ISABELLA JANE BELL (1863- 1950)

Isabella Bell and her daughter Florence established a Spiritualist Church at 48 Hubble St (now no. 26) from 1933-1939.

Isabella Jane Ogle was born in December 1863 at South Shields, Durham, England. Her first husband John Henderson (1858-1903) was a general labourer and she is recorded in the 1901 census as living in South Shields, County Durham, North England, with John and their five children. By 1911 she was widowed and her two oldest children had moved out. In 1912 Isabella married Enoch Clement Bell (1849-1922) but was widowed for the second time in 1922.

Her son Lewis Henderson had immigrated to Australia sometime before 1914 and in November 1928, Isabella followed. She came to Western Australia on the SS Bendigo, aged 65, with her youngest daughter Florence Ascough 'Florrie' Henderson (1900-1967), a grocer's assistant, aged 28. In 1931 Florence married Durham-born, Fremantle labourer  David 'Dave' Curry (1896-1967). From 1932-1942 Dave Curry and his extended family lived at 48 Hubble St (now no. 26).

1932 - Newsword Winner- Florence Ascough, 48 Hubble-street, E. Fremantle. (Reference) 

Spiritualism was a religious movement that flourished from the 1840s and reached its peak in the 1920s. It was based on the belief that the spirits of the dead exist and could communicate with the living. Spiritualists believed that spirits were more advanced than humans and were able to provide useful knowledge about moral and ethical issues, and the nature of God. Some people have linked the surge of Spiritualism during the American Civil War and World War I, as a direct response to massive battlefield casualties. Many prominent spiritualists were women, and supported causes such as women's suffrage.

In 1920 famous Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle embarked on a five-month tour of Australia and New Zealand to discuss his spiritualist beliefs in the supernatural: ghosts, fairies and the power of telepathy. Reflecting on his experience, he wrote, "The spiritual deadness of this place …gets on my nerves."  (reference) 

There were Spiritualist churches in many suburbs of Perth during the Depression in the 1930s, as people struggled with poverty and a lack of hope. According to Spiritualists, anyone could receive spirit messages, but formal communication sessions (séances) were held by Mediums. The churches provided a range of talks on all kinds of alternative topics such as ‘Psychometry’, ‘Spiritualistic Principles’ and ‘Aura Messages’. Occult Classes were held and speakers moved between the various Spiritualist churches across Perth, appearing on different nights; these included a very popular Mrs Gadenne with her ‘Messages from Flowers’ and Mrs Batger’s or Mrs Woodall’s ‘Trance Address’. Once a week there would be an ‘Open Circle’ where the Sick were helped.  

In January 1933 Isabella and Florence started the East Fremantle Spiritual Mission in their distinctive Gothic-style home at 48 Hubble St. Demonstrations of mediumship (séances etc) proved to be a profitable venture, and despite numerous instances of fakery being exposed, the appeal of Spiritualism was strong. A family member has said “...it was Isabella Jane who started the spiritualist church as Mum noted on her family tree, and said it was a way to make money. Her daughter helped run it."

Jan 1933 EAST FREMANTLE SPIRITUAL MISSION, 48 Hubble-st., Sunday, 3 p.m.: Sick helped and Flower Messages. 7.30: Address, Mr. Gadenne. Messages from Aura and Flowers. Tuesday, 2.30: At Home. Thursday, 7.30: Open Circle. All welcome. F. Curry, Secretary. (reference)

June 1933 EAST FREMANTLE SPIRITUAL MISSION, Sunday, 3 p.m -Sick Helped. 7.30- Trance Address and Flower Message Mr. Roberts, Tuesday, 3 p.m- At Home, Thursday, 7.30 Open Circle  F. Curry. (Reference)  

Jan 1934  SPIRITUAL MISSION. 48 Hubble-street, East Fremantle (Aff. G.W.C.S.U, London). Sunday, 7.30, come in crowds and hear our Brother and Sister, Mr. and Mrs. Lathwell. Thursday, 7.30, Flower Messages, Mrs. Gillett. (Reference) 

1935  F. Curry- An at-home will be held at the Spiritual Mission, 48 Hubble-street, East Fremantle, this afternoon at 3 o'clock. (Reference)

14 May 1938 COTTESLOE Beach Spiritual Temple. Sunday. 3 pm, Circle Message 7.30 Address, Mrs. Wilkinson, Flower Messages. F. Curry. Secretary and HUBBLE-ST. Spiritual Mission.Sunday. 7.30: Mr. Henry and Sister Mary. Wednesday. 7.30: Open circle. Welcome. F.Curry, Secretary. (reference)

30 Dec 1939 HUBBLE-ST. Spiritual Mission.Sunday. 7.30: Divine service, Mr. and Mrs. McKinly, No meeting Thursday. F. Curry. (reference)

In 1939 the street numbers changed and No 48 became No 26.

