Frances Evelyn Collings

  Research Notes:

Gary McKinnon notes:
My interest in Gwendoline stems from a mystery that has eluded me and my (dec.) mother for 20 years, which you may assist. My wife and Mum and myself visited the grave of Charlotte (Barber) Sproats in 1998 (yes that long ago). See the attached photo. Additional to Charlotte, William her son was buried with her one year later (I can't read all the words for him, I wish I had taken a better picture). Then a stone block has been placed on the grave with the words (I think) "From Ernest - Annie and Stanley" (Yarrow) a memorium by Annies brother I suspect as their ashes were interred at this grave site. So I think I've sorted that one. The 20 year mystery is who is in the urn which says "In Loving Memory From Daddy, Gwen & Wal" ? Mum did not know of anyone with those names, nor did Aunty Doll (Annie Elizabeth Yarrow), strange they did not know of Gwen ? Well I think my wife cracked it by searching in Trove. Sidney Sproats (Ob's son) had at least one child to Frances Evelyn Collings. If so then this may explain who the names at the grave are. From Trove here is the text.

Family Notices
The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Saturday 7 January 1939 p
15 Family Notices
SPROATS - In loving memory of my dear wife,
Frances who departed this life January 8 1938.
We think of you dear mother,
With grief that's deep and true,
Not just to-day but every day,
In silence we remember you.
Inserted by loving husband Sid daughter Gwen,
and Wally.

From this I deduce Daddy is Sid, Gwen is daughter of Sidney and
Frances, but is Wal a brother or husband ? And who is in the urn -
Frances ? The grave being Sid's mother's he may have thought that was
OK. Rookwood were unaware of the urn. Sometimes it is placed illegally.
So maybe you can shed some light on this mystery and put it to bed.
Here's the link to the Trove record...

<https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17563039?searchTerm=gwen%20Sproats&searchLimits>

  Noted events in her life were:

• source. Carolyn LaPenotiere

• connection. Shirley Sproats is connected to both Robert and me

Shirley Sproat's connection to me is as follows:
She is connected in some way to Sidney Sproats (c1891) who married Frances Collings (1891)
Her father was James Collings (1841)
He had Florence Collins (1873) who married John Floyd (1870)
They had Hilda Floyd (1901) who married Charles Winton (1893)
His father was * Harry Winton (1842) & he also had Edward Winton (1877) who married Emily Collett
Her mother was Rebecca Sutherland (1858)
Her father was John Sutherland (1829) & he also had Elizabeth Margaret Sutherland (1829) who married John Nicol (1844)
They had Margaret Helen Nicol (1889) who married G A Davies (1894)
They had Colin Davies (1925)
He had me - Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Her connection with Robert is as follows:
* Harry Winton (1842) also had Harry Winton (1879) who married May Dawes (1886)
Her father was Richard Dawes (1845)
His father was Edward Bannister Dawes (1813) & he also had James Dawes (1843)
He had Annie Florence Dawes (1873) who married Arthur Augustus Bray (1821)
He had Albert Alan Bray (1896)
He had Robert Alfred Bray (1920)
He had Robert Arthur Bray (1947) who married me- Robyn Bray (nee Davies) (1950)

Frances married Sidney Sproats, son of Obadiah Sproats and Charlotte Barber, on 26 May 1913. (Sidney Sproats was born on 7 Apr 1890 in Bega, NSW Australia and died on 29 Mar 1982 in Willoughby, Sydney, NSW Australia.)