Trove Tuesday – Five Generations

January 9, 2018August 13, 2023 / Merron Riddiford / 3 Comments

Recently, while searching for newspaper photos of Portland, I stumbled across a photo of my 1st cousin 4 x removed, Amelia Harman, with four of her descendants published in the Weekly Times in 1952. Standing back left is Amelia’s daughter, Elsie May Harman. Elsie married Herbert Skipworth in 1909 at Heywood. Back right is Elsie’s daughter Doris Eveline Skipworth. Doris married Samuel Porter in 1929. Sitting directly in front of her is Doris’ daughter and her daughter Lynette Wilmot.

Weekly Times, 9 April 1952, p. 42 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article224015421

I’ve previously posted a photo I found of Amelia photographed with her granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and great-great-granddaughter. You can read more about that photo in the post Matter of Relativity.

MATTER OF RELATIVITY, The West Australian, 14 December 1951, p. 8 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49005300

Amelia was the eldest daughter of Jonathan Harman and Elizabeth Oliver of Byaduk. She died in 1956 at Portland, aged ninety-one. Her husband Chris Bell predeceased her by twenty-seven years.

Ancestral Places Geneameme

August 11, 2017 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

Yes, I did say in my last post I’m on the move so the chances of me posting in the next month were slim. Just after finishing that post, I read a new post from Alona at the Lonetester blog inviting geneabloggers to take part in a geneameme with the theme, Ancestral Places. The instructions…How many ancestral places can you name using the letters of the alphabet? I couldn’t resist because one of my favourite things about family history is the places my ancestors lived. Finding out more about those locations helps us learn more about them it’s a great way to brush up on geography general knowledge. I’ve listed the main places my direct ancestors resided and added links to earlier posts about some of the families. If I included 2 x great uncle George Diwell, I could have had a J for Jeparit or 4 x great uncle William Reed, a Y for Yulecart but I managed a place for most letters:

A

Almurta, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

Ararat, Victoria, Australia – Bishop

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England – Cooke, Lane, Piddington, Riddiford

ARARAT, VICTORIA

B

Ballarat, Victoria, Australia – Gamble, Harman, Riddiford

Bass, Victoria, Australia – Combridge, Hunt, White

Bisham, Berkshire, England – Buckland

Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, England – Cooke, King, Richardson

Brighton, Sussex, England – Hughes

Broadstairs, Kent, England – Culmer, Jarman, Pettman, White

Byaduk, Victoria, Australia – Bishop, Harman

BYADUK, VICTORIA

C

Casterton, Victoria, Australia – Diwell, Jelly

Cavendish, Victoria, Australia – Hadden, Mortimer

Charlton, Wiltshire, England – Young

Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, England – Chapel, Kirkin, Parsons

Clapham, London, England – Webb

Clerkenwell, London, England – Riddiford

Colac, Victoria, Australia – Gamble, Hodgins

Cuddington, Buckinghamshire, England – Lawrence, Piddington, Riddiford, Timberlake, Wall

CAVENDISH, VICTORIA

D

Dover, Kent, England – Trewin

Drumgooland, County Down, Ireland – Jelly

E

East Lothian, Scotland – Calder, Warden

Edmonton, London, England – Riddiford

F

Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, England – Cooke, Riddiford

Fermanagh County, Ireland – Brackin, Hodgins

Frant, Sussex, England – Diwell, Sinnock

G

Geelong, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

Gladsmuir, East Lothian, Scotland – Dobson, Hadden, Kinnaird, Neilson

Glen Alvie, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

Grantville, Victoria, Australia – Combridge, Hunt, White

GEELONG, VICTORIA

H

Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, England – Riddiford

Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland – Dobson, Hadden

Hamilton, Victoria, Australia – Diwell, Gamble, Hadden

Hulme, Lancashire, England – Jelly

HAMILTON, VICTORIA

I

Ireland – Beaty, Irwin

Islington, London, England – Kirkin

J

K

Kingswood, Gloucestershire, England – Riddiford, Trotman

L

Lambeth, London, England – Kirkin, Riddiford, Webb

Leytonstone, London, England – Riddiford

Longniddry, East Lothian, Scotland – Hadden

Lower Winchendon, Buckinghamshire, England – Lawrence

M

Macarthur, Victoria, Australia – Bishop

Macclesfield, Cheshire, England – Law, Shaw

Manchester, Lancashire, England – Shaw

Melbourn, Cambridgeshire, England – Harman, Mulberry

Merino, Victoria, Australia – Diwell

MERINO c1880 Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia. Image no. B 21766/113 http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+21766/113

N

Newington, London, England – Turner

Norfolk, England – Baker, Thurling

North Nibley, Gloucestershire, England – Riddiford, Trotman

O

Oldham, Lancashire, England – Riddiford

Ontario, Canada – Riddiford

P

Poplar, London, England – Hunt, Jewell

Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia – Harman

Portland, Victoria, Australia – Diwell, Harman

PORT FAIRY, VICTORIA

Q

Queensferry, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

SAWMILL NEAR QUEENSFERY, VICTORIA c1880. Photographer: Fred Kruger. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria.

R

Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, England – Combridge

Reading, Berkshire, England – Druce, Mortimer

Rotherfield, Sussex, England – Diwell, Sinnock

Rotherhithe, London, England – Webb

S

Smeaton, Victoria, Australia – Riddiford

St. Peters, Kent, England – Jarman

Steiglitz, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

ANDERSON’S MILL, SMEATON. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria

T

Thanet, Kent, England – Culmer, Jarman, Trewin, White

Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England

Tipperary County, Ireland – Barry

Tonbridge, Kent, England – Lawrence

Tudeley, Kent, England – Lawrence

U

Uley, Gloucestershire, England – Riddiford

V

Victoria

W

Water Eaton, Buckinghamshire, England – Cooke, Goodman

Weymouth, Dorset, England – Bishop

Whaddon, Cambridgeshire, England – Read/Reed, Waymant

White Waltham, Berkshire, England – Buckland, Mortimer, Sharp

Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia – Combridge

Woolwich, London, England – Kirkin

Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire, England – Riddiford

Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England – Riddiford

WONTHAGGI, VICTORIA 1925. Image courtesy of the State Library of South Australia. Image no. B 61788/85http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+61788/85

X

Y

Z

In Memory of James Harman

August 13, 2016 / Merron Riddiford / 3 Comments

The following advertisement for the 1916 Hamilton Pastoral & Agriculture (P & A) Show reminded me it was the first Hamilton P & A show my ggg grandfather James Harman was not around for. In turn, it reminded me today is the 100th anniversary of James Harman’s death.

