4 Grandparents.pub

Grandparents"Charlotte (Lottie) Bell 1877-1966Told by Charlie Bell, born 1904.Charlie's parents were Charlotte (Lottie) and George Henry Bell. Lottie wasborn in Tumbarumba 18/8/77, her parents were Henry and Harriet Bartholomew,nee Moody, who lived at Tumbarumba.Lottie and George's children, Reta (1899), Harold (1901), Bert (1902), Charlie(1904), Jack (1906), Ivy (1908), Maisy (1912). Charlie's memories are thatMidwife McLachlan did deliver most of these children to his parents; it couldhave been they all were delivered by her. She would ride a horse to their place.Charlie's mother Lottie was an acting Midwife. She delivered many babies inTumbarumba from the year 1905 until she moved to Kiandra in 1914, where shedelivered the babies to Kiandra residents until1918. There is no record of how many babiesshe delivered at Kiandra. Her only means oftransport was as Charlie said by "shanks'spony".Lottie Bell modelling the latest swim suit,Kiandra c.1930Charlie can remember when he was onlyseven years of age his mother was given amessage at 3.30 am that she was needed todeliver a baby to Mrs Denny Broadhurst wholived at Tumbarumba Creek, above the oldTumba-Adelong Road. Charlie had to escorthis mother through heavily timbered countrycarrying a hurricane lantern, there was notrack at all for them to follow. Their sense ofdirection must have been very good as theyarrived in time for the delivery of the baby,Stanley Broadhurst in 1911. The journeyhome in daylight was so much easier.He remembers his mother delivered children to Mrs Ned Wake (whose husbandwas manager of Willigobung Station) from the year 1905 and after.There were no doctors in the area and if you did need one it was almost impossibleto get one to come. Lottie also helped in many other ways besides midwifeduties. Charlie remembers, when Steamboat Heinecke's wife was bedridden,how his mother would bathe her and tend to all her needs, then do all her houseworkand washing. She would walk seven mile to this house, then return to herown home, walking another seven mile."Likewise, apart from some small black and white photographs of grandfather's mining ventures,our knowledge of his background remained until his orbituary enlightened us:Page 3