John Henry Lutge (1866 to 1929) - The first child of Peter Benson and Mary Lutge

Over the next few months, we'll be looking at the 10 children of Peter Benson and Mary Lutge.  Again, if you have any photos, documents or information about the Lutge family, please contact me.  In an exciting development, I've recently been in contact with members of the Lutge family in Denmark!  Early days but very exciting as they live very close to the home town of Peter Benson.

Turning to John Henry Lutge, the oldest of the children....

John Henry Lutge circa 1885
Original held by Christine Woodlands, great-granddaughter

Eighteen months after the marriage of Peter Benson and Mary Lutge, John Henry was born on 15 April 1866 at Cumberland Street, Sydney.  Peter Benson is the informant on John Henry's birth registration.  His occupation is shown as stevedore, aged 28 from Denmark and now of Millers Point.  Mary is shown as aged 21 from County Donegal.  I found it interesting to see "Dr Eichler" is shown as present at the birth.  This is unusual for the time in the young colony.  (Click here if you want to read more about Dr Eichler.)

The Lutge family grew to 12 over the next 20 years and they continued to live in various locations around The Rocks - 45 Cumberland Street, 15 Princes Street and 21 Gloucester are addresses where I've found them living.  From here, the family moved to Military Road on the North Shore of Sydney Harbour.  I'm trying to find the exact location but it's in the Mosman area.

The four red stars show the homes of the Lutge family between 1865 and 1885 overlaid on a modern map of area around The Rocks and Millers Point

John Henry Lutge's signature, circa 1890, from the probate packet of his father, Peter Benson Lutge

On 11 March 1891, John Henry married Matilda (Tilly) Winton at Scots Church, Jamieson St, Sydney. John Henry records that his occupation as stevedore, aged 25 from Military Road, Mosman.  Matilda records that her occupation is a "lady", aged 23 from 24 Smith Street, Balmain.  

Matilda was born on 16 January 1868 at 19 Henrietta Street, Chippendale.  She is the youngest daughter of Henry Winton (1829 to 1895) and Ann Richards (about 1834 to 1868).  Matilda's birth is registered under the name of Mary Alice Winton.  Her mother, Ann, died when Matilda was 6 weeks old. A year after Ann's death, Henry Winton married Maria Wheeler who had a 6 year old called Mary.  It seems likely that our Mary Alice became known as Matilda when her father remarried. (We'll cover the Winton family in a later blog.)

At the time of her marriage, Matilda was living in the home of Ellen Georgina (nee Wicks) and Thomas Armstrong.  The depth of the relationship between Matilda and the Armstrong's is evidenced by the names of their two first born who died as infants - Ellen Armstrong Lutge and Harold Henry Armstrong Lutge.  

Matilda's home at the time of her marriage - 24 Smith Street, Balmain

The witnesses at John Henry and Matilda's wedding were two of John Henry's siblings, Patrick Walter (second child) and Hannah Maria (fifth child and second daughter).  Peter Benson and Mary Lutge had died at the time of the marriage.  Matilda's father, Henry Winton, was still alive and living at 116 Evans Street, Balmain.

Matilda Lutge (nee Winton)
Original held by Christine Woodlands, great-granddaughter

John Henry and Matilda had five children-

• Ellen Armstrong - 24 January 1892 to 07 February 1892
• Harold Henry Armstrong - August 1893 to 30 November 1893
• Clifford John Stanley (Cliff) - 1895 to 03 March 1970
• Kelvin Walter (Kel) - 29 November 1898 to 23 July 1964
• Helene Phyllis (Lee) - 1906 to 25 April 1966

Family of John Henry and Matilda Lutge

After their marriage, John Henry and Matilda settled at 20 Spruson Street, Neutral Bay where their first child, Ellen, was born and died in 1892.  There was a move to 11 Batty Street, Balmain and then, in November 1893, when their second child, Harold, died they were living at 66 View Street, Annandale.

66 View Street, Annandale

On 11 October 1895, John Henry was appointed as a Probationary Constable in the NSW Police - Service number 6871. On 01 February 1897, John Henry was appointed as an Ordinary Constable.

John Henry and Matilda continued to live in Annandale where their son, Cliff, was born in 1895. By 1898, the family were living in Moree, where Kel, my grandfather, was born.  John Henry resigned from the NSW Police on 31 March 1904.