“Advertising” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 29 August 1916: 5. <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article133706580>.

James Harman’s roles with the P & A included exhibitor, judge and committee member. Over the years he exhibited Lincoln sheep, farm produce, and border collie dogs and judged produce and farm machinery.

A LINCOLN SHEEP. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria. Image No. PRG 280/1/17/796 http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/17/796

Toward the end of the 1870s, when his oldest boys could take on duties on his farm, James had more “leisure” time so he threw himself into a few local farm related activities and the P & A was one of those. Respected by farmers and graziers alike, James could mix with all men including Hamilton Spectator owner George Rippon, grazier and politician John Thomson and businessmen Peter Learmonth, and Robert Stapylton Bree each prominent names in the annals of Hamilton and district.

“PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 17 May 1883: 4. .

In 2011, I wrote The Leader of the Pack on the assumption if all my ancestors came together at one place and time it would be James Harman who would step to the front and lead the group. Five years on and knowing so much more about James, I have no doubt. At first I formed my opinion on his place in the Harman family as eldest son and his place in the community as a Wesleyan Methodist Church Local Preacher. Now, with more issues of the Hamilton Spectator at Trove now giving me 248 tagged articles for James, I know his leadership went beyond the confines of family and the Byaduk community.

Along with James’ P & A involvement, he was on several occasions President of the Hamilton Farmers Union in the 1880s and the founding president of the Byaduk Farmers Club. He also was on the Byaduk State School committee, represented the Byaduk community at Dundas Shire meetings and as a leader in the church, attended Wesleyan Methodist Synods representing the Hamilton circuit, always considering the interests of the local church goers.

JAMES HARMAN AGED AROUND THIRTY-SEVEN (1867). Photo taken from the Byaduk Pioneer photo boards in the Byaduk Hall, compiled by Vern McCallum (website http://www.mccallum-collection.org/)

Throughout, James remained humble and during his Farmers’ Union presidency considered he was not worthy of leading the organisation. But James also said if he joined a committee he gave it everything he had and he was true to his word. James’ election to chairman of a meeting in 1881 to discuss a possible extension of the railway from Hamilton to Byaduk was just one occasion when James expressed those sentiments publicly.

“RAILWAY MEETING AT BYADUK.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 15 October 1881: <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226062215>.

Such activities meant James was rarely home but always waiting patiently to all hours of the night was his wife Susan. Susan shared his life from 1852 in Cambridgeshire, through their voyage to Australia as newlyweds and trusted James when he suggested moving north from Port Fairy to select their own piece of Australia. It was Susan’s death only four months before his own that saw James’ health slip, taking away the vigour that served him so well for eighty-five years. As Reverend Guard, the then Byaduk Wesleyan Methodist said in the obituary he wrote for James, “Earth had not such an interest for him…”

TOGETHER AGAIN

Trove Tuesday – Hometown News

August 9, 2016August 9, 2016 / Merron Riddiford / 5 Comments

It was a chance discovery while searching the fifteen or so years of the Hamilton Spectator available at Trove. There in the search results was an article from 1910. That wasn’t expected when only the WW1 years and the decade 1870-9 were available. Curious, I tried a search of “Harman” and the result was dozens of articles from the 1880s to 1910. Trove had surprised me adding a further three decades of Specs and I couldn’t have been happier. Since that day a couple of months ago, I have searched, tagged and found out an incredible amount of new detail about my Hamilton district families. Also, surnames, street names and locations bring such a sense of familiarity when reading my hometown newspaper, even issues from 100 hundred years before I was a resident.

One of the first items of interest I found was an obituary for my gggg grandfather Joseph Harman from 1893. His son James converted to Methodism around 1851 while still in England. Joseph, entrenched in the Church of England, didn’t share his son’s enthusiasm for Methodism. However, when the Harmans moved to Byaduk in 1863, the first church built was Wesleyan Methodist and James Harman, by then a Local Preacher, was one of the forces behind the church. Joseph had little choice but go along to Methodist services, but as soon as a Presbyterian Church was built at Byaduk eighteen years later, he made that church his Sunday morning destination. There were no family loyalties when it came to Joseph’s faith. It would seem that although the new church wasn’t Church of England, it was more to his liking than the teachings of John Wesley. Granted the Presbyterian Church was less than a mile down the road from his home but the Methodist church was only that distance again further on.

“Items of news.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 30 March 1893: <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225177127>.

Also found was a rare obituary for a female family member. Although it doesn’t tell me much about my ggg grandmother Sarah Hughes‘ life, the 400 mourners at her funeral tells me something of the sort of person she was.

“Items of News.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 23 May 1885: <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225661135>.

There are also some great articles about Sarah’s husband James Bishop but I’ll save those for a post just about him because he was a character.

Something I enjoy reading in old newspapers is the seemingly mundane day-to-day goings on in a town. Of course, it’s even better when a story includes a family member. Like the time in 1899 when my gg grandfather Richard Diwell of Hamilton complained about the night soil man.

“HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 14 October 1899: 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR). .

The night soil man Frederick Malster was given the right of reply after the investigation into Richard’s complaint.

“HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 28 October 1899: 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR). .

One of the best finds so far were a number of sketches included in a Hamilton Spectator supplement in 1888. The Spec had the sketches of businesses and scenes of Hamilton made by a Ballarat company. Sketches such as these give us a chance to see how things have changed…

CORNER OF GRAY & THOMPSON STREETS IN 1888. Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 17 April 1888: 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR).

THE PRESENT VIEW OF THE CORNER OF GRAY & THOMPSON STREETS.

And how other things have barely changed at all…

HAMILTON SPECTATOR IN 1888. “VIEW OF HAMILTON VICTORIA.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1918) 17 April 1888: 1 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR).

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR AS IS IT TODAY.

