Find Living Relatives

If you are looking for living relatives, there is only one Brailsford listed in the telephone directory in that area (Yamba). Go to https://www.whitepages.com.au/residential
(if you have a pop-up blocker it may not work properly)

By the way ignore much of that Ancestry tree that shows Lillian was nee LORD, it is nonsense!

Lillian was born as Lilian COLLIS in Maclean district of NSW in 1913, daughter of John & Lillian - reg 47393.

Lilian snr died in 1930 and is also at Lawrence Cemetery:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/195422401

Lilian's father John COLLIS' 1949 obituary mentions her and confirms the link:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/195728918

Lillian's parents marriage in NSW:
Reg/Year: 1292/1898
Husband: COLLIS JOHN
Spouse: SPENCER LILIAN
District: MACLEAN

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I wonder if this is the other child who drowned? A John Joseph Collis, known as Jack, drowned in 1931:
Iluka Drowning Fatality: Enquiry at Maclean
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/195209591

His parents were Richard & Margaret COLLIS. I think he may have been a cousin?

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Cemetery search - http://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/metro/csearch.asp

FYI you have Thomas and Lillian as marrying in 1936 but it was 1932:

Reg/Year: 16257/1932
Husband: BRAILSFORD THOMAS S
Spouse: COLLIS LILLIAN
District: ULMARRA

This looks like the death of little Patrica Mary Brailsford, daughter of Thomas Samuel and Lillian (1948 death reg 15356, Maclean NSW), in floodwaters - very sad!

'Young Baby Dies in Father's Arms" 23 June 1948
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/194153258

Not sure if they lost another child this way :-(

Try trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper, historical newspapers to about 1950. Nothing obvious jumps out.

https://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/Pages/
family-history-research/family-history-search.aspx
(Both lines) for birth, marriages & deaths. Note the ‘open’ parameters.

You can search for
Births over 100 years ago
Deaths over 30 years ago
Marriages over 50 years ago

The only Brailsford death is for Patricia Mary Brailsford in 1948. She must be the Patricia (decd) whose name appeared on her mother’s headstone. IF she did die in a flood, the other child must have been unrelated.
You could order a copy of her DC.

Lilian could easily have written about a local tragedy, especially if it had shaken up the community. She may have known the parents or had some social connection to them.

Google is the best way to find that sort of info.

Thank you for your prompt help. My wife, Thomas S Brailsford was her Uncle, recalls a Lillian telling her mother about two children who drowned in a flood. Her own I guess? Unlikely to tell her about somebody else's children who she would not know? A bit flimsy I know, is that area prone to flooding?

Found these burials, but can't click through for purchaser's details.


Name Date of Death Age at Death Cemetery Burial Type Denomination Section Row Lot

Brailsford, Austin George 17 January 2008 66 Maclean Lawn Cemetery Burial Sin General C AB 100
Brailsford, Lillian 24 December 1998 85 Lawrence Cemetery Burial Anglican B G 31
Brailsford, Marlene Rae 19 July 2010 65 Maclean Lawn Cemetery Burial Sin General C AA 107
Brailsford, Thomas Samuel 9 August 1991 85 Lawrence Cemetery Burial Anglican B G 30

http://www.clarence.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/metro/csearch.asp#cresults

If you seriously wanted to contact descendents, you're going to have to
a) access the death notices to see if they name names
b) use the Ask a Librarian service to trace Margaret Lilian Brailsford, forward from 1980.

It's possible the death notices will give the names of funeral directors & place of burial/funeral. Although cemeteries won't give out addresses, they might be wiling to give you the names of who organised the funerals. Those could be followed up.

Thomas John Brailsford's death notice

Surname Given Names Notice Type Date Event Age Other Details Publication Published
BRAILSFORD Thomas John Death notice 19MAY2006 Death 71 late of Bondi Sydney Morning Herald 23MAY2006
BRAILSFORD Thomas John Death notice 19MAY2006 Death 71 late of Bondi Daily Examiner (Grafton) 23MAY2006

Name: Margaret Lilian Brailsford
Electoral Year: 1977
Subdistrict: Bondi
State: New South Wales
District: Phillip
Country: Australia
Residence Address: 27 Barracluff Ave, Bondi Bh

She's a nurse, living with a Thomas John Brailsford. Are they brother & sister? Thomas was noted as a son on Lilian (Collis) Brailsford headstone.

Name: Margaret Lilian Brailsford
Electoral Year: 1980
Subdistrict: Bondi
State: New South Wales
District: Phillip
Country: Australia

Same address, still living with Thomas John Brailsford, a labourer

No further ER available online

www.whitepages.com.au has one entry for Brailsford in Yamba. No idea if they are related.

