May Winch (Lovegrove)

Information from Graham Lovegrove's book "Bramley - to the Bush and Beyond" (A Story of George and Sarah Lovegrove, their Descendants and Migrant Cousins)

May Isabella lovegrove was the 4th child and 2nd girl born to Ambrose John and Emily Lovegrove (nee Simmons).; she was born at Borambil on 16th October, 1906. May was baptised on 1th November, 1906 by Father W E O'Reilly at St Joseph's Church Cassilis; she was sponsored in baptism by William Simmons Snr and Ethel Lovegrove.

Little is known of May, however she probably had her education initially at the Borambil Public School and possibly later during the family's time on their property "Flagmount" Curryall, by correspondence.

It is known that she married Percy Winch in St Xavier's Catholic Church, Gunnedah during 1928. Percy, a son of Arthur Joseph and Mary Ann Winch had been born in Buckinghamshire, England circa 1894. Percy had emigrated from England as a young man and went to work as a boundary rider and stationhand on "Coomoo Coomoo"; whilst there, he owned a motorcycle and a sidecar which he would ride to Tambar Springs where May lived before the two were married.Later he worked at Oakey Creek Station along with May who worked there as a cook for the station shearers during the shearing season.

May and Percy had one child, a son Gordon Joseph Winch, born in Gunnedah on 7th September 1929.

At a later time, Percy and May are said to have lived in Cassilis; they certainly lived in Tambar Springs for some years. Some time later, Percy, May and gordon moved to Sydney and for some time circa 1943, at Randwick and subsequently moved to Maroubra Junction on 1st April 1958.

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At the age of 62 Percy died in Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay on 8th December 1964 as the result of acute pulmonary oedema left ventricle failure, ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. He was buried in the Botany Cemetery NSW.

May outlived her husband by almost 21 years; during this time she lived with her son Gordon at Randwick.

Gordon married Maureen Therese Parkhill at Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church, Pagewood, NSW on 19th May 1975.

May died in the Prince of Wales Hospital Randwick on 14th July 1985; she is also buried at Botany Cemetery