[Index]
Margaret Elizabeth WILKINSON (1859 - 1944)
Children Self + Spouses Parents Grandparents Greatgrandparents
Margaret Elizabeth WILKINSON (1859 - 1944)

+

Edward Edwin John BRIDLE (1856 - 1943)
Thomas William WILKINSON (1824 - 1904) William WILKINSON (1797 - 1860) John BOWMAN
Elizabeth BLAKLEY
Margaret KEOGH ( - 1829)



Susannah Helena BRIDLE (1833 - 1912) William BRIDLE (1797 - 1873)



Martha MILES (1807 - 1886) Edward MILES
Susannah (MILES)

b. 19 Jul 1859 at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia
m. 10 Jun 1908 Edward Edwin John BRIDLE (1856 - 1943) at Murrumburrah, New South Wales, Australia
d. 1944 at Tumut, New South Wales, Australia aged 85
Parents:
Thomas William WILKINSON (1824 - 1904)
Susannah Helena BRIDLE (1833 - 1912)
Siblings (10):
John WILKINSON (1852 - 1937)
Thomas Henry WILKINSON (1854 - 1928)
William Edward WILKINSON (1857 - 1939)
Martha WILKINSON (1861 - 1944)
Henry George William WILKINSON (1863 - 1945)
Philip Archibald WILKINSON (1867 - 1868)
Alfred Ernest WILKINSON (1868 - 1951)
Philip Edmund Norman WILKINSON (1870 - 1960)
Herbert Oswald Lewis WILKINSON (1874 - 1941)
Sydney Fitzroy WILKINSON (1876 - 1942)
Events in Margaret Elizabeth WILKINSON (1859 - 1944)'s life
Date Age Event Place Notes Src
19 Jul 1859 Margaret Elizabeth WILKINSON was born Tumut, New South Wales, Australia 73
11 Jul 1904 44 Death of father Thomas William WILKINSON (aged 80) Tumut, New South Wales, Australia 73
10 Jun 1908 48 Married Edward Edwin John BRIDLE (aged 51) Murrumburrah, New South Wales, Australia
16 Dec 1912 53 Death of mother Susannah Helena BRIDLE (aged 79) Tumut, New South Wales, Australia 73
04 Oct 1943 84 Death of husband Edward Edwin John BRIDLE (aged 86) Tumut, New South Wales, Australia
1944 85 Margaret Elizabeth WILKINSON died Tumut, New South Wales, Australia
Personal Notes:
MAGGIE BRIDLE nee Wilkinson

by Val Wilkinson

Maggie was born on the 19 July 1859, the fourth child and first daughter of Thomas Wilkinson and his wife Susannah Bridle, and christened Margaret Elizabeth Wilkinson. Thomas and Susannah Wilkinson, whose family eventually consisted of eight sons and two daughters, lived at Yellowin, a property at the top end of the Blowering Valley.

Maggie grew up on the family property and, no doubt, from an early age helped her mother with the household chores. She attended school with her brothers at the residence of Mr Timmis, a tutor employed by Thomas Wilkinson for his family, who lived nearby in the original Yellowin house.

Maggie's role in life was to be nurse, helper, companion and child-minder for the family and from an early age this was apparent. Thomas Henry Wilkinson, her elder brother, recorded in his diary in 1871, that Margaret had remained home from school to attend to the household chores due to the illness of their mother - at this time, Maggie was 12 years old.

Although the family home was over 20 miles from Tumut, Maggie did not lead an isolated life. From family records and photographs there were evidenfly numerous gatherings, picnics, social outings and visits to all members of the wider family. The diaries of her cousin also record visits to the Bridle family at Roseva/e, Bombowlee, just across the River at Tumut.

Maggie is remembered by family members and in correspondence as the one who was always helping. ln 1886 her brother, Thomas Henry Wilkinson, recorded an extended visit by Maggie to Warialda where he was Police Magistrate. The entries show she was companion to her sister-in-law, Jinnie, and assisted with their children. In June 1BB7 Maggie returned to Yellowin with one of her nieces after her brother's family left Warialda.

The years passed, but Maggie is still recorded as the nurse to family members - brother Alfred with brain fever being nursed at Adaminaby in 1g00; helping her brother Bertie, his new wife and baby in 1904 and 1905 when living at Adaminaby and the nearby property of Glen Maggie; in 1906 minding a iephew, Bevan Wilkinson at Yellowin; and caring for yet another nephew, Jack Wilkinson, who had been scalded but taken back to Yellowin for Maggie's caring attention.

Maggie's own diary (Margaret Elizabeth Wilkinson - Her Litile Book) recorded some married. Apart from the diary, 'Maggie's Little Book' contains
recipes, verses and autographs. Her nephew, Ross Wilkinson, who later in life edited her diary, wrote ".....Her terse laconic style of writing and the flavour of the quotations she has chosen will, perhaps, be found to reveal to the reader something of Maggie herself."

