One of my great grandmothers was Beatrix Champion de Crespigny née Hughes (1884-1943). She was born on 23 April 1884 in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, the eldest child of Edward Walter Hughes (1854-1922) and Jeanie Hughes née Hawkins (1862-1941). Edward Hughes was the manager of the Bank of Victoria in Beaufort, Victoria, from about 1888 until his retirement in 1919.
Beatrix had three brothers:
- Reginald, born 1886 in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne
- Vyvyan, born 1888 in Beaufort
- Cedric, born 1893 in Beaufort
As a girl Beatrix studied music and in 1902 did well in her examinations, but beyond this I know very little about her when she was young.
The Hughes family knew my 3rd great grandmother Charlotte de Crespigny (1820-1904) and her daughter Rose Beggs who lived at Eurambeen near Beaufort. There are several mentions of the Hughes family and Trixie Hughes in letters written by Charlotte de Crespigny in 1900 and 1902. Charlotte de Crespigny’s grandson Trent de Crespigny, then known by his family as Con, was a frequent visitor to Eurambeen in the holidays.
In about 1900 in a letter to her daughter Ada (1848-1927), Charlotte de Crespigny wrote:
Monday
We had a very pleasant evening, both afternoon tea and a magnificent iced cake with almonds all over it, and a lovely tea, 14 sat down to it. Con’s ducks were most delicious, and a magnificent ham and meat pies, sweets of all sorts. I wished so much you could have had some of the good things and Loo would have enjoyed the ducks so much. Con and Rose were wishing he was there and you too. I was thinking all the time what a dull old Sunday you would all be having, without any servant.
After Tea, Frank drove me with Rose and Mr. Minchin to the other house. All the young people walked in the lovely moonlight. They stayed out playing games till nearly 10 when Frank came in and read prayers. After that, supper and home, Mr Hughes and all the whole crowd walking home Anna and Ethel, [?] coming as well, having a little more refreshment. They did not go till after the Hughes and Minchins drove home, near 12, and then Con and Jack walked back with them enjoying the moonlight, no one wore any hats or bonnets, and all the white dresses looked so pretty. Trixey Hughes and Edith Minchin gave Rose pretty little presents.
In 1906 Beatrix married Constantine Trent Champion de Crespigny, a doctor then practising in Glenthompson, fifty miles from Beaufort.
Beatrix and Trent had four children.
The eldest, Richard Geoffrey, known as Geoff, was born in Glenthompson in 1907.
Their second child, Nancy, was born in Adelaide in 1910. Constantine Trent was Superintendent at the Adelaide Hospital from 1909.
In World War 1 Constantine Trent Champion de Crespigny, who reached the rank of Colonel, had a distinguished career commanding military hospitals. On the home front Beatrix contributed greatly to fundraising efforts for the soldiers at the front.
In 1919 Beatrix had two more children, twins. Sadly, one of these, Adrian, suffered a brain injury at birth, and spent most of his life in care. The other child was a girl, Margaret.
Beatrix died in 1943 at the age of 59. Her obituary made mention of her charitable work, drawing particular attention to her contribution to child welfare which included many year’s service to the Mothers’ and Babies’ Health Association in Adelaide.
The day after her obituary, the Adelaide newspaper carried a letter from Paquita Mawson, President of the Mothers’ and Babies’ Health Association, and Dr Helen Mayo, the founder of the Mothers’ and Babies’ Health Association and Honorary Chief Medical Officer, who spoke of Beatrix’s wise management and sound decision making.
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lindamaycurry said:
It appears she had a good life for those times. It was certainly better than many other women’s lives of that era.
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randommusings29 said:
I love how you are able to piece all of this together
Debbie
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Ann said:
What a wonderful idea! You provide so much detail and images from Beatrix’s life. Glad I stopped by through the Blogging from A to Z Challenge!
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Antoinette Truglio Martin said:
Terrific research.
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Dianne said:
It’s amazing the pieces of a persons life we can find online. I wonder if in a hundred years from now a descendant will find the newspaper item with my music conservatory marks!?!?
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Wendy Mathias said:
A most enjoyable story and accompanying photos. Beatrix was a pretty child and young woman. It is inspiring to read about people of means who don’t HAVE to work but dedicate their lives to doing good for the community. Adrian’s birth injury certainly drove her to become a real force for mothers and babies.
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Morgan said:
That is great that you have so many pictures and were able to piece together her life.
Once Upon a Time
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kristin said:
She was such a serious little girl. The tea and the moonlight walk sounds lovely. My grandparents were all born right around the same time. It is interesting to read about the different lives being lived all over the world, simultaneously.
http://findingeliza.com/archives/25035
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Sue Bursztynski (@SueBursztynski) said:
Sad about the little boy!
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Anne Young said:
Yes very. While Beatrix was alive Adrian lived at home and had a carer. But after her death he lived in an institution. My grandmother Kathleen, who was his sister-in-law, would visit him every week. I never met Adrian.
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Ros washington said:
Adrian’s twin sister Margaret communicated with him weekly when she was out of the country and visited him weekly when in Adelaide. He and his twin sister were born on 1/1/1919 not 1920
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Anne Young said:
Thanks Ros.
Yes I knew it was 1919 of course … will correct.
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sizzlesue15 said:
It is so wonderful to have all of those photos. I treasure the ones I have from generations past and have started to scan them so I can always have them. Everything was so gentile in those days and I can just imagine having afternoon tea with all the trimmings.
Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
“B’ is for Beauty – the importance of inner beauty
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Anne Young said:
The photo of young Beatrix came from a cousin who scanned it for me. I am very grateful to all my cousins who have been prepared to scan and share photos with me.
The afternoon tea certainly sounds terrific.
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sizzlesue15 said:
I have two cousins who have done our family trees and have given me copies of photos and letters it is so wonderful to have this information.
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Gail said:
Photos, letters, news articles…so many wonderful sources to learn about your ancestors! What a rich family history you have compiled. Nice post, as well. Good luck in the continuing A-Z. oh, and thanks for visiting me as well!
———-
Gail Park
Making Life an Art
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