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

Not Just Hamilton’s Soldiers

February 4, 2016February 21, 2017 / Merron Riddiford / 3 Comments

One of the features of Western District Families is Hamilton’s WW1 now with sixty-six profiles of enlisted men with Hamilton links.

‘HAMILTON BOYS’ c 30 April 1915. Photo Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. Image no. DAOD1060 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/DAOD1060/

I’ve set a target, possibly an over ambitious one, of 100 profiles by Anzac Day but I’ll give it a go. There are some good stories about Hamilton nurses that I would like to share before 25 April 2016 too. But first something I’ve noticed…well it’s one of many things I’ve observed during the course of my research, but let’s start with memorials…well, one of the things I’ve noticed about memorials…

If you visit the Hamilton War Memorial and look at the names, you could be excused for thinking those men listed lived in Hamilton for a significant part of their lives or, at the very least, were born there. But that’s not the case, they were from all over with a few men having only a fleeting connection with Hamilton.

Some of the men had fathers who moved often with work. Clifford Williams, who was unlikely to have even visited Hamilton, was a son of a teacher while William Thompson was the son of a railway worker who often moved his family. Both are on the Hamilton War Memorial (below). Others went to Hamilton as adults for work and were only there a short time before enlisting, such as Edwin Smith who arrived in Hamilton around 1913 to work at the Union Bank. Reginald Briant was born in Hampshire, England and spent a few years in Melbourne before working for the Hamilton Electric Supply Company before his enlistment.

When searching for a family member on memorials and honour boards, clues from Electoral Rolls, Trove newspapers and the solider’s Attestation papers can help you find them. Even if your soldier’s family just “passed through” a particular town, it’s worth following up. Soldiers were often memorialised in several towns. As well as the Hamilton War Memorial, Clifford Williams and Percy Osborne had trees planted along Bacchus Marsh’s Avenue Honour. And don’t overlook workplaces and churches. Percy Osborne has a memorial window at Hamilton’s Christ Church Cathedral (below) and is on the Union Bank Honour Roll in Melbourne.

MEMORIAL WINDOW FOR PERCY OSBORNE BEAUMONT, HAMILTON CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL.

MEMORIAL WINDOW FOR PERCY BEAUMONT OSBORNE, HAMILTON CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL.

If you are wondering if Hamilton commemorated your WW1 soldier’s service, all Hamilton’s outdoor WW1 War Memorials including names are at Hamilton’s WW1. Eventually, I will add Hamilton’s honour boards. The Victorian War Heritage Inventory is a useful resource for locating memorials across Victoria. You can search by the name or a place.

A quick reminder…to delve into the daily events of Hamilton 100 years ago, “like” the Hamilton WW1 Facebook page. Along with new profiles, six days a week I post an article from the Hamilton Spectator from 100 years before. It’s been interesting to read how Hamilton, just like other towns, continued on while so many were away fighting and how the subject of war managed to creep into most aspects of daily life.

The names of the sixty-six soldiers profiled at Hamilton’s WW1 are below. I’ve included their place of birth and other towns they had connections to. Most never returned to Australia. For some of those who did, life was never the same. Lest We Forget.

AUSTIN, Glenister Burton Hamilton

AUSTIN, William John Hamilton, Adelaide

BARR, Gordon Hotspur, Strathkellar, Warrnambool

BRAKE, William Horsham, Hamilton, Mont Albert

BRIANT, Reginald Stuart Hampshire (ENG), East Melbourne, Hamilton.

BURGESS, Ebenezer Benalla, Mildura, Numurkah, Wonthaggi, Stratford

CAMERON, Archibald Douglas Branxholme, Hamilton

CAMERON, Sidney Joseph Hamilton

CAMERON, Thomas Waddell Port Fairy, Hamilton, Kyabram

COULTER, Robert James Hamilton

DAVIES, Albert Hamilton

DAVIES, Stanley Walton Hamilton, Lubeck

DOUGLAS, Claude Campbell Telford Euroa, Hamilton

DUNN, Daniel Joseph Heidelberg, Carlton

ELDER, Frank Reginald Charlton, Jurek, Hamilton

FENTON, John Wilfred Hamilton

FOLEY, Cornelius Thomas Coleraine, Hamilton

GIBSON. Sydney Walter Moe, Casterton, Hamilton, Bendigo

HARRIS, Leslie Duncan Fremantle (WA), Hamilton, Coleraine

HENTY, Edward Ellis Portland, Hamilton

HERILHY, George Joseph David Balmoral, Hamilton

HERRMANN, Bernard Hamilton, Hochkirch (Tarrington)

