Martha Allen
Biography
Born: ~1840 | Died: 9 May 1876 | Mother: ? | Father: ? | Occupation: Servant (unconfirmed)
Family
| Relation | Name |
|---|---|
| Self | Martha Allen |
| Spouse | John Telfer (1840–1913) |
| Son | James Telfer (1866–1946) |
| Daughter | Elizabeth Telfer (1868–1950) |
| Daughter | Susan Telfer (1871–1952) |
| Daughter | Martha Telfer Cameron (1873–1964) |
Life Summary
Martha Allen married John Telfer on 10 January 1865 at the Residence of Robert Boyd, Adelaide, South Australia. She bore four children between 1866 and 1873 — three daughters and one son — before dying young at German Flat, near Mount Gambier, on 9 May 1876, aged approximately 36.
Her death left John Telfer a widower with four young children (the youngest, Martha, was barely three). John remarried seven months later to Martha Clara Henstridge on 28 December 1876.
Place of origin, parents, migration, and burial location are all unknown. She may have arrived in South Australia aboard the Morning Star (departed Liverpool 28 November 1862, arrived Port Adelaide 13 February 1863) as an unmarried servant, but this is unconfirmed.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| ~1840 | Born (location unknown — possibly England) |
| 13 Feb 1863 | Possibly arrived SA aboard Morning Star as a servant (unconfirmed) |
| 10 Jan 1865 | Married John Telfer at Residence of Robert Boyd, Adelaide |
| 27 Apr 1866 | Birth of son James Telfer |
| 9 Aug 1868 | Birth of daughter Elizabeth Telfer |
| 18 Dec 1871 | Birth of daughter Susan Telfer |
| 15 Nov 1873 | Birth of daughter Martha Telfer |
| 9 May 1876 | Died at German Flat, Mount Gambier SA (age ~36) |
Family Stories
Martha Allen married John Telfer on 19th January 1865. The ceremony took place at the private residence of Mr Robert Boyd in Synagogue Place, Adelaide. On the marriage certificate John was described as a Shepherd of "full age" and Martha as a spinster, also of "full age". Martha was the daughter of William Allen, born in 1842, and her parents are believed to have come from Glenmaquin, County Donegal, Ireland.
John and Martha had four children — James, Elizabeth, Susan and Martha. The family moved to the South East of the state in 1874 and settled at Tantanoola, then known as Lucieton.
Sadly, Martha died on 9th March 1876 at German Flat, leaving John with four children aged 10, 8, 5 and 3. Her death was recorded in the Border Watch on 11th March 1876 with a brief and blunt notice: "Death in Hospital: On Thursday morning, Martha Telfer, wife of Mr. John Telfer, of German Flat, died in Hospital in Mount Gambier from cancer. She had not been there long. She was 34 years of age."
It's a stark statement, and we can only imagine the pain and suffering Martha endured before her untimely death.
(From the Borders to the Bush, p.234)
Sources
- Source: WikiTree — John Telfer profile (Telfer-549) — accessed 02 June 2026
- Source: John Telfer (1840–1913) — vault file, accessed 02 June 2026
- Source: Trove — Morning Star arrival notice, 16 Feb 1863 — accessed 02 June 2026 (confirms ship arrival only, not passenger list)
- Source: Genealogy SA marriage index — Gre B 110 P 134 — John Telfer & Martha Clara Henstridge (referenced from John Telfer profile)
- Source: Genealogy SA marriage index — 1865 — John Telfer & Martha Allen (from WikiTree citation)