• Born: 4 Aug 1875, London, Middlesex, England
• Died: 27 Jun 1951, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, N.S.W., Australia ^{1 2}

  Research Notes:

"Martha Emma Therese Bohlsen became an obstetric nurse. She returned to England as a nanny with a family - she later ran a hospital at Shipley Rd., Blackhealth NSW. She maintained a close contact with Lilly Bohlsen's family" (Research conducted by the Carpenter sisters, holders of much of this family history).

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Extracts from papers ⁴:

- The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday, 28 September 1903, page 5:

Advertisement by PMG Dept of phone connection   — Bohlsen Nurse Martha, George-street, Hornsby 45.

(This shows that she was living with the family at Hornsby. A similar notice on 4 September 1904 shows the phone disconnected. The 1926 entry suggests that she had just qualified as a midwife. She would have been one of a few if not the only qualified midwife in the Hornsby area.)

- The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 Mar 1909:

HENTY.—March 3, 1909, at Nurse Bohlsen’s, Transvaal-avenue, Double Bay, the wife of Otto Voss  Henty—a son (both well).

- The Sydney Morning Herald, 31 Mar 1909:

VOSS. — March 3, at Nurse Bohlsen's, Transvaal-avenue, Double Bay, the wife of Otto Voss—a son.

The above show her with her own maternity hospital in the inner city.

- National Advocate, Wednesday, 25 October 1922, page 2:

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Gunther, of Bell, on the birth of a little daughter at Nurse Bohlsen's private hospital 'Colinton' Blackheath.
( She now has a private hospital at Blackheath. No evidence yet as to when it opened or closed.)

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8 Apr 1926: NSW records show that Martha was registered as a midwife on this date. Her training is shown as at The Women’s Crown Street Hospital, Certificate 059/03. This implies that her training was in 1903. The registration was probably due to new legislation, with hers due to a “Grand fathering” clause in the new law. ⁴

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''BOHLSEN Martha (Nurse)—June 27 1951 at Katoomba, and of 44 Shipley Road Blackheath, beloved aunt of Joyce (Mrs E Fletcher of Griffith NSW) and Evelyn (Mrs E Hemming of 5 Dirai Street, Hornsby) and loved great aunt of Nancye, aged 76 years." ²

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Will of Martha Emma Therese Bohlsen, late of Blackheath, Nurse.

"THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me MARTHA EMMA THERESE BOHLSEN of Eversley 44 Shipley Road., Blackheath, retired nursing sister. I REVOKE all former wills and testamentary dispositions at any time heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament. I appoint my niece Evelyn Hemming of 5 Dural Street Hornsby and Edward J. Fletcher of Farm 1288 Griffith New South Wales to be the Executors of this my will. I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH the whole of my estate of whatsoever nature and wheresoever situate unto my nieces Joyce Fletcher and Evelyn Hemming in equal shares Provided that if the said Evelyn Hemming shall predecease the said Joyce Fletcher THEN I GIVE DEVISE AND BEQUEATH the whole of my estate of whatsoever nature and wheresoever situate unto the said Joyce Fletcher and Provided further that the if the said Joyce Fletcher shall predecease the said Evelyn Hemming then I give devise and bequeath the share which would have passed to the said Joyce Fletcher if she had survived unto Edward J. Fletcher the husband of the said Joyce Fletcher to hold the same upon trust for Nancye Fletcher the daughter of the said Joyce Fletcher until she shall attain the age of eighteen years to pay from the income thereof such amounts as he in his absolute discretion shall deem necessary for the maintenance education and advancement of the said Nancye Fletcher with power to sell call in and convert such part of the corpus as he in his absolute discretion shall deem necessary for the maintenance education and advancement of the said Nancye Fletcher. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this twenty fifth day of November one thousand nine hundred and forty nine. MARTHA E. T. BOHLSEN.
SIGNED and acknowledged by the said Martha Emma Therese Bohlsen as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who at her request in her sight and in the presence and in the sight and presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses:— D. MARSHALL, Law Clerk, Blackheath, John W. Salmon, solicitor, C/- E. HOUEN & Co. Solicitors, Blackheath.
23rd November 1951. Probate of the will of the above named deceased was granted to EVELYN HEMMING and EDWARD JOHN FLETCHER (in the Will called Edward J. Fletcher) the executors named in the said will. TESTATRIX died on the twenty seventh day of June 1951. ESTATE sworn at the sum of £388.17.10 nett." ³