HIND, William Arthur Mooroopna, Hamilton, Heyfield

ILES, Cyril Thomas Brackley Hamilton, Windsor

JAFFRAY, Alfred John Hamilton

KINGHORN, Walter Rodney Byaduk

KIRKWOOD, Willliam John Clyde Hamilton, Colac, Port Fairy

KNIGHT, James Alfred Hamilton, Malvern

LANCE, George Basil Casterton, Hamilton

LEWIS, Arthur Harold Hamilton, St. Arnaud, Heywood

LIEBE, Sydney August Hamilton

LINDSAY, Charles Henry Heywood, Ballarat, Wallacedale, Hamilton

McPHEE, Norman Edward Hamilton

MORISON, John Archibald McFarlane Hamilton, Maroona

MULLANE, Leslie Alexander Branxholme, Wallacedale, Hamilton

NIDDRIE, Stanley Roy Hamilton

NIVEN, William David Harrow, Merino Downs, Hamilton

NORMAN, William Leslie Hamilton, Warracknabeal

OSBORNE, Percy Beaumont Bacchus Marsh, Maryborough, Hamilton, Ballarat

PORTER, George Richard Hamilton

PORTER, Norman Leslie James Hamilton, Wallacedale, Broken Hill, Tasmania

RHOOK, Archibald Alfred Tyrendarra, Hamilton

RHOOK, Henry Joseph William Hamilton, Beaufort

RICHIE, George Katunga, Willaura, Hamilton

RIGBY, Frederick Roland Angus Coleraine, Hamilton

SALTER, Herbert Ernest Naracoorte, Dunkeld, Hamilton

SCOTT, Alexander William Portland, Hamilton, Donald

SHARROCK, Charles Terang, Mt. Napier, Penshurst

SHAW, Ivan Thomas Coleraine, Hamilton

SHEEHAN, Albert Edward Macarthur, Hamilton

SMITH, Edwin Richardson Mooroopna, Shepparton, Morwell, Kyabram, Hamilton

STAGOLL, Robert Leslie Hamilton

STEVENSON, Alexander John Hamilton, Portland

STEVENSON, Edgar Richmond Hamilton, Portland

STEWART, Charles Herbert Byaduk, Hamilton, Western Australia

THOMPSON, William Norton Horsham, Ararat, Hamilton, Hopetoun

TREDREA, Francis Stanley Hamilton, Stawell

TRIGGER, Samuel Wilfred Macarthur, Hamilton, Murray Bridge (SA)

UNDERWOOD, Arthur Bell Percy Dunkeld, Bendigo, Hamilton

WATERS, William Henry Edenhope, Hamilton

WESTGARTH, Horace Leonard Hamilton

WHITE, John Francis Raymond Hamilton, Cosgrave

WILLIAMS, Clifford Davis Tarnagulla, Bacchus Marsh, Melbourne

WILLIAMS, Lancelot Hamilton Hamilton

WOMERSLEY. Edgar Dunkeld

YOUNG, Clarence Everard Hamilton

**Postscript – Since writing this post, I have added a further forty stories of Hamilton’s enlisted men. You can read them at Hamilton’s WW1

Passing of the Pioneers

January 31, 2015September 21, 2020 / Merron Riddiford / 1 Comment

Writing Passing of the Pioneers is becoming a longer process each month as I get drawn into the stories. I think it all began when I started searching for photos to compliment the obituaries, making the posts more visually appealing. That sometimes takes some extra searching and other information arises that is just too good to let pass.

For the January Passing Pioneers, there is Sarah McDonald one of those pioneering women I read about and think “Wow.” Also another member of the Laidlaw family, a Hamilton publican and a man who had the unenviable task of being called as a witness in a Casterton murder case.

David Wemyss GALLIE: Died 12 January 1868 at Portland. From the first reading of his obituary, David Gallie was simply the long-time bank manager of The Bank of Australasia in Portland. But digging up a bit more about him unearthed some interesting family links.

From the Australian Death Index at Ancestry I discovered David was the son of Hugh and Robina Gallie and was born around 1813. The earliest record I could find of him in Australia was again at Ancestry and the New South Wales, Australia, Returns of the Colony, 1822-1857. David was working as a clerk in the Surveyor General’s office.

In 1840, David’s sister, Anna Maria married Edward Henty of Portland at St James Church in Melbourne.

