5. 5 Emily Fischer m Louis Rupert Ouvrard Harcla An amazing story

One thing I really enjoy about researching family is the often unknown stories that can be found.

This one is quite amazing.  It relates to Emily Fischer's husband Louis Rupert Harcla.

In order to read the story the link is attached, but just in case that doesn't work, I am sharing the amazing research of one of our Fischer cousins.

Emily Fischer is our 1st Great Aunt, her sisters were Theresa and Anna Fischer.  But Emily's story is one of those that highlights just how difficult life was 100 years ago.

As a researcher I must congratulate those who have uncovered this probably rather difficult piece  of a family history puzzle.

Emily was born 22 August 1866 in Churchill in Queensland.  In 1887 aged 21 she married Louis Rupert Ouvrard Harcla.  They had several children but there is one child that proves to be somewhat of a mystery.

The children were   (These children are 1st cousins*2)

Angelina Louise Emily Harcla  b  12 Sept 1889  m  Alfred Pidgeon 1910 d 1955
Louise Emily Rose Harcla  b  1890
Algernon Rupert Harcla  b  30 Apr 1891
Rupert Louis Victor Harcla  31 May 1983  m  Elizabeth Russell 1917  m Amy Isobel O'Sullivan
Victorene Adrienne Harcla  b 27 Sep 1895  m  Fredrick John Harold Chain 1932 d 11 Sept 1998
Eugene Constant Harcla  b 14 Sept 1897  m  Clara Elizabeth Thomason  d 3 Apr 1963
               (Their son Eugene Keith Harcla died in the HMAS Voyager tragedy 1964)

By 1906 Emily is left with young children to raise, and her husband leaves Australia in 1904.  She obviously presumes he is not returning and then marries Johann Fredrich August Meier in 1906.

On 9 June 1906 Emily Harcla has married August Johann Freidrick Meier but there are two marriage entries with Queensland BMD the second has the marriage of Johann Frederick August Meier as being 2 October 1906.  In all probability there has been a transcription error with the first certificate issued, and instead of replacing the original someone has issued a second copy on a different date.

They have two children Johann Frederich Victor Meier b 1908  and Henrietta Hedwig Meier 1911

Her son Johann Frederick Victor Meier married Alma Adina Dickfos the daughter of William Dickfos and Edith Mandelkow.  William was the son of Johann Friedrich August Dickfos and Henricke Sophie Schneider.

Then her husband returns to Australia, and she is arrested for bigamy!  He had taken one of the sons, Algernon Harcla overseas with him.

Algernon Harcla for some reason, then proceeded to change his name to Benjamin Arthur Andrews.
Some information suggests that he did this due to mistreatment from his father, and took the name Andrews from a bullock driver that he ran away with.  But often old handed down family stories lack in detail.  But in 1916 he enlisted in World War 1, and he married Agnes Turey in a joint wedding celebration with her sister.  Agnes was the daughter of a Queensland Senator.  He and Agnes had one child Benjamin Arthur Andrews.

He was badly injured in World War One.  Perhaps this changed his behaviour.  He left Agnes and then bigamously married Matilda Goodfellow in 1922.  In 1926 Agnes divorced him, and in 1936 she remarried only to die in 1939.  Algernon died in 1873.  He also has two birth certificates issued by Qld BMD.



Rupert Louis Victor Harcla was, in 1951 found guilty of bigamy at the Townsville court.  He married Amy Isobel O'Sullivan while still married to Elizabeth Russell.  But in 1913 Rupert was charged with indecent assault and entering a dwelling house, at Woolwoowin.  He was sentenced to 4 years hard labour. In 1952 he was again in the news for contempt in regards to bankruptcy.  The investigators must have been very thorough because they found his step brother, whose wife was required to give evidence.

Seems like the Harcla's had a bit of a reputation!

The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Qld. Thursday 17 July 1952.

".. The bankrupt is Rupert Louis Victor Harcla, 49, farmer, formerly of Cawarral, via Rockhampton. Mr. Johnstone referred his examination from the Bankruptcy Court to the Supreme Court, where Harcla 'could be dealt with' by a judge. Mr. Johnstone said Harcla had not satisfactorily answered questions relating to: Proceeds of the sale of a Bedford utility for £490 on ... "

The Brisbane Courier, Qld., Saturday 1 August 1931.

