Trove Tuesday - Cambridge Street, Rozelle

This is my first Trove Tuesday post. I have been so busy at work that my genealogical pursuits are being pushed further and further behind. As you can imagine this is something that I am not happy about. However, as I am on holidays for two weeks I hope to have a few posts ready to post during the coming weeks.

I have discovered many great finds from Trove but today I decided I needed to find something new. One of my families lived at 21 Cambridge street, Rozelle and/or its semi-detached neighbour for over 100 years. In fact they rented from the same family for all that time. I must remember to blog about this story.

I decided to see if Cambridge Street, Rozelle ever featured in one of the Sydney papers. So today here is my first find.

Sydney Morning Herald, 22 January, 1904, p. 3

My great, great grandfather John Charles Ryan lived at 21 Cambridge Street. Depending on the street numbering it is quite possible that Walter Jones would have lived in the next semi-detached house. Both men were in their sixties and would of course have known each other.

What thoughts would have gone through John Ryan's mind? Was his neighbour murdered, run down or  did he simply fall?

The inquest into Jones' death was resumed on 27th January, 1904.

Sydney Morning Herald, 28 January, 1904, p. 3

Not being a medical person, I'm not sure if you could fracture the base of your skull, break six ribs and receive severe facial and body contusions from a fall onto the pavement. However, I think the testament of Reginald Meers seems to be the key to the cause of the death of Walter William Jones. This second newspaper clipping really has me thinking about John Ryan's thoughts about Jones' death. John Ryan was a dray proprietor in the 1890s and I believe that later he was either a van man or a cab driver.

Walter Jones was interred in Section T, Grave 9059 of the Anglican portion of Rookwood cemetery on 23rd January 1904.