Thompson / Corporaal Family History

Matilda Stratfold ⁸

   Another name for Matilda was Matilda Collet Stratfold.^{1 12}

  General Notes:

Matilda Stratfold was born in Woburn, Bedfordshire in on November 17^th, 1824 and baptised on December 14^th, 1824, the second child of Robert Collet Stratfold and Mary Millard. Matilda married Frederick Blagg Hampton at Woburn on October 25^th, 1841 just before her 17^th birthday. Frederick was born on November 9^th, 1813 in Chelsea, the son of Robert Hampton and Eliza Blagg.

Matilda Hampton was living at 20 Hurst Lane in March, Cambridgeshire, at the time of the census in 1851. Her husband Frederick was the Chief Constable at the nearby Isle of Ely. Nine of the couple's ten children were born in England after which, in 1856 Frederick and Matilda sailed to Australia with five of their surviving six children on board the 'Prince Alfred' where their last child was born. Their oldest boy, Robert Collet Edwin Hampton followed a year later aboard the 'Exodus'. All of the children, particularly the male line, carried the middle name of Collet. This came from Matilda's great grandfather who inherited the Collet name and the hall known as "The Hale" in Wendover from Robert Collet who died with out an heir about 1750. It should be noted however, that Matilda rarely used her middle name on official documents.

In May 1857 Frederick was transferred from the Sydney Metropolitan Police, Division 'D' to the Northern Division based in Brisbane which, at that time was still a part of the Colony of New South Wales. Frederick's position was Secretary to the Northern Native Police, operating out of the Colonial Secretary's office in William Street, Brisbane. The family's residence was in the the same building complex. Unfortunately Frederick was only 44 when he died of a bowel obstruction on February 26^th, 1859, just before to the birth of his last child Edith Collet Hampton.

On her own now aged 44 with young children, Matilda turned to Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe who worked as a clerk in the Colonial Secretary's office. They were married on September 13^th, 1860 and over the next four years had three children. Sadly, only their first born, Matilda Letitia Elizabeth Smythe survived.

Matilda and Thomas seemed to have been reasonably successful dealing in real estate. In January 1863 Thomas became the owner of a little over 3 acres bordering Enoggera Creek. In November the same year Matilda bought 3+ acres next to Thomas' land and 29 perches (730 m²) on the corner of Ann Street and Bowen Street in Brisbane. She then sold 11 perched (278 m²) to Luke Steward Mason. Matilda was the mortgagor for Luke's purchase to the value of £200.0.0 at an interest rate of £12.10.0 per centum per annum paid quarterly. She sold the remaining 18 perches (454m²) to James Fisher.
An interesting sign of the times, all of Matilda's legal instruments required the consent of her husband Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe.

In 1866 Matilda had spent 11 years in the Colony away from the life and family left behind in England. So in November of that year, with the agreement of her husband Thomas, she sailed to Europe (and presumably England). It is not known how many, if any, of the children traveled with her but it would be reasonable to assume the very young ones would likely have done so.

Matilda returned to Brisbane on December 1^st, 1867 to find that her husband Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe had deserted her and taken up with his servant Drucilla Lawton. In fact Drucilla gave birth to a daughter, Evelyn Maude Drucilla Smyth, in Maryborough, Queensland 3 weeks after Matilda's return.

To support herself and her children Matilda became a boarding house keeper.

While Matilda was away Thomas left the Government employ and he started his own business as a Wine and Spirit merchant. This being unsuccessful he was declared insolvent in the Supreme Court of Queensland in September of 1868. Subsequently he took up a position as a reporter for a newspaper in Gympie Queensland. Thomas and Drucilla eventually moved to Surry Hills in New South Wales and then to Melbourne, Victoria. They subsequently had six additional children.

Matilda petitioned the Supreme Court of Queensland on January 5^th, 1874 for divorce on the basis of desertion and adultery. The petition was uncontested and thus granted. Following the divorce she reverted to her previous name of Hampton.

In 1890 at age 65 following the suicide of her son-in-law Richard Hugo Oswald Roehricht and under the terms of his 1884 will, Mailda became guardian to those of Richard's children who were still under 21 years of age. Only Hilda Constance Roehricht who was born in 1870 came under Matilda's wing.