Susannah Wilkinson, Maggie's mother, continued to need nursing due to ill-health, and in 1907 they both moved to Tumutto live to be closerto medical help. Maggie obtained the services of a nurse as well. Their home was in Richmond Street and called Chicara (named after a ridge running behind their old home at Yellowin). At Chicara Maggie continued caring for the next generation of her family, looking after nieces and nephews, especially at times of confinement of her sisters-in-law or family illness.

Maggie's cousin continued his attentions through all this life of care, and on 10 June 1908, just before her 49th birthday, Maggie married Edward John Bridle of the Bowler's Flat family. Edward had spent much of his life away droving, but following the marriage, settled down to a life in town. Maggie's mother continued to live with the couple atChicara. Early in 1912, Maggie and Edward moved to a small property which her husband had bought at Bombowlee. lt was at this home, called Belubra, that Maggie's mother, Susannah, finally passed away in December 1912 after suffering another stroke.

It seems that Maggie and Edward, now released from nursing Susannah Wilkinson, moved around to various places. Batlow, Campbelltown and Tallong are recorded as their places of residence. However, by 1939 they had returned to their home town and spent their last days in a home in Macquarie Street, Tumut. Edward was almost totally blind and it can be imagined that once again Maggie's skills were called upon. Edward died in 1943, after a long illness, having been lovingly cared for by Maggie.

ln a letter written by Beatrice Bridle, a cousin by marriage, to Miles Franklin another cousin, a touching description of their love is given:
".....,..... They lived ,...in each other and their strong religious beliefs. I shall always remember the sight of Maggie, bespectacled, her silvery, grey hair falling over a huge magnifying glass reading her evening lesson from a large family Bible, while Ed leant forward on his stick drinking in every word. This... followed by a prayer was their daily custom......."

Maggie died just thirteen months after Edward on 14 November 1944 aged 85 years. She is buried beside her beloved husband in the Church of England portion of the Tumut New Cemetery.

Maggie Bridle was well loved by her family and friends - nieces and nephews regularly received notes and birthday greetings, presents and postcards from their
dear Auntie". ln later years, great-nieces and nephews accompanied their grandparents on visits to Auntie Maggie, and all are remembered with fondness.

Although not blessed with children, Maggie Bridle left a legacy of selfless care for others. The experience, skill and knowledge she imparted with the assistance freely and willingly given to her family, has given her a place as one of the true pioneering women of this district.

Bibliography:
FRANCIS, Margaret; VERNON, Stella & WILKINSON, Colin (eds), The Buddong Flows On, Volume 2 Genuine People. (The Buddong Society, 1993).
Source References:
69. Type: Book, Abbr: Relict of, Title: Relict of … Lives of Pioneering Women of Tumut and District, Auth: Tumut Family History Group, Publ: Tumut Family History Group, Date: 2001
- Reference = 81 (Name, Notes)
73. Type: Book, Abbr: Pioneers of Tumut Valley, Title: Pioneers of the Tumult Valley , The History of Early Settlement, Auth: H.E. Snowden, Publ: Tumut & District Historical Society Incorporated, Date: 2004
- Reference = 39 (Birth)
- Reference = 39 (Name, Notes)

This public tree has about 60,100 people. Every person in the tree is related by birth or marriage to at least one other person in the tree - no strays. The people in the tree come mainly from four projects.
  1. My family tree. The original project begun about 1998. ID numbers less than about 6,000
  2. Canberra and Queanbeyan Pioneers. The next 30,000 begun about 2004. Sourced almost entirely from HAGSOC's excellent 'Biographical Register of Canberra and Queanbeyan'. The project began when I decided to add siblings, spouses and parents for a relation with an entry in the Register. 12 years work.
  3. Wagga Pioneers. I moved to Wagga and thought I would extend the Queanbeyan project by adding people from Wagga Wagga & District Family History Society's 'Pioneers of Wagga Wagga and District'. About 10,300 people added over about a year.
  4. Tumut Valley Pioneers. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, I decided to extend the above projects by adding pioneers of the Tumut Valley. Initial sources were Snowden's 'Pioneers of the Tumut Valley' and 'Relict of ... Lives of Pioneering Women of Tumut and District'. Excellent references published by Tumut Family History Group. I've also added material from newspapers of the time - especially, death records, obituaries and weddings from 'Tumut and Adelong Times'. This project is in its early stage and might take a few years. I plan to extend to the upper Monaro (Adaminaby, Kiandra, Cooma, Jindabyne).
I upload new information to this website about every 3 months. My motivation for these projects is to provide public information for people seeking to trace ancestors and what became of them. Much of the information I provide can be difficult to find.
If you find errors - anything incorrect (dates, places, wrong parents, wrong children), and you have evidence, I would love to fix them. Or, if you have information that would extend my projects, do not hestiate to contact me on the email link below. I do not publish information on living people - which means I'm not much interested in people born after about 1920, and I usually distrust material from before about 1770 without extremely good sources.
g.bell@bigpond.net.au
When you click the mail address abouve, if it does not open your email app, copy the address on the screen.
Geoff Bell, September 2020