Trove Tuesday – Early Settlers

July 5, 2016 / Merron Riddiford / 3 Comments

A welcome addition to Trove has been the Weekly Times, Victoria’s favourite newspaper for country readers and still in publication. The editions at Trove cover the years 1869 to 1954 and with a rural focus, I anticipated its arrival. Familiar with the newspaper, I was sure the Western District would be well represented and I wasn’t disappointed. The photos alone are fantastic. I’ve found some great Hamilton photos and have shared those to the Facebook group I’ve Lived in Hamilton, Victoria. Some from the 1950s have included faces familiar to many in the group.

There are also family photos and for Trove Tuesday I thought I’d share this lovely photo of Macarthur Pioneers Frederick Button Huggins and Frances Mary Trowell. Both born in Kent, England in the mid-1830s, they married prior to their arrival at Portland in 1856, settling at Macarthur two years later. Frances died in 1920 at Macarthur aged eighty-five and Frederick died in 1927 at Macarthur aged ninety-three.

“EARLY SETTLERS AT MACARTHUR” Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 – 1954) 6 September 1919: 25. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222567748

During the 1880s, there was a mass exodus of families from the Mount Eccles district near Macarthur. They included the eldest children of Frederick and Frances Huggins, James, Agnes, and Frances Susan. With them was Henry Condon, husband of Agnes Huggins and my relatives Walter and Lydia Harman and their children. Tired of the volcanic stones from nearby Mount Eccles covering their selections making the land unfit for cultivation, they were in search of a fertile place with good rainfall, unlike the often drought prone southwest of the state. That place was Omeo in Victoria’s High Country and they settled there from the mid-1880s. Henry’s uncle John Condon had lived there since at least 1880 and when his first wife Mary Jane died in 1886, he married Frances Susan Huggins in 1888.

One of the fifty great-grandchildren of pioneers Frederick and Frances Huggins was the subject of a past Western District Families post. Witness for the Prosecution from 2011, includes the story of the suspicious death of the wife of the Omeo Methodist Rev. Ronald Griggs. Lottie Condon, a great-granddaughter of Macarthur’s Frederick and Frances Huggins was unwittingly involved. Lottie’s grandparents James Huggins and Elizabeth Skipworth, both from Macarthur, married in 1881 prior to their move to Omeo. Their daughter Frances Ethel was born in Macarthur and was only a small child when they moved. At the age of twenty-one, Frances Ethel Huggins married John Henry Condon, a son of John Condon and his first wife Mary Jane. In 1907, Lottie Elizabeth Condon was born at Omeo to John Henry Condon and Frances Ethel Huggins and twenty-one years later became mixed up in the murder trial of Rev. Ronald Griggs.

The Harman connection with the families continued with the marriage of Walter and Lydia’s daughter Susannah Harman to William Condon in 1898. Also, Susannah’s brother Henry was a good friend of Lottie Condon’s parents strengthened by their connection with the Methodist Church at Omeo and in 1928, he too became involved in the murder trial of Rev. Griggs.

To search the Weekly Times, you can follow this link – Weekly Times. If you would like to read more about Frederick and Frances Huggins’ great-granddaughter Lottie Condon and the murder trial of Ronald Griggs, follow this link – Witness for the Prosecution.

Trove Tuesday – Troveitis

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

As I write, it is seventeen hours and twenty-one minutes since Trove went offline to prepare for the launch of Trove 7 on Thursday 25 February. And yes, I’m already missing it. Not a day goes by when I don’t turn to Trove to find a photo, a parish map, information on events in Australian history or book details. But I’m reassured knowing in two days this wonderful free resource we are so lucky to have will be back new and improved.

Of course, the online newspapers are my favourite Trove feature especially little gems such as the following article my “Electronic Friend” from Trove sent on Friday. The article from The Ballarat Star of 18 July 1881 is about my ggg grandfather James Harman. At age fifty-one in 1881. James and his old horses, pulling a Lennon plough, were a great team, often winning local ploughing matches. James lived another thirty-five summers but I’m guessing not too many more summers passed after the article before James laid the horses to rest on his Byaduk property Mt Pleasant.

“BREVIA.” The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 – 1924) 18 Jul 1881 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article219331682

**Postscript – Since writing this post I’ve become aware of funding cuts to the National Library of Australia, the home of Trove. It would be terrible if it meant Trove’s digitisation program was restricted or worse, the introduction of a paywall. You can read more about the funding cuts here.

In Broad Daylight

November 8, 2015November 8, 2015 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

A few years ago, I wrote a post about the youngest son of Joseph Harman and Sarah Mulberry of Byaduk and formally of Melbourn, Cambridgeshire. “Alfred Winslow Harman – Stepping out of the Shadows” was so named because research for the post uncovered things about Alfred I hadn’t known.

Finding a photo of Alfred was the next aim and I thought I had just one shot at it…a photo of the Rupanyup Rifle Team c1880-90. Having seen their great Facebook page, I thought I would contact the Rupanyup Historical Society. I soon heard back from Helen, the society’s Secretary. The society had a meeting the following evening and the President was an expert on the Sargood Shield. That was great news as the Rupanyup Rifle Club had great success in the Sargood Shield, a highly prized annual competition between Melbourne and country Victorian teams. Alfred was captain of the team in 1886.

Helen came back to me after the meeting and finally I was able to see Alfred Harman, out of the shadows and in broad daylight. Helen had emailed me a photo of the 1885 Rupanyup Rifle Club. Alfred is the middle row, first on the left in this photo of the 1885. To give you some idea about where he was in his life, he was thirty-three years old, married for seven years and father to a six-year-old son. His brother-in-law Samuel Miller is in the back row, third from the left. There are some impressive Hairy Mancestors among them.

Image courtesy of the Rupanyup Historical Society.

Thank you so much to the Rupanyup Historical Society. Please go and check out their wonderful Facebook page on the link – Rupanyup Historical Society Facebook Page. It was there I found WW1 photos of Alfred Harman’s great-nephews Robert and George Cruikshank, my 2nd cousins, 3 x removed, who grew up in Rupanyup. I also found photos of members of the Loats and Starbuck families who had lived in the Muddy Creek area, near Hamilton, and with whom I have family links.

