Dr Walter John Brooks

[A.P. Wolf]

I hadn't realised before that Thomas' doctor was a police surgeon, as this snippet from an 1882 trial reveals.
Handy that.

' WALTER JOHN BROOKS . I am a surgeon, of 137, Westminster Bridge Road—I saw the prosecutrix at the station about 5 o'clock—she had lacerated and contused wounds on the scalp, and an incised wound across the throat, such as would be produced by a knife like this—she was bleeding profusely, and fainted—the wounds in the head were not in themselves dangerous, but they might have been, as erysipelas might have set in—one wound was quite an inch or an inch and a half long, and went down to the bone—her life has not been in danger—I noticed that her breath smelt of drink.'

[Robert Linford]

Good find, AP, as long as we can be sure that he was a police surgeon and not just passing by etc.

Unfortunately there's a bit of doubt as to which doc was Tom's doc. This is from the 1891 directory under 'surgeons'. Triple event!

[A.P. Wolf]

Tarnation, Robert, I move an inch forward and you pull me back ten paces!
But that's what it is all about.
Well done, me old mate.

[Robert Linford]

Interesting coincidence here, AP. Look at the name of the road where Walter ended up living.

SEPT 19th 1938

[A.P. Wolf]

Isn't that where old Ma Cutbush fell down the stairs, Robert?
I know it is familiar.
You'll note that one of the many thousands of Dr Brooks what infested Westminster Bridge Road had a surgery at Kennington as well.
He's got to be the Neddy we seek.

[Robert Linford]

Yes AP, this is the road where Kate, Clara and Mr Petrolie moved to, It should be possible to find out how close "Homeville" was to their house.

[Robert Linford]

AP, it was the same side of the road about 12 houses apart.

[A.P. Wolf]

Not another Cutbush-Flood charity car boot sale, Robert?

[Robert Linford]

You mean a THC job lot, AP?

[A.P. Wolf]

Those are the lines I'm thinking along, Robert.
After all Brooks' testimony that Thomas had threatened to murder him went a long way to putting Thomas in an asylum in the first place; and I still don't think we have a full portfolio of Thomas' inheritables as passed onto him by his father; and then lost by him when he was declared insane.
How did Ma Cutbush end up in Durand Gardens anyway; and with Thomas' former doctor just up the road?
How sweet is that?

[Robert Linford]

I'd have to delve backwards again, AP. I think they'd moved by 1891. Whether selling the Albert St house was what activated the Solicitors Journal report, I can't say.

Unfortunately I don't have TTC's will because I still don't know where the bugger died.

It was all very cosy in Durand Gardens. Dr Brookes was a few yards away; Uncle Charles was very near; and Mr Petrolie was in the same house as Kate and Clara.

[A.P. Wolf]

I'm still looking for Thomas senior, Robert, I'm quite sure I will find him.
Durand Gardens was very up-market for a woman who left four quid in her will.

[Robert Linford]

AP, I think there was an MP living there. Thomas would have loved strolling a few yards down the road and shoving a midnight letter through his box.

[Robert Linford]

BTW, I was wrong earlier AP - in 1891 they were of course still at Albert St.

[A.P. Wolf]

'The Stoddard Sisters brought the world of Scotland back to Porangahau – Peg, Gina, Isabel and Agnes recounting with delight the wonder of the wee house on Cook’s Tooth Road. No electricity, little money but a sparkling kitchen, using a darning needle to clean between the floorboards and black-leading the stove.

Those were the days of dancing in the Hall; New Year at Porangahua beach; the Mangaorapa Social Club at the woolshed – complete with badminton, table tennis and indoor bowls.

The stories of the Douglas and the Cutbush sisters start from the 1920s and tell us of lives full of work – hauling water from the creek, chopping wood, milking cows, scrubbing the house, doing the laundry, cooking - a roster of outside jobs, inside jobs, daily jobs, weekly jobs, fortnightly jobs. It made me tired just reading!'

This was only published last year, Robert, under the title 'The Tuamine Sisters of Purangaman'.
I think you'll see what I mean.

[Robert Linford]

Could be interesting, AP!