Wednesday 9 May 2018

Frank Charles Laws 1876-1955

This newsletter is published with kind permission of Ann Doughty and Helen Butler


FAMILY   NEWSLETTER                                                OCTOBER  1988


FLASHBACK   •••••••••   The   youngest   child   of   William  and   Sarah Laws   was   Frank  Charles.
He   was   born   28th   April    1876,   most   likely   while   the family was   still   at   Brookfield,   He   would have grown   up   at Kangaroo   Point   and   probably went to the  Normal   School.   He served  his  time in  grocery and hardware   (as apprentice )  and for  a   large  part  of  his  working life  he  worked at   Barry &  Roberts  in Brisbane.   He   lived all his life in the Brisbane area.

He   married Margaret   Robb,    known    to all the family   as   Aunty   Maggie.   She   was   very   proud   of her Scots   ancestry.   She   was  a  lively   talkative,  and cheerful  character, while Uncle Frank was quieter  and more  serious  in manner.   They  were  a  very  devoted  couple  all  their  lives, but  they  had no  children. Aunty   Maggie’s brother  lived  with  them  for  some   years.

In 1914 -15 they lived in Edith St, Wynnum.   Their nephew Frank Goodall Laws visited them there when as a boy he had a holiday in Brisbane with the Langhams.   They probably lived at Wynnum  until  about 1921,  when  they  were  at 39 Mornington  St, Red  Hill.  Here they lived all the rest of their   lives.

Olive  Wood  remembers  when her  family  used to visit  them  there,  going  Saturday  evenings  to play cards.   She also remembers their pet dog,   which they both loved.

In  the Depression   about    1930,    Frank  was  put  off  at  Barry  & Roberts  when  staff  had to be reduced.  He  was  then about  54  years  old  and   would  have  been  working  there  close  on  40  years. However, length of service was not considered. Men with no children  dependants  were the ones put  off   first.   He  was,  however,  presented  with an  engraved gold  watch, and  this he   wore  proudly for  the rest  of   his   life.   There  was  no  superannuation,   and relief  payment  was only   one pound per  week,  so  being "put  off"   was  a real hardship.   Frank never again managed to get a job.

In  the  1940's,    his  nephew  Frank  moved  to live  in Brisbane, and he  and  his  family  often  used to  visit  Uncle  Frank  and Aunty  Maggie during  the week-ends.  Uncle  Frank  used to smoke  a pipe a  great  deal  of  the time  and  had his  little  vegetable  garden,   even though the site  was  very steep  and difficult.   Aunty Maggie did excellent fancy work and crochet.      She was ‘not a well woman'   for  many years,   as  she  had an irregular  heart.  The children used to enjoy the visit, for these two were  real characters, most kindly and entertaining too.  There  were  always  lots of  cookies  and they  would  all  play  bobs  and  other  games.  Then there was the mysterious close room  of treasures, which  Aunty called "Bluebeard’s Room".

Frank Laws died   in 1955,   and Maggie the following year. The remains of both these dear kindly   people are at Mt   Thompson Cemetery.
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Maggie & Frank Laws
Frank & Maggie Laws


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