In May 1941, aged 44, David Curry’s enlisted in the army and was sent to Northam and Kalgoorlie. In July 1943 he was severely reprimanded for letting prisoners escape from detention, whilst on duty as the Gatekeeper. But he was also promoted. His army records showed that in 1944 he suffered from serious nose bleeds, Hypafresia (manic state) and high blood pressure and he was consequently discharged in August. (See National Archive records)  (see photo). 

In 1943 Florence and Isabella moved to 14 Hubble Street, East Fremantle (while David was away).

Isabella died on 16 Jul 1950 at Beaconsfield, WA, aged 86.

1950 Passed to higher life on Sunday, July 16, Isas J Bell (formerly of Hubble Street Spiritual Mission), widow of Enoch Clement Bell, mother of Margaret (Meg, England), Lewis (Geordie), Isabella (Miss), Gladys, Florrie (Fremantle). Loving grandmother of 16 grandchildren and great grandmother of 15 great grandchildren. God saw that she was weary, the hill too steep to climb. So he gently closed her eyes, and whispered peace be thine. Our Mother. West Australian 18 July 1950 (reference)

Florence moved in 1954 to 7 Hubble Street, East Fremantle, with David and from 1958-1963 they lived at 23 Greig Street, Willagee, where Florence died aged 67. David died aged 70 in 1967.

Isabella’s Children: Her first daughter Margaret Elizabeth 'Meg' Henderson (1887-1973) married Harry Trosh (1878-1941), had five sons, stayed in Durham, and died there, aged 85.

Her only son Lewis Albert 'Geordie' Henderson (1890-1959) married three times: First in 1914 to Georgina Long (1893-1917) in Fremantle. In 1916 Lewis was rejected for service in the AIF during WWI but was awarded a medal for service in the Merchant Seamen. In 1917 he was living at 4 Parry Street, Fremantle, when Georgina died. In 1918 he married Mary Teresa McCann (1889-1939) and in 1922 they lived at 35 Point Street, Fremantle where he  worked as a marine stoker. From 1923-1927, working as a lumper -he lived in Marmion St Palmyra, after he secured a loan for £200 for ‘Group 6’ of The Fremantle Starr-Bowkett Society (reference). He bought an Indian motorbike in 1927 (reference).

1925 'SUPER' SHIPS NOT FAVORED BY LUMPERS- Mr. Frank Walsh, registrar of the Arbitration Court, heard further evidence today in the claim of the Superphosphate and Chemical Works' Employes' Union for increased wages and shorter hours... Lewis Albert Henderson, lumper, of Fremantle had bad experience in loading and discharging phosphate on ships. Work on 'super' boats, that is a vessel loaded vita phosphate rock, was very unpopular with lumpers for reasons which he enumerated. In this class of work dust could not be avoided. He knew instances of men employed on this work having got; so much phosphate dust into their lungs as to have become seriously affected, and to have to leave that class of employment… (reference)

In 1929 Lewis was appointed President of the Fremantle Branch of the Waterside Workers’ Federation (WWF) and in 1931 was living at 58 Railway Street, Cottesloe.

1935 FINED FOR ASSAULT. Lumper's Outburst in Court. Lewis Albert Henderson, lumper, of 56 Stirling-highway, Buckland Hill, was charged with assault in the Fremantle Police Court yesterday by Captain Tom Oswald Nicholls, managing director of Nicholls and Co., Ltd., stevedores...(reference)

In 1939 Mary died when they were living in Cottesloe. Finally in 1949 he married Myra Ritchie (1901-1987) and they lived at 25 Adrian Street, East Fremantle (Palmyra). In July 1952 he was appointed President of the Fremantle Branch of the WWF once more, but resigned in Dec 1952. In 1954, still registered as a lumper he was recorded as living at the rear 15 Quarry Street, Fremantle and he died on 14 July 1959 at Fremantle, WA, aged 68. 

Her second daughter  Isabella Ogle 'Cis' Henderson (1893 -1957) married in Durham in 1915 to James 'Jim' Cable (1894 - 1919) but she was widowed in the Great War in 1917.  Isabelle Jr came to Australia in 1929 aged 36, with her 14 yr old daughter Gladys May (1915 -1964), on the Orvieto. Both were listed as domestics.  

Her third daughter Gladys May Henderson (1897-1967) came to Australia in 1928. She died in Hilton in 1967.

Her fourth daughter Florence Ascough 'Florrie' Henderson (1900- 1967) took on the surname Bell when Isabella married in 1912 and married in 1931 to David 'Dave' Curry.