John Clements was my 2nd great grandfather, the son of Thomas Clements and Ann [maiden name unknown] from Warwickshire, England.

John was born in about 1800 and was living in Victoria, Australia by 1856. Very late in life, in 1869, he married Sarah Sedgley, originally from Gloucestershire, England. She was born in about 1845, the daughter of William Sedgley and Phoebe Hunt.

On the evening of 11 May 1887, he was killed by a falling tree branch, aged 87. He left behind a wife, and two children, William John aged 18 and Eliza Jane aged 16. The following is a newspaper article that details the event.

I also have a copy of his death inquest, held 12 May 1887, it is 8 pages long. It gives the accounts of the evening from Dr Thomas Scott, who examined the body, his wife Sarah, his son William, Donald McQuin, a man who was working for the family, and Constable Hibblett from the Warrnambool Police Station.

I was thinking about what I could write, and came up with a lot of ideas. Someone aged 12 years. Someone who was born or died in December. Someone who had 12 kids. #12 on an Ahnentafel list.

I decided to pick # 12 on my Ancestral Chart – my mother’s father’s father, Robert John McKenzie.

Robert was born in about 1875 in Victoria, Australia, probably in the Warrnambool area. His parents were Alexander McKenzie and Helen (or Ellen) Thompson. I still have not located a list of all his siblings yet.

In 1903, Robert married Eliza Jane Clements, daughter of John Clements and Sarah Sedgley. They had 4 children that I know of: –

• Adeline Hope – born 1904
• Gertrude Ivy – born 1905
• Meredith Hector – born 1907
• Gordon Cecil – born 1909

In 1916, his mother Helen passes away and his father Alexander follows her in 1925.

I found Robert in 18 Australian Electoral Rolls covering the years 1905-1931. His occupation is Farmer and his residence is in Woodford, Victoria, Australia at the family farm, Spring Valley.

Robert passed away on 25 October 1931 in Woodford. He is buried in the Warrnambool Cemetery with his wife and 2 of his children, Hope and Hector, both of whom never married.

I am still looking for an obituary and headstone photo.