Harriett Miles nee White
Harriett Maria White was born on 18 Nov 1854 in Simpsons Road, Richmond, to parents Richard White and Emma Smith. Richard & Emma had arrived in Australia from Oxfordshire, England aboard the immigrant passenger ship “Mahomed Shah” in 1848.
Harriett was baptised at St Peters, Eastern Hill, Melbourne on 8 Dec 1854 as a six year old child. The family was listed as living at Richmond Flat, and father Richard’s occupation was given as a labourer.
In 1878 at St James church, Dandenong, Harriett married William Jasper Miles, a labourer born in Camberwell, London.
Harriett and William had eleven children, with sadly only six living to adulthood. Percival 1879-1952 and Ethel 1881-1986 were born in Cranbourne, then the others were all born in Violet Town – Katie 1883-1975, Emma b 1885-1885, Annie 1886-1988, William 1888-1888, Herbert 1890-1951, Daisy 1892-1893, Alice 1893-1894, George 1893-1940, and Rose 1896-1901.
Kate, George, Ethel, Bert, Annie and Percy, Harriet, William J
Two sons Herbert and George went to war, and the other son Percy was a policeman (reserved occupation) in Melbourne and Williamstown.
The family lived in Cranbourne for a number of years, before moving to Tulip Street, Violet Town in 1882.
Harriett was very active in the local Anglican church, and was a founding member of the Church of England Ladies Guild in Violet Town. She also worked hard to provide articles of clothing for the soldiers in the war.
Harriett died on 21 February 1949 in Violet Town aged 92 years. The cause of death given was old age.
Harriet Miles obituary Williamstown Chronicle 1947
In her will she leaves her gold cross pendant to daughter Annie (Peacock), and her gold locket to daughter Katie (Jackson). The rest of her estate was to be divided between her five children.
She is buried in the Violet Town Cemetery with her husband William who died in 1938.