James and the Bushranger

August 10, 2015November 9, 2017 / Merron Riddiford / Leave a comment

My son is now eleven and thinks he’s a bit too cool for history. But not all is lost. Often I can get him interested in history without him even realising. Besides taking advantage of his confinement in the car when travelling through the Western District and imparting snippets of history to him, I know that I can take him anywhere historic if I can capture his imagination. I knew I could do that at the Port Fairy Cemetery in January. I was after some more headstone photos and the lure for Lachlan was the chance to see the grave of a bushranger.

The story of “Dick” the Bushranger unfolded just up the road from the cemetery, in front of the St Patrick’s Catholic Church on the Port Fairy/Yambuk Road, now known as the Princes Highway. We visited the church in 2014 and Lachlan took the following photo.

ST. PATRICK’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, PORT FAIRY.

It was 12 February 1859 and the local constabulary had heard two bushrangers were approaching the town. With only three local mounted police, they split up to make sure all roads into town were covered. Constable Wigmore came face to face with the alleged bushrangers at 5.00pm near St. Patrick’s church. After some questioning, he attempted to arrest them and warned them he would shoot if they continued walking toward the town’s centre. One of the men refused and produced a pistol and Constable Wigmore felt he had no choice but to follow through with his warning and he shot the man. The following report appeared in The Age of 24 February 1859. Another report was published in the Geelong Advertiser of 23 February 1859.

“A BUSHRANGER SHOT.” The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954) 24 February 1859: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154837960

The name of the dead man was not known. His companion, William Darcy, said he only knew him as “Dick” and said they had met at the Yambuk Hotel where they allegedly stayed the night before.

YAMBUK HOTEL

William Darcy was charged with highway robbery by Portland police in the days after, as reported in the Portland Guardian and Normanby Advertiser on 2 March and stood trial in May 1859. Darcy was found guilty and sentenced to five years hard labour for assault and highway robbery as reported by the Portland Guardian and Normanby Advertiser on 13 May 1859. Witness statements at the committal hearing published on 2 March would suggest both men were guilty and they didn’t support Darcy’s claim that he and “Dick” were at the Yambuk Inn, rather camped by the road. But many questions remain and it was only the word of the defendant against the two witnesses, that led to Darcy’s charges. “Dick” had no opportunity to give his side of the story.

A search of the Central Register of Male Prisoners at the Public Record Office of Victoria (PROV VPRS 515) found that William Darcy (no. 4481), a Presbyterian, was just twenty-three and had arrived in the colony alone and had no relatives in the colony. He was sent to Pentridge Prison. Beyond William Darcy’s personal information, there was little else to take from the file.

“Dick” was buried in the Port Fairy Cemetery in a grave marked with rocks. In recent years, in addition to the grave is a headstone, with the words “Did He Deserve This?”. I’ve been on one of Maria Cameron’s wonderful Port Fairy cemetery tours and she believes from her research, that “Dick” was Frederick, but the mystery remains as to his true identity.

The story of “Dick” the bushranger is unlike any other bushranger story I could share with Lachlan. As the dying man took his last breath, Lachlan’s gggg grandfather James Harman was present.

“A BUSHRANGER SHOT.” The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954) 24 Feb 1859 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154837960>.

It was no surprise to learn that James and his brother, possibly Jonathan Harman, were heading out of town toward Yambuk. Although I am yet to fully establish James’ movements from the time he disembarked from the Duke of Richmond at Portland harbour in 1854 until he arrived in the Byaduk area around 1861, I do know that James was first employed at Boodcarra between Port Fairy and Yambuk. I took this photo of Boodcarra from a moving car, simply because the road at that point is not good for stopping.

By 1859, James may have resided at Port Fairy, o he would be visiting Yambuk. A reason for a visit was to see good family friends and later extended family, the Olivers who were living at Yambuk around that time. Jonathan and Reuben Harman later married two of the Oliver girls. They were also church friends of the Harmans, another reason James, a Wesleyan Methodist local preacher, may have headed out the Yambuk Road. Perhaps there was a prayer session at a the home of another Wesleyan Methodist. When there was not a local Methodist church, gatherings were held at private homes, by candlelight, and often running late into the night. Whatever the reason, I am sure it was a trip James and his brother never forgot.

So mission accomplished, Lachlan learnt something of his family history and I got more headstone photos to add to my collection. You can see some of those photos in my two Port Fairy cemetery posts to date – Port Fairy Cemetery Part One and Port Fairy Cemetery Part Two.

Hamilton Old Cemetery – Finding Family

July 27, 2015June 6, 2017 / Merron Riddiford / 10 Comments

In 1850, Henry Wade, the surveyor for the Portland district, completed a plan of the township of Hamilton, then known as The Grange. He was under instruction from Robert Hoddle, the head of the Melbourne Survey Office. Hoddle requested Wade set aside eight acres for a cemetery. Wade surveyed a site on the then Wannon Road, later known as Coleraine Road. That site became the Hamilton Cemetery but is now more commonly known as the Hamilton Old Cemetery after the first burial at the Hamilton Lawn Cemetery in February 1970. Some burials occurred at the old cemetery after that time, but generally with existing graves.

Of the cemeteries I have visited in the Western District, the Hamilton Old Cemetery is the one closest to my heart. The following grave is the one that first took me there. The time of my first visit is unclear but maybe as a toddler. I’m not sure who I even went with. Maybe my Nana or my great auntie Rosie, both daughters of Thomas and Sarah Hadden. Both Nana and Auntie Rosie took me to the cemetery many times as a child.

The visits to the cemetery were a regular Sunday ritual. If I heard Nana say, “Those flowers would be nice for the cemetery”, I knew the camellias or the dahlias were in bloom and a cemetery visit was impending. Of course, there were also the visits on significant dates. Nana and Auntie Rosie would weed the plot and put fresh flowers in the vases and I would fill the vases with water at a nearby tap. The vases in the photo (above) have been with the grave since the beginning as Mum remembers them when she was a child visiting the grave. And now my son, a fourth generation descendant, has visited the grave of his gg grandparents Thomas and Sarah.

