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- 1920 'OLD TIME MEMORIES
Old Time Memories
By Hugh Kalyptus
Mr. E. C D. Keyser, of South Perth, writing under date of Waterloo Days, says:
The copy of Colonel Molloy's photograph, so appropriately published in Waterloo weeks issue of the "Western Mail," with your historic references to the Trafalgar Waterloo veteran's distinguished career, are especially interesting to me, the good old Colonel having performed the marriage
ceremony which united my father and mother in the bonds of matrimony.
It will interest some of your readers of Old Time Memories to learn that my mother before her marriage, was Miss Catherine Thurkle, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth of that clan. She was a sister of the late Mr. Thomas Thurkle who did such yeoman service as a member of the Busselton Road Board, for so many years.
My mother was born near the Perth Cause, way, where the police station now stands, on March 14, 1837; and as above stated, was married by Colonel Molloy, at Fairlawn near Busselton, the residence of the Trafalgar Waterloo hero, on December 29, 1853.
My father Charles Donat Keyser, was a native of Philadelphia (U.S.A.), and was. born in 1832. He came to Fremantle, direct from the United States, in 1852. Some of my near relatives were members of the old Pettit family, who were pioneers of the Swan River Settlement my mother's grandmother, Mrs. Rebecca Pettit, having arrived at Fremantle, as did, also my mother's grandfather, John Pettit, during the very early 'thirties.
Mrs. Rebecca Pettit was a centenarian, and died at Busselton in 1879, a the age of 101. If you could furnish, the name of the vessel that brought the Pettits to these shores I should feel much obliged.
Concerning Mr. Keysers inquiry as to the name of the vessel that brought the Pettit family of the Swan River Settlement, I communicated with Mr. Fairbairn who in the 'seventies' succeeded Mr. Joseph Strelby Harris as Resident Magistrateof Busselton.
In his reply,'Mr. Fairbairn' states I regret that I cannot give you the name of the ship in which thc Pettit family came to Australia. I have been told that old Mr. Pettit was married here to a Miss Long, in the very early days, when at the Vasse.
I knew Mrs. Pettit, she lived with her, daughter. Mrs. George Cross, and died at the advanced age of 101 years. Mrs. Petites son, Edward, also lived at the Vasse. He was engaged in the coasting trade, and met his death by a fall from the Bunbury jetty. One of the Pettits married a Nairn. [1]
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