Henry was the third of Adolphus and Kutharina (sometimes spelt as Katharina) Krone’s four children: Alfred (Abraham) b 1830, Elizabeth b 1831, Henry b 1832 and Maurice b 1837.
Betty Istead and Ralph Jackson have established that they were a Jewish family, probably Polish, who were living in Denmark in the early nineteenth century. They moved to England at a time that coincided with the persecution of Jews in Denmark following the Napoleonic wars (and consequent rise in nationalism). Whether this was coincidence or the cause of the move is unknown. Confirmation of Jewish heritage was made with DNA tests undertaken by several direct descendants. We can be confident of the Krone -Jewish connection as the rest of the genealogy of the people tested is soundly documented.
Victorian Association of Jewish Ex and Servicemen and Women. Born 1832 to Adolphus Krone and Catherine Krone. Adolphus was born in 1791, in Bohemia. Catherine was born in 1803, in Poland. He arrived from London in 1851-52 and joined the Colonial Force about 1855 as a gunner. Through the 1860s he was OIC of Emerald Hill Artillery, resigning in 1870. He also progressed in the public service to be Victoria’s Registrar-General. A browse of the handwritten 1851 UK Census pages shows his family living in St James Dukes Court, London City, with a rabbi and his family as neighbours and the address next to (or opposite) the Great Synagogue of London. Henry’s father Adolphus was a perfumer from Bohemia, mother Ctina from Poland and one sibling was born in Denmark. Major Krone’s youngest son Frank certainly attended Scotch College and probably the older brothers did too. If so, son Percy (b. 1864) may have been a classmate of John Monash. Source: Great grandson Ralph Jackson.
Part of the “Russian” myth was a story I heard about the name Krone being the result of identity fraud, or at least identity purchase, because it was too dangerous to disclose the real name. The story followed that Henry senior told this secret to one of his sons while he lay dying but the son, torn by grief, was drunk and in the morning had forgotten the name, by which time his father had died. This has the hallmarks of family mythology in place of reality and is a common narrative. As with many myths there may be a nugget of truth, ie., that Mjr Henry’s father Adolphus was not a Krone originally but something simliar. Ralph suspects the anglicised pronunciation of Krone is close to what the name may have been; Kroen or Krohn. Krone is also a common Danish name, coincidence or not; unknown.
Betty found that the family lived in a Jewish locale in London and that Adolph and Kutharina’s children attended a school adjacent to a Synagogue. As Alfred, Henry and Maurice made their way to Australia their Jewish heritage seems to have been dropped, Abraham becomes Alfred and there are marriages in Christian churches.
Henry married Helen Fishley and had nine children; Henry b 1860, Florence b 1861, Percy b 1864, Norman b 1866, Ethel b 1868, Stanley Cyril b 1871, Beatrice, b 1872, Blanch b 1875 and Francis Orric b 1879.
In the bottom right hand corner is a small handwritten card of Mjr H Krone
Can we work out the others by relative age? Henry b1860, Percy b1864, Norman b 1866, Stanley b1871, Francis b1879.
A note with the photo held by Don and Mary Krone says that the back row is Percy and Frank. Front unknown friend (?) and Henry and Stanley Cyril (known as Dick).
This is a copy of a doc given to Henry Krone on his retirement as Registrar General, Victoria.
1902 Royal Commission The role of Spark Destroyers in the Prevention of Bushfires.
The above link is to the findings of the 1902 Royal Commission in Victoria into the use and efficiency of Spark Arresters for Trains by a select committee of Engineers. The Commission was prompted by the number and ferocity of fires started by sparks from trains that was impacting people, the environment, buildings and the economy. Note the mention of Gippsland and others locales that have recently suffered from fire. The Morriss Spark Destroyer is mentioned.
Punch supplement
FB post by Ralph. Henry’s brother Maurice, aka Leslie.
Gt.Gt.Uncle Maurice Krone went under the forename Leslie in the 1870s. Definitely our Uncle Morrie! Self-proclaimed Professor of Electro-Biology and Porenology, the ‘most powerful mesmerist’ of the day. Giving a public Mesmeric Seance, general admission 1s, reserved seats 1s/6d.
No trace of ‘Maurice’ in 1860s and 70s, no trace of ‘Leslie’ after 1880 (when we can see plenty of records of Maurice)
More on Maurice from Ralph on FB:
New discovery. Looks like Gt.Gt.Uncle Morrie lived around Beechworth and nearby El Dorado, with references from 1865 (30 Aug inquest into Vine Hotel fire, 25 Dec re his singing, attached) and public performances of hypnotism in early 1870s. He is referred to as Mr. M. Krone – this pre-dates his ‘alias’ of Leslie used in Melbourne for remainder of 1870s.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/112907357 fire
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197569651 mesmerism
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/197569608 mesmerism
Example: “There has been no lack of amusements on tbe creek during tbe past two weeks, all of which have been finely attended. I notice from an advertisement that Mr Krone intends to lecture on mesmerism on Saturday and Monday evenings next ; the lecture to be followed by the usual experiments. That Mr Krone has great power as a mesmerist is admitted bjr all who attended his preceding lecture, and the curious and inquiring cannot
do better, if they want information and frolic combined, than pass an evening with this gentleman. Some of our leading men are studying the subject under the lecturer, and it is understood that they will try their hands
at mesmerising, so there will be the chance of variety.”
The Krone Family 