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Facts and Events
Maudina Jane La Vanda was born on 5th June 1888 at Stanthorpe in Queensland, daughter of Jane Eliza La Vanda, formerly Smith, and her husband Charles Augustus La Vanda, a carpenter. Both her parents gave their birthplace as Baltimore in the United States of America. Her parents had married at Stockport in South Australia five years earlier, and it would appear that the family returned to South Australia after Maudina’s birth.
Maudina’s next sighting is in South Australia in January 1903, when she was fourteen years old. She was found destitute and was described as having “no means of subsistence and no relations able to support her”. She was brought before the magistrates’ court in Port Pirie, who sent her to the girls’ reformatory school at Redruth (since absorbed into the town of Burra), which was housed in a former jail.
In January 1911, Maudina had a daughter, Dulice May, in Adelaide. A son, Joseph Edward, followed in May 1912, born at Norwood in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.
In June 1913 Maudina had a daughter, Joyce Adelaide, born in Adelaide. Joyce was later acknowledged to be the daughter of Edward Meekins, being described as his “ex-nuptial” child in Edward’s army service records.
On 14th February 1914, aged 25, Maudina and Edward married at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Adelaide. Edward was originally from England, and he was thirteen days Maudina’s junior. He had served in the British Royal Navy until March 1912, after which he emigrated to Australia, where he found work as a conductor on the trams in Adelaide. Maudina and Edward had another daughter in November 1914.
By then, the First World War was underway. In July 1915 Edward enlisted in the army, only to be discharged in November 1915 as “not likely to become an efficient soldier”. Undeterred, he re-joined the following month. He was posted to the Mitcham Army Camp just outside Adelaide for training, before embarking on a ship bound for Europe on 23rd June 1916.
Just under nine months later, in March 1917, Maudina had another daughter, Alice Mary, in Adelaide.
Edward returned to Adelaide in September 1917. After only a couple of months in Europe he had been transferred to hospital in England, spending much of the rest of his time in service there. He was discharged from the army as medically unfit. A pension was awarded to Maudina and the children from December 1917.
In June 1918 Maudina and Edward’s daughter Alice died, when just one year old.
Maudina and Edward went on to have another daughter in April 1919 in Adelaide, then twins (a boy and a girl) in January 1922.
In 1924, Maudina and Edward separated. It appears that Edward had been unemployed for some time, having lost his job on the trams, seemingly after threatening a colleague. He had been in trouble with the authorities for illegally selling liquor, and he had not been paying for the upkeep of an illegitimate child he was supposed to support – whether this child was Joyce or some other child he had fathered with another woman is unclear.
In September 1924 matters came to a head. Edward was charged at the Adelaide Police Court with having been cruel to Maudina and with having wilfully neglected her and the children since the beginning of April that year. She gave evidence saying that one morning in September he had dragged her out of bed, accusing her of reporting him to a policeman called Stephens. She reported that he had told her “I’ll get an axe and cut your head off. You went to Stephens about me last night, and I feel fit to do for you.” Maudina said that he had then crushed her between a door and a wall, and that he had been drinking.
Edward told the court he did not remember threatening her and did not think he would do such a thing. The court granted Maudina a separation, gave her custody of the children, ordered Edward to pay £1 10 shillings a week in maintenance and told him to keep away from Maudina.
Edward did keep away from Maudina – and the authorities. He left South Australia and moved to Queensland, where he took on a new identity as “David Meakin”. A warrant was issued for his arrest in March 1925 for failing to pay the maintenance due to Maudina and the children. It would appear that he was never caught, and he probably never saw Maudina or their children again. He went on to marry again in 1927 and had another family with his second wife.
Maudina continued to live in Adelaide raising the children. Her eldest daughter Dulcie was married in July 1927. Maudina is named on Dulcie’s marriage certificate as “Christina Maudina Jane Meekins”.
By 1929 Maudina was living in Adelaide with a man called James Cyril Solly (known as Jim) and they lived together for the rest of their lives.
