Catherine Ward nee Mitchell lived for 22 years after her husband William died in 1876. Catherine was 18 years younger than her husband. They had been married for almost 60 years.
Right: Catherine Ward nee Mitchell as her grandchildren remembered her. They said she was a rather frightening upright old lady, who wore a little lawn boudoir cap, with two ruffles around it.
By 1876 all Catherine's children were grown up and most were living independently. Mary Ann, Catherine Jnr., Sophia, Agnes and Ephraim were all married and Manasseh would be married within a few months. Emily 29, Emma 23 and John 19 were all still single.
Catherine seems to have thought things through carefully. She continued running the general store and William's timber business for a year after William died, then gave them up and moved to Balmain, where she purchased a cottage. Ephraim and Sophia were already settled in Balmain, and perhaps the prospects were better there for her younger children. Shortly after moving to Balmain, Emma married Sidney Robinson and moved to a home a few streets away. Then Emily married Ned Davis and moved to Nambucca. John never married and lived with his mother in Balmain for the rest of her life. After Emma and Emily married, Catherine's granddaughter, Agnes Beattie, moved in to look after Catherine.
Catherine remained a strong presence in the family throughout her life. She insisted on a large cup of oysters every evening, sent from Brisbane Water each week by her daughter Mary Ann. She also enjoyed champagne.
She died at her home in 34 Arthur Street, Balmain, on June 30, 1898, aged 80. She was survived by eight of her 10 children, 48 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. She was buried alongside William in the Kincumber churchyard where she shares a headstone with William and their 3-year-old granddaughter Ella Beattie (who had died in 1881).
After Catherine's burial a new headstone was installed, inscribed with the details of William, Cathrine and Ella. Almost 100 years later, William and Catherine's grandson, Allen Ward was part of a working party cleaning up the cemetery. While working near the grave of Rock Davis, the party uncovered a huge ledger stone buried under the surface. It turned out to be the original stone that had marked William's grave and it had been replaced after Catherine's burial in 1898.
PS: A ledger stone lies flat on the ground, often on top of the grave. A headstone stands upright, usually at the head of the grave.
Just in case you were wondering - this distinction was new to me!
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