Mary Cordelia Sims
Ike married Mary Cordelia Sims in 1984, two years after his divorce from Elizabeth. Mary Cordelia was born on the 21st of November 1869, and so was 25 years old when she married Isaac in 1894 – 12 years younger than husband Isaac. In the picture below she was 17 years old.
Mary Cordelia Sims was the daughter of butcher Walter Sims and his wife Ellen Barbara Sims of Pandora Street, Victoria. Walter was born in 1834 in Kent, England, and Ellen also in England. Ellen was ten years younger than her husband Walter.
When Isaac arrived in Victoria (1882), Walter Sims and his eldest son Albert Sims were already working as butchers at Pandora Street (1881 census).
One connection between Isaac and the Sims was their choice of trade- butchers. I have however found no evidence that Isaac worked for his future father-in-law.
The Gandy Family Bible
The above inscription commemorating the marriage of Isaac Gandy and Mary Cordelia Sims on the 18th of January 1894 can be found in the Gandy family bible.
The bible also contains a dedication from Mary Cordelia’s mother Ellen:
“Presented to Mary Cordelia Sims on Her Twentyeth Birthday November 21.1889 in Token of love. From her loving Mother E B Sims. May the lord Bless thee and Keep thee.”
Gerry Moore
In 1997 Gerry Moore compiled a history of the Sims and Gandy families called Gandy Connections, which contains many fascinating photographs including one of Mary Cordelia’s parents William Walter Sims (1833-1916) and Barbara Ellen Vaughn Reid (1843-1916). They married in 1859 and had nine children, including number four Mary Cordelia.
Read more about Mary Cordelia Sims’ family here: