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A. Freecorn, Perth
Ansell Freecorn was born in Poland, and arrived in Sydney in 1881. He married then travelled to Perth in 1885, and opened his tailoring establishment in Barrack Street, then a new store in Hay Street in 1888. However, he still owned the Queens Buildings in Barrack Street. As well as tailoring, he was a real estate developer/landlord.

The West Australian (Perth), 29th August 1885, p.4
During 1889-1994 he was granted a government tender to supply uniforms. In 1892 a woman sued him for desertion, claiming he had married her in Poland before moving to London then Sydney, with lurid claims of being forced into prostitution by Ansell. He denied the claims although it seems they had been, at least, in a de-facto relationship. Certainly a ‘Sarah Freecorn’ was described on immigration records as his wife, and when she died in Melbourne in 1893 he was in fact paying her maintenance as required by the Perth court. He later sent for documents from Poland claiming to prove there had not been a marriage, of which the newspapers gave a sympathetic reporting, but I suspect he was a cad!
For some reason, he was involved in many court cases whilst living in Perth. Many of these were involved with real estate he owned. Other cases involved him suing, or being sued. I’m not sure if he was a crook or unlucky! it certainly seemed to have been keen on litigation if crossed, although this may have been true of many Perth residents at that time.
During 1895 he made the unexpected decision to start up ‘The Perth Sanitary Company’ to remove “night waste” but the venture was short lived. His tailoring firm continued, with a branch in Fitzgerald Street, Northam.
In 1896 he was elected president of the West Perth Hebrew Congregation. He lived there until his death in November 1916, aged 67 years. Unfortunately he had attempted to treat either an ingrown toe-nail, or removed a corn (depending on which newspaper you read) with a razor, which had resulted in sepsis necessitating the amputation of both legs, then his death.
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