Phillips-McDonald Family History

Father

Francis Lee

Mother

Elizabeth Anne Picken

Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

William Henry Lee was born in 1888 in Swan Hill, Victoria.^1,2,3

He married Beatrice Maud Steer, daughter of Philip Steer and Euphemia Forrest, in 1914 in Lake Boga, Victoria.^1,2,4

Family

Beatrice Maud Steer b. 12 Jul 1893, d. 1982

Children

Philip Francis 'Bill' Lee b. 1914, d. 1980
Henry William 'Harry' Lee b. 14 Jun 1916
Euphemia Elizabeth Lee+ b. 11 Sep 1918, d. c 1992
Albert Edward Lee b. 14 Feb 1920, d. 1980
Frank Lee b. 17 Sep 1930
Margaret Shirley Lee

Charts

Steer, Edward, descendant chart

Story

Marriage and Family
Beatrice Maud Steer and William Henry Lee were married in Lake Boga in 1914. They had six children.

It is reported that Beatrice's father Philip was not keen on her marrying William.

The children were Philip (known as 'Bill' or 'Billy'), Henry ('Harry'), Euphemia ('Effie'), Albert ('Bertie'), Frank ('Frankie') and Margaret.

After their marriage they lived with Beatrice's parents for a while.^5,6,7

Hard Times and Separation
William was a very popular man; he was a good footballer and entertainer; he sang and played the mouth organ. He was also agent for the wheat farmers, a very lucrative business. Unfortunately it went to his head and he began drinking more and neglected the business. Creditors forced them to sell up.

The family fell on hard times, making it very difficult to appropriately raise their children. They lived on fish and rabbits when available to catch. At one stage, Philip bought them a small cottage on the hill opposite the school.

Ultimately it became too much, and around 1939, Beatrice and William separated.^7,8

Citations

[S380] Margaret Shirley Lee, birth registration no. 20077, unknown date.
[S552] William Henry Lee and Beatrice Maud Steer, marriage registration no. 2983, 1914.
[S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, William Henry Lee entry, birth registration no. 7087, 1888.
[S270] Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Wm Hy' Lee and Beatrice Maud Steer entry, marriage registration no. 2983, 1914.
[S52] Doris 'Nene' Courtie, personal communication, 10 November 2001.
[S51] Margaret Sellwood, personal communication, 6 April 1996 and 8 July 2014.
[S376] From the Memories of the Life of Beatrice Lee, unpublished, 1987.
[S563] Salt of the Earth: Inspirational stories of Mooroopna & Ardmona women, Mooroopna Education & Activity Centre, 2016, pp. 51-54.