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Ambrotype
A168

Size
Date
Country
Artist
Sitter
Case

1/6
ca 1857-1860
Australia?
Unknown
Elizabeth Sophia Armytage Galletly
Full case

 

"Elizabeth Galletly, wife of John Galletly of Australia. Great aunt by
marriage to George, Wellington, and Hutson Galletly."

"Josephine Galletly, wife of George R. Galletly, grandmother of George,
Wellington, and Hutson Galletly. This is the picture had reference to in the
correspondance between the brothers John and George Galletly."

 

Both these notes came with this photograph.

Elizabeth Galletly and Josephine Matthews were both married into the
Galletly family. Elizabeth was born in Australia, Josephine in America.
Based on photographs of Josephine, I believe this to be Elizabeth.

The correspondance mentioned in the note took place in 1852-1853,
before this photo was taken. The sitter is wearing a wedding ring in
the photo: both women were married at the time it was taken.

 

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Elizabeth Sophia Armytage
married John Charles Galletly

(Family Tree)

 

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Armytage

In 1813 Elizabeth's father George moved from England to Australia where he became a
succesfull farmer and started a family. Elizabeth was 11 when her brother Thomas died
of typhus, but the family blamed his fiancé. Read their full story here.

Her brother Frederick William had a son, Bertram, who became the first Australian
polar explorer. He went on the first Shackleton Antarctic Exhibition, in charge of the ponies.

 

Galletly

Elizabeth's husband John grew up in Dundee, Scotland. Over the course of 2 years he lost
both parents, his step brother and his step sister to tuberculosis. He was 11 and his brother
George was 14. In 1851 John moved to Australia, aged 22, while his brother stayed behind
to settle their family affairs. Their step brother James had died childless but married. His
widow now wanted a share of the inheritance. They couldn't agree on the matter and in 1852
George angrily left Scotland and went to America where he changed his name. He wrote to his
brother and they met in Australia in 1866. But George and his family didn't like the country and
moved back to America in 1870. In 1900 the family claimed their name Galletly back.

Below is the letter her husband John wrote to his brother George in America.

"UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA, Geelong, 30th October, 1853. "My Dear Brother:
"I duly received your communication of 2d Oct. 1852, via the Sidney Bank and it is
with no ordinary interest that I awaited the arrival of your second letter of May 17th,
disclosing your address, and thus enabling us again to enter into correspondence.
It would be useless for me to say that your mysterious disappearance from Scotland
gave me uneasiness, but I have always supported myself with this conclusion that no
ordinary causes could have induced you to take the step you did, — that you never could
have taken it without weighing well the future with the present, and having once taken it,
my knowledge of your character was sufficient to instruct me that energy would not be
wanting on your part to carry out any plans you had formed; and that your pride would
goad you on to the accomplishment of your designs, and always keep you in the path of
Honor and Rectitude. However much I may have felt your temporary loss before the receipt
of your first letter, combined with the task of attending to our affairs at home, with which I
was overwhelmed shortly after you left, I now rejoice to learn the good accounts you give of
yourself, and to find that my own anticipations have been fulfilled in regard to you. I now
would speak of our affairs at home. After you left, among other papers forwarded by Mr. Bell
was a Power of Attorney in favor of Jno. Morrison, Accountant, Castle street, Dundee, which I
executed under the advice of Mr. Bell and Messrs. Drummond Mitchell and returned with earnest
entreaties for the speedy closing of matters and a remittance. I have been flooded with letters
from home, but all complaining in the same strain of the difficulty, nay impossibility of winding
up without powers from you. Up, however, to the receipt of your last letter I was unable to do
anything beyond induce them to remit me 240 pounds. You can therefore imagine my gratitude
when I learned of the liberal manner in which you determined to divest yourself of your legal
rights and remove all barriers to a final settlement. This I consider for us about the best method
that could have been devised to wrest the property from the hands of Bell and the other legal
gentleman connected with it. * * * Don't imagine for one moment, however, that my acceptance
of your offer and deeds, above mentioned, imply an assignation by you to me of your Patrimony.
No, so far as the legal parties are concerned, let that be the understanding, but between ourselves
the assignation will be null and void, and as soon as matters are wound up, through these means,
I remain your debtor for your full share. * * * The Dundee Commercial Bank debt has been settled
for 250 pounds. Mrs. Melville of Kirkcudbright, died some time ago leaving us a legacy which will
about cover this. It may, however be locked up, like all our other affairs, in the Dundee Chancery."

 

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Elcho Homestead was build for the couple in 1867 by Elizabeth's father.
It's on the market today for 1,7 million Australian dollars.

 

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Elizabeth's brother Charles Henry had a daughter Ada who was a photographer.
She's in the top picture, and she made the second picture of the servants and her house.