The OTHER Drew Family in Chermside
I have, for a while, been aware of the historical presence of another DREW family in this general vicinity. Dad's cousin Myrtle even mentioned one the other day; one Harry Drew, who was a baker in Chermside/Wooloowin.
Today, at the stupidmarket, I was doing my bit for the weekly shopping effort when I heard someone say "Hello Mr Drew, what are you doing here?". I looked around, but nobody was talking to me. I moved to the next aisle, and the owner of the voice was in conversation with an elderly chap. I introduced myself, of course, and had a long conversation with Michael Drew. He is the nephew of the baker, Harry. He also, as a lad during the war years, helped Roy Drew on Great-Uncle Bill's milk run around the area. So, the two Drew families knew each other. He also informed me that to differentiate between the two families, the locals called them the "English Drews" and the "American Drews" - the English lot arrived in Australia from Kent at about the time my mob arrived, around 1885.
Later: Decided to look through the Census information on Drew families in Kent, just for the hell of it. And what appeared? Frances Drew, born abt. 1841 in Penzance Cornwall, Shipwright at HM Dockyard, and his wife Louisa, born abt 1856, Walworth Surrey. I had previously seen that marriage (1873, Penzance) and wondered who the Francis Drew and Louisa Drew were that got married back then. Pending ordering of the marriage certificate, I am quietly confident that Francis and Louisa were first cousins once removed. Anyway, they produced a nice little family, and that makes more names to be followed up.
Today, at the stupidmarket, I was doing my bit for the weekly shopping effort when I heard someone say "Hello Mr Drew, what are you doing here?". I looked around, but nobody was talking to me. I moved to the next aisle, and the owner of the voice was in conversation with an elderly chap. I introduced myself, of course, and had a long conversation with Michael Drew. He is the nephew of the baker, Harry. He also, as a lad during the war years, helped Roy Drew on Great-Uncle Bill's milk run around the area. So, the two Drew families knew each other. He also informed me that to differentiate between the two families, the locals called them the "English Drews" and the "American Drews" - the English lot arrived in Australia from Kent at about the time my mob arrived, around 1885.
Later: Decided to look through the Census information on Drew families in Kent, just for the hell of it. And what appeared? Frances Drew, born abt. 1841 in Penzance Cornwall, Shipwright at HM Dockyard, and his wife Louisa, born abt 1856, Walworth Surrey. I had previously seen that marriage (1873, Penzance) and wondered who the Francis Drew and Louisa Drew were that got married back then. Pending ordering of the marriage certificate, I am quietly confident that Francis and Louisa were first cousins once removed. Anyway, they produced a nice little family, and that makes more names to be followed up.
posted by Geoff_D @ 3:09 pm
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