"APPLICATION FOR ALIMONY.
Application for alimony, pendente lite, was made by the defendant wife in the matrimonial suit, Rupert Louis Victor Harcla, of Hivesville, South Burnett district, versus Elizabeth Harcla, of Ipswich, and Jack Bousefield, co-defendant. Mr. R. O'Hara (instructed by Messrs. Macnish .. "


Then the following newspaper article:

So what started all this?

Hawkesbury Advocate, Windsor, NSW Friday 8 June 1900.

Mr. L. R. Harcla, saddle, harness and collar-maker, late of Pretoria, South Africa, who has done a lot of work in our midst, and who has given entire satisfaction throughout the district, is, we are sorry to say, about to leave us for Queensland, where he had worked at his trade for 23 years previous to his departure for South Africa. It is a pity the district could not support a saddler of the type of the said gentleman.Louis was naturalised in QLD 1890 mistranscribed

HARELA Louis Rupert 9950 1890 882271 SCT/CF20 Z2208

Did he go to England? or did he just go to Pretoria.  In the period 1899 there was of course the Boer War.  Did he sign up to join?  But eventually some answers!

http://patboch.free.fr/Ouvrard/Louis_Ouvrad_EN.htm

A - Louis Rupert Harcla, the enigma.

Our cousin, Coral, very attached to find the roots of her daughter, born from her second husband, has been leading since 1992, in Australia, a painstaking task to clarify the origins of a Louis Rupert Harcla, the great-great-grandfather of his daughter. (See here the genesis of our contacts).

Coral had found, many certificates : Louis' death, his children's birth, and his marriage at Fassifern, Queensland, on 1887, dec 12th, Louis Harcla, saddler, said from Paris with Emily Fischer, born from german parents. He is said, born from Victor Pierre Harcla and Louise Coudriau

Among photographies transmitted from generations to generations, she finds:
- one showing Louise Coudriau, widow Ouvrard, an old woman " in memoriam " said to be his mother, died, on 1899, feb 27th, at 83 years, in Paris,
- one sent by Gustave Ouvrard, from Brussels, to his brother Louis Harcla.

So Louis Harcla is Gustave Ouvrard’s brother and son of Louise Coudriau and Victor Pierre Ouvrard (and not Harcla).

Louis Harcla " Ouvard " would thus have changed his name and, by there, even modified his father’s name for his marriage; is it so easy, in Australia ?

Apparently yes, Coral assured me that, in XVIIIth century, anybody was allowed to change his name by choosing an other one.

Later, in XIXth century you may change it by paying a tax to the government and by bringing your birth certificate. It is called “change name by Deed Poll". Louis Harcla's son, named Algernon Rupert Harcla change his one to Benjamin Andrews ; it explains that Coral’s husband, Algernon’s grandson, was named Keith Andrews.

Civil Registry appeared in 1856, before, there were only the registers of church, for those who frequented it.

So Louis’ parents were known and quickly I went back up all his French genealogy. But the enigma of his arrival in Australia remained...
Australia of this time was populated with migrants: exiles, sailors, draft dodger to the army, convicts, or simply adventurers...

On 2011, nov 27th, I received from Coral, an article of the local newspaper " Maitland Mercury and Hunter River " ( NSW), of 1879, feb 27th,
telling the arrival to Bowen, 1879, jan 30th, of six escapees of the penal colony of New Caledonia, and among them, a Louis Ouvrard ; they escaped
on 1879, jan 12th, at 2 am, after a few months "only" of captivity.
It was thus necessary to them 19 days at sea, drifting or steering for 2 000 km, to gain their freedom.

 “After being 10 days out they spoke a vessel and thinking they were being chased by a small craft altered their course, and a few days
afterwards passed safely through the Barrier Reef in their fishing boat, and landed at Bowen on the 30^th instant. They were nineteen
days at sea, and were without food for the last two days.”

We thus know that Louis came from the penal colony, but why was he punished ? The investigation continues...

B - Louis Ouvrard, the Maugeois.

Louis, was born 1856, april 4th, street of Puy-Gourdon in Cholet, (France) dans les Mauges from Victor Pierre Ouvrard and Françoise Louise Coudriau. He was the 11th and before last child of a mason and a thread spooler.