The date of the family's return to Sydney is unknown.  However, the birth of their last child, Lee, was registered in Mosman in 1906.  By 1907, John Henry and his family were living in Gerard Street Neutral Bay (now Cremorne) - initially at number 69 and, from 1911, at Gerard Place in their home, Dundee.  While the exact boundaries of the land purchased by John Henry is unknown, the addresses of Macpherson Street and Gerard Steet were both used suggesting that the land boundaries were on both streets. Their home appears to have been centrally located on the block and stood at, what is now, 81 Gerard Lane Cremorne.  The house was about 100 years old when it was pulled down to make way for apartments which cover what was, formerly, 80 to 84 Gerard Street.

In the top map, the location of the Lutge family home is shown - formally 84 Gerard Street and now 81 Gerard Lane, Cremorne.  On the lower map, the parcel of land purchased by the Lutge's around 1910 runs along Gerard Street to the right of 78 Gerard Street and left into Macpherson Street.  Over the years, the land was resumed for Langley Avenue and Gerard Lane and the remaining block subdivided.

Matilda and John Henry Lutge with their youngest child, Lee, at "Dundee" Gerard Place, Cremorne - circa 1912
Original held by Lindy, granddaughter of Lee

It's not clear what work John Henry did after leaving the Police Service.  However, on 4 March 1914, he was appointed as the "pound keeper" for the Municipality of Mosman.

John Henry and Matilda's two sons, Cliff and Kel, enlisted in the First World War from the Gerard Place address.

Clifford John Stanley Lutge - Enlistment 12 July 1915 

Original held by Mosman RSL

Kelvin Walter Lutge - Enlistment 3 May 1916
Original held by Mosman RSL

Both sons returned from the war.  In 1918, Cliff married Lilian Matheson in Tamworth and, by 1926, they were living in Roseville.  On 12 November 1921, Kel married Ethel Lillian Webb-Wagg, and they, initially, lived in Awaba Street Mosman.  In the mid 1920s, portions of Gerard Place had been resumed and the remaining land was sub-divided.  Kel and Ethel purchased 82 Gerard Street (next door to John Henry and Matilda's home) and built their home there in 1928.

Ethel and Kel Lutge with their daughter, Beryl, at 82 Gerard Street circa 1948
Boundary fence between 82 and 84 shown in the upper right of the photo
Original held by Christine Woodlands, Beryl's daughter

In 1926, Lee, the youngest of John Henry and Matilda's children, married Elton Leslie Phillips (1894 to 1930).  While not quite "the boy next door", Elton lived with his family at 97 Gerard Street.  Lee and Elton settled in Byora Cresent, Northbridge.

Helene Phyllis Phillips (nee Lutge) circa 1925
Original held by Lindy, Lee's granddaughter

Tragedy struck the Lutge family on 2 Feb 1929, when John Henry was drowned in a bombora off Dobroyd Point in Sydney Harbour.  John was fishing and his skiff capsized after it drifted into the bombora.  John held on to the skiff, which was moored, and removed some clothing. It is variously reported that he slipped off the skiff or that he was trying to float to shore.  

Grotto Point Lighthouse at Dobroyd Point where John Henry Lutge drowned on 02 February 1929

Grotto Point Lighthouse looking towards Balmoral Beach

Dobroyd Point looking towards North Head, Sydney Harbour

Ronald H Stewart, a commercial artist of Cowles Road, Mosman was sketching with Will Ashton at Dobroyd Point.  It took him 15 minutes to climb down the cliff and dive in. He reports that-

"The man appeared to be in grave danger, and was endeavouring to float into shore, but the sea was too choppy. He did not seem a strong swimmer, and when I reached him, about 75 yards from the shore, he was in a semi-conscious state. He endeavoured to say something to me but threw up his arms and became semi-conscious. I then bought him into the shore."

Because of the incoming tide, John Henry's body could not be removed that day and Contstable Thomas Brown stayed with John Henry throughout the night.

The bombora had claimed many lived before John Henry's death including-

• On 8 March 1913, Walter Moore was swept overboard from the yacht, Thelma, (owned by Charles Lloyd Jones), the yacht was destroyed and five men were rescued. 
• On 16 March 1919, five boys from a training ship, Tingira, were drowned.

The inquest into John Henry's death found the cause of death was "asphyxia by drowning".  John Henry's death registration records that he was aged 63 and his occupation was "assistant health inspector".

John Henry was survived by Matilda, his wife of 38 years, his three children and their spouse, Cliff and Lilian, Kel and Ethel and Lee and Elton, and five grandchildren - Beryl, Alan, Jack, Beryl and June.  Seven of his siblings also survived him - Patrick, Peter, Hannah, Robert, Catherine, Denis and Joseph.

John Henry's death notice

Matilda died on 31 December 1937 and she is buried with John Henry in the Presbyterian Section of Macquarie Park Cemetery, North Ryde.