David Arthur Sonter^[1]

1869 - 1960  (90 years)

• Name	David Arthur Sonter
  Born	5 Nov 1869	Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia
  Gender	Male
  Died	25 Jun 1960	Te Kopuru Hospital Dargaville New Zealand
  Buried	28 Jun 1960	Te Kopuru, Northland, Dargaville, New Zealand
  Person ID	I501024	Byrnes Genealogy
  Last Modified	28 Feb 2022

  
  

  Father	Edward Sonter,   b. 1832, Sussex, England ,   d. 6 Sep 1913, Ballina, NSW, Aust  (Age 81 years)
  Family ID	F500306	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Interesting history on this chap to say the least! (1) Married to Florence Leeson and had 3 sons and 3 Daughters. Had an affair with his wife's illegimate daughter Victoria, both were asked to leave the family, so they went to Sydney where Victoria gave birth to his daughter. Interesting foot note Florence Sonter (Leeson) reported her husband died many years ago later in her life, she never remarried. While in Sydney 1901-2 David meet Florence Chaney, she had just given birth to Frederick Chaney, (see notes with Florence Chaney). The couple were known as John Frank Michael Wilson and Matilda Wilson. Apprently changed his name so that authorities wouldn't find him, being still married to his wife. They moved around alot, and did go back to Ballina NSW his home town, to try and bring his six children to NZ, but his father stepped in and said no!, but you can take your 3 daughters with you. Florence Chaney had two more illegimate children, father not known one born in Ballina and the other in Queensland. Although there seems to be a srong connection that David was / is the father, this was later disproved in newspapers article's featured in the NZ Herald c 1921 that "He was there step father" In July 1908 John and Matilda Wilson and family left in the steam ship "Wimmera" for Auckland John Wilson Matilda Wilson Marlene Wilson Ethel Wilson Gladys WilsonFreddy Wilson Elsie Wilson Ruby Wilson Lived in Ponsonby, Auckland for a short time and had another daughter here, then family moved to Whitanga, baby Daisy died months later of whooping cough, apprentley living in a damp house. John worked for the Mercury Bay Timber Company

  
  

• Sources

  [S500011] Geni World Family Tree, (MyHeritage), https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-40000-83457443/david-arthur-sonter-in-geni-world-family-tree (Reliability: 3), 8 May 2020. Added via a Record Match