to see where Sophia fits into the family tree click here
Peter Whiteman has provided some details of his ancestors who connect to the Meurer’s who arrived in Australia in 1858. Peter is the Grandson of Sophia Meurer.
Sophia Meurer was born in Hessen, Germany in 1857 and emigrated with her parents Ernest and Augusta Meurer to Australia in 1858. The family immediately moved to Grafton, NSW.
At age 22 Sophia married Albert Whiteman in 1880 at Richmond River (Ballina), and they moved to Casino, New South Wales.
Albert and Sophia had ten children all born at Casino, NSW.
After a bit of investigation we came up with this story of their times in Casino.
Arthur & Sophia Whiteman
In June 1884 the Whiteman’s took on the license of the Hotel at Tatham, 13 kms to the east of Casino, in northern NSW.
In 1898 they were running the Great Britain Hotel (later known as the Oxford Hotel) at Casino , leaving this pub in November 1900.
In early 1904, Arthur and Sophia arranged plans and a contractor to build a new Hotel, to be known as ‘The Imperial’. Arthur Whiteman passed away on 1/3/1904 in the middle of planning for the construction and a new contract and tenderer to build the new Hotel was found.
The new Hotel was built on land that Albert Whiteman purchased in 1883 and he was recorded as living on that land in 1884. It was on the corner of Walker and North Streets, Casino.
After Arthur’s death in 1904 Sophia leased the Hotel to various Hotel licensees, Mrs. A Brown took over the license of the Imperial Hotel in Casino from when it first opened in 1904. February 1908 saw the license taken over by Mr. T. Holloway. In 1912 it became Webster’s Imperial Hotel when Mr John Webster was granted the license. In 1913 the license was transferred to Mr. W. Rudd who took a 6 year lease. John and Alice Webster ran the Imperial Hotel from September, 1914, to January, 1917.
Throughout these years 1904-1917, the property was stilled owned by Sophia Whiteman. Ms Sophia Whiteman sold the freehold to Mr John Bryce in 1917.
In July 1915, Sophia was known to be living at Randwick in Sydney.
With the new owners, the Imperial Hotel went through repairs and renovations, when this failed to bring in the extra business that Mr Bryce and then Licensee Mr Richard Saunders had hoped for, Mr Bryce sought help from Mr Wilkinson (Brisbane Hotelier).
Mr Wilkinson suggested that the hotel was in a bad trading position, just as Mr Webster had, and that the hotel should be moved to the town’s centre on the vacant Centre & Barker Street block.
Correspondence between Mr Webster and “Tooths & Co Sydney” described the hotels position as “out of town”. Mr Wilkinson also promoted the idea to relocate the Hotel. To improve trade it was decided in 1918 to move to opposite the “Cattle Sales Holding Block” from the corner of North and Walker Streets, a little out of town.
The Licensing Court approved a transfer of license. This was advertised in the Kyogle Courier from Oct 1918 to Feb 1919 notifying the public that pending the removal of the hotel to its new site, a temporary bar had been set up on the corner of Centre and Barker Streets.
The hotel was cut into sections and hauled by bullock team, on cedar logs through the centre of town. It captured the attention of the casino community for months.
The Cecil…
The hotel re-opened on its current site on the 15th April 1919 under the new name The Cecil. It is unsure the exact reasons for the change of name, however it is thought it was to give the recently renovated and re-located hotel a new image.
The new location proved very successful for business. With its close proximity to the saleyards it became known as “The Cattleman’s Pub”. Today the Hotel Cecil is known for its great meals and family friendly atmosphere.
Sophie’s Bistro at the Cecil…
Today, Sophie’s Bistro at the Hotel Cecil is named after the wife of the first owner, Sophia Whiteman.
http://www.hotelcecil.com.au/#!sophies-bistro
My mother was a Meurer..would have been a niece of Sophia.
Had no idea I must have so many relatives in the Casino district !