I have corrected a reference to Edward Russell. Edward's old shipmate, Thomas Alexander Bennett was the father of Maria, who married Antonio Albress. Maria's mother's name was Elizabeth but she seems to have called herself Eliza as in the case of Tom and Eliza's tribute to Harriet Skelton following that pioneer's death.This led to her name being given in each way regarding the christening of their TWO children christened as Thomas.
Maria's death has not been shown on any website. This lack of detail is caused by the fact that she actually died as Maria McIntyre! After Antonio died in 1909, the farm was sold in 1910 and most of the family lived in Richmond. Antonio was probably the ancestor of every Albress in Australia, including those in Queensland.

Unfortunately the ANTONIO ALBRESS file cannot be attached. It contains much information from trove and genealogical sites. If anyone would like a copy of the file, text your email address to 0438 874 172. The same applies to any of the surnames about which I have written journals or any farm owners between Dynon Rd, Kensington and Melbourne Airport, or on the Mornington Peninsula east of Weeroona St, Rye.

The file has been copied and pasted into a new journal entitled:
MRS ANTONIO ALBRESS DID NOT DIE. HER SON WAS NOT WEST INDIAN, PROFESSOR.

The new journal now has a map showing Antonio's grants on Browns Rd, Rye.
Sorry about firing a blank just before.

See ONGOING ALBRESS LINE-NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH by Ray Albress.

Something that has annoyed me for a couple of years is that J.Albress was listed on the Rye Roll of Honour for W.W.1, a photo of which was included in Patricia Appleford's RYE PRIMARY SCHOOL 1667. This was undoubtedly Antonio's son John. And yet I could find no mention of him in THE A.I.F. PROJECT and similar sites. Surely someone would have objected to his name being on the Roll of Honour if he did not serve his country. (Nobody would have objected if he did not enlist at, or near, Rye; the Hobleys were near Leongatha at the time but still appear on Rosebud's Roll of Honour and young Furphey was listed on Tullamarine's memorial only because of his relationship to Bill Parr.)

Antonio was an African from the Cape Verde Islands,most likely of mixed blood and despite dilution of his genes over many generations I was still able to recognise, at first sight,his descendant, Jason Albress of Main Ridge Cricket Club. Jason has a wonderful sun-tan. John must have appeared much the same or his nickname would more likely have been Darkie, or something equally politically incorrect, rather than Curley. John's brother, Bill, who played footy for Richmond, must have been much darker because a Richmond lad who became a Professor described him as a West Indian.(The transcript of the Professor's speech is in one of my journals,probably MRS ANTONIO ALBRESS DID NOT DIE.)

The following seems to prove that John did enlist.John would have played for RICHMOND DISTRICT in a Melbourne-wide competition (not the Richmond League) whose name I can't recall. These details are also probably in MRS ANTONIO ALBRESS etc.

EXTRACT FROM:
Football Reminiscences The Peninsula's Past Champions Recalled
Frankston & Somerville Standard (Vic. : 1921 - 1939) Friday 5 August 1921 p 1 Article
UP GUARDS AND AT 'EM The year 1915, the second of the war, showed, not strangely, a decline in the standard of the game, and a diminishing interest by the public. As it was, the season was curtailed. The Langwarrin Guards, captained by Cousins, and including 'Curley" Albress and "Red" Moffatt, of the Richmond League (sic), beat Hastings, Somerville and the Naval Base (which was not composed of naval men as to-day), and got into the finals, where they were conquered in the premiership by Hastings by one point,- Hastings just defeating the Naval Base by two points.

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6601112

"Jack" Albress - It looks like he served, but possibly not outside Australia.

"Curley" was a guard at the Langwarrin Interment Camp for a few months before the camp was closed. I have a photo of him and the nickname was probably a reference to his rather natty "fro".

As wonderful as Jason's suntan is, it's clearly a couple of generations behind.

Did you see that Jason got 4 for 85 against Seaford Tigers last Saturday?

"Curley" was a guard at the Langwarrin Interment Camp for a few months before the camp was closed. I have a photo of him and the nickname was probably a reference to his rather natty "fro".

As wonderful as Jason's suntan is, it's clearly a couple of generations behind.

Sorry about the double post.

It doesn't surprise me. Jason has been mad on cricket since he was a tiny tot.

Ascensio De Freitas may be the key to the "Portuguese" of Rye. He owned a pub called the Mechanics Hotel in Bourke St, Melbourne and was a known philanthropist. He assisted about a dozen Portuguese seamen to desert and stay hidden. Do you you anything more about him itellya?

Ascensio, by 1900 was occupying 83 acres in the parish of Wannaeue,being 39a of a as the ratebook gives it. (Portion a of crown allotment 39, section a; section A being the government subdivision of the Tootgarook Run and section B being ditto of the Arthurs Seat Run.)

C/A 39A, of 83 acres and 37 perches,fronted the east side of Truemans Rd and the north side of Browns Rd, and was granted to H.Alford on 10-1-1883. Ascensio was similarly assessed in 1910 (his address given as "City") but not in 1919.

