Ghost Signs: C. J. Angus building – 102 Ferguson St in Williamstown

Date:

This was once the headquarters of electrician and radio set salesman, Clifford James Angus. A 1933 announcement in the Williamstown Chronicle screamed, ‘RADIO SETS – C US B4 GOING ELSEWHERE – C. J. ANGUS. MELBOURNE PRICES AT EASY TERMS.’ He was a man ahead of his time, using texting shorthand before texting was even a devilish gleam in some techie’s eye. 

Born in 1897 in Pyramid Hill, C.J. found his way to Williamstown, taking up the electrician trade. He served as acting sergeant in the 57th Australian Infantry Battalion during World War I. After dragging himself back from the front lines, he married Louisa Maud Titheridge, and together they had two kids. 

Late on 31 October 1946, disaster struck. C.J. was chauffeuring a woman named Mrs. McAlister to her residence in Finley, NSW. At around 1 am, The Herald reported, he collided with a monstrous six-wheeled timber truck on the Hume Highway. He narrowly averted a head-on collision, but the car slipped under the trailer and was practically cleaved in two. C.J. was ‘crushed in the wreckage,’ dying a grisly death on the spot. His passenger emerged with only minor injuries, though undoubtedly haunted by the nightmarish ordeal. C.J.’s wife, Louisa, outlived him by 52 years, finally bowing out at the age of 103 in 1998. 

Nearly eight decades have drifted by since that ill-fated night, but C.J. Angus’ name still looms over the seaside suburb of Williamstown, a ghostly reminder of a man whose legacy outlived him by 80 years. 

GHOST SIGNS
GHOST SIGNS
A column by Sean Reynolds. If you’d like to read more stories about Melbourne’s past, follow me on Instagram @melbourne_ghostsigns.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi – Clifford James Angus was actually my husband’s great grandfather, and while we loved finding this photo and story, as we’ve gone pretty deep into his family history, you’ve got a considerable amount of information wrong here. His wife was Agnes Graham and she died in 1950. His father was James Angus, a pretty badass looking Scot who lived to be 90 (google him, pretty cool dude). McAlister was her mother’s last name. Anyways, also just a note, please remember when you write these that those who have passed on have descendants and to treat the death of an elder like some silly ghost story is a bit disrespectful. He was more than just the way he died, a terrible tragedy that left my father-in-law (RIP) with no memories of his grandpa since he was only 4 when Mr Angus passed.

    • It appears there may be some crossed wires in the data you’ve sent. To set the record straight, I’m sending you my research and sources, along with documentation confirming the thoroughness of my deep dive into the lives in question.

      Clifford James Angus

      Born: 1897, Pyramid Hill, Australia. Parents: James Scott Angus, Emily Bawden Angus (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image C J Angus Birth Certificate)
      Marriage: Married Louisa Maud Titheridge in 1920 (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image C J Angus Marriage Certificate).
      Spousal Details: Louisa named as his beneficiary in his will alongside his son Donald Angus (Source: Public Records Office of Victoria: https://prov.vic.gov.au/archive/F2EECA2F-F513-11E9-AE98-49CA3CB9369F?image=2)
      Death: Killed in a tragic car crash on 31 October 1946 (Sources: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image C J Angus Death Certificate. A harrowing account of the accident can be read in the Sun News-Pictorial, 1 November 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/279420888?searchTerm=Clifford%20Angus)
      Family Insights: A family tree site adds some good info about Clifford, Louisa, and the Angus lineage (Source: https://sites.google.com/site/josephaangustrektovictoriaau/Home/10-james-scott-angus–1848/11-clifford-james-angus–1897)

      Louisa Maud (Titheridge) Angus

      Marriage: Married Clifford on 27 June 1920 (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages and Titheridge Family Tree: https://titheradgefamilyhistory.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/tree-4-james-titheridge-and-ann-pett-from-new-alresford-to-ballaratt-feb-2018-for-website.pdf).
      Death: Passed away at the age of 103 in 1998 (Source: https://www.myheritage.com/names/louisa_titheridge)
      Final Resting Place: Interred in Macquarie Park Cemetery, NSW (Source: Cemetery Index https://austcemindex.com/inscription?id=3541892)

      I also looked into the connection—or apparent lack thereof—between Clifford James Angus and Agnes Graham Angus. I haven’t found any familial link between the two:

      Agnes Helen Angus (née Graham)

      Born: 1877, Bairnsdale, Australia. Parents: Richard Graham, Helen Mary McAlister (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image Agnes Helen Angus Birth Certificate).
      Marriage: Married Jas Angus (distinct from Jas Scott Angus) in 1899 (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image Agnes Helen Angus Marriage Certificate).
      Death: Passed away in 1950 at age 73 in Hawthorn (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image Agnes Helen Angus Death Certificate).
      I assume your husband is related to Agnes & James, as a “Coral Levens”, daughter of Agnes & James, is mentioned in her death notice (Source: Trove. See attached image Agnes Angus Death Notice The Herald)

      Her husband, James Angus, died in Omeo in 1931, age 91 (Source: Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria. See attached image Jas Angus Omeo Death Certificate)

      A cursory look through the online pages of this in-depth Clifford Angus family tree didn’t reveal any relationship between Agnes/Jas Angus and Clifford: https://sites.google.com/site/josephaangustrektovictoriaau/Home

      In the spirit of clarity and historical accuracy, I hope this shows I make every effort to tell these tales as true as I can. Hopefully this research also helps to shed some new light on your family tree.

      With all due respect,

      Sean Reynolds

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