By Alva “Bobbie” Davies

Early Years

Francis (called Frank) was born in Surry Hills, Sydney on 3/9/1894. His father was John William Cowen and his mother was Grace Evelyn Lott.

His parents moved to Victoria, and his father deserted them when Frank was quite young. (It was found out later, that his father, married again twice, changing his name to William John Cowen, and it is believed that he did that because he was not divorced from Grace.)

Frank once identified John William Cowen to one of his children with a curt: “The man over there is your grandfather”, not attempting to talk to him.

Education

Frank had a hard childhood, his mother taking in washing and boarders to make ends meet. He consequently did not get very much in the way of education, leaving school in the third grade (so he told his children later) However, that did not stop him from getting a fairly good grasp of what was going on in the world, as he read widely. One of his first jobs, was with Luna Park, being close to where his mother and he were living. Later he became a labourer with the Victorian Railways, and gradually worked up to being a station master. In those days the station master was decked out like a general, with a gold trimmed peak cap, dark uniform trimmed with gold buttons, a white shirt with very stiff collar and a black crocheted tie. He looked very smart.

When the first world war broke out, Frank decided to join up, and finding that his mother was adamant that he not go and refused to sign the enlistment papers, so Frank approached his father, and he signed them for him. His father also saw him off on the ship taking the troops to Egypt. He served in Egypt and France as a pioneer.

Marriage and Family

Towards the end of the war, he met Geraldine Maud Stanley Wood in England on leave, and they decided to marry, but the troops were still not disbanded and were sent all over England until a troopship was available to take them home. Therefore Frank and Geraldine did not marry until Geraldine arrived in Australia in 1921. (see Geraldine Maud Cowen's file) They married in the Free Church, South Yarra on 14/2/1921, then Frank was transferred to Piangel Railway station, and consequently shifted around very often in all parts of Victoria, both country and suburbs. However, it was lucky that he had a job , because the depression caused a lot of hardship to those who didn't have work. Even so, Frank and Geraldine had a fairly hard life, with very few comforts.

Geraldine and Frank had nine children:

—Douglas Carlyle Cowen M. Edith Cray.
—Sydney Francis Cowen Died at 6 months
—Arthur Victor Cowen Died at 14 years.
—Leslie Raymond Cowen M. Nellie Nevein.
—Effie Evelyn Pearl Cowen M. Thomas Joseph Smith
—Alva Gladys Cowen M. William Frankston Davies
—Frederick William Cowen M. Beatrice Mellor
—Frances Geraldine Cowen M. Donald Daniel Prentice
—Daphne Inez Cowen M. William Alfred Attwood

They rented houses, as they moved around so much, but after being put off the railways (retired or redundant ?) the pair, with almost no money, put a deposit on an old broken down house in Noble Park. They raided the children's money boxes to help find the 10 pound ($20) necessary for the deposit. This move turned out to be the best thing that they could have done, as from that time on, they succeeded in improving their lot.

Frank was about 6’ tall, dark strong hair, green eyes and a slight build (He was called "Lofty" in the army.) Frank died at his home in Noble Park on 22/11/1968 from cancer. He was cremated at Springvale, and after almost thirty years, his children had his remains re-buried in the grave of his son, Arthur, at the Macedon cemetery.

Francis was in 49th batt. Inf. Queenscliffe for 7 months about this year. Francis inlisted on 9/7/1915 for the war. Embarked from Australia on 11/10/15 (perhaps on the “Nestor” Having served in France during the war, he spent time in England waiting to be sent home, and there he must have met Geraldine and became engaged. There twins were born on 6th Dec. 1919 in Belfast. Francis was on railways in Holbrook. NSW, then Piangel from 24th Dec to 29/4/1921. He was a railways porter at Richmond on 1/2/22 Railway stations worked: Borong, Kyabram, Stratford, Tynong, Macedon, Gardenvale, Nunawading, Tooronga group.

During bushfires in Feb.1926 Francis bought an old violin from a burnt out survivor and it is still in the possession of Marty Davies in 2002.

From notes on ‘The family tree of Daryl Raymond Cowen and Wendy Narelle Peacock (nee Cowen)’
Francis William Cowen, the only son of John William Cowen’s first marriage, was born in Surrey Hills, Sydney, in 1894. Because his parents separated, he was brought up by his mother. He had little or no contact with his father, but, when his mother refused to sign for him to join the First A.I.F., John William signed the necessary papers. Francis William served in France and while recuperating in England he met and married Geraldine Maud Wood who was born in Ireland. As depicted in the chart, they had nine children including two sets of twins. Several are still living in Melbourne. His father refused to have anything to do with him after the 1914-1918 war, and sadly, the children of Francis and Geraldine were denied any contact with their paternal grandfather.