Louisa Bock married William Walters in 1877 (see marriage certificate below). Their eldest daughter Lusia (Louisa) Elizabeth Walters (my great-grandmother) married Henry Charles Gardener. Lusia/Louisa Elizabeth Walters died in a Toowoomba Mental Hospital in 1950 and her mother Louisa Bock/Walters also died in a mental asylum (in Sunbury, Victoria 1939). I know very little about Louisa Bock’s origins but I will tell you what I know about her sad life in NSW and death in Victoria. I recently obtained Dad’s DNA test, the results of which I hope will eventually provide a breakthrough on this German line ( Bock and Wolters) in our family tree, because thus far I haven’t been able to find Louisa Bock’s emigration records, nor any possible family connections in Australia or Germany or elsewhere. Louisa Bock/Walter’s mental asylum records, her children’s birth certificates and a newspaper report all state that she was German, but there is no information about her parents or what part of Germany she came from. Her marriage and death certificates are sparse on detail, with the only clue to her origins being ”musician’s daughter” on her marriage certificate when she married William Wolters/Walters in 1877, on Brunswick Farm in Dundee, NSW (see below).

When did Louisa Bock arrive in the Dundee district? Why did she travel to Victoria on several occasions, pregnant and destitute? We can only imagine. I have spent rather a lot of time looking for possible Bock family ties in Victoria, to no avail and yet the surname Bock is surprisingly common in South Australia, Victoria, NSW and QLD. Louisa Bock first left her husband William Walters when she was pregnant with her first child (my great grandmother Louisa Elizabeth Walters/Gardener, who was born (according to Louisa Elizabeth/ Gardener’s marriage certificate) in Melbourne in 1878 although no record of her birth has yet been found. Louisa Bock/Walters returned to her husband at Dundee, NSW and had 3 more children (two of whom died in infancy in Dundee NSW – Mary and Henry). Louisa’s second born, Mary Wolters (see certificate below) was also born in Melbourne, 14 April 1879, at 96 Little Lonsdale St, Melbourne, at that time a slum area. The column ”Issue living and deceased” lists Louisa 1 year (old) (my great grand-mother). So it’s likely that Louisa Jnr was born in 1877 and not 1878 (as stated in Louisa Gardener’s marriage certificate 1897).

We know that Louisa returned to NSW because in July 1879, her baby Mary died at the age of 3 ½ months and was buried in Dundee cemetery, NSW. See photo of grave inscription below:

Baby Henry was born in Dundee, NSW the following year in 1880 (see transcript of birth certificate below).

Sadly, baby Henry Walters died suddenly at the age of 4 weeks, sparking suspicion and prompting authorities to hold an Inquest (see The Armidale Express article below):

An inquest was held to investigate baby Henry’s death on Tuesday 11 May 1880 – see findings reported below in the Glen Innes Examiner.

Soon, Louisa was pregnant again, and in 1881, she gave birth to Helena Margaret (known as Margaret). On the home front, the years 1880-1881 must have been particularly tumultuous. In addition to the death of baby Henry and subsequent inquest, William Walters was charged with stealing sheep, rock salt and hurdles (movable light fencing) from his neighbour Oswald Bloxsome. He was remanded in custody, released on bail and eventually acquitted of all charges. We know that Louisa Walters had left her husband William Walters by the 6 May 1881 because he placed an advertisement to that effect in the Glen Innes Examiner giving notice that henceforth he was not to be held responsible for her debts (see below):

This was to be the 3rd and final time that Louisa left her home and husband, never to return. Leaving 4 year old daughter Louisa Elizabeth on the farm in Dundee, Louisa Walters and baby Margaret left for Victoria, this time heading to Bendigo. She approached the Clerk of the Court seeking money to return to Germany but was forced to seek refuge at the local lock-up, and was subsequently charged with vagrancy, pending a medical assessment. (See article below): The next (involuntary) stop for Louisa was the Asylum in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. The newspaper article below describes Louisa’s husband as a farmer from the Riverina in NSW, however his full address is noted in subsequent Asylum records thus confirming that I have found the correct ‘Louisa Walters’.

Another newspaper report (below) sets the scene even more poignantly – Louisa and her baby, wandering around the Bendigo District of Sandhurst in the cold and rain.

