| 2. **Emmeline** Mary (18 May 1875((Qld Births registration no. B19267))- 5 February 1876((NSW Death registration 371/18760))((‘Questions to be answered by T.L.M-P’, 6pp Memoranda by the Herald Office, Somerset House, London re Burke’s Colonial Gentry. According to Jeremy Long, she was known as Elsie, Jeremy Long, letter to J. Godden, 21 June 2001, but the only references I've seen to a nickname is 'Emmie'.)) Nora hired a Brisbane midwife, Mrs Nevison, who agreed to come to Maroon for her birth and that of a neighbour. Mrs Nevison was, Nora wrote to Rosa, 'a charming old lady'((Nora M-P to Rosa Praed, 19 December 1874, M-P papers, JOLQ, OM81-71.)) Although Nora appreciated Maroon with its 'bright pure air', after the birth she complained that, as none of her four women servants were mothers, there was no-one on hand to advise her about baby care.((Nora M-P to Rosa Praed, 3 May 1875 and n.d.[late 1875?], Praed papers JOLQ, box 4.)) Unfortunately, Mrs Nevison had had to leave after two weeks, as the neighbour gave birth early. Then Emmeline fell ill and Nora floundered until a neighbour advised her. Although Nora had trained as a nurse, it was at Sydney Infirmary (later Hospital) which did not offer midwifery nor (to use a modern term) paediatrics. Given this experience, none of her other babies were born at home.\\ | 2. **Emmeline** Mary (18 May 1875((Qld Births registration no. B19267))- 5 February 1876((NSW Death registration 371/18760))((‘Questions to be answered by T.L.M-P’, 6pp Memoranda by the Herald Office, Somerset House, London re Burke’s Colonial Gentry. According to Jeremy Long, she was known as Elsie, Jeremy Long, letter to J. Godden, 21 June 2001, but the only references I've seen to a nickname is 'Emmie'.)) Nora hired a Brisbane midwife, Mrs Nevison, who agreed to come to Maroon for her birth and that of a neighbour. Mrs Nevison was, Nora wrote to Rosa, 'a charming old lady'((Nora M-P to Rosa Praed, 19 December 1874, M-P papers, JOLQ, OM81-71.)) Although Nora appreciated Maroon with its 'bright pure air', after the birth she complained that, as none of her four women servants were mothers, there was no-one on hand to advise her about baby care.((Nora M-P to Rosa Praed, 3 May 1875 and n.d.[late 1875?], Praed papers JOLQ, box 4.)) Unfortunately, Mrs Nevison had had to leave after two weeks, as the neighbour gave birth early. Then Emmeline fell ill and Nora floundered until a neighbour advised her. Although Nora had trained as a nurse, it was at Sydney Infirmary (later Hospital) which did not offer midwifery nor (to use a modern term) paediatrics. Given this experience, none of her other babies were born at home.\\ |
| {{:emmeline_2.jpg?200|}} There are numerous copies of this photo of Emmeline in her parents' albums. It was taken in Brisbane before Nora took her baby to Sydney to see her family. Before the photos could be distributed by her proud parents, Emmeline died. She was just over 8 months old.((BDM, registration number 371/1876)) Emmeline was buried at Ryde, probably in the churchyard of St Anne's Church of England where her parents married.((‘Questions to be answered by T.L.M-P’, 6pp Memoranda by the Herald Office, Somerset House, London re Burke’s Colonial Gentry.))\\ | {{:emmeline_2.jpg?200|}} There are numerous copies of this photo of Emmeline in her parents' albums. It was taken in Brisbane before Nora took her baby to Sydney to see her family. Before the photos could be distributed by her proud parents, Emmeline died. She was just over 8 months old.((BDM, registration number 371/1876)) Emmeline was buried at Ryde, in the churchyard of St Anne's Church of England where her parents married.((‘Questions to be answered by T.L.M-P’, 6pp Memoranda to the Herald Office, Somerset House, London re Burke’s Colonial Gentry.))\\ |
| Emmeline's death certificate reveals how quickly babies could die from bacterial infections in those pre-antibiotic days. Nora was staying at Richmond Terrace next to the Domain and near Sydney Hospital and her former nursing Matron Lucy Osburn, but it was to no avail when, on 2 February, Emmeline became sick with diarrhoea.((The death certificate gave diarrhoea as the secondary cause with 'congestion of the brain' as the primary cause - that is now a superseded diagnosis but it is possible that Emmeline also fell at some stage and had a brain haemorrhage.)) Four days later, despite a doctor's attendance, she was dead. Summer diarrhoea was a prime cause of death for babies at the time, usually caused by contaminated milk or water. Emmeline's death certificate was sent to her father at Maroon - his fifth child to die as a baby.\\ | Emmeline's death certificate reveals how quickly babies could die from bacterial infections in those pre-antibiotic days. Nora was staying at Richmond Terrace next to the Domain and near Sydney Hospital and her former nursing Matron Lucy Osburn, but it was to no avail when, on 2 February, Emmeline became sick with diarrhoea.((The death certificate gave diarrhoea as the secondary cause with 'congestion of the brain' as the primary cause - that is now a superseded diagnosis but it is possible that Emmeline also fell at some stage and had a brain haemorrhage.)) Four days later, despite a doctor's attendance, she was dead. Summer diarrhoea was a prime cause of death for babies at the time, usually caused by contaminated milk or water. Emmeline's death certificate was sent to her father at Maroon - his fifth child to die as a baby.\\ |