Thomas Hadden was born in Cavendish in 1879, a son of a Scottish immigrant while Sarah was born Sarah Elizabeth Harman at Byaduk. Her mother, Lizzie Bishop, passed away when Sarah was seven and she and her two siblings were raised by their father Reuben and step-mother Emma Lorden. Thomas Hadden and Sarah Harman married in 1904 at Byaduk. They raised seven children in a small house on Coleraine Road, their first-born Lucy Angelina in 1905.

THOMAS HADDEN & SARAH HARMAN

Both Sarah and Tom passed away in their sixties. Tom in 1943 aged sixty-four and Sarah in 1948 aged sixty-five, both still relatively young.

When I was ten, there was another grave to visit at the cemetery, that of my great Uncle Len Hadden. We probably visited it before that, but it’s not in my memory. My great-aunt Jessie was buried in 1969, but I was one-year-old and don’t remember her, but I do remember Uncle Len.

Arthur Leonard Hadden (below), better known as Len, was the second child and oldest son of Thomas and Sarah. He was born in February 1907 at Hamilton. Len attended the Hamilton State school and became a butcher.

Len married Jessie McPhail in October 1928 at Hamilton. Jessie was born at Tahara to Archibald McPhail and Jessie Wilson in 1905. Jessie and Len had four boys.

ARTHUR LEONARD HADDEN & JESSIE McPHAIL

Visiting Uncle Len at his home on Port Fairy Road, Hamilton during the 1970s was memorable. Then a widower, he was in his mid-sixties but he seemed very old to me. I recall he always had the newspaper open on the table and the radio going, the racing station I think, and he didn’t talk much to me, not in the way his younger brother Bill did anyway. Uncle Len had an ankle biting silky terrier called Scruffy I was a bit scared of and a talking cockatoo. Most memorable was his outdoor dunny, the only one I had seen at the time, and I can still recall the smell which was probably phenyle.

From the Hadden’s, the next of my family graves are those I discovered when I began researching my family history. As a child, I had no idea there were others in the cemetery related to me. Little did I know my great-grandmother Sarah Harman’s great-uncle and aunt William Reed and Sarah Burgin were there and not too far away either.

William Reed and Sarah Burgin were the subjects of my post The Muddy Creek Reeds. There you can read about William’s early life in Cambridgeshire and later as a husband and father living at Muddy Creek.

Also buried there is Edna Alice Ford, a grand-daughter of William and Sarah. Her parents were Martha Reed and James Ernest Ford and she was their fourth born. There is also William Reed Jnr, the eldest child of William Reed and Sarah Burgin. Dying aged eighty-six, William never married.

Not far away is the grave of another of William and Sarah’s children, Sarah Ann Reed (below). She married William Kirkwood of Buckley’s Swamp in 1903. They settled at Buckley’s Swamp and raised a family of at least seven children. I have several more photos of Kirkwood graves and I will feature those in a future post on the Hamilton Cemetery.

There are more of the Reed family graves to photograph including William and Sarah’s daughter and mother of Alice Edna Ford, Martha Reed and her husband James Ford. Also daughter Eliza Reed and her husband James Clayton and her sister Alice Reed and Alice’s husband Henry Brewis. Williams and Sarah’s son, Albert Reed and his wife Elilias Patman are also buried in the cemetery.

Nearby the grave of William and Sarah is the last resting place of Sarah’s parents Richard Burgin and Eliza Addinsall. They were from Lincolnshire and arrived at Geelong aboard the Joshua in 1854. Accompanying them were their children, Richard Jnr, Sarah, William and baby Hannah. According to the passenger list, they were heading to nearby Batesford, the home of relatives. They eventually made their way further west and were in the Hamilton district by 1858 when their daughter Eliza was born. They settled at Muddy Creek, a small settlement just south of Hamilton with a large Methodist population.

Devout Wesleyans, the Burgins attended the Muddy Creek Methodist Chuch. That is where the Burgin, Reed, Harman connection all began. My ggg grandfather was a local preacher and in the early 1860s, before he settled his family at what would become Byaduk, Muddy Creek was their nearest church. James’ wife Susan Reed was a sister of William, who arrived in the district from England as a single man and settled around Muddy Creek. Sarah and William met, possibly at church, married and the rest is history.

The first burial in the Burgin plot was Eliza Burgin Jnr who passed away in 1874 aged sixteen. Her mother Eliza followed in 1883 aged sixty-six then father Richard who passed away in 1888 aged seventy-eight.

“The Horsham Times.” The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954) 8 Jun 1888:<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72883526>.

The last burial was, Hannah Burgin who never married and passed away in 1923 aged seventy.

Still close by is the grave of Sarah Harman’s 1st cousin 1 x removed, Jessie Harman. Jessie, of Byaduk, was the daughter of Reuben Harman and Elizabeth Oliver and married Hamilton man, Walter Greed in 1898.

Walter’s parents, John Weaver Greed and Emma Grinter started an undertaking business in Hamilton in 1861. Around 1890, it was taken over by Walter’s younger brother Frank after the death of their father. It became known as F.Greed & Sons and today the descendants of John and Emma run the business on the site where the business began 154 years ago.

Walter was the nephew of Abraham Greed a Hamilton coachmaker and at one time, Mayor. When he finished school, Walter went to work with his uncle in the coach building trade. After their marriage, Jessie and Walter lived at 21 Stephen Street (below), with not only their children, Vera and Arthur, but at times, Jessie’s mother and two sisters, Beatrice and Sarah.

Jessie and Walter’s son Arthur married Evelyn Sack around 1928 at the Hamilton Baptist Church, just a couple of blocks from the Greed home.

“SOCIAL.” The Horsham Times (Vic. : 1882 – 1954) 22 Jun 1928:<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72628020>.

FORMER BAPTIST CHURCH, HAMILTON

Evelyn was born in Shepparton, but her family moved to Hamilton soon after and her father Frederick Sack operated a jewellers and optician business in Gray Street. The family lived at 46 Martin Street.

“Advertising.” Hamilton Spectator (Vic. : 1870 – 1873; 1914 – 1918) 8 Jun 1918 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119502851>.

