Great Grandparents  Augustus Samuel Rabjohns and Edith Hamlet

Augustus Samuel Rabjohns (1883-1951)

When Augustus Samuel Rabjohns was born on December 22, 1883, in Middlesex, England, his father, Samuel, was 35 and his mother, Sarah, was 39. Augustus left London aboard the "Duke of Buckingham " as a one year old baby with his family (27 May 1885), who were bounty immigrants. They "selected" 50 acres of land at Mooloolaba and went into the logging/sawmill business. He married Edith Kathleen Hamlet in 1907 in Queensland, Australia. They had 13 children in 19 years. He died on January 19, 1951, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, at the age of 67, and was buried there.

His brother, Thomas, had inherited the family sawmill but died in a tragic sawmill accident. Shortly after the accident, where he was sawn in half, the only witness married Thomas's schoolteacher wife and they inherited the property. Samuel is listed on his marriage certificate as "labourer".

I am told that Augustus was a very stern man, tall with brown hair and brown eyes.  One story is that when one of his daughters became pregnant to the local milkman, (who was married), she begged to be allowed to stay at home but he made her leave and stood at the top of the stairs to prevent her crawling back up them.  She remained estranged and died an early death, after a very rough and difficult life.

Above; Edith Rabjohns with Augustus and children. Perhaps Ida is second child from the left.

Edith Kathleen Hamlet (1884-1907)

When Edith kathleen Hamlet was born on February 8, 1884, in Sandgate, Queensland, Australia, her father, William, was 33, and her mother, Elizabeth, was 30. She married Augustus Samuel Rabjohns in 1907 in Queensland, Australia. They had 13 children in 19 years. She died on November 28, 1966, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, at the age of 82, and was buried there.

I remember her as "Nanna Rabjohns", sitting in her wheelchair.  She was blind and had long white hair and I remember someone was brushing her hair.  Apparently she was so cheerful and had such a good sense of humour that neighbours used to come in to sit with her to get cheered up.

Below left; Centre; Edith Rabjohns and second from left (seated) Augustus Rabjohns, with family.

Far left; Daughters Lillian and Flora. Centre; Daughters Flora and Evelyn. Right; Flora