In September 1935, Maudina’s daughter Mary Hannah died, shortly after giving birth. Maudina then raised her motherless granddaughter herself.
Jim Solly died in December 1963, aged 65.
Over in Queensland, Edward Meekins died in July 1965. He had stayed in touch with his brother George in England, who then contacted Maudina and her family to inform them of Edward’s death.
Maudina died on 5th November 1967 in hospital in Adelaide. Her last residence was given as Glenelg, a beachside suburb of Adelaide. She was 79 years old.
References
- ↑ Birth certificate, in Queensland Civil Registration (Queensland Government, Brisbane).
1888. BIRTHS in the District of Stanthorpe in the Colony of QUEENSLAND, Registered by G. Denehar
No. 1573 [10597 written in margin]
CHILD:
When and where born: 5th June 1888, Stanthorpe
Name, and whether present or not: Mordina Jane, not present
Sex: Female
PARENTS:
FATHER:
Name and Surname: Charles Augustus La Vanda
Rank or Profession: Carpenter
Age: 43 years
Birthplace: Baltimore, Un[ited] States America
When and where Married: 3rd May 1872, Stockport, South Australia
Previous Issue, living and deceased:
Living: Maudant 14 years / Charles Augustus 12 years / Thomas Henry 3 years
Died: None
MOTHER:
Name and Maiden Surname: Jane Eliza formerly Smith
Age: 32 years
Birthplace: Baltimore, Un[ited] States America
INFORMANT: Charles Augustus La Vanda, Father, Stanthorpe
WITNESSES: None
REGISTRAR: G. Denehar, 21st June 1888, Stanthorpe
- ↑ South Australia Deaths 1842-1972 (Genealogy SA).
Name: Maudina Jane Meekins
Birth year: 1888
Date of death: 5 Nov 1967
Age at death: 79y
Residence: Glenelg
Place: Adelaide
District: Adelaida
Registration Number: 39A/8009
Relative: Edward Thomas Meekins, husband
Notes: Person died in an institution, i.e. hospital, nursing facility or religious community
- Petersburg Times, in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
Page 4, Tuesday 13 Jan 1903.
Magistrates’ Court, Port Pirie…
Tuesday, Jan. 6th…
Maudina La Vanda, aged 14 years, was charged with being a destitute child, having no means of subsistence and no relations able to support her.
After evidence had been heard the girl was committed to the Reformatory School at Redruth.
- The News (Adelaide), in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
Page 7, Thursday 18 Sep 1924.
“GONE TOO FAR”
CHARGE AGAINST HUSBAND
Wife Secures Separation
Before Mr. L.H. Haslam, S.M., Mr. T. Freeman, and Mrs. M. Wallington in No. 2 Adelaide Police Court today, Edward Meekins was charged with having been cruel to his wife on September 16, and having wilfully neglected to provide reasonable maintenance for her and her five children since April 1. The wife was granted a separation, the custody of the children, and £1 10/ a week maintenance.
Maudina J. Meekins, of Adelaide, said that she married Meekins on February 14, 1914. At 6.15 in the morning while she was in bed her husband came into the room and pulled the blankets off her and told her daughter, who was in the bed, to get out. Witness told him to leave her there, and he then said, “I’ll get an axe and cut your head off. You went to Stephens about me last night, and I feel fit to do for you.” Witness got up and got the children’s breakfast, and was leaving the house to go to work when her husband chased her and crushed her between the door and the wall. He was under the influence of drink. He was in gaol until September 8. He served two months’ imprisonment. He had been in twice, once for sly grogselling and the other for not supporting an illegitimate child. On April 14 she received £6 from her husband and £1 10/ on June 9. That was all she had received.
TOLD TO GET WORK.
He asked her to get work and give him a chance to go to England to see his mother. He was always threatening to leave her. Witness had to get destitute rations. The Education Department had exempted one of her daughters for a month in order to look after the other children while witness went to work.
The S.M. - Who is Stephens? – Constable Stephens. I thought he would be here today, but I haven’t seen him.
