Ida Matilda née Berthelsen and Cecil William POLLITT

Ida Matilda Berthelsen was a pupil of the South Bundaberg State School from 25 July 1893 from age 10 years. Her enrolment number there was 631. The school records have disclosed that her father, Jørgen was a tailor and their address at that time was Bourbong Street. Ida met her intended husband, Cecil William, at Pialba. He was born at Monkland, Gympie and worked for Walkers Limited, Maryborough. According to the Bundaberg and Mount Perry Mail of Friday, 11 August 1899, Ida, third daughter of Jørgen, was married to Cecil Pollitt, the youngest son of Mr J.E. Pollitt of Maryborough, at the residence of the bride's sister.

MARRIAGE. POLLITT—BERTHELSEN.—At the residence of the bride's sister, on the 9th instant, Cecil William, youngest son of J. E. Pollitt, of Maryborough, to Ida Matilda, third daughter of J. Berthelsen, Bundaberg. (Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser (Qld 1892 - 1917), Friday 11 August 1899, page 2

Members of the Exclusive Brethren

Ida and Cecil Pollitt, who were followers of the Exclusive Brethren faith, had seven children and lived all their lives in Bundaberg. Later, in 1920, Ida passed away at the very early age of 37 years, the cause of her untimely death being attributable to an internal goitre. Her husband, Cecil, remained a widower for 15 years before marrying again in 1936. There were no children from the second marriage.

 I am indebted to Ida's son, George Mervin of 29 Tobruk Street, Bundaberg for much of the information that follows which he passed on to me in his 77th year. I had the pleasure of meeting him for the very first time on Easter Saturday, 25 March 1989 while visiting a friend in Bundaberg. 

Their Family

1.  Roy Leslie (1900-1978) married Elizabeth Dorothy Hiscock, 22 January  1925. Children of this marriage were Dorothy May, Lewis James and Lesley Elizabeth.

2. Constance Ellen, otherwise known as Connie (1901-1972) was the second wife of Tom Hiscock, a well known Bundaberg house painter and decorator. Before her marriage to Tom on 4th June 1924, Connie worked for John Black's Drapery and later for Buss and Turner, both well-known shopping identities in the main street of Bundaberg. Tom's first marriage to Annie Fletcher resulted in the birth of two children: Tommy Fletcher Hiscock and Phyllis May Fletcher Hiscock as they were known. Tommy's son, Brian Hiscock, carries on the family tradition of painting and lives in Bundaberg. Two children were born to the marriage of Connie and Tom, they being Constance Pollitt Hiscock and Alwyn Pollitt Hiscock. Constance married Jack Redsell and lives in Brisbane. Tragically, Alwyn, I understand, took his own life.

3. Cecil James (1904-1938) married Queenie Twomey on 4th August 1925. 

4. Nellie Matilda (1906-1982) never married and lived with her sister, Myrtle at Burnett Heads before moving to a nursing home.

5. Myrtle Sophie (1909-1968), like her sister Nellie, who inherited the names of their mother's sisters also remained unmarried and after living on the farm with Nellie, retired to a nursing home where she died, aged 58.

6. George Mervin Pollitt (1912-1999) married his first wife Henrietta (Etta) May Elder on 8th August 1939. They had one child, Graham John, who is a school teacher in Longreach.  Etta died from a blood disease and many years later, George married Mrs Sophia Archer (née Kerr). Sophia's first husband was Frank Archer and they had four children: Frank, Agnes, Allan and Robert. Robert has a nursery in Pialba and Agnes lives in Sydney.