There are an additional 2 entries in NSW as a whole.

On the right hand side of this link are a number of 'contact us' email addresses. They might be able to retrieve Austins' & Marlene's obit.
https://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/contact/

Alternatively, you could use the NSW Ask a Librarian service for a look up, but they do make a retrieval charge.
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/ask-librarian

You could also ask for them to check forward Austin's the last known ER address, to see if children's names eventually appear.
They could do the same for Thomas Samuel & Lilian Brailsford for the missing years for their additional adult children.

Austin's death notice was published in a newspaper

Surname Given Names Notice Type Date Event Age Other Details Publication Published
BRAILSFORD Austin George Funeral notice 17JAN2008 Death late of Yamba Daily Examiner (Grafton) 21JAN2008

http://ryersonindex.org/search.php

Same site gives notice of Marlene's death
Surname Given Names Notice Type Date Event Age Other Details Publication Published
BRAILSFORD Marlene Rae Other 07 AUG 2010 Publication Daily Examiner (Grafton) 07 AUG 2010
BRAILSFORD Marlene Rae Death notice 19 JUL 2010 Death 66 Shepparton News 21 JUL 2010

Yes, it is a muddle, isn't it ErikaH?

Austin's burial - no photo of a headstone

Austin George Brailsford
BIRTH 1941
DEATH 2008 (aged 66–67)
BURIAL
Maclean Lawn Cemetery
Maclean, Clarence Valley Council, New South Wales, Australia
PLOT Lwn, AB

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49158579

No other Brialsfords listed at the same cemetery on Findagrave.
[edit - incorrect. See next post for her death] Its possible that Marlene is still alive.

It’s quite likely that the Ancestry tree is nonsense- many of them are, as the compilers use Ancestry hints without bothering to verify

Here's Henry David Brailsford in 1977. His entry has been corrected by a previous researcher.

Name: Henry David Candole Brailsford
[Henry David Brailsford]
Electoral Year: 1977
Subdistrict: Maclean
State: New South Wales
District: Cowper
Country: Australia
Residence Address: St, Angourie 2464
Occupation: Fishersman

Immediately above his is an entry for
Austin George Brailsford &, at the same address as Austin, Marlene Rae Brailsford.
Austin was a cane cutter.
His & Marlene's address was
24 Taloumbi St, Mclean.
By association, Marlene could be Austin's wife.

in 1980, the last year available on Ancestry, Henry David Braildford is still the only Brailsford at his address

Name: Henry David Brailsford
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1980
Subdistrict: Maclean
State: New South Wales
District: Cowper
Country: Australia
13 Golding St, Ymba (some letters removed from the place name - no idea what it is)

Austin George Brailsford ER entry, with Marlene
Name: Austin George Brailsford
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1980
Subdistrict: Maclean
State: New South Wales
District: Cowper
Country: Australia

24 Taloumbi St

1963 Australian ER gives the full names of a couple of the children

Name: Thomas Samuel Brailsford
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1963
Subdistrict: Grafton
State: New South Wales
District: Cowper
Country: Australia
31 Alice Street

Thomas Samuel was a railway employee
Living with Lilian,
Margaret Lilian (a nurse)
Henry David (a Labourer) Could this be 'David'?

1968 - same place but only Henry David is listed with his parents
1977- Only the parents living at the same address.

Not all years are available on Ancestry. As the surnames are arranged alphabetically, we can't tell if the girls had married & living in the parental home.

Thomas' enlisted for service in WW2. His service records are currently 'closed'

Name: Thomas Samuel Brailsford
Birth Date: 22 Nov 1906
Birth Place: Manchester England
Year Range: 1939 - 1948
Enlistment Place: Grafton New South Wales
Service Number: N425249
Next of Kin: Lilian Collis
Series Description: B884: Army Citizen Military Forces

Not sure if Lillian remarried, if the gravestones are to go by

Thomas Samuel Brailsford
BIRTH unknown
DEATH 9 Aug 1991
BURIAL
Lawrence Cemetery
Lawrence, Clarence Valley Council, New South Wales, Australia
MEMORIAL ID 182265847 · View Source
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182265847/thomas-samuel-brailsford

Lillian Collis Brailsford
BIRTH 17 Dec 1913
DEATH 24 Dec 1998 (aged 85)
BURIAL
Lawrence Cemetery
Lawrence, Clarence Valley Council, New South Wales, Australia
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182265842/lillian-brailsford

Lilian's headstone reads

In Loving memory of
Lilian Brailsford
(nee Collis)
Beloved wife of Thomas
Mother of Thomas, David, Margaret, Austin, Patricia (dec'd)