Arthur Greed worked in the materials and curtain department in Miller’s store also in Gray Street. After he and Evelyn married, they lived at 20 Stephen Street, across the road from Arthur’s parents. In their later years, Arthur and Evelyn retired to Portland. They passed away within three months of each other in 1993.

We now make our way to the opposite end of the cemetery to the Diwell plot. On my last visit, I found another Diwell grave along the way.

I’ll have to use the cemetery records to find out who it belongs to, however, I have narrowed it down to possibly being Jonathan Richard Diwell, born at Hamilton in 1919 and who died in Hamilton in 1928. He was the son of William Diwell and Vita Gleeson and grandson of Richard Diwell and Elizabeth Jelly, buried in the next featured grave.

This grave is the most ornate of my family graves at the cemetery, the final resting place of my gg grandparents, Richard Diwell and Elizabeth Jelly and four of their children.

You can read more about Richard and Elizabeth in the posts Elizabeth Ann Jelly and Another What the Dickens Moment.

Buried with them are four children including the baby Elizabeth gave birth to in 1900, with both dying as a result. Also Richard and Elizabeth’s seventh child, Ernest Richard. He died in 1939 aged forty-eight after accidentally drinking spirits of salt.

The grave is looking a little worse for wear.

There are still several Diwell related headstones to get photos of. They include Richard and Anne’s three young granddaughters, Hilda, Linda and Margaret the daughters of Margaret Ann Diwell and her husband Frederick Coustley. There are also Richard’s sister Margaret Ann McClintock and her daughter Martha Emily McClintock and another daughter Mary Crawford McClintock who married John Blackney.

Since my collection of Hamilton Old cemetery photos is close to 200, this is not the last post on the cemetery. Next, a tour of some of the graves of those who shaped Hamilton.

SOURCES

Garden, Donald S. (Donald Stuart) and Hamilton (Vic.). Council Hamilton, a Western District history. City of Hamilton in conjunction with Hargreen, North Melbourne, 1984, p38.

Hamilton History Centre Driving Tour

Gardner, Margaret & Heffernan, Val & Hamilton History Centre (2007). Exploring Hamilton : mini histories for drive no. 1. Hamilton History Centre, Hamilton, Vic, p15.

Victoria. Register of Assisted Immigrants from the United Kingdom. Microfiche VPRS 14. Public Record Office Victoria, North Melbourne, Victoria, sourced from Ancestry.com.au

©Merron Riddiford 2015. The use of the content and images in this post is according to Western District Families’ Creative Commons License

Port Fairy Cemetery – Part Two

May 12, 2015June 23, 2018 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

I promised a second Port Fairy Cemetery post months ago and finally, here it is. Considering the number of photos I have from my January 2014 and 2015 visits, there could be a third and maybe a fourth installment.

ATKINSON

Clara Atkinson died in Port Fairy on 8 April 1873 aged fifty-one. Her husband John Henry Atkinson a chemist, ordered a headstone to remember not only Clara but the two babies the couple lost in 1856 and 1858.

“Family Notices.” Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876) 21 Apr 1873: 2 Edition: EVENINGS. Web. 12 Jan 2015 .

If it wasn’t for the words “San Francisco” on the headstone, this post would have been much shorter. Seeing San Francisco on a headstone in Port Fairy stirred the “how” and “whys” in me and I had to find out more. Baby Lucy Jane Atkinson passed away in San Francisco on 28 June 1856. She was buried at the Lone Mountain Cemetery in San Francisco aged one month.

Two years later in Warrnambool, on 30 October 1858, Clara and John lost another baby, Clara Bevans aged fifty days.

The Atkinsons seem to have arrived at Hobson’s Bay on 14 July 1858 from San Francisco aboard the Mary Robinson as cabin passengers. If those passengers were the said Atkinsons, Clara would have been heavily pregnant with baby Clara.

“SHIPPING.” The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 – 1954) 26 Jul 1858: 4. Web. 12 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154873476>.

Searches for a John Henry Atkinson, Chemist at Trove brought up many references to Sandhurst (Bendigo) where a John H. Atkinson had a spot of bother in the courts, leading to insolvency. I was beginning to wonder, first, if that was the same John H. and secondly was there a link to an important and influential resident of Bendigo from the 1860s, Harry Leigh Atkinson who at the time of his death was considered one of the largest landholders in Victoria?

Using Trove and records from Ancestry.com.au, I began to piece the jigsaw together. The only solid clue to John Henry Atkinson’s past came from his death notice that stated he was the brother of the Portland Shire Secretary, Edwin Atkinson and that John died in Exmouth, England.

“Family Notices.” Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953) 1 Apr 1887: 2 Edition: EVENING. Web. 12 Jan 2015 .

That information was useful as I was able to find the following information about John’s will:

“Wills and Bequests.” Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 – 1939) 2 Sep 1887: 7. Web. 12 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146710419

Suddenly I had the names of nieces and nephews to trace and the clue of Nafferton, Yorkshire which led me to the 1841 UK census. Brother of John, Edwin Atkinson helped me find John’s birthplace, Kilham in Yorkshire and his baptism in March 1822. His parents were Thomas Atkinson and Harriet Parkin. Checking the 1841 census, I found a John Atkinson “druggist” aged 20 living at Kilham.

Back at Trove, I found a man by the name of John Henry Atkinson of Launceston qualifying as a chemist in 1849.

“[No heading].” The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 – 1859) 14 Mar 1849: 2. Web. 13 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page638262>.

Less than six months later, a John Henry Atkinson was a cabin passenger aboard the Spartan bound for San Francisco from Launceston.

“Shipping Intelligence.” Launceston Examiner (Tas. : 1842 – 1899) 1 Aug 1849: 7 Edition: AFTERNOON. Web. 12 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36258021>.

With the knowledge about Kilham, Yorkshire, I discovered John had another brother, Thomas Parkin Atkinson which led to the name of another brother, Dr. Alfred Atkinson. With that confirmation that John, Thomas, Edwin and Alfred Atkinson were cousins of Dr. Harry Leigh Atkinson.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 21 May 1866: 4. Web. 13 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5763019>.

With that solved, I was still interested in why John was in San Fransisco. I discovered a reason when I read the notice of Dr Alfred Atkinson’s death at Eaglehawk. Alfred went to Bendigo in 1862 after many years in California.

