HOWARD, Frederick

Name – HOWARD, Frederick
Born – 07/01/1876
Died – 20/12/1956
Location – No 124 Anglican Section
Mother – Sarah Claridge
Father – Stephen Howard

Notes – Frederick (known as Fred) was born to Sarah (nee Claridge) and Stephen Howard in Victoria on January, 1876. Records from the police Gazzette of Victoria, in April 1876 show Sarah has put an ad in the gazette asking if anyone has seen her husband. He had left home looking for work in May 1875 and may not have known his wife was pregnant with their son Frederick. Nothing more was heard from him. Sarah met James Mason and had more children to him.

Fred had the following full siblings George, Harriet, Harry, Stephen, Joseph and then half siblings of James, Annie, Mary, Lizzie, Emma, Ada and Violet. Two children died early. When he was 20 years old Fred learned his father had died in South Australia.

Frederick Howard married Eleanore Mary Martin on the 6th of July, 1903. The couple had three children Myna Myra 19-7-1997, Frederick William 1909-1963 and John Alexander 1915-1967. The first two children were born in Victoria and the last one was born in Queensland.

In 1949 Fred promoted and organised boxing matches in Tara. The following story was told by his grandson – Once when Fred was on the Manly Ferry, he took part in a poker game where his opponent accused him of cheating. A fight soon developed and the captain of the vessel said there was to be none of that on his ship. So, they threw the fighters into the hull to fight it out where no one else could get hurt. The doors were locked and when the noise all stopped, out crawled Fred. The winner! But he was shocked when he was told he had just beaten the middleweight boxing champion of NSW.

The electoral roll records from 1903 and 1906 have him living at 63 Crown St, Richmond, Victoria working as an engine driver. From 1906 he is living with Elenora, and the 1909 roll has him at 135 Buckingham St, Richmond, engine driver with Ellenora. In 1928 to 1943 Fred and Elenore are at Tara where Fred worked as a fettler. The 1948 rolls have the two of them living at Mons Duffeild Rd, Margate.

Fred was known to have a great sense of humour although family members said it sometimes left Elenore hopping mad. One story from the family is ” Elenore was a very large lady and much taller than Fred. When visitors would come Fred used to say “Isn’t she a fine woman? When I married her she was only a tiny little thing. I made a woman out of her!”

It appears that Fred and Eleanore returned to Tara as Eleanore is recorded as having died in her own home at Tara in October 1950.

HOWARD, Frederick shares his gravesite with his wife Eleanore and the inscription on the headstone reads – In loving Memory of Frederick Howard. Died 20th December 1956. Aged 80 years.

Newspaper Article – Read here

War Service File  –

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