The Obornes were an old Dorset family who had a land grant in past time for services to the Crown (village of Oborne, whose origins long pre-date the 1086 Domesday Book). They were Landed Gentry – Upper Middle Class – and mixed with aristocracy. John Oborne (1816-1814) married into lower aristocracy, of which Harriet Sophia Wyatt (1817-1892) was a member, being the descendent (we believe) of Sir Thomas Wyatt, 16^th century poet and ambassador to the Holy Roman Emperor in Spain.

Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

St Cuthbert's Old Church, Oborne, Dorset

Harriet was a very haughty woman, according to Adeline Wheeler, who remembered the tenant farmers stopping their work and taking off their hats as her father-in-law’s coach went by. The older children had the benefits and privileges of their birth. The daughter of one marriage into the aristocracy “The Honourable………” visited Western Australia and Flo Oborne in the 1960s, staying at Government House.

John and Harriet's children were:

• Helen Oborne (1841-?) At one of the County Balls she danced with the Duke of Wellington (which means he would have had his manservant/equerry to ask for her Dance card so he could claim a dance of his choosing – such were the customs of the day).

• Robert Oborne (1843-?) A naval captain who became the King’s Fisherman – which means he was in a Royal service, teaching King Edward VII’s family (including the young King George V) the gentle art of angling. His duties also included escorting Queen Alexandria to Denmark, on visits to her homeland. He and his wife retired to a Grace and Favour house in Windsor Great Park at the behest of the Sovereign. (Incidentally, this was an honour bestowed on the Australian Governor General Lord and Lady Casey).

• George Oborne (1845-?) This could be the accountant who had an important position in the City of London (Town Clerk?) a human adding machine – four columns at a time!

• Stephen Oborne (1847-1901)

• Maria Oborne (1849-?)

• Tom Oborne (1851-?) Tom had three wives but no children and left his considerable fortune to all sons and daughters of his brothers and sisters. He was a friend of the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII who gave him a chair with the fleur de lis and a lapdog as a gesture of friendship.

• Emily Oborne (1854-?)

• Frederick William Oborne (1857-1936) my great grandfather.

Frederick Oborne married Adeline Maria Lush Wheeler (1861-1941) on the 3rd of July 1884. Adeline was the organist at Shaftesbury Cathedral. She was engaged to Frederick at 16y.o. Jury lists ("of men qualified to serve on juries") describe him as a coal merchant, but by 1903 he was a Clerk of Works.

Frederick & Adeline had 9 children plus two boys who died as infants. Before coming to Australia, Frederick William Oborne operated as an architect and builder in the Shaftesbury area, Dorset, England. One of the old homes is the Town Council office. One of his famous successes was the legal battle over money with the War Office. He had contracted to build Bullfinch Camp, which made the legal firm of Rutter & Rutter famous also. He was ruined when his corrupt bookkeeper set alight the office buildings but the fire burnt the stables, timber yards, workshops, house but not the offices.

After the court case, Frederick found it very hard to get work. (This seems to have been quite a high profile court case; one of my father's aunties recalled seeing a newspaper billboard "Oborne versus the King"). Additionally, the doctor suggested that the only cure for Adeline’s bronchial asthma was to cross the water. The two older boys, Jack and Harry, urged him to relocate to Australia, so he decided to try it for 5 years. They arrived on the "Orontes" on the 4th October 1910, complete with manservant and maidservant, and a kit ‘home’ for the men while the homestead was being built. (This later became the kitchen at Arundel).

The Obornes upon arrival in Western Australia.

Rear: Vaughan, Elsie (?), Harry (?), Addie (?), John (?) and Percival.

Front: Gertrude (my grandmother), Frederick, Gwen, Marjorie and Adeline.

Frederick had an introduction to the Western Australian Governor who advised him not to take up land further south than Broomhill. But the dry wheat fields did not attract so he took up land west of Tenterden, inland from Albany, and named it Arundel. This was named after the farm that Frederick had in England near to Arundel Castle, home of the Duke of Norfolk, Britian’s premier Roman Catholic, where all the produce for the household was grown and produced.