“THE BENDIGO ADVERTISER.” Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 – 1918) 17 Mar 1876: 2. Web. 13 Jan 2015 .

WEBB

The Webb family headstone remembers parents William and Elizabeth Jane Webb and their children William Robert James and Edith Gertrude.

WEBB FAMILY GRAVE

William Webb Sr was born in Wiltshire around 1830. He arrived in Port Fairy about 1852 and married Elizabeth Jane Francis in 1858. They had eleven children including William Jr and Edith. Edith passed away in 1875 aged two and her brother William Jr passed away in 1886 aged twenty-six. In 1911, mother Elizabeth passed away aged seventy-two years.

William Webb Sr passed away in 1919 having lived to the age of 89 years. During his life, he established himself as a leading citizen of Port Fairy, spending forty years on the Borough council with a record seven terms as Mayor. From the Victorian Heritage Database, I found William established an iron casting business in Gipps Street, Port Fairy with his brother Henry in the 1850s that included carriage making and a horseshoe forge. He later moved the business to Sackville Street.

“Cruelty to a Horse.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 8 Jul 1919: <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4718862>.

“BOROUGH OF PORT FAIRY.” Port Fairy Gazette (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 22 Feb 1915: 4 Edition: EVENING. Web. 11 Jan 2015 .

GIBSON/McKECHNIE

Seven members of the Gibson/McKechnie family were buried in the following plot.

John Gibson was a President of the Port Fairy Shire and was a renown breeder of stock horses at his property Leura. He married Sarah Ann Taylor in 1856. They had a large family and one of their first losses was daughter Margaret in 1877 aged six. The following year Ann passed away aged eighteen.

John died in September 1887 only a month after being elected shire president. Only the week before, his eldest son Thomas Edward Gibson had died as a result of an old injury.

“Brevities.” Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954) 5 Oct 1887: 3. Web. 18 Dec 2014 .

“Wills and Bequests.” Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 – 1939) 16 Dec 1887: 4. Web. 18 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146710973>.

In 1889, John’s daughter Alice Gibson married Richard Stirling McKechnie of Balmoral.

“Family Notices.” The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) 23 Feb 1889: 53. Web. 18 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139697003>.

In 1890, a son Richard was born to Alice and Richard but he died in the same year and was buried in the Gibson plot. Alice passed away in 1894 and was also buried in the Gibson family plot. Richard McKechnie remarried to Jessie Ireland of Port Fairy. At the time, he was living at Lagoon Lodge, located to the west of the town.

David Gibson was the next member of the family to pass away, on 24 June 1895 aged thirty-one.

John Gibson’s wife Sarah Ann died in 1899 at Port Fairy. She was buried in another grave with their youngest son Charles James Gibson who died in 1902 aged twenty-three. Also Sarah’s mother Ann Taylor who died in 1909 aged eighty-seven.

As I moved away from the grave, something caught my eye on the bottom right-hand corner of the headstone – “G. Harman, Port Fairy”

HARMAN

There is only one G. Harman of Port Fairy I know of and that is ggg uncle George Hall Harman whose own headstone in the Port Fairy Cemetery is below. He was buried with his wife Rebecca Graham and their headstone remembers their daughter Edith who died in 1866 at Byaduk.

GEORGE HALL HARMAN.

REBECCA GRAHAM

SEARLE

The following headstone originated out of tragedy.

SEARLE FAMILY GRAVE

On a Sunday morning during December 1886, Annie Edith Searle daughter of nurseryman Henry Searle and Phoebe Robins of Port Fairy, drowned at Boarding School Bay, just west of the township.

“THREE LADIES DROWNED.” The North Eastern Ensign (Benalla, Vic. : 1872 – 1938) 19 Jan 1886: 2. Web. 19 Dec 2014 .

Mother Phoebe, passed away on 19 April 1909 aged eighty-seven and her husband Henry Searle passed away eight months later, on 27 December aged eighty-six.

“PORT FAIRY.” Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 – 1924) 7 Jan 1910: 4. Web. 11 Jan 2015 .

In 1922, another daughter Alice Amelia was buried in the plot, passing away at the age of sixty-three.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 19 Jan 1921: 1. Web. 19 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1733152>.

WARE

The following grave is that of infant Robert Vincent Ware.

GRAVE OF ROBERT VINCENT WARE

Robert Ware was the two-year-old son of James Ware and Jane Mailor and was born in 1854 at Belfast. He died in 1856.

From the 1856 Victorian Electoral Roll, I found that James Ware was a licensed victualler and was a leaseholder on the corner of James and Bank Street, the location of the Caledonian Inn in Port Fairy. Construction of the inn began in 1844.

CALEDONIAN INN, PORT FAIRY

James and Jane had at least another three children after Robert’s death, Susan, Alice and Mary Ann. They were born at Port Fairy and Rosebrook. I’m still to find what happened to James Ware, but I do know that by 1894, Jane had moved to Melbourne, taking up residence at Bella Vista in East Melbourne where Susan passed away in 1894.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 5 Mar 1894: 1. Web. 14 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8730679>.

Looking at the 1903 Victorian Electoral Roll, the Ware’s may not have been guests at the luxury boarding house Bella Vista, as Mary Ann’s occupation was listed as “boarding-house keeper.”

Jane Ware passed away in Sydney on 17 September 1900. She died at 71C Darlinghurst Road, at that time operating as a boarding house.

“Family Notices.” The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) 29 Sep 1900: 55. Web. 14 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139156386>.

Daughter Mary Jane stayed on at Bella Vista and passed away in 1939.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 10 Feb 1939: 10. Web. 17 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12095589>.

BROWN

The headstone of Abijah Brown is one of the most distinctive in the Port Fairy cemetery.

GRAVE OF ABIJAH BROWN

The 1856 Victorian Electoral Rolls shows that Abijah was at that time the licensee of the Stag Hotel in Sackville Street.

SEACOMBE HOUSE, PORT FAIRY FORMALLY THE STAG HOTEL.

