Thomas Crompton FORSYTH was the second child of Elizabeth Emily Milner COX née CROMPTON and Thomas Taylor FORSYTH. ¹ He was born on 13 December 1885 at the combined Cox/Forsyth homestead at Mount Jeffcott.

The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, records his homes and occupations as:

• 1912 2276 Forsyth, Thomas Crompton, 54 Epsom rd., Kensington, groom, in Newmarket a sub-district of Maribyrong
• 1913 2518 Forsyth, Thomas Crompton, 681 Sydney rd., Brunswick, trainer in Bourke a sub- district of Brunswick North

1. Thomas Taylor FORSYTH's wedding certificate indicates he was married on 12th October 1883. The 1914 Electoral Roll describes him as a 'trainer'. In 2011, 681 Sydney Road is the Edinburgh Castle Hotel. It is interesting to consider whether, in 1914, this was accommodation for a single man?

His marriage

Thomas Crompton FORSYTH, the second son of Elizabeth Emily Milner COX, nee CROMPTON, the second child of Caleb CROMPTON, and her second husband Thomas Taylor FORSYTH of Mount Jeffcott., married Florence McDONALD, also known as Florence McDonald SPEARO, on 17 March 1916 (Vic BMD 1294/1916).

1821info9b, sheet 2

The Australian Electoral Roll 1903-1977, available on Ancestry, gives a brief glimpse of their marriage, their homes and occupations as:

Left: Map locating Thomas and Florence FORSYTH's homes in Melbourne Key 1. 703 Mt. Alexander Rd 2. 681 Sydney Road 3. 2 Wordsworth St 4. 142 Shields Street 5. 193 St. George's Road 6. Cardigan Street 7. 90 Albert Street 8. 203 Coventry St

1821info9b, sheet 3

• 1919 958  Forsyth, Florence, 203 Coventry st., South Melbourne, home duties, Clarendon in a sub-district of Melbourne Ports
• 1919 959  Forsyth, Thomas Crompton, 203 Coventry st., South Melbourne, driver, Clarendon in a sub-district of Melbourne Ports
• 1924 2634 Forsyth, Florence, 142 Shield st., South Melbourne, home duties, in Flemington a sub-district of Newmarket
• 1924 2634 Forsyth, Thomas Crompton, 142 Shield st., South Melbourne, barman, in Flemington a sub-district of Newmarket
• 1925 2556 Forsyth, Florence, 133 Mount Alexander rd., South Melbourne, home duties, in Flemington a sub-district of Newmarket
• 1925 2557 Forsyth, Thomas Crompton, 133 Mount Alexander rd., South Melbourne, barman, in Flemington a sub-district of Newmarket

Before the 1931 Electoral Roll, Florence moved 250m to a home a short distance off Mount Alexander Road.

• 1931 3917, Forsyth, Florence, 2 Wordsworth st., home duties, in Maribyrnong a sub- district of Moonee Ponds

Right: One of these buildings is 2 Wordsworth Street, Monee Ponds. The building on the left is number 4.

During the war Ellen Milner and Florence's daughter-in-law lived at:

• 1942 1742, Forsyth, Ellen Milner, 193 George rd., electrical worker, in Batman a sub- district of Fitzroy North
• 1942 1743, Forsyth, Florence Veronica, 193 George rd., electrical worker, in Batman a sub-district of Fitzroy North
• 1942 1744, Forsyth, Marjorie Lillian, 193 George rd., dress maker, in Batman a sub- district of Fitzroy North
• 1949 1727, Forsyth, Ellen Milner, 193 George rd., electrical worker, in Batman a sub- district of Fitzroy North
• 1949 1728, Forsyth, Florence Veronica, 193 George rd., electrical worker, in Batman a sub-district of Fitzroy North

Veronica, a second name for Florence, appeared on the Electoral Roll, though it was not entered on her birth certificate. Leslie Thomas was entered after the war.

• 1949 1729, Forsyth, Leslie Thomas, 193 George rd., labourer, in Batman a sub-district of Fitzroy North
• 1954 1488, Forsyth, Florence Veronica, 193 George rd., electrical worker, in Batman a sub-district of Fitzroy North
• 1954 1490, Forsyth, Leslie Thomas, 193 George rd., labourer, in Batman a sub-district of Fitzroy North
• 1963 5891, Forsyth, Florence, Barry st., Bayswater, home duties, in La Trobe a sub- district of Ferntree Gully

After Florence's death Leslie Thomas lived alone at:

• 1963 5891, Forsyth, Leslie Thomas, Barry st., Bayswater, labourer, in La Trobe a sub-district of Ferntree Gully
• 1972 1481, Forsyth, Leslie Thomas, 16 Spencer St., Melbourne 3000, iron worker, in Melbourne a sub-district of Melbourne
• 1977 1481, Forsyth, Leslie Thomas, 20 Simpson St., E. Melb., labourer, in Melbourne a sub-district of Melbourne

This final entry was published after his death.

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Thomas' death

Thomas died in 1930, aged 44, still working as a barman.

Florence's death

Above: 7 Middlesex Road, Surrey Hills 2014, where Florence FORSYTH died in 1970

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Whilst Florence's usual place of residence was listed on her death certificate as 7 Middlesex Road, she was actually in a care facility for some time prior to and at the time of her death. This was the home of her daughter Ellen Smith.

Note: Florence's first born child, Daphne Evangel Mcdonald SPERO, was born in 1911 to an unknown father. Although no birth certificate has been located she was listed on her 1970 death certificate. Daphne died on 25 April 1919.

1821info9b, sheet 6

The life of Florence McDONALD SPEARO/FORSYTH

Florence, the wife of Thomas, was registered as McDONALD. As the tree below suggests Florence was the second child of of three in a partnership between John (Jack) Methuon McDONALD and Ellen SPEARO. Despite there being no record of a marriage Florence was registered as McDonald.

A margin note reads 'Read January for February 18/2/91 JG'. She always celebrated her birthday in January.

Whilst Florence's first born child, Daphne Evangel McDonald Spero, born 1911 (father unknown/no birth certificate located), was listed on her death certificate in 1970, she is not listed here, probably because she was born outside any marriage. She died on 25 April 1919.

Above: SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church, at the corner of Dorcus and Montague Street, Melbourne

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Florence's origins

Robert    a 'cooper'                    Evangel/os or Evangel/Angelo/s
MacDonald of Wick, Caithness            Spiro/Spearo/Lykiardopoulos
b.                                      b......1834 Syra/Syros, Mykanos Prefecture, Greece
d.                                      d.25jul1901
|                                       |
m.10/23jan1852 Wick, Caithness          m.31jan1858  Ballarat, Victoria
|                                       |                     
Jane Bruce                              Catherine Mangan     
b.                                      b.01dec1838  Corofin, Ireland
d.                                      d.18apr1915
|                                       |        
|===================|===                |===========|== +10 ==| 
John (Jack)                             Ellen                     
methuon                                 Spearo               
b.08feb1864  Wick, Caithness            b.18jun1866  
d.03aug1898  Melbourne                  d.17jun1955  
|                                       |
m.~1885................................ p.............. m.07feb1900
|                                       |               |
?                                       |               Francis 
?                                       |               Griffin
b.                                      |               b......1863
d.                                      |               d.....-1955
|                                       |               
|=========|========|=====||             |               
Ruby      Jessie   Child 3              |               
b.~1886   b.~1889                       |                             
                                        |
                 Fathers unknown        | See death certificate for all children
            |============|============..|============|============|=========||
            Thomas        Margaret      John         Florence     Robert
                                        mcdonald     mcdonald     mcdonald
            Spearo        Spearo        Spearo       Spearo       Spearo       
            b.17oct1885   b.19aug1887   b.30mar1889  b.07jan1891  b.23feb1894          
            d.19oct1960   d.24jan1888   d.30jul1889  d.29nov1970  d.15aug1895
            Who took the    *********     *********  |              *********
            name Griffin                             m.07mar1916
                                                     |
                                                     Thomas crompton
                                                     Forsyth
                                                     b.13dec1885
                                                     d.30jul1930

Florence FORSYTH'S grandparents of Greek and Irish origins

Florence's grandfather was eventually buried as Evangel SPEARO.

His exact name appears to have been altered by Anglicisation and phonetic spellings, making difficult to trace birth and death certificates. He seems to have arrived in Australia as Angel/ Vangel SPEARO. At his marriage, he named his father as Andrew, a sailor but with no surname, and his mother Ellen POLOU or POLON. The record shows him as born in Syria [sic]. This is blieved to be Syra on the island now know as Syros. Later records say he was born on Mykonos, which from 1823 and with Syra, comprised a Greek 'Prefecture'. On his death certificate his father became John SPEARO, a sailor, and his mother the anglicised Ellen PAUL.

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It is believed that the family name was dropped when he arrived in Australia so proving his original surname is difficult. Florence burnt all related documents in the 1960s. Family sources, including his own last born son, Constantine,  believed that in the depths of time, Evangel SPEARO came from the famous Greek merchant shipping Lykiardopoulos family ¹ ' Lykiardopoulos family, perhaps pronounced 'Lythardopoulos'. It is said he 'jumped ship' from his uncle's ship and in early to mid 1850's (1854?) and became a possible illegal immigrant. His 1901 death certificate says he had been in Australia for 47 years (daughter as informer).

Florence's grandmother, Catherine MANGAN, arrived in Geelong on the 'Parsee' on 04 November 1854, from Corofin, County Clare in Ireland. She was accompanied by both her parents and three sisters; a brother followed later in June 1858. Unfortunately, her father died soon after their arrival on 29 June 1854.

On 31 January 1858, at the age of 24 years, Evangel, a gold prospector in Caringham west of Ballarat, and Catherine were married in Ballarat.

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Evangel died in 1901 at Snake Valley, some 4km from his 1858 marriage home.

Neither Florence, nor her two deceased brothers by John McDonald, are listed on Ellen's death certificate. This is probably because her age at her marriage to Francis Griffin is given as 19 years, when she was actually 33 when she married him in 1900. Florence would have given these details for the death certificate as Ellen was living with her at the time of her death. She probably wanted to cover up her mother's secrets and her own illegitimacy, whilst also protecting her half brother, Tom, who was also still alive at the time.

1821info9b, sheet 10

Left: A modern map locating Caringham, Happy Valley, where Ellen was born, Snake Valley where Evangel died and Miners Rest, Caleb's home all in the vicinity of Ballarat in the State of Victoria

Ellen SPEARO, Florence's mother, was the second daughter of their eleven children.  Their first two/three sons (depending on records) were named Andrew after Evangel's father. Given Greek naming patterns the name Andrew is significant. All died, the last one at six years. Constantine was his last child with all the others in between seemingly named for his wife's family.

1821info9b, sheet 11

Florence's parents: Ellen SPEARO and John McDONALD

John McDONALD, who was born in Wick, Scotland on 08 February 1864, arrived in Australia when he was about 18 or 19 years of age. It is thought he was indentured to his employer at Hotham Gasworks, Melbourne. In 1885, at the age of 20, he had married someone in Australia, and had three children by her before he met Ellen SPEARO, who was born at Happy Valley, Victoria [q.v.] on the Ballarat goldfields. He was unable to get a divorce.

While he and Ellen, never actually married they lived together and her three children, by him, all bore his surname as their middle name. They remained together until he died in 1898, aged 34. Florence, who only used the name McDonald when she married Thomas Crompton FORSYTH (probably ashamed of her illegitimate status), was their only surviving child.

1821info9b, sheet 12

After the death of Jack McDONALD from tuberculosis, Ellen married, Francis GRIFFIN on 07 February 1900. As Ellen GRIFFIN she died at Fitzory, when living with Florence.

1821info9b, sheet 13

Neither Florence, nor her two deceased brothers by John McDONALD, are listed on Ellen's death certificate. This may have happened because her age at her marriage to Francis GRIFFIN is given as 19 years, when she was actually 33. Florence would have given these details for the death certificate as Ellen was living with her at the time of her death. She probably wanted to cover up her mother's secrets and her own illegitimacy, whilst also protecting her half brother, Tom, who was also still alive at the time. Right: 99 Best Street, Fitzroy where Ellen SPEARO/GRIFFIN died

The Lykiardopoulos family originated on the island of Cephalonia and was involved in shipping from the mid of 18th Century. By 1904 Lloyd's Shipping Register presented them as N.G. Lykiardinopoulos with a house flag of yellow and black quarters with the black letters N and L on the respective yellow panels. The 1912 issue presented the company as N.D. Lykiardinopulos with a white flag with red star. After 1929 the company's name was Lykiardinopulo and to this day the company still operates from UK as Neda Maritime Agency Co. Ltd. from Greece.

Source: With thanks to Cheryl Ashley, Florence's granddaughter

This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass		Version A8 Updated 18 February 2021