Meekins said that he had no recollection of crushing his wife between the door and wall. He had carried his swag to No. 9 Lock and had worked there. He had supported his wife. He was arrested by Constable Stephens for having insufficient lawful means of support, and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment yesterday, when the warrant was ordered to be withheld until Saturday. He was not a heavy drinker. He was fond of the children.
Mrs. Wallington – Well, why don’t you support them? – I will when I get work.
Mrs. Wallington – A big, strong man like you should be able to get work? – I have tried.
The S.M. – Do you remember anything about threatening your wife with the axe? – No; I don’t think I would do such a thing.
CANNOT TRUST HIM.
Mrs. Meekins – He admitted it in the Court yesterday and was bound over to keep the peace.
Meekins – I was so worried that I pleaded guilty.
The S.M. – If we adjourn this for three months, the time mentioned in court yesterday, will you be satisfied to see how he behaves?
Mrs. Meekins – You can’t trust him. He is not a man of his word. I wouldn’t live with him again. I have had enough of him, and if the court doesn’t grant me a separation I will leave him.
The S.M. – Do you think there is any possibility of your husband improving? – No; I do not. He is always going to turn over a new leaf. Each time he has come out of gaol he has said that he was going to give up drink and start afresh. I will leave home for good if I can’t get a separation.
The S.M. – We could make an order that he was not to go near you? – It is no use. He has gone too far. He doesn’t intend to do any good.
The S.M. (to Meekins) – The court is satisfied that your wife has stood your conduct for some time. If your habits improve and you satisfy your wife that you are worthy to come back, she make take you back. However, you must keep away from her and not make a nuisance of yourself.
- The Advertiser (Adelaide), in Trove Newspapers (National Library of Australia)
Page 18, Friday 19 Sep 1924.
HUSBAND AND WIFE.
Edward Meekins, a tall, well-built man, pleaded not guilty before Mr. E.M. Sabine, P.M., in the Adelaide Police Court on Wednesday, to a charge of having had insufficient lawful means of support. Plainclothes-Constable Stephens gave evidence that the defendant for the past week had been in hotels, usual in a half-drunken condition, and was a constant associate of convicted persons. Last Monday week the defendant said, “Mr. Stephens, you won’t go against me. Give me a chance to get work, as I have just come out from doing three months.” The defendant had done no work since then, and when brought to the Watchhouse had no money. The defendant gave evidence that he had registered himself as unemployed with the Builders’ Laborers’ Federation, but had as yet had no offer of work.
The S.M. (to Mrs. Meekins) – Is there any trouble in the home?
Mrs. Meekins (from the body of the court) – Only that he won’t work, your Worship.
Three months’ imprisonment was ordered, the warrant being withheld till Saturday.
Meekins later admitted having threatened his wife, Maude E.J. Meekins, in the words “I ought to get an axe and chop your head off, you black-hearted ---. You went to Constable Stephens about me last night.” This was alleged to have occurred on September 16. The defendant was ordered to enter into a bond of £20 to keep the peace towards his wife for six months.
A further charge was laid against him by his wife, under the Married Women’s Protection Act, accused him of having been cruel to her on September 16, and having wilfully neglected to provide her and her five children with reasonable maintenance. This was adjourned till this morning.
- The South Australian Police Gazette
Page 66, 4 Mar 1925.
WARRANTS ISSUED…
A warrant has been issued at Adelaide for the arrest of EDWARD MEEKINS, described as 36 years of age, 5ft. 10in. to 6ft. high, strong build, pale complexion, light brown hair, may grow a fair moustache, bluish-grey eyes, rather long nose, heart and clasp tattooed on left wrist, JACK MEEKINS and snake on right forearm, a native of England, laborer (see also Police Gazette, 1925, page 58, “Warrants Issued”); charged with failing to comply with an order made against him in respect of his wife and children. He is therefore to be arrested and brought before the Police Court, Adelaide, to be further dealt with according to law. Warrants (two) filed at Criminal Investigation Department, Adelaide. – (C.1335.)
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