Nellie Ruth Harris/Kittelty

Genealogy SA online

Birth 1891 485/103 Strathalbyn; Feirclough, Nellie Ruth, to Feirclough, Henry.

BDM WA

1st Marriage 1913/700031 Boulder; Kittelty, William Burgess, to Feirclough, Nellie Ruth.

The Daily News Perth, Monday 14th March 1927; Inconsiderate Husband, Wife sues for divorce;
Decree Nisi Granted:

Nellie Ruth Kittelty asked the Chief Justice (Sir Robert M'Millan), in the Divorce Court to-day to grant her a dissolution of marriage from her husband, William Burgess Kittelty, on the ground of wilful desertion. Her case was handled by Mr. M J Crawcour.

Mrs. Kittelty, a middle aged woman, said she was married on April 9, 1913, according to the rites of the Salvation Army at the residence of her father in Boulder. They lived at various centres, and two children were born. Her husband, she said, some time after their marriage, developed a passion for drink, and although he earned 11s 8d per day, he allowed her only 30s per week, and spent the remainder in drink, a condition of affairs which led to unhappiness.

In 1916 he decided that work in the mines was too heavy for him, and came to Perth. He did no try to get employment while they were living in the city, but subsequently went to the Nor' West, and later on, when he was occupying different positions, his contributions towards the maintenance of herself and children were inadequate. He told her he did not intend to live with her, and would take the children. She refused to agree to this proposition, and was forced to go out to work herself.

In 1921 when he was travelling for a tailor he got into financial trouble and was arrested. At his request she saw him at Perth lock up and arranged that a friend of hers should act as his bondsman, he having been ordered to make restitution of some money within six months, and having been bound over for twelve months.

Afterwards she heard he was going about with another woman, which he admitted, and told her she was the stumbling block, and should get a divorce. Mrs Kittelty said she told her husband that she wanted him to be decent, and he promised to make a home.

However, their relations remained on an unsatisfactory basis, and early in 1922 Kittelty told her not to write him till he wrote, but he had not written. She did not know where he was and the police had been unable to locate him, although she had heard he was living in New South Wales. There was no occasion for the desertion.

"He seems to have had no sense of his duty as a husband, and even when earning good money on the mines and elsewhere, he appears to have spent the major part of it on himself, and allowed his wife only a fraction," said the Chief Justice in granting a decree nisi.

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Marriage 1927/101334 Victoria Park; Kittelty, Nellie Ruth, to Harris, Albert Thomas.

Death 1986/105097 Perth; Harris, Nellie Ruth, aged 96, daughter of Henry FEIRCLOUGH, and Edith HAIR

Fremantle Cemetery:

Harris, Nellie Ruth, died 3 December 1986 at Bentley, aged 96, ashes scattered over garden at Cemetery.

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Death 1966/104056 Shenton Park; Harris, Albert Thomas, aged 83, son of George HARRIS and Eliza.

Karrakatta Cemetery:

Harris, Albert Thomas, died 6 December 1966 at Scarborough, aged 83, ashes scattered over garden.