penrith NSW (5953/1894, and divorce notice in The Sydney Morning Herald 20 April 1915). She had a number of children with her husband, but they divorced in 1915 on the grounds of infidelity.
Sarah died the following year at the Royal Oak Hotel in Parramatta (3882/1916). The cause (per the Coroner) was “septic infection of the uterus and hemorrhage (sic) following on an abortion probably procured by an instrument, but who procured such abortion the evidence adduced does not enable me to say”.
Following the death and coroner’s report, the media reported on
a ‘need’ for doctors to liaise with police where they suspected illegal
operations and procedures had occurred.
However, the medical profession of the time denied that such a duty
applied to them (although it would obviously apply to “ordinary citizens” other
than barristers or solicitors) and argued that patient confidentiality is
paramount to their profession.
Further research required:
Sarah's story is so sad, and there are many questions I wish I knew the answers to. Did her children (who would have been quite young really) ever know the truth about their mum's death? Where was the father of her baby? Did she even know who that was? How was she coping financially after the divorce? What became of the nurse who was suspected of having carried out the procedure, or at least organised it?
Reference:
- DIVORCE COURT. (1915, April 20). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 7. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15591378
- A Woman's Fearful Death. (1916, March 8). The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW : 1888 - 1950), p. 3. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article86082063
Please note that my entries on this blog are works in progress, and will be updated periodically as I find more information to add/verify/correct what I have. If you have more information that can help flesh out this person's profile, or have corrections to make, please leave a comment below and get in touch :)
