Robyn and the Genies : Sidney Edward Ford (1887-1970) Immigrated to Sydney, Australia

cont.....

The George and Alice Ford Story part 7

Sidney Edward Ford is my husband's grandfather. The person known by is work mates as "Paddy" due to presumably his accent acquired in his formative years when his British family lived in Ireland. Imagine the amazement when we discovered the whole story of his British background.

Here's Sid's family details.

Sidney Edward Ford b: 15 Jan 1887 in Donegal , Ireland; civil registration 1888 d: 12 Aug 1970 in Sydney

+ Ethel Hudson b: 08 Sep 1892 in Heald Green Northern Etchells RSD England, m: 05 Apr 1913 in Croydon, London, d: 20 Mar 1970 in Sydney Australia

Alice Ethel Ford b: 11 Jan 1914 in Melbourne?, d: 27 Jul 2010 in Western Australia

+ Arnold Francis (Mick) Fishburn b: 1898 in Inverell, NSW, m: 1938 in Sydney, d: 1972

Patrick Sidney George (Paddy) Ford b: 16 Jun 1915, d: 30 Jun 1985 in Sydney

+ Rose May Laver m: 1939, d: 31 Aug 1981 in Ryde

Joseph Hudson Ford b: 07 Aug 1916, d: 23 Jul 2007 in Sydney

+ Winifred Cassidy m: 10 Jun 1944 in St Michaels, Meadowbank

There are several dates for Sid’s birth. 15th January 1887 is recorded on his Naval records. 15 June 1888 is recorded as his baptism and 24 Jul 1888 is his civil birth record. Sidney Edward Ford was baptized in the Church of Ireland, Killymard Parish, Donegal County, Ireland. He was the fourth child born at Ball Hill and the family stayed there until the posting to Portnoo.

In the 1901 census, living with widowed mother at Newhaven his age is recorded as 12 last birthday making it most probable that he was born in 1888 and his age was conveniently changed so he could obtain employment in January 1902 with the LB and SC Railway where he was working as a diver on board a vessel until 1905.

His Royal Naval records from 30/12/1905 to May 1907 describe him as 5'5" with dark brown hair, blue eyes and fresh complexion. He served on the Acheron, Pembroke II and Roxburgh with reports of very good conduct. He then entered the Merchant Navy and made several trips overseas and to Australia.When he returned from each sea journey his home base was care of his sister Maud at Thornton Heath.

Sidney's Naval service

On 5 April 1913 at the age of 23 Sid married 21 year old Ethel Hudson at a Registry office in Croydon. Witnesses at the wedding were his sisters Maud and Beatrice and Maud’s husband Albert who had been a boarder at the family home in 1901.

Sid and Ethel's marriage in 1913

Not long after that their adventure began. As Sidney had been to Australia several times in recent years it was decided that Sid would go to Australia and that Ethel would follow him. Sid made his last journey with as a seaman on the Makarini where he left their employ in Melbourne in June 1913. He commenced work plying the Parramatta River with Sydney Ferries.

In a letter written in 1970, Albert Higgins recalls the occasion when he came to farewell a young Ethel Ford as she began her journey on SS Hobsons Bay to Australia in 1913. Sid had gone on ahead and Ethel who was then several months pregnant was joining him in Sydney.

Due to the imminent birth of her baby she was forced to disembark in Melbourne. The first little Australian Ford, Alice, was born 11 January 2013. Alice was named after Sid’s mother Alice Barter.

Interestingly Ethel and Sid had a second but Catholic marriage when they arrived in Australia.

He commenced work plying the Parramatta River with Sydney Ferries 21/8/1913 and then as a as fireman and deckhand 21/10/15. He achieved his Certificate of competency Third Class engineer issued at Sydney Dept of Navigation. 8/6/20.

Sid and Ethel resided at 9 Kennedy St Gladesville, a riverside town originally serviced by water transport through the bushland along the Parramatta River. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney. As it expanded tramways and roads brought with them further growth and expansion.

Ethel and Sid in the early days

For a man working the harbour these were interesting times. Sydney still a fairly infant city was welcoming the newly formed Royal Australian Navy fleet in 1913 as it steamed its way through Sydney Heads for the first time. By 1914 the prospect of a war with Germany was looming. Within a year Australia would be at war.

Archibald was not the only family member to get a write up for rescuing someone drowning. This story appeared in the Sun on 19/12/1913. Sid rescued a young child from drowning at Circular Quay. Jumped in the Harbour clothes and all!

