Ezra and Mary Barham Westneat (Continued)
It would be wonderful to know more about the lives of Ezra and Mary Westneat, to have a photograph of them and to better know what kind of people they were. It would be interesting to discover whether Ezra and Ephraim ever made contact once Ezra landed in Australia. From the small glimpses wee have seen of Ezra he was a community oriented man. Seven years after the fateful journey, we find Ezra involved in community activities of his adopted home. In a writing of "Cooper's History of Prahram" by John Butler Cooper, Mr. Cooper mentions Ezra Westneat by name:
"The Council recognised (22nd November, 1856) the paramount importance of some organised attempt being made to cope with outbreaks of fire. A motion was passed in terms of high approval and support of any volunteers who could come forward and form a fire brigade. As a result of that invitation, the first Prahran Fire Brigade was organised on 6th December of the same year. The original firemen were:-Captain, W. Robinson Pye; members, Robert Good, Ezra Westneat, W. H. Lacey, W. Phillips, C. Doherty, -. Bradshaw, and J. B. Crews. The manual fire engine arrived in Prahran on 7th February, 1867, the brigade turning out and meeting the machine at the Myall Hotel, where success to fire fighting with its aid was drunk."
http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/library/online/coopers_hist_pra.htm
Four years after the death of Ezra, in 1887, Mary died at the age of 71. The AGE carried a similar announcement for the funeral noting that she died "at the residence of her son, 11a King Street, Prahran." This was the home of William Sheridan Westneat and it appears that after the death of Ezra, Mary moved in with William Sheridan. It must have been an interesting situation for Mary to find herself with her son and his wife and six children ranging in age from 11 to 1 year of age.
Children:
Matilda 1842 (dau of Matilda Harmer Westneat)
John Westneat 1847
Elizabeth Westneat 1847
William Sheridan Westneat 1849
Thomas Arthur Westneat 1852
Alfred Alexander Westneat 1855
Frances Charlotte Westneat 1862
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