C/A 39A is indicated almost exactly by Melway 169 D(east of Truemans Rd)-E 10(bottom half)-11. Norm Hall used to ride from Rye to the Boneo dances and used to consider himself lucky to get through the head high rushes near the De Freitis property alive; this is obviously the reason that Browns Rd meets Truemans Rd at two different points,causing such confusion to motorists that Peter Warren of Express Bin Hire and Choice Car Rentals has dubbed it Melway Corner!

After the death of Antonio Albress,the family moved to Richmond. Why Richmond? Perhaps because of Ascensio.
Family Notices
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) Thursday 8 September 1887 p 1 Family Notices
FREITAS.-On the 6th inst., at Richmond, the wife of Ascensio de Freitas of a son.
((P.1, Argus, 8-9-1887.)

This is the only other trove result in Victoria.
DE FREITAS.-On June 5. at St. Vin-
cent's Intermediate Hospital, Major Paul
A. De Freitas, of 45 Maud street, North
Balwyn, dearly loved husband of the late
Emily, and loving father of Marie (Mrs. R.
Dungan), Cen (M.N.). and Paul (R.A.A.F.),
loved father-in-law of'Reg (R.A.A.F.), and
fond papa of Marlo-Therese and baby Paul,
aged 57 vears. -Requiescat in pace.
DE FREITAS.-On June 5,^ Paul A., be-
loved youngest son of the late Ascensio and
Mary Josephine De Freitas, and loving
brother of Anthony (deceased), Ascensio
(deceased). John, Joseph (deceased). Peter.
Mary (Mrs, E. Good), and Cecilia (Mrs.
R. Black), aged 57 years. - Requiescat in
pace. (P.2, Argus, 7-6-1945.)

A large number of peninsula lads moved to Western Australia in the 1890's because of our depression and that state's gold rush. Ascensio John De Freitas who died there in 1907, aged 27, may have been one of Ascensio's sons.

Family Notices
The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Friday 24 May 1907 p 1 Family Notices
... and 8 months. Loved by all that kznew her. DE FREITAS.-On May 23, at the Perth Hos pital, from heart failure. Ascencio John, the eldest son of A. De Freitas, late of Bourke. street Melbourne. R.I.P. ... and floral tributes, during their re cent sad bereavement. FUNERAL NOTICES. DE FREITAS.-The Friends of ... 795 words

Very interesting person. He also fed the destitute and homeless each evening at his pub. It was a Melbourne institution known as the 8 o'clock rush.

Maria Albress left Antonio and moved to Richmond about five years before he died. Her sisters families (both Thompson) lived in Richmond. The children followed sporadically. When Antonio died intestate, his property was sold and the proceeds divided amongst Maria and the ten children.

Linda Berndt of the Rye Historical Society is doing a project on those listed on the Rye Roll of Honour for the Gallipoli Centenary. John Albress did not serve in the A.I.F. but was involved at the Langwarrin Army Camp where he was known as Curly and was recognised as a good footballer in the Mornington Peninsula Social Football League. His brother,Bill,played for Richmond but does not appear in any footy cards.

Linda would love photos of John and Bill. Please private message me if you know where these photos can be found.

The exotic background of the last Magpie to die at war ...
www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013.../the-last-magpie-to-die-at-war


The exotic background of the last Magpie to die at war
Glenn McFarlane of the Herald Sun April 24, 2013 2:30 PM

EXTRACTS.
Wastie's extensive research has revealed that Le Brun is almost certainly not indigenous, but from a mix of backgrounds, including from Cape Verde, an archipelago off the west coast of Africa; from Jamaica; from Scotland and from the Channel Isles, Jersey.

``I'm not sure where the story started that Norm was indigenous,'' Kate Wastie said. ``It could have been because of the colour of his skin, I don't know.

Kate's grandfather was born in the same year as Norman Stanley Le Brun, and the loss of his first cousin had been felt for many years after his death in 1944.

Both were connected to one of the pioneers of the Mornington Peninsula, their maternal grandfather, Antonio Albress, who was not born in Australian, but who was a native of the island of Boa Vista, the eastern-most island of Cape Verde - which is almost 500km from Africa.
Antonio had been born there in 1842 and migrated to Australia in around 1860.

``There was a story that had been handed down through the family that we had come from Portugal, which technically isn't untrue,'' Wastie said this week. ``Cape Verde used to be a Portuguese colony.''

"It was all about the slave trade over there. Antonio decided to come to Australia in 1860. He had been involved in lime burning (in Cape Verde) and that was what probably took him to Rosebud and Rye area. He was one of the pioneers of the (Mornington) Peninsula."

Antonio would marry Maria Bennett in 1878, an Australian-born woman whose family background was similarly very different for the times.

Maria's father, Thomas Bennett, hailed from Jamaica, and her mother was Elizabeth McMurray, from Glasgow, Scotland.

One of Antonio and Maria's children, Maria, who was born in Rye, would become Norm Le Brun's mother.