Louis's youth was a little eventful.

He committed, first, some petty thefts which were worth to him more or less light punishments :
1 - In Angers, on 1873, October 2nd, - He was 17 years old - for theft, he got 3 months of prison
2 - Then, always in Angers, on 1874, July 3rd, for theft, 3 new months of prison
Doubtless too much known in the region,
3 - He leaves for Lyon, where, on 1875, July 12th, he got 8 days of prison for aggression.
4 - On 1876, February 29th, in Paris, for complicity of theft, he got 6 months of prison,
5 - And finally in Marseille, on 1877, March 31st, he got 3 months of prison for begging and simulation of infirmity.

Then began the serious things.

On 1878, February 13th, Louis Ouvard is sent in front of the Criminal court of Draguignan (Var), to have, in complicity with Mr Chaillaud, and the girl Berthe Capmann:

1 - In Nice, on 1877, November 3rd, deceitfully subtracted a silver watch, one purse containing approximately 20 francs, to the detriment of one named Janoti, at night, by two or several persons, with help of visible or hidden weapons,

2 - To Cuers, 12 of the same month, deceitfully subtracted, a silver watch with its chain, a money-bag containing approximately 150 francs, to the detriment of one named Serpolet, at night, on a public road, by two or several persons with help of visible or hidden weapons, with violence.

This time, it is the theft with violence that pushed him  to the Assizes Court.

The jury declared Ouvrard, guilty on all the questions with the exception of that of the public road, not accepted, and did not give him mitigating circumstances.

For these motives condemns him to 8 years of hard labor more 8 years of "residence" in New Caledonia, (see the decret below on the "doublette").

“The decret of May 30th, 1854, legislating on the hard labor, signed by Napoleon III, specified the execution of the punishment of the hard labor and established the principle of the double punishment : every person condemned unless eight years of hard labor was forced, at the expiration of his punishment, to stay there, for a time equal to the duration of his condemnation. If the punishment was of eight years, he had to live there for life.”

Louis Ouvrard had no chance to return to the Mauges.

At the audience, he was so described:
1,70 m - fair-haired - high forhead - blue eyes - short nose - mouth medium - round chin - beardless - oval face - skin taned

He is said:
Dramatic artist, catholic, homeless , and without resources.

He knows well how to read and to write.

Then began for him his second life. We know about it much more by his judicial file; see his Commitment folder, number 4486

On 1878, March 20th, he is imprisoned in St Martin de Ré's citadel which is used as storing towards New Caledonia or Guyanna for the condemned persons.

How he arrived there, doubtless on foot. Even if the "chain" - a more or less important group of convicts chained together and escorted by gendarmes or serviceman - had been canceled since 1836, the journey, about 900 km, did not have to be pleasant.

On 1878,May 6th, he was locked up alone for three days for " arrogance against a guard ".

On 1878, July 16th, he embarks on " The Loire ", to the Island Nou ( current Nouméa).

It is the 20th and last journey of this ship towards New Caledonia. (See route) 

During these crossings, the prisoners were locked into cages, this engraving of which shows an example of 1873.

From 1864 till 1924 the prison authorities held a penal colony on the island Nou (current Nouméa), in New Caledonia, where were deported numerous French prisoners of metropolis (approximately 21 000).

The Loire arrived to the Island Nou, on 1878, October 25th, after a journey of 102 days.

The life in the penal colony of Nou was very hard and many convicts were hurt or sick and sometimes died after few weeks.

It is so, doubtless, that Louis is led in the service of health of the penal colony, to Oubatche, which is in the North of the island.

Is he really sick or does he know that he will guarded “smootly” than in the penal colony ?

However on 1879, January 12th, he is noted "Escapee from Oubatche".

He knows that the salute can come only from the sea, because, on the island, the inhabitants, often the former convicts, change themselves to bounty hunter by chasing or denouncing the fugitives.

It will thus escape by the sea...

Officels documents can tell us nothing more, but we know the rest of his life from his new country...

C - Louis Rupert Harcla, the Australian.

He is wellcome by Australians and has to stay out of trouble as said Mr Amédée de SOT :

if those who are here do not conduct themselves properly, action must be taken to return them to New Caledonia for the first offence committed against the laws of colonial society.