Abijah’s nickname was ‘Clockey’ because of the large gold watch and chain he wore and he took over license of The Stag hotel, Port Fairy in 1855. Pamela Marriott in her book “Time Gentlemen Please,” mentions Abijah was a jeweller which explains his gold watch. Abijah was also a councillor for a short time. Prior to going to the Stag Hotel, he ran the Plough Inn at Killarney. He died on 19 July 1862.

KIRK

The men buried in the last two graves of this post had family links through marriage.

HEADSTONE WILLIAM MUSGREAVE AND HANNAH KIRK.

Rupert Kirk was a former army captain who purchased over 300 acres of land at Land Cove, Sydney in 1831. He established a soap making business and named his property Woodford Park. He was also the father of William Musgreave Kirk buried in the Port Fairy Cemetery (above).

“Classified Advertising.” The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 – 1842) 13 May 1841: 4. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2553302>.

RUPERT KIRK. Artist: Maurice Felton Surgeon. Sydney / del.t March 27th 1841.” Image courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Rupert passed away on 8 March 1850.

“Family Notices.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 11 Mar 1850: 3. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12916317>.

Only weeks earlier, Rupert’s son William Kirk married Hannah Lindsay in Sydney.

“Family Notices.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 26 Jan 1850: 3. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12915234>.

William was living in Mudgee, N.S.W. after his marriage in 1850

“Advertising.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 6 Mar 1850: 3. Web. 20 Dec 2014 .

Alos at that time, William’s sister was living in the Port Fairy district, marrying Horace Flower there in 1850 as reported by The Argus on 19 October 1850. William Kirk was in Victoria some time from the early 1850s living by the Merri Creek near Woodford. He died there on 11 July 1855.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 18 Jul 1855: 4. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4812501>.

Hannah Lindsay, William’s wife passed away on 2 December 1864 and was buried in the same grave.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 13 Dec 1864: 4. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5748104>.

RUTLEDGE

As mentioned, there is a link between William Kirk and the next grave’s occupant, Lloyd Rutledge.

HEADSTONE OF LLOYD RUTLEDGE

If you believe in ghosts, Lloyd Rutledge’s grave is a must see especially if you visit on the night of 17 December when Lloyd is said to appear each year at his grave. Lloyd was the younger brother of William Rutledge who arrived in Port Fairy around 1843 and established William Rutledge & Co. a mercantile company shipping goods to and from England. William Rutledge had married Eliza Kirk, a sister of William Kirk (above) in Sydney in 1840. That marriage was most likely the catalyst for William Kirk and his other siblings to move to Victoria.

When William Rutledge first arrived in Australia in 1829, he settled himself in Sydney and once established brought his siblings in Ireland to Australia. Lloyd followed him to Port Fairy and worked with him at William Rutledge & Co. In 1852, Lloyd returned to Sydney to marry Isabella Bennett, daughter of Richard Bennett.

“Family Notices.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 6 Aug 1852: 3. Web. 20 Dec 2014 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12938972>.

The Rutledge, Bennett and Kirk family were all intertwined through marriage. William Rutledge married Eliza Kirk, maternal aunt of Lloyd’s wife Isabella Bennett. Isabella’s brother Richard Bennett Jnr wrote the articles that make up the book “Richard Bennetts’ Early Days of Port Fairy.”

Only a month before Lloyd and Isabella’s wedding, William Rutledge sent Lloyd to Portland on a mission. Desperately in need of labour, William wanted Lloyd to meet the incoming immigrant ship Runnymede. Accompanying Lloyd was Thomas Browne, better known by his pen name Rolf Boldrewood, the author of “Robbery Under Arms.” Supplied with blank forms of agreement from William, Lloyd boarded the ship and signed up seventy passengers for work, ignoring the police interest in his activities. Boldrewood wrote about the event in an article entitled “Desirable Immigrants” published in The Australasian on 8 July 1905.

“PORTLAND.” Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 – 1857) 2 Jul 1852:

Lloyd was a racehorse owner and steward.

“VICTORIA.” The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) 10 Oct 1854: 3. Web. 17 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12961947>.

He also rode in races and these results from 22 February 1856, show him running third at the Portland races aboard “Tross”.

“THIRD DAY, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST.” Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876) 22 Feb 1856: 1 Supplement: SUPPLEMENT TO THE PORTLAND GUARDIAN.. Web. 17 Jan 2015 .

Also racing was “Alice Hawthorne” who was later one of Victoria’s leading racehorses, competing in a NSW vs Victoria match race in 1857, a forerunner to the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 You can read more about Alice by clicking on the link on her name.

In 1855, Lloyd had a two-storey home constructed in Port Fairy and named it Cooinda. It was there in 1858 that Lloyd’s life would end at just thirty-one years of age. Partial to a drink, Lloyd was climbing the stairs of Cooinda after a drinking session when he fell back down the stairs and broke his neck.

“Family Notices.” The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) 21 Dec 1858: 4. Web. 12 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7306711>.

Cooinda moved into the hands of the Finn family of Port Fairy. In 1918, they sold the house.

“PROPERTY SALES.” Port Fairy Gazette (Vic. : 1914 – 1918) 9 Sep 1918: 2 Edition: EVENING. Web. 15 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91988481>.

Cooinda fell into a bad state of disrepair. It was known locally as the “haunted house” with Lloyd said to appear at the top of the stairs each 17 December. In the 1950s, the house was demolished. It was from then that Lloyd supposedly moved his annual “appearance” to his graveside. More information on an investigation into paranormal activity at the grave site is on the Port Fairy Cemetery website.

SOURCES

Australian Electoral Rolls (Australian Electoral Commission) – Ancestry.com.au

Bennett, Richard and Critchett, Jan Richard Bennetts early days of Port Fairy. W.I.A.E. Press, Warrnambool, Vic, 1984.

Marriott, Pamela M Time gentlemen please! : an history of Western District inns, 1840-1915. Pamela M Marriott, [Flemington, Vic.], 2001.

Port Fairy Public Cemetery website

PORT FAIRY CEMETERY PART ONE

Share this:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

©Merron Riddiford 2015. The use of the content and images in this post is according to Western District Families’ Creative Commons License

Share this:

ATKINSON

WEBB

GIBSON/McKECHNIE

HARMAN

SEARLE

WARE

BROWN

KIRK

RUTLEDGE

Share this: