I wish to claim orphan Rose Devereux 1464, my great great grandmother, and her brothers and sisters:

• Thomas 1466

• Maria 1462

• Stephen 1465 and

• Mary Ann 1463 who may have been known as Florence.

Rose Devereux married Henry Evelyn 1881 in Hotham, Melbourne 1881. Henry was a butcher by trade and Rose was a domestic servant. The marriage certificate states her parents were unknown. Children born:

• William Henry 1882 Melbourne Victoria

• Stephen 1883 1883 Melbourne

• Victoria Rose Cecilia 1885 Mt. Biscoff Tasmania

• James 1887 Sydney

• Florence 1890 Sydney Benevolent Hospital.

The family arrived in New South Wales either before or after 1887 where James is registered. Gold had been discovered in the Shoalhaven district. The family story is that he rented a house and then with a pack horse and supplies went prospecting and did not return, the family became destitute.
Rose left and children Stephen and Rose Cecilia went to the Benevolent Society and were fostered out by a Thomas Brooks.
William went to work for the local hotelier and James was fostered by Annie Loutit of Nowra.
Rose Cecilia was claimed by her mother when she finished school and went to work . This was the first time she knew she had a mother and a younger sister. Her mother left sometime in 1901 and went to live with her son William in Nowra.
Thomas was sent to Sunbury School in November 1865 on a warrant of commitment for five years. On the 10 March 1866 he was found dead in the school square. There was an inquest and this was recorded in the ‘Angus’ newspaper Melbourne 13 March 1866.
Rose Ann Evelyn nee Devereux died in 1944.
The story for the other children is yet to be found and will require a lot of research.