It was a disaster for the family. The Great War prevented a return to England. By the time the war was over Frederick had sold up so many of his assets in England, that he faced life not to the same class level, class being something the Australians did not count for much. (For example, as Frederick had married beneath his class, Adeline Maria Lush Oborne’s (Nee Wheeler) mother could visit her but she could not visit her mother! They had the usual raft of servants from nursery-maids to the scullery maid.)

So, Obornes were stuck and stayed at Arundel, moving off the land when son Vaughan was old enough to take over. (Vaughan was my father's favourite uncle and he worked for him for a while before taking up plumbing).

The Oborne family store, Tenterden.

Frederick built the Tenterden store opposite the rail siding then retired to the house on Albany Highway, later left to Marjorie.

Adeline and Fredrick Oborne at Tenterden, 1930s.

Frederick died in 1936 and Adeline in 1941. They are buried in the same grave at Tenterden, Western Australia, no doubt a long way from where they expected. (Arundel passed out of Oborne ownership in 2006).

TENTERDEN IDENTITY PASSES

DEATH OF MR. W. O BORNE.

An old identity of the Tenterden district, in the person of Mr: Frederick William Oborne, died at Albany last Friday after a long period of ill-health at the age of 78 years. Mr. Oborne had been farming for many years near the township of Tenterden, where he was well-known and highly respected. He was father of Miss Oborne, of the Katanning State School, who this year will complete her 25th year of service as a teacher in that town. He leaves a widow and grown-up family, for whom the deepest sympathy is felt.

- Albany Advertiser, Thursday 27 August 1936

OBORNE, Adeline Maria Lush, loved mother of John (deceased), Harry, Adeline, Elsie (Mrs. W. Perkins, Boulder), Percy, Vaughan, Gwen (Mrs. W. Trebly, Baandee), Gert (Mrs. A. T. McMillan, Harvey) and Marjorie (Mrs. Stan Pearce, Tenterden); aged 80 years.

- The West Australian, Saturday 26 July 1941

Frederick and Adeline had nine children;

• John Frederick Oborne (1885-1928)

• Harry William Oborne (1886-1961)

• Adeline Oborne (1888-1973)

• Elsie Oborne (1890-1971)

• Percival Tom Oborne (1892-1971)

• Lionel Vaughan Oborne (1895-1983)

• Gwendoline Muriel Oborne (1898-1985)

• Gertrude Winifred Oborne (1902-1985)..........my grandmother.

• Marjorie Harriet Eliza Oborne (1905-1965)

Marjorie and Gert (my grandmother), 1916.

Addendum: part of the family moved to Canada. My Uncle Robin recalls:

A. Ross Oborne:

Uncle ‘Tiny’ as I recall him, was Gert’s uncle and lived at 14 Burlington Cres., Toronto, Ontario,

Canada, and as far as is known, had no family of his own, so corresponded with relatives around the

world. I well remember he sent us many copies of the well known newspaper, The Saturday Evening

Post, plus Mechanics Illustrated, Popular Mechanics and National Geographic, which included

maps and special inserts. The National Geographic maps were of particular interest to me, and

although I probably never paid much attention to specific details or map construction, no doubt it

was a basis on which later learning would benefit. In addition to his letters and magazines, he sent

stamps which I put in albums, only to give the complete set away to Laurie’s son David, since at

that time, I had no family of my own, and travelling so much, the appeal and collecting decreased.

Ross died in about 1948, but his photo remains on page two of my green photo album.

An cursory internet search reveals that Alfred Ross Oborne (1889-1947) was born in Quebec, the son of John Oborne (1828-1864) and grandson of James Oborne (1807-1899) who moved to Montreal in the 1830s. He founded the Greater Loon Lake Fishing Club. He had a son James Ross Oborne (1915-2013). He seems to have been a distant relative and I haven't found the link yet.

References

1. Much of the Oborne story is based on the 2007 research of my distant relative, Syd Pearce, (1941-2011).

   1. Details of the Oborne family can be found in From Creaton to Cambellup - an historical and genealogical record of the Herbert and Arber families in Western Australia by Eugene Herbert. Published by Eugene Herbert and printed by Southwood Press Pty Ltd, Marrickville, Sydney, NSW. ISBN 0957906102.

2. The State Library of Western Australia has a narrative written by (Lionel) Vaughan Oborne: