The beautiful Mrs Frances Marie Spark

Frances Maria Spark – The lady of Tempe House.

 Portrait by Dr Maurice Applebee Felton 1840, painted in the grounds of Tempe House - on display in the Colonial Section of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Frances Maria Biddulph was born 5^th October 1807 in the town of Tamworth Staffordshire, her parents were Simon and Ann Biddulph (nee Burnet) and her maternal Great Great Grandfather was the celebrated Gilbert Burnet – Bishop of Salisbury and Chancellor of The Order Of The Garter. Her family migrated to South Africa when Frances was aged 12, and here she met Dr Henry Wyatt Radford of His Majesty’s 62^nd Regiment on leave from India. According to her death certificate, they were married on 5^th June 1823 at Graaff Reinet (South Africa) when Frances was almost 16 years old.

The Radfords came to Australia aboard the Greenock arriving in January1824, they settled in the Hunter Valley having been given a land grant. The Radfords returned to India in 1829 with the 62^nd Regiment, where tragedy struck the family losing 5 children – two sons to cholera in Bangalore, two sons were lost aboard the Lady Munro in October 1833 when the boys were returning to school in Sydney from Madras in the company of Lieutenant Clark of the 62^nd Regiment, the ship was wrecked on Amsterdam Island (Indian Ocean) with only 21 survivors, a baby daughter was burnt to death in Bangalore.

Henry and Frances Radford sailed aboard the William Metcalfe, returning to the Hunter Valley in October 1834 due to the declining health of Dr Radford. Their 3 surviving children were Alicia Maria, John Robert and Henry Wyatt Moore. Dr Radford died 15^th January 1836 and was buried at the Anglican Cathedral Newcastle he was aged 44.

Frances Maria Radford and her 3 children moved to Sydney in June 1837, firstly living at Miller’s Point, then for 2 years in a two-story house in Elizabeth Street overlooking Hyde Park. In 1839 the family moved to a house named Erskine Villa (the suburb or Erskineville gained its name from this house) for a number of months.

A good friend of Dr Radford was a very wealthy Sydney merchant Alexander Brodie Spark who owned property near the Radfords in the Hunter Valley; he also administered the Will of the late Dr Radford. Frances Maria Radford and A B Spark attended numerous social functions together including lavish balls held at Government House. A B Spark sent a letter of proposal to Frances Maria Radford on 9^th April 1840, which she accepted in writing the same day. They were married 18 days later on 27^th April 1840 at St Peter’s Anglican Church, St Peters.

Their 6 children were:

1.      Alexander Brodie (Alick) 1841-1912

2.      Frances Maria Ann (Fanny) 1842-1908

3.      Mary Gordon 1843-1893

4.      Edith Burnet 1845-1920

5.      Stanley Herbert 1846-1929

6.      Florence Sophia 1850-1932

It would have been a sublime life at Tempe House; Frances would fill her days being lady of Tempe House. She would manage the household staff, she enjoyed embroidery and reading plus attending to her growing family. When her daughter Alicia Radford asked permission to marry, Frances agonised over whether or not the groom was suitable, eventually she gave her blessing before Alicia sailed to England to be wed.

Sadly during the great depression 1840s, A B Spark was declared insolvent in 1843. Fortunately the family were able to live on at Tempe House, but sadly the halcyon days were gone. The family managed to be self-sufficient from the numerous fruit orchards which grew on the estate, A B Spark speculated well when gold was found in Bathurst and he also resumed business as an exporter.

Alexander Brodie Spark died of heart failure on 21 October 1856 at Tempe House and was buried at St Peter’s Church. Tempe House was sold to the Gannon Brothers (local land owners) in 1859 and the Spark family left Tempe House for South Head Road. There is a record in Sands Directories of a school for young ladies being run by a Mrs and Miss Spark at their home on South Head Road which eventually became 69 Oxford Street when Old South Head Road was divided by suburbs.

In 1879 Frances Maria Spark moved to “Glenara” 172 Victoria Street Potts Point where she lived until her death in 1887. She was buried in an impressive grave at Rookwood Cemetery; later other members of the Spark family were buried with her.