Trove Tuesday - Tough Street, Hawthorn

Once again, Trove has provided me with useful family details and another search to clarify information found in these Death and In Memoriam notices.

The Argus, Monday 5th February, 1894, p. 1

SEABROOK - On the 3rd inst., at Tough-street, Hawthorn, 

Charles Stephen, second son of W.J. Seabrook, aged 19 years.

The following year two In Memoriam notices were published.

The Argus, Monday 4th February, 1895, p. 1

IN MEMORIAM

SEABROOK - In loving remembrance of Charles

Stephen, second eldest son of William John and

Mary Seabrook, who died at Ravenswood, Tough-

street, Hawthorn, on 3rd February, 1894

SEABROOK - In loving memory of my dearly-beloved

brother, Charles Stephen Seabrook, who died on

February 3rd, 1894.

Charlie's gone from his home below'

sad it was to hear the blow;

But now he's in the realms above,

Trusting in our Savour's love.

(Harry Seabrook)

My first thought was to look up where Tough Street was in Hawthorn. A quick search on google maps revealed no such address. I remembered that a previous family street in Melbourne had had its name changed so wondered if that was also the case with Tough Street.

I send an email to the Hawthorn Historical Society and was pleased to receive this message from Elizabeth a few days later.

Tough Street is now called Yarra Grove. It was originally named after Alexander Tough who lived at number 18 from 1876.

Yarra Grove runs between the end of Yarra Street and Evansdale Road Hawthorn.

Google map showing location of Tough Street which has been renamed Yarra Grove.

A look at Google street view reveals a mixture of new houses and some very large old properties and a terraced group on Evansdale Road bordering on Yarra Grove.

Now that I have located the street, I need to find where I can find Ravenswood. A search on Trove for Ravenswood Tough street turned up an interesting find.

The Argus, 24 September, 1890, p. 1

TOUGH - On the 23rd inst. (accidentally), at his

mother's residence, Ravenswood, Evansdale-road,

Hawthorn, James Campbell Tough, second youngest

beloved son of Margaret and the late Alexander

Tough, aged 22 years.

This death notice says that Ravenswood was in Evansdale Road. Were there two Ravenswoods?

The Argus, 1 February 1902, p. 3

HAWTHORN FREEHOLDS

RAVENSWOOD, TOUGH-STREET, two-storey

eight-roomed brick house, on land 72ft x

293 ft.

A beautiful position, on the bend of the Yarra.

The Argus, 2 May 1903, p. 2

TRUSTEES' REALISING SALE by PUBLIC

AUCTION,

To Wind-up Estate,

Of that BRICK TWO-STORIED BALCONY

RESIDENCE Known as

"RAVENSWOOD,"

TOUGH-STREET, HAWTHORN

(Three minutes from Railway Station),

For ABSOLUTE SALE

A PERFECT 

containing Nine Very Spacious and Lofty Rooms

(21 x 15 &c.), Grand Entrance-hall,

Bathroom, Pantry, Laundry, Outhouse, &c.

MAGNIFICENT BLOCK OF LAND

Having a Frontage of 72ft. to Tough-Street by the

Splendid Depth of 293ft. to the River.

The Seabrooks either didn't own Ravenswood as Charles Seabrook's father William didn't die until 1914 and the above advertisement says the sale was winding up an estate or they purchased and sold to another buyer in the interim.

Of course these finds have left me with more questions.

1. Exactly when did the Seabrooks live at Ravenswood?
2. How do I solve the confusion about the two addresses for Ravenswood?

What turned out to be a very simple death notice has led to a reasonable amount of research.