Louisa Walters was admitted to Kew Asylum in Melbourne on August 19, 1882, (see Kew Asylum Casebook record below which correctly identifies her husband William Walters as a farmer from Dundee, NSW). This record notes that her previous residence was the Benevolent Asylum in Bendigo, that she was brought to Kew Asylum by Police and describes the form of her lunacy as ”Mania”. Under the heading ‘Duration of present attack’ is the response ‘Supposed coming on for months’. What misery and hardship she must have experienced, losing 2 babies, desperate to return to her homeland Germany and becoming destitute and homeless after leaving her husband for the 3rd time.

The saddest part is the note ”milk in her breasts”. She was separated from baby Margaret and probably never saw her again. Notes on the bottom of the page include the following updates on her condition: 26/9/1882 Incoherent & excited, mumbling to occupy herself. Health good. 9/11/82 less excited. June 83, transferred to Sunbury.

On 12 June 1883, Louisa was transferred to the Sunbury Lunatic Asylum, situated about 39 km north -west of Melbourne’s CBD. She was around 28 years of age when she arrived at the Sunbury Asylum and she left there in a coffin in 1939 (age 83). She is buried in an unmarked grave, Sunbury cemetery, Methodist section A Grave 31, Burial reference 3026. Louisa’s Sunbury asylum record accounts for the years 1883 – 1906, barely covers 2 pages and skips quite a few years. One record page commences 24 June 1889, runs out of room and tacks on later records (1902 -1906) at the bottom of the preceding page. One record note has no year 24/6 – the saddest record of all: ”Seems incurable” I will need to go to the Public Record Office Victoria to find and read records from 1906 -1939. I will attempt a transcript of Asylum record notes (see original below): 29/8/83 or 85? No change, is very slovenly in her dress and deportment. 14/9/83 or 85? What is this word? 24/6 ? Sent to laundry & works well there. Subject to attacks of excitement. Seems incurable. 24/4/1902 Becoming demented. Health good. 29/12/1902 No change. 23/6/1903 No change. 20/12/1903 ? I think it says ‘no change’. 30/12/1904 Demented, does not speak, untidy. Gen health(y). 22/6/1905 The same. 27/12/1905 No change. 29/6/1906 No change.

See the first half of the second page of Louisa’s Asylum record below – transcript as follows : 24/6/89 Has been violent and should act ? (so she informs me) Is a good worker in sewing room. 28/8/89 Has good bodily health. A good worker and is described as treacherous (by ? ? Fitzgerald) 15/11/89 Mentally the subject of ? mania. Bodily health good. 20/2/90 No very clear statements received from her. ? of ? – answers questions fairly well. Is very restless & stood up several times since the process of my communication in the ward. Is in good bodily health. Is hoarse in speech. 25/6/90 The subject of (clonic?) mania – presently – restless she ? ? ? of head from Mary Campbell. In good bodily health & a good worker. 25/11/90 At times violent – bodily health good. 8/8/91 Moved to laundry ? ? ? & violent if interfered with. Health good. 19/2/92 Struck Ann Burton with a broom on the arm – special instructions given in reference to allowing her to be employed in this way. The injury was inflicted a few days ago.

See the rest of Louisa’s Asylum record below. Transcript to follow: 24/9/93 The patient has not presented any change towards improvement since last record. She is sullen & morose & resents the slightest interference. Bodily health is good. Inclined to be untidy in dress and appearance. 28/6/94 Mentally unimproved. Very untidy: is impulsive if interfered with. Good bodily health. 17/12/94 Sometime ago was transferred to 12 Ward as she was violent and it was deemed unsafe to allow her to be with helpless patients, such as the majority are in the wards here. She is in good bodily health. 8/11/95 No mental improvement – good bodily health. 11/1/96 Good bodily health: in good condition: mentally unimproved: still in No. 12 ward.

I will post further transcripts of Louisa’s asylum records as I discover them. But for now, here is Louisa’s death certificate, see below:

There is much more to discover (more tears) about poor Louisa Bock/Walters’ miserable life and ancestry – will keep you posted! Meanwhile, back on the farm in Dundee, William Walters was getting lonely (see below). Will be sharing research on the William Walters’ family soon.