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Jessie May Savagar was born in 1903 in Allendale, a small gold mining town in Victoria, Australia. Jessie was married to Robert Savagar.

She died tragically in 1936 after gallantly trying to overcome post-natal depression after her first baby, a son called Robert Savagar, died very soon after birth. She became pregnant again as this was recommended to Robert and Jessie to help her get over the depression, and Margaret was born on November 14, 1935. The depression was not overcome after Margaret’s birth and, possibly, the effect was made worse.

The sad facts that occurred on that tragic night of 17 July 1936.

Baby Robert Savagar died when still a baby and was buried in the family plot in Melbourne General Cemetery. There is no inscription noted on the headstone of the date of the birth and death of this baby.

Jessie developed post-natal depression after the loss of this baby Robert and when she realized her frightening nightmares were not going away, she agreed to seek medical help and so she was in and out of Mental Hospital. She was told that the cure was to have another baby, and this resulted in Margaret being born. However, the depression still persisted and might have exacerbated the delusional dreams in that she was afraid to go to sleep because she had horrific nightmares; e.g., she dreamed of sticking knives into the baby. Robert would walk with her at times to help her during the night. She was so horrified by these murderous dreams that she would not sleep in the same room with Robert and baby Margaret.

Her sister in law, Robina (Beanie McFarlane) was living at 50 Boorool Rd., East Kew, Melbourne, with Jessie and Robert at the time. Jessie received treatment in a Sorrento based mental hospital, but her symptoms did not abate and may have worsened. She returned to live with Robert at 50 Boorool Rd., East Kew, Melbourne, but was not able to put away thoughts of harming her child and being a burden to Robert, and committed suicide by gassing herself with the gas stove in the kitchen. She left a note on the door of the kitchen that said, “Beanie, don’t open the door. Look after Margaret.” Because she could not rid herself of the thoughts of harming her baby and, as the medical treatment she had received had not relieved her torment, she believed the only way for her to not commit such a terrible act was to kill herself and save the life of the baby.

On the night before she killed herself, Robert had come home from the Bingham factory where he had been working overtime and had gone to bed and slept heavily. Jess had probably got up during the night and been so depressed after another frightening nightmare that she decided to kill herself. It was said that she had been so frightened she would actually carry out those tormenting dreams.

Robert, Jesse’s husband, Allen and Beanie, along with Allen’s brothers and their wives, were so distressed that they did not reveal this terrible tragedy to their children, so much so that Allen, who had adopted Margaret, brought her up believing that she was his daughter. When Margaret, in her fifties, became curious about her long lost aunt, had approached her oldest Uncle, Tom and asked What happen to Jesse? Tom then told her the story and revealed that she was the daughter of Jesse Savagar.

Further stories told by Margaret can be read in her memoirs.