William Sheridan Westneat (Continued)
For the next 3-4 years, William remained a part of the Flentjar household. During these years, the Flentjars, with their children and William in tow, moved a number of times in the Prahran and South Yarra area. In researching the Flentjar family at this time, it is found that each piece of data found has a different address listed as the residence. John Flentjar, who had been employed by the Prahran City Council for years as a laborer had lost his job in 1898 and had been unemployed for a period of 4 years.
Then, at 4:30 AM on the morning of 16 June 1902, William Westneat hears John Flentjar go past his room and into a wood shed in the back yard of 566 Malven Road, Armadale. John Flentjar proceeds to hang himself at the age of 61. William Westneat discovers his body at 7 AM when he goes into the shed for fire wood.
Depositions and Inquest Documents
So after a brief inquest, life goes on for William Sheridan Westneat. A few months later, in the summer of 1903 (22 January), William Sheridan Westneat and Ellen Flentjar marry.
Ellen Heather Flentjar Westneat
Their marriage license lists the couples as William Sheridan Westneat, widower, age 53, six children and Ellen Flentjar, widow, age 54, eight children. Together they moved to Burwood Rd, Hawthorn where they lived for the next ten years. Hawthorn is a suburb of Melbourne and in close proximity to Prahran. In 1913, at the age of 64, William and Ellen suddenly pull up roots and move to Petersham in the Sydney area of New South Wales. It was here, 6 years later that William dies. He is buried in the Rookwood Cemetery in Sydney.
After William's death, Ellen returned to Prahram staying with different members of her family. Flentjar family lore has it that Ellen moved in with her daughter Ellen Free who was busy raising a family at the time as well as running a Country store for income. As the story goes, Ellen refused to help her daughter and would sit around continually talking about Malvina. Ellen Flentjar would tell her daughter how nice Malvina had always been to her and how nice Malvina had always kept the Westneat family home. Finally, Ellen Free got sick of this and shipped Ellen Flentjar off to live with Malvina. Apparently, this did not last long for Malvina had Ellen put into a rented room where Ellen Flentjar lived until her death in 1927 at the age of 79.
Children:
Lillian Charlotte Westneat Carrig
Mabel Edith Westneat Cookson (Hocking)
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