My maternal grandfather Edward Arthur Roberts was born in England and arrived in Australia in 1910 with his parents Edward Roberts and Abigail ‘Maud’ Courtney and younger brother James. Whilst born in England, Ted was proudly Australian, better known as E.A. Roberts, or just ‘Ted’. He married twice, his first wife Flora dying in childbirth in 1917. He married again in 1925 to Mona Veronica Murphy with whom he had seven children, who Ted often referred to as his ‘Seven Little Australians’.
It has long been thought Teds paternal grandparents were Edward Roberts b1841 and Ann Laundon. His grandmothers family said to go back to France, originally ‘de’ Laundon, but most of their documented ancestry is in Leicestershire, England. Ted’s father Edward Roberts was born in England in 1869 and mostly lived Gloucestershire, Kent but always said at one time he was a boy soldier in India – this is yet to be confirmed. Whilst we have extensive documented ancestry of Edward Roberts b1841 (the second husband of Ann Laundon), DNA results now suggest Edward b1869 may have had a different father, neither of his mother’s two husbands, but a man named Edmund Dye from Westerham, Kent.
Teds maternal grandfather was George William Arthur Courtenay/Courtney a bit of a mystery man said to have been born in Middlesex, London. His maternal grandmother Abigail Paice was mainly of English descent from Hampshire. His mother Abigail Courtney was said to have had a ‘touch of Irish in her make up’, we suspect this may be from her mystery fathers side. George’s origins remain unclear and are the subject of extensive genetic research, so much so I have a research blog dedicated to finding him refer – ‘Finding George Courtney, c1835‘.
For more information:
- For more detail on Teds life, see his biography at Wikitree;
- Click on the links in the pedigree shown above to go directly to each ancestors biography page at Wikitree;
- To view a tree showing up to 254 ancestors, including locations, click here;
- Access a list of Edward’s ancestral surnames here;
- If you have a subscription, you can also view the tree at Ancestry;
- DNA analysis has confirmed his parents and that the ancestry of his two grandmothers are correct;
- DNA analysis now suggests his paternal grandfather is Edmund DYE and neither of his grandmothers two husbands;
- Further work is being undertaken to verify the origins of his maternal grandfather Arthur George Courtenay b1835.
- You can read more about these issues in the projects and blogposts listed below.
Click the links below for more information about Edward’s ancestors.
His parents:
- Ancestors of Edward Roberts 1869-1955
- Ancestors of Abigail Ann ‘Maud’ Courtney 1871-1925
His grandparents:
- Ancestors of Edmund Dye 1844-1880
- Ancestors of Ann Laundon 1835- 1912
- Ancestors of Arthur George Courtenay 1835 – refer ‘Finding George Courtney, c1835‘
- Ancestors of Abigail Paice 1845
Featured image: Ted and Mona with 6 of their children, c1931.
