Isabella Slade

Isabella Slade, daughter of William Forbes, Jr. (born 1829 Scotland) and Margaret Isabella (Mills) Forbes (1831 - 27 June 1892), was born c.1858 at Moonlight Flat, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. She married Sidney Slade (born c.1855 Chislehurst, Kent, England) at the Office of the Registrar by Henry Crofton Staveley on 13 August 1878 at Sale, Victoria, Australia. At the time of their marriage Sidney worked as a grazier living Welshpool, South Gippsland. They had ten children and lived at Welshpool until 1892. They separated in 1892, and she moved with the children to Briagalong prior to the birth of Florence; they were divorced in 1901.

In her divorce petition Isabella said that she only received 33 pounds from her husband from 1892 to 1901, so she was forced to try many different jobs in her attempts to support her family. She worked as a hop-picker for about a year after the birth of Florence; then she tried baking bread to sell but wasn't able to make a living at it.

In 1896 she moved to Clydebank, bought some cows with money sent to her by her husband's brother, Herbert, and sold their milk. After about 18 months she returned to Briagalong and took a housekeeping position, but returned to hop-picking nine months later. She also took in sewing and laundry while working many of these other jobs.

When Isabella received a small bequest from Walter Slade's wife some time prior to the 1901 divorce petition, she was able to buy a small house on a half-acre in Briagalong. Here she again had dairy cows and sold their milk, and continued to take in sewing.

Marriage and Children

Isabella and Walter Slade had ten children, only five of whom survived to adulthood:

1. Sidney Slade (1878 - 1888), d.s.p.
2. Charlotte Isabella Slade (born 1879 Welshpool, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia - 1951)
3. Adolphus Slade, (born c.1881 - 1882 Welshpool, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia), d.s.p.
4. Adolphus Forbes Slade, (born 1883 Welshpool, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia - 1962)
5. Walter Edgar Slade (born c.1885 Welshpool, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia - 1909)
6. Alice Mary Slade (born c.1887 Welshpool, South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia - 1909)
7. Florence Slade (born c.1892 Briagolong, Victoria, Australia - 1981)