Size
Date
Country
Artist
Sitter
Case

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

Notes

"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.

Elizabeth Sophia Armytage married John Charles Galletly

(Family Tree)

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 two 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 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."

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