•tWilliam Ambrose Townsend was born in 1872, probably at Brighton, and died in about April 1928. He was buried in Toowong Cemetery on 18th April 1928. No marriage can be found in the Queensland or New South Wales registers. Electoral Rolls for 1925 have him residing at 18 Arthur Street, New Farm, occupation traveller. No other electoral registration can be found.
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The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889-1931 Wednesday 4 August 1909
A SYDNEY DIVORCE CASE.
TWO CO-RESPONDENTS CITED.
A WOMAN WITH MANY NAMES.
Sydney, August 3.
A divorce suit with some peculiarities was begun today. The petitioner, William Ambrose Townsend, an engineer, is seeking the dissolution of his marriage with Nina Mary Townsend, formerly Hibberson, on the ground of her misconduct with Harry Samson, a coal lumper, and Robert Fisher, a surveyor, who were cited as co-respondents.
At the outset Mr. Whitfield explained that the petitioner was married to the re-spondent in October, 1905, under the nameof Ambrose. The respondent's name then seemed to be Morris, but as she had been adopted by or lived with a lady named Flood she sometimes went by that name, and to add to the general mix-up she was also called Hibberson, because she often stayed with her grandmotlier, whose name that was. Because respondent was interested in a will, she asked the petitioner not to marry her in his own name of Townsend, but to call himself in the certificate William Ambrose, and she would sign herself Nina Mary Hibberson.Soon after marriage the wife developed a taste for drink, and on the plea that the co-respondent Fisher was trustee or co-guardian she often went to his place and stayed to dinner with him alone, for the ostensible reason of talking over business matters. Afterwards there arose a difference between the respondent and the co-respondent, and she said he would have to take care of her because of something which had happened before her marriage when she told a story in Fisher's favorand the matter was settled. The petitioner heard also that his wife was getting more money from the co-respondent Fisher than she should have got according to her own statement. Fisher was told by the petitioner to keep away from the respondent, but he did not do so, and on two occasions Townsend horsewhipped him. Once the parties were taken to the police-station, but no proceedings followed, and the petitioner and the respondentlater on became estranged.
The petitioner supported this statementand under cross-examination said he had heard his wife called Mrs. Fisher after her marriage with him. He asked her why she did not sTopp them calling her by that name, and said "Oh, it's better to flatter old fools than fight them."
Mr. Ralston - You know Samson, don't you?
The Witness - The fish hawker, you mean?
- I thought he was a coal lumper.
- No. Heresigned that position. (Laughter.)
The witness said he did not know Fisher had bought Mrs. Townsend dresses. He did not hear his wife say to Mrs. Flood that "Poppa" had bought a certain pretty dress for her.
Mr. Raston - Was that what she used to call him?
- Yes. "Poppa", and "Warty Bob." and other endearing terms like that. (Laughter.)
The witness said he had never heard his wife say Fisher bought her clothes or that the house was kept up out of "Bobby's" money. He never told anyone that it cost Fisher £1 for their Sunday dinner.
The hearing had not concluded when the court rose for the day.
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