Is he going to act as a good Australian citizen ? Not really...

On 1880, june 6^th , in an item of  "Queenslander" of Brisbane, we read :

" Date 05 June 1880
The Criminal Sittings were commenced before his Honour the  Chief Justice.
The first case taken was that against Ishmael Sobieski, alias Louis Reuben Ouberard, and Henri Granger, charged with breaking into the counting house of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, with intent to commit a felony therein. 

Sobieski pleaded guilty and was remanded for  sentence Granger pleaded not guilty.
The evidcnce went to show that Granger, together with the man who had pleaded guilty were detected in the very act they were charged with committing the police officers having previously secreted themselves on the premises. Granger was found guilty,and at a later period of the day
he and Sobieski were each sentenced to seven years penal servitude. "

He was sent to St Helena prison. St Helena is an island in Moreton Bay only a couple of kilometres off the mainland near Brisbane. It was a very nice place for a jail, and the convicts grew sugar cane there.

The information so far is :
Prisoner number 1791
Ishmael Sobieski (L Reuben Ouverard)

Sentence 7 years
Received at St Helena 29 June 1880
Discharged  5 January 1886

He did not waste his time because it seems that Louis must have learnt his trade of saddlery there, in workshop of saddlery. .

In 1887, when released, he opened up his saddlers shop as a respectable businessman.

We find his track in a small article from the paper Brisbane Courier Mail Tuesday
9 August 1887 

"A number of accidents have occurred in Ipswich and nieghbourhood during the past two or three days. One Harcla, a saddler at Marburg, while galloping along a road near that township yesterday afternoon , in company with some other horseman, was thrown from his steed and had an arm and thigh considerably injured.”

On 1887, december 1st, he got married with Emily Fischer, and they had 5 children, from 1889 till 1897.

At the end of 1896, they moved to Roma, 540 kms west from Brisbane, on a land purchased by his wife Emily.
There is born their fifth child.

On 1899, February 27th, his mother Louise Coudriau died in Paris, in the hospital named "Necker" to-day. Why was she in Paris ? an other enigma...

On 1899, August 4th, he is in Pretoria (South Africa). Was he coming back from his mother's funeral ?

On 1900, January 8th, he was near Sydney, as an article from NSW newspaper Hawkesbury Advocate said :
Mr. L. R. Harcla, saddle, harness and collar-maker, late of Pretoria, South Africa, who has done a lot of work in our midst, and who has given entire satisfaction throughout the district, is, we are sorry to say, about to leave us for Queensland, where he had worked at his trade for 23 years previous te his departure for South Africa,....

We know, in fact, that that's not the case, but he always seems to have tried to hide his past

In 1902, he took photograph in Goombungee (Queensland) of his eldest daughter, Angelina.

This photo has been taken in Sydney when he was 50.

On 1904, September 10th, he is on the arrival list of the ship "Aberdeen" departing Sydney for London via South Africa.
September 10.- ABERDEEN. s.3684 tons, Captain Douglas for London, via Southern ports and South Africa. Passengers : Mr. A.M.Midson, Mr. M.Kane, Mr. L.R.Harcla, Mr. F.C.A.Mann, Mr. L.Henderson, Miss G.Cooper, Mrs. W.A.Jamen

On 1906, February 10th, Louis wife Emily re-marries, as she presumes , Louis is never coming back. She does not know what happened to him. She has 2 children Johann, 1908, and Hedwig, 1911, with her second husband Johann August Meier.

On 1912, February 8th, Louis was registered as cook on board of "RIMUTAKA" leaving London for Brisbane where he arrived on 1912, march 26th ; but even more surprising, his son Rupert, 19 years old, was on board with him, as seaman.

On 1917, June 1st, Louis makes his Will, at Proston (Qld).

On 1918, november 24th, we learn by a letter to Army, asking of his son, Eugène Constant, mobilized on the First Civil War front, that he is in Kogarah Sydney Hospital for an attack of paralysis.

On 1920 He is at the Hertford British Hospital of Paris

On 1920, may 7th, he enters Fulham Road Infirmary of London,   

He died on 1922, February 11th in London, result of arteriosclerosis.