Mary Anne (nee Cadd) Blackwood owned 97 acres at Pakenham South - she is listed in the Berwick Shire Rate Books from 1910/1911. The name of the property was 'The Island' Mary Anne (or Minnie as she was called in her husband's death notice) was the widow of John Blackwood, a railway ganger, who died in October 1902 at the age of 52. John and Mary Anne married in 1880 and had ten children - Isabella Helen (b. 1881) John (1883), Mary Ann (1885) James Allen (1887), Lucy Florence (1889), Lillian May (1891) Archibald McDonald (1893), David (1895), Andrew Joseph (1897) and Elizabeth Blanche (1900). The first four children were born (or registered) at Berwick, the next five at Stratford and Elizabeth, the tenth child was born at Beaconsfield.
Mary Ann was born at Clyde and was the daughter of Clyde pioneers Thomas and Sarah (nee Wells ) Cadd who took up land in Clyde in 1862. Mary Ann died in July 1950, aged 88 years old.
A report of Andrew and Archie's enlistment in the Dandenong Advertiser, July 1 1915. The article mentions the 'Ellett boys' - you can read about them here.
Three of John and Mary Anne's sons enlisted in the Great War, Andrew, Archibald and James. In each case their mother was listed as their next of kin.
Blackwood, Andrew Joseph (Service Number 1207)
Blackwood, Archibald McDonald (SN 1206) Andrew and Archie both enlisted on July 13, 1915. They were both farmers and both Returned to Australia May 15, 1919. However, Andrew was 18 when he enlisted and Archie was 22 years old.
Archie was a recipient of a Soldier Settlement Farm after his return, you can read his file on the Battle to Farm website, here.
Blackwood, James Allen (SN 33176) James was 29 when he enlisted on October 25, 1916. He was also a farmer, like his brothers, and Returned to Australia July 8, 1919.
A report of James' departure to join his two brothers was in the
Dandenong Advertiser February 8, 1917
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