The DevenishEs
(1908)
Barrington Onslow Horace Devenish and his wife Emma Jane (nee Warwick) caused a scandal in 1908 when Devenish tried to sell his wife to his landlord in lieu of rent.
Barrington Onslow Horace Devenish (1878-1927) was born Horace Onslow Edgar Devenish in Geraldton.
His father Henry William Devenish (b 1850 Guildford) and Mother Marguerite Emma McKenzie had 10 children: Amy Emma Amelia (b 1872), Henry Stephen John b. Fremantle (1873-1915), Constance Mildred (b 1876), Nina Winifred Daisy b. Geraldton (1879), Arthur Brewster Cowan Devenish (b. 1882-1964), Edward and Grace Eva (b and d 1883), Lily Stella (b.1885), Guy Robert Edward (1886-1967), and Augustus Royal Mckenzie (1887-1961).
1903-1906 The Fremantle Electoral Rolls show Devenish is living in Hampton St, Fremantle. He is listed as a ticket collector at the Fremantle Train Station Also living with him are his brother Brewster (M) a turner, and his mother Margaret Emma (home duties).
In 1904 Barrington Devenish married Jane Emma Warwick (1885-1952), at St Paul’s in Beaconsfield. Jane Emma was born in Shoreditch London in 1885. In 1905 their son Horace Onslow Edgar was born at Buckland Hill (He married Reta Warner in 1928).
1908 The Devenish’s lived at 16 East St (now no. 4), East Fremantle..
Truth Feb 1908 RORTY OLD REES. DEVENISH'S DEVILISH DESIGNING DOCUMENTS Trafficking a Wife to Pay Off a Debt. Filthy Freaks at Fremantle. If the sworn evidence given in the Fremantle Police Court on Wednesday be true, Barrington Onslow Horace Devenish and Albert Edward Rees stand branded as two of the most prurient persons that have yet constituted themselves a blot on this State. The charge against than was that of having conspired to procure a woman for the purpose of prostitution. And the most horrible feature of the case is that the woman was the wife of the muchly monnickered Devenish. He is a young man of about 25, with a wealth of reddish hair. For some considerable time he was a porter at the Fremantle railway station. He lost his Job on account of it being proved that excess fare money was going into his pocket instead of the coffers of the department… REES IS A MIDDLE-AGED RASCAL whose past is somewhat of a mystery. In his cups he has spoken of a wife and family in New Zealand. For a long time past he has earned a living in Fremantle at bailiffing, rent collecting and a little clerical work. He repeatedly got over the odds with drink. In fact it was his drunkenness which led to the discovery of the horrible story since related. On January 13 he was arrested for drunkenness. Amongst his property was found the following document:
"In consideration of £1 sterling, received from A. E. Rees, for which sum this document is given in acknowledgement, X, Barrington Onslow Horace Devenish, agree to allow my wife to cohabit with the aforesaid A. E. Rees at such time and place and under such conditions as they may mutually agree upon, without any further recourse on my part, and I further exonerate my wife from all blame in such connection."... (reference)
1908 SALE OF A WIFE. FEARSOME FREMANTLE FROLICS. Bad Bounder Barters Bride. Dirty Doings of Devenish. Sordid, Squalid Story. One of the most remarkable cases ever heard in any, British court of law and certainly one of the most astounding that ever came under public notice in Australasia was ventilated in the Fremantle Police Court on Thursday. It involved a tale of sordid immorality, so astounding that one can scarcely realise its possibility in our midst and it would not even now be credited were it not that the wretched husband of the yet more wretched woman has declared on oath the story to be true.
IMMORAL AGREEMENT IMPOUNDED. The whole awful disclosures arose from two simple facts (1) a man was summoned for having assaulted a woman (2) before the case came on he was arrested on a charge of drunkenness and an extraordinary document was found in his possession which has now been impounded by the court, pending further action being taken. The parties to the row are a little undersized man rejoicing in the grandiloquent name of Barrington Onslow Horace Devenish, who was one time a porter on the Fremantle railway, but was dismissed; his wife, Jane Emma, a slim, and not bad looking young woman; and Albert Edward Rees, an elderly man who owns property in East Fremantle and sometimes looks upon the wine when it is red. It was this predilection on the part of Rees that led to the disclosures that have so...REES'S RORTY RIOT. Jane Emma Devenish, wife of Barrington O. H. Devenish, said that on the 12th inst., at 7.30 p.m. Rees came to her place and assaulted her with the stick produced. She resided at East-street, Fremantle, and Rees at first ordered her to go into the street. She and her husband refused to go and accused said he would come in. He then came to the gate and struck her, making marks on her arm. He kept on striking at them for about half an hour until she eventually got the stick away from him. Her husband was present and assisted to protect her. After accused went away the police were sent for and Constable Barrett arrived. To Mr. Beresford: She and her husband had lived in Rees's house before that, and her husband sold the furniture to Rees in payment of rent due: That furniture was now in the house where she at present lived. She had to remove because she could not submit to that. (reference)
1908 A -SERIOUS CHARGE. AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE. At the Fremantle Police Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr. B. Fairbairn. B.M., Barrington Horace Devenish and Albert Edward Bees were charged with having conspired for a criminal purpose, their alleged victim being Mrs. Jane Emma Devenish, the wife of one of the accused... In December last she and her husband resided at East Fremantle in a house owned by Albert Rees. On December 22 a certain arrangement was made between her husband and Rees...She read the agreement and fully understood its meaning. She was not a consenting party to the agreement, and she had protested against the arrangement through out. The agreement produced was the one drawn up by her husband and Rees. She strongly protested against the document being drawn up, but no notice was taken of her protests...At this stage the witness cried bitterly, and the proceedings were interrupted for some minutes.Had Rees ever made a proposal of this kind to you before? -Yes; two or three times before. The witness fainted at this stage, and had to be carried out of court. The magistrate then ordered the court to be cleared.(reference)
There was a verdict of guilty delivered by the Judge in the case on 24 March 1908 ( reference) It is not known what sentence transpired in the courts but soon after the Devenish’s moved to Bunbury.