Within 2 years their family of three children would be complete. Their second child Patrick Sidney George Ford was named after Sid's father and himself and their third child Joseph Hudson Ford was named after Ethel's father Joseph Hudson and brother Joe.

Sid’s brothers were also serving during the War. William (Bert), Joe and Cecil would return safely but brother Alfred would be killed in action in France on 30/6/1916. No doubt he received this note after his brother died. It was written the day before he was commended for Gallantry. Wynne Ford has written a transcript beside the second page.

Sid and Ethel bought their children up at Drummoyne. Sid continued working at Sydney Ferries plying the Parramatta River and Sydney Harbour.

Just over a hundred years since Sidney arrived, Sydney Harbour has celebrated 100 years of Navel history. 2023 celebrates fifty years since the finalization of the building of the Sydney Opera House a controversial building at Circular Quay which Sid would witnessed being built over the years while he worked with Sydney Ferries.

Sid and his legendary pipe

Ethel died in March 1970. Sadly Sid died a few months later of complications following surgery. It may have been prostate cancer.

Wynne and Joe Ford’s wedding 10^th June 1944 with "Pop Ford"( R) and Ethel (L)

Patrick died in 1985, Joe died in 2007and Alice died in 2010.

Alice c 2010

Sophia H, Sid’s oldest granddaughter remembers… “I always have a picture of Pop sitting around with a grin on his face and a pipe hanging out the side, He liked to think up funny things to say ...or so we thought they were funny. I was fascinated just watching him stuff tobacco into his pipe I think he would have copped a few words from Mum Ford at different times too!!!! My main happy memory is being out in their garden with them, running around all the little rockeries and steps.” “They did have a lovely garden and a huge passionfruit vine going across the block. The other block was sold eventually. My mum lived in the house for many years , it was so old and needed heaps of repairs. She got too old to garden much too. I used to go over from Perth and spend half my time there doing the garden for her. She must have been about 85 when she packed up and both her and Max her partner drove over here. Fords are a tough lot.”

Steve Ford's memories include…. “Pop Ford was very quiet but Ethel made up for this. He smoked a pipe and had a large well kept veggie garden. Ethel smoked cigarettes from a holder. Their land had rear lane access with a garage which contained a sulky. At the bottom of their street there was a tidal mangrove area with the wreck of an old rotten timber boat. Sid had an old shed full of interesting tools – very much like my father had – this and the veggie plots were obviously a trait. At the side of the house there were a number of very tall palm trees – a bit out of character with the old house. A Sunday routine was to visit, be served special biscuits & wander about the back yard. They had a collection of polished brass shell casings displayed above their mantle – very large. I later found out that Pop had recovered them from a US battleship in Sydney Harbour during the war while removing rubbish from the ship using a ferry.”

Steve also suspects there was some kind of competition when Joe (his son and Steve’s father ) and Sid conducted their regular Sunday inspection of the veggie garden. He reckons having a pipe in the mouth was a great excuse not to talk. He remembers Sid being called “Paddy” because of his accent. That Irish brogue and a pipe in the mouth served to top off the family belief that they were made of full on Irish backgrounds!!


Sid with his boys in the garden

Chris Ford adds “My most poignant memory of Pop when I was very young were his tats. He had tattoos on both forearms and upper arms. They were quite large and somewhat faded. I remember a flag and anchor. Apart from the tats, the house at Gladesville was full of interesting maritime paintings, other bits and pieces and a pyramid in the front hall made up of different size shell casings from the USS Chicago (circa 1944).I had great fun exploring the shed which also had ships bells (Storm Bird which I have), an old sword and other naval bits and pieces. I can clearly remember Pop swearing in Gaelic (I think) at the lawnmower when it wouldn’t start.”

“Mum Ford taught herself to drive . During the war, she was in the auxiliary and drove Army vehicles. Pop and Mum always had Ford Prefects followed by a Mini Minor around 1963. He never held a licence.”

Sid with Chris , Mary and Steve Ford c 1960

Sophia H added this comment which can be echoed by many of the extended relatives. “ I have a second cousin living here in Perth and we keep in touch. Richard DeKnock. His grandfather and my grandfather (Sid)were brothers. When in England two years ago we visited his Mum, Doris, and also her sister Vera. It was amazing how many features Doris had like my grandfather Sidney.”