Some of the documents belonging to Dossie Lucas
Sometimes people find or acquire items they don’t know what to do with so when all else fails, they turn to Lost Newcastle.
Our city’s archives and collections are the best places for important items, but not everything will be accepted to be added to, for example, the Newcastle Museum collection.
At Lost Newcastle, we love to try to return things to families as much as we can.
We were recently handed a bag of personal papers belonging to Dossie Violet Lucas of Perkins Street, Newcastle. It contains lots of the stuff we usually throw out – old bills and receipts, birthday and Christmas cards, lottery tickets, and just two photos.
The portrait of the woman is assumed to be Dossie’s mother, Mary Wilhelme/ine Lucas nee Peschel, and the house is unknown.
Is this Dossie’s mother, Mary Wilhelmine Lucas nee Peschel?
Unknown house, stamp on back ‘Electric Photo Studio – 77 Hunter Street’
Fortunately, Dossie was an organised woman and the bag does contain a few items that give us quite a bit of information that we hope will help us return the items to any remaining family.
Marriage Certificate of George Charles Lucas and Mary Wilhelmine Peschel 25 March 1886 in Gawler South Australia
So what do we know about Dossie Violet Lucas? She was the daughter of George Charles Lucas (died Newcastle 1923) and Mary Wilhelmine Peschel (died Newcastle 1948). Mary’s death notice in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate notes that she was 86 and the mother of Esther, Dossie, Alma Parker, Verney, Gertrude (deceased) and grandma of Lloyd and George.
‘Dossie’ was her registered birth name according the the South Australian registry and she was born in Gawler, South Australia, on 8 April 1890, and died in Newcastle in 1986. Both of her parents are buried at Sandgate Cemetery.
We also know that Dossie worked at Lowes in Hunter Street in the 1950s and in 1918 she ordered a ‘Wertheim Australian Piano’ from the Hugo Wertheim Pty Ltd in Adelaide for the grand sum of £97 to be delivered to Newcastle.
We’ve been unable to find a marriage or children for Dossie.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help us return this bag of Dossie’s ephemera to any surviving relatives.
Reunited!
Thanks to the efforts of Lost Newcastle members we’ve been able to return Dossie’s items to family.
Her great niece, Karen, got in touch and shared this photo of her parents. Her father was Dossie’s nephew (although we’re totally smitten with the beautiful smile on her mum on her wedding day).
Another job well done, Losties!
Karen Lucas, great niece of Dossie Lewis.
As Dossie had no children, descendants of her nephews and nieces will be the most likely family to find. One with a Newcastle connection is as follows:
Verney Peschel Lucas ( 1895-1962) brother of Dossie, was married in Mayfield, in 1930, to Ivy Jane Manning. Their children’s births are too recent to be available on N.S.W. B.D.M.s, but the 1958 Electoral Roll , shows a likely son, George Kevin Lucas, living with the couple at Sandgate. In 1980, George Kevin Lucas, clerk, with wife Valerie, was living at 111 Ross Avenue, Charlestown. Someone may remember them at that address, or they could still be there.
Thankyou Carol, Leigh & Lynne
I am the Great niece of Dossie Violet Lucas…. My dad George is the son of her Brother Verney…I am in shock of Aunty Dossie,s documents finding there way to Lost Newcastle….I wish my dad was still with us to tell him…I have seen that photo before & not sure if it was Auny Dossie or her mother
Great to hear from you! There isn’t anything of value in the papers but if it’s of sentimental value to any family, I’d be happy to organise it. I’m glad things like this find their way to Lost Newcastle as it gives us the chance to keep them safe and return them where possible. 🙂
My mum Valerie still lives @ Charlestown and is now 86
Dossie’s parents resided at John Street Tighes Hill where her father died.
Her mother Mary died in 1948 at her residence 62 Perkins St Newcastle
Their children were
Esther
Dossie Violet
Alma
Parker
Vernie Perchel
Gertrude – died 1923
The grandchildren of George and Mary were Lloyd and George
Dossie Lucas is buried at Sandgate in the Anglican section 79/Plot 114
She is buried with her parents which suggests she didn’t marry.
You could call the cemetery and see who organised her burial.
Esther married into the Sheehan family
Alma married into the Lauder Family
Hope this helps.
Thanks Leigh!