1912 Devenish is listed as a lumper, Jane Emma listed as home duties at ‘Bungalow’ Cliff st Bunbury.
1913-1918 At this time his brother Augustus Devenish is living at 87 Glyde St ( now no 45)
1916 Devenish is listed as a clerk, Jane Emma listed as married at White Road, Bunbury
1919 Mrs. J. E. Devenish, of Moore-street, Bunbury appeared before the court this morning on a charge of being disorderly by making use of obscene language at her home and within the hearing of the public P.c. J.E. Stynts said that in consequence of information received he visited the house and found the woman under the influence of liquor.She was using filthy language, sample of which was submitted to the Bench. He cautioned her about using bad language and she said she could do as she liked in her own house. She continued using the Language which could be heard 2 or 3 chains from the house. The husband corroborated the language used by his wife and said she had threatened him and told him to get out of the house. This he promptly did.The accused said she had had some domestic trouble with her husband and used high words but not obscene language. She was sure she didn't use the language as stated by the constable The court imposed a sentence of 14 days imprisonment.(reference)
June 1921 A VOLUBLE PRISONER. Awarded Six Months' Rest Cure. Jane Emma Devenish, very well known to the police, appeared once more in the Bunbury Police Court on Tuesday, before Messrs T. W. Paisley and J. A. Boor, J's.P. Accused, who entered the dock with an assured step born of long familiarity with Court circles, pleaded not guilty to the charge that she, in Simmonds Street on Monday night, was disorderly by making use of obscene language within hearing of the public...Devenish had established herself in the entrance hall, where she was-engaged in vehement argument with someone. Witness heard her exclaim in strident accents "I—— well won't go home." (reference)
Dec 1921 Disorderly Conduct. Mrs. J. E. Devenish appeared before Mr. Geo. T. Wood, R.M., in the Police Court on Tuesday morning and was awarded one month's imprisonment on a charge of disorderly conduct at the Recreation Ground oh the previous evening. (reference)
1922 Devenish is listed as a clerk, Jane Emma listed as a laundress at White Road Bunbury
1922 Albert E Rees died
1925 Devenish is listed as a labourer, Jane Emma listed as home duties at White Road Bunbury
Jun 1925 DISORDERLY CHARACTERS. Before Mr. L. L. Crockett, R.M., in the Bunbury Police Court yesterday morning, Jane Emma Devenish pleaded guilty to a charge of creating a disturbance in Victoria Street on Saturday last. Accused was fined £1, with 4/- costs, in default three days' imprisonment. (reference)
1925 Devenish Died in Perth
1926 JANE EMMA DEVENISH SENTENCED. THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. BUNBURY POLICE COURT CASE. Jane Emma Devenish, who has been achieving unfavourable and unenviable notoriety at open air dances and other places of public entertainment for some time past, appeared before Messrs. A. R. Foreman and T. W. Paisley, J 's.P., in the Bunbury Police Court this morning on two separate charges of disorderly conduct at the Lumpers' Rooms and of having made use of obscene language at the lock up last night. The accused pleaded guilty to the first complaint, but entered a flat denial to the charge of having used obscene language, remarking that she was not in the habit of using the expression preferred against her. Police Constable Diggins stated that he arrested the accused at the Lumpers' Rooms last night on a charge of disorderly conduct. She was wearing a man's clothes and made herself a positive nuisance to all persons present. In company with P.C. Ayling he placed her in a motor car and removed her to the Police Station, where she suddenly burst in to vile and filthy language, a sample of which was produced in Court. She continued making use of obscene language right up till 5.30 this morning. At about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon witness was requested by the licensee of the Pier Hotel to remove the accused from the premises as she was interfering with the customers and making herself most objectionable. Witness told her to go home, but instead of doing so she went to the Lumpers' Rooms masquerading as a man and using bad language. During the afternoon complaints were made from the baths to the effect that she was creating a disturbance in that vicinity. She had been drinking but knew what she was doing...Mr. Foreman, in pronouncing judgment, said that the Bench had decided to sentence the accused to three months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent, which meant that she would be detained in the Fremantle gaol for a period of three months. She would also be required to pay 4/- costs. (reference)
After his death Jane ‘Emma’ remarried in 1928- to Octavius Marsh
1952 Emma Jane Marsh died in Northam, aged 69 and was buried in Karrakatta Cemetery.
Thank you to Julie Trehane who contacted us with Barrington’s marriage certificate. He was her Grandfather Arthur Brewster Cowan Devenish's brother, her great Uncle. 2021