Matilda passed away at Brisbane on August 14^th, 1892 aged 67. The death notice confirmed her address as Brook Street in South Brisbane, the widow of the late Captain Frederick Blagg Hampton KIC, BAL. ¹³

  Death Notes:

From "Trove" newspaper archive.
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947) Tue 16 Aug 1892, Page 2, Family Notices

"Death.
HAMPTON.\'97On August 15th, 1892 at Brook
street, South Brisbane, Matilda Hampton,
relict of the late Captain Frederick Blagg
Hampton, K.I.C., and mother of Mrs. C. A.
Julius, State School, Granville."

  Some of her life's milestones were:

There is a conflicting birth date of 1829. ⁶ Her divorce petition states she is 45 years old in January 1874

She was an occupant at the residence of Robert Collet Stratfold in 1841 in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England: Bedford St. ^{14 15 14 15}

was an occupant at the residence of Capt. Frederic Blagg Hampton on Mar 30, 1851 in Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England: No 20 Hurst Lane, March. ^{16 16} He is listed in the Census with his wife Matilda, sons Robert & Frederic, daughters Isabel & Mary, as well as staff members.

She provided a mortgage to a Mr Luke Steward Mason (Gentleman of Brisbane) using for security a property of 11 perches (278 sq. m) on Bowen St, near Ann St. on Dec 4, 1863 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia¹ for £200.0.0. The property was part of por. 152 Parish of North Brisbane, Certificate of Title No.2433, Register Vol. 23, folio 201.
[It is interesting to note that this document is endorsed by her husband Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe giving his consent. A sign of the times.] ¹⁷

She sold 18 & 1/5 perches (460 sq m) of land on Bowen St for £200.0.0 to James Fisher on Dec 23, 1863 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ¹⁸

Matilda traveled from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to Europe with her daughter Matilda Letitia Elizabeth Smythe arriving on Nov 21, 1866 ⁶ It is assumed she went to vist her English relations (Stratfolds).
It is possible that the three youngest Hampton children from her previous marriage (Edith 7, Sophia 11, and Katherine 15.) also went with her.

Matilda and the children returned from Europe on Dec 1, 1867. ⁶

She was employed in 1868 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ⁶ running a boarding house.

She was divorced in 1874 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. ⁶
Matilda filed for divorce in the Supreme court of Queensland on January 5, 1874. Her grounds for this petiton were adultery and desertion by her husband Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe. In March 1867, while she and her daughter Matilda Letitia Elizabeth were in Europe, Thomas took up with his former servant, Drusilla Lawton and gained employment as a newspaper reporter in Gympie, Queensland. On her return to Brisbane, Matilda, now deserted, had to support herself and her daughter. She did so as a Boarding House keeper.
In December of 1870 Thomas and Drusilla moved to Melboune, Victoria, living there as husband & wife.

A Death Notice for Matilda Stratfold was published in The Brisbane Courier., Aug 20, 1892, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
"HAMPTON - On the 16th August, at her residence, Brook Street, South Brisbane. Matilda, widow of the late Capitan Frederick Blagg Hampton, KIC, BAL."

Matilda married Capt. Frederic Blagg Hampton, son of Robert Hampton and Eliza Blagg, on Oct 25, 1841 in Woburn, Bedfordshire, England.^{1 2 3 4} (Capt. Frederic Blagg Hampton was born on Nov 9, 1813 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England ¹⁹, baptised on Jun 22, 1815 in Westminster, London, England,^{20 21} died on Feb 26, 1859 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia ^{22 23} and was buried on Feb 26, 1859 in Paddington, Queensland, Australia ²³.). The cause of his death was Bowel obstruction.

Matilda next married Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe, son of Dr Arthur Smyth and Anna Elizabeth Gibbons, on Sep 13, 1860 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.^{5 6 7} (Thomas Fitzarthur Smythe was born on Sep 6, 1839 in Dublin, Ireland ²⁴ and died on Jul 20, 1899 in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa ²⁵.)

  Special events in their marriage were:

They published an intent to marry. On the 13th September, at St. John's Church, Brisbane, by the Rev. John Mosely, Thomas Fltzarthur Smythe, to Matilda, relict of the late Captain Frederic Blagg Hampton, K.I.C.

They were divorced in 1874. The Petition to Divorce was isued on Jan 5 of that year.

  Marriage Notes:

Divorced January 1874
According to the Divorce Petition Thomas deserted in May 1867 while Matilda & the family were in Europe (Nov 21, 1866 - Dec 1, 1867). He had taken up with his servant Drusilla Lawton. ⁶