Hannah Shoobridge 1859 - 1928

 Hannah Shoobridge (1859 - 1928)

Hannah Shoobridge was born in in 1859 at Cobbity. NSW. She was the second child of eleven children - and second daughter - born to John H Shoobridge and Sophia Muriel Hinds of Burragorang.

In 1882 she married John Crofton Jessop at St Johns Church of England, Camden, NSW. John was the second child and eldest son of John Jessop and Sarah Ann Burgess of Cox's River in Burragorang Valley. The Jessops and the Shoobridges were neighbours in the valley and the children had known each other since birth, there are a number of intermarriages between the family

John Crofton and Hannah began their married life in the Burragorang Valley, before moving to Granville where most of their family of seven children (four sons and 3 daughters) were born:

• Edith Clara Jessop. Born 1882. (stillborn)
• Arthur Leslie Jessop. Born 1883. Married Irene Alison Harrigan in 1909. Died 8 Mar 1965
• Raymond Jessop. Born 16 Sep 1885. Married Florence Annie Sherwood on 22 Apr 1914. Died 30 Aug 1979.
• Sydney Walter Jessop. Born 14 December 1887. Married Emily Louisa McDermott in 1914. Died 11 Dec 1973
• Florence Jessop. Born 1889. Married Frederick James Lever on 20 July 1907. Died 10 Jan 1962.
• Caroline Sophia Jessop. Born 16 May 1892. Married Clarence Johnston in 1911. Died 19 Jun 1993.
• Alfred George Jessop. Born 1893. Died 28 Sep 1917

It is unknown how it occured by in 1894 John deserted Hannah, running off to Goulburn with his sister-in-law Ellen Shoobridge . 

Hannah, now left by herself with 6 young children - aged between 13 and 3 - went to work to provide for her family, gaining employment with Dr Bowden in Bowral. Her eldest two sons joined her in employment not long after John left. The rest of the children went to the Pitt Row Public School in Parramatta. Her younger brothers William George and Alf owned a produce store on Woodville Road in Granville, and it is probable that Hannah recieved some level of assistance from them.

It cannot have been easy for Hannah, it is known that she wrote to John Crofton seeking money, but non was forthcoming. did not sue for divorce - maybe to spite her sister, maybe because it was to expensive to do so - but family oral history has it that by this time John Crofton had supposedly acquired a position of some important with the Goulburn Municipal Council, and Hannah was reluctant to take any action that might adversly affect his career. It is not known the level of contact Hannah and the children maintained with John

In 1902 her brother William George moved north to Wardell on the Richmond whilst another brother John - known as Jack - Shoobridge, had selected land in 1902 in Numinbah - the area from Chillingham to the top end of North Arm.

In 1904 her eldest son Arthur - then 21 - travelled to the Tweed Valley to join his uncle John, and on 25 February 1904 he too selected land in Numbinbah - Lot 82 of 174 acres - for which he paid £1 per acre. The pair were joined in mid 1904 another of Hannahs' brother Alf and the finally in November 1904, William George moved from the Richmond to Chillingham where he had selected land.

John spent two years clearing the land, until in 1906, the farm became a producing property, complete with sheds, yards and small but rough home - made from slabs with no windows or doors, a dirt floor and an outside cooking galley.

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