The Family of Edward Joseph KEITH and Ann Boleyn MacPHERSON

Edward was not alone in Sydney society in having children with both his wife and his mistress. It would appear that several of his colleagues were in the same situation. Here I cover his  family with Ann Boleyn. His other family, with his mistress Louisa HANKS is here. 

The family of Edward Joseph and his wife Anne Boleyn

Edward Joseph KEITH==========================v==========================Ann Boleyn MacPHERSON
                                            1825
                                             |
                          |------------------|------------------|-----------------------------------|
                    Frances Jessica        Ann Clara         Magdelene                              Dudley
                      1827-1887             1829            1832-1833                           1834-1868
                          |                  ?                                                      | 
                          |                                              |--------------------------|
                        m:1851                                        m1:1860                    m2:1864
                     John HANSON                                  Mary Ann COOK               Harriet RUSSELL
                          |                                              |                          |
                          |                         |--------------------|                          |
                      Sarah Ann Clara              Mary                 Edward                 Clara Amelia
                         1852                       1861              1863-1863                    1866
                          |                                                                         |
                         m: ?                                                                     m: 1889
                          |                                                                         |
                        ? BELL                                                                Thomas MILROY
                          |                                                                         |
                          |                                                           |-------------|
                   Edward Edgar BELL                                                Henry         Dorothy       
                         1873-                                                      1890-         1895-
                          |
                         m:1900
                      Amy FORSTER
                          |
                          ? 

Edward and Anne arrived in Sydney in November 1825. They had four children there:

After Edward died, Ann and her children returned to London. By 1841 Ann, Frances, Ann and Dudley are back in London living at Camden St, Islington.  They are accompanied by Jessica Keith, Edward's sister. Ann was working as a school mistress. The 1841 census did not record the place of birth, only whether the person was born in the county. Note that Jessica was born in Middlesex.

1841 census for Ann Keith (click on the image for the full page)

By 1851 Ann had moved to Chapel St, Clerkenwell. She was aged 58 and was now an "annuitant". With her was daughter Frances, aged 20, a dressmaker.

1851 census for Ann Keith

Death of Ann

Ann died at 7 Albert Square, Holloway Road, in Islington on 14 November 1857. She was aged 64. The informant at death was her daughter Frances HANSON, who was also living at the same address:

Frances Jessica KEITH

Frances Jessica was born 28 June 1827 in Sydney. She died in London in 1887. She accompanied her mother back to London and is with her in the 1841 and 1851 censuses.

She married John HANSON on 31 May 1851 at Holy Trinity Church, Islington.

Marriage of John HANSON and Frances Jessica KEITH, 31 May 1851

John and Frances appear to have had only one child:

Baptism for Sarah Ann Clara HANSON at St Mary Magdelene, Holloway Rd, Islington, June 6 1858

Frances and daughter Sarah are in the 1861 census, living at 6 Albert Square. I have not found John, but I presume he was still alive as Frances is listed as married:

1861 census for Frances and Sarah Ann HANSON

I cannot find the family in the 1871 census.

In 1881 Frances is living with daughter Clara (Sarah Ann) at 1b Little Essex St, Shoreditch, Hackney. With them is Clara's son Edward. Frances is now listed as a widow, so John had died. Although Clara is shown as married and Edward's surname is BELL, Edward was actually registered as Edward Edgar Keith HANSON.

1861 census for Frances and Sarah Ann HANSON

Here is Edward's birth record, for his birth at 64 Westbourne Road, Islington. A father is not recorded, but the 1881 census would suggest his father was named BELL:

Birth certificate for Edward Edgar Keith HANSON

Frances died in the September quarter 1887.

Her daughter Clara Hanson/Bell is not obvious in the 1891 census, She would have been 38, and I cannot find a marriage or death record for her. There is a Clara Bell of the right age, born in Islington living at 11 Saxon Way, Portsmouth. Why she would be in Portsmouth is not clear.

Grandson Edward Edgar BELL married Amy FORSTER in the Dec quarter 1900 at Islington. They are in the 1901 census living at 8 Chalfont Rd, Islington:

1901 census for Edward BELL

Nothing further is known about Edward. There are no children registered to Edward and Amy in the UK records, and they are not in the 1911 cesnus.

Ann Clara KEITH

Ann was born in Sydney on 20 May 1829. She returned to England with her mother as she is in the 1841 census, aged 12. After that Ann vanishes. I have not found her in the 1851 census, or the death or marriage records. Nor does she appear to have returned to Australia. What happened to her?

Dudley KEITH

Dudley was born in Sydney on 23 May 1834. He accompanied his mother and sisters back to England, and is in the 1841 census, aged 7.

There are no other records of him in England. Somehow Dudley returned to Australia as I cannot find a shipping record for him. He married Mary Ann COOK in Goulburn NSW in 1860. They had two children:

Mary Ann died in 1864. Dudley married Harriet Augusta RUSSELL on 23 December 1864 in Sydney. They had one child:

Dudley died in Sydney on 17 July 1868, as recorded in the Sydney Morning Herald:

Sydney Morning Herald 17 July 1868

Return to the Keith Family Index Page

Last updated: 25 April 2010