“Family Notices.” The Cornwall Chronicle (Launceston, Tas. : 1835 – 1880) 14 Nov 1840: 2. Web. 27 Jan 2015 .

David Wemyss Gallie himself married in 1842 to Elizabeth Francis Gordon in Launceston. Elizabeth was the daughter of Captain Donald McArthur.

Family Notices. (1842, June 9). Launceston Advertiser (Tas. : 1829 – 1846), p. 3. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84771074

Just for interest’s sake, I Googled the said Captain and found a great site called the Telford Family of Ellinbank. The site includes the McArthur family and from there I discovered Elizabeth’s mother. Elizabeth Wemyss. That name was familiar. Of course, Wemyss was David Gallie’s middle name. What? Yes, David was related to his new bride. In fact, David and Elizabeth were cousins with their mothers Elizabeth and Robina sisters.

At some point, David began working for the Bank of Australasia and in 1846, he and Elizabeth travelled to Portland on the Minverva accompanied by David’s brother-in-law Edward Henty. This was possibly the time David took up his position as the manager of Portland’s Bank of Australasia.

“Shipping Intelligence.” Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 – 1857) 2 Jun 1846: 2. Web. 27 Jan 2015 .

The Minerva was owned by the Henty Brothers and Captain Fawthrop her master. The Henty’s used the schooner to transport goods and sheep between the two colonies.

“Advertising.” Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876) 24 Sep 1842: 1. Web. 5 Feb 2015 .

The funeral of David Gallie was well attended with “most of the principal gentlemen of the town and district” there to pay their respects. They included brother-in-law Edward Henty and his brother Stephen Henty.

“Family Notices.” Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 – 1876) 30 Jan 1868: 6 Edition: EVENINGS. Web. 24 Jan 2015 .

William FOSTER: Died 12 January 1896 at Branxholme. William Foster was not as old as the usual pioneers listed here, but his sudden death at thirty-three years of age made headlines around the country. On Sunday 12 January 1896 William, a carpenter by trade, attended his local Church of England along with his wife and elderly parents. During a hymn, William appeared to have fainted, but upon removing him from the church he died.

George BAXTER: Died 8 January 1900 at Hamilton. George Baxter has links to two different branches of my family tree. The first was his role as a witness in the murder of the Hunts of Casterton in 1860. My ggg grandmother Mrs Margaret Diwell was also a witness in the trial. George’s second link was via the Holmes family. His daughter, Elizabeth Jane married William Tyers Holmes a brother of George Holmes, husband of my ggg aunt Julia Harman. Julia and Elizabeth both signed the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Petition at Casterton in 1891. For more information on George’s and his family, see the SW Pioneers site.

Adam TURNBULL: Died January 1905 at Coleraine. Adam Turnbull’s parents, Dr Adam Turnbull and Margaret Young travelled to Tasmania from Scotland in 1825 and Adam junior was born around 1827. In 1845, Adam’s father sent him to Victoria to oversee the purchase of the Mt Koroite and Dundas runs. Who accompanied him on that trip varies between the article below and Adam’s obituary but it was either William Young, Adam’s uncle or another member of the Young family, George.

“PASTORAL PIONEERS.” The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) 17 Aug 1935: 4. Web. 25 Jan 2015 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article141761090>.

The company of Turnbull and Sons also purchased the Winninburn run where Adam died in 1905. During his time in the district, Adam Turnbull jnr was the first president of the Shire of Wannon and was on the first committee of the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at Coleraine. His grandson, Sir Winton George Turnbull of the Country Party, was a member of the House of Representatives as the Federal member for the Wimmera.

THE TALL WHITE MONUMENT MARKS THE TURNBULL FAMILY GRAVE, COLERAINE CEMETERY

Edward WHITE: Died 20 January 1910 at Coleraine. Edward was born around 1837 and arrived in South Australia from Ireland around 1851. In the early 1860s, he moved to Victoria when the family took up the Den Hills run near Coleraine. Edward served on the roads board and was a worthy athlete during his younger years. His wife predeceased him and they had one son. There is more information about the White family on the SW Pioneers site.

Thomas LAIDLAW: Died 12 January 1915 at Macarthur. Thomas Laidlaw was born in Scotland in 1833 and arrived with his brother Robert to Victoria around 1851. He headed to Newlands Station near Harrow to work with his brother Walter Laidlaw, a Passing of the Pioneers subject last month. A description of Thomas’ arrival was in his obituary and that of this son Thomas Haliburton Laidlaw, a Passing Pioneer in September 2011.

“THE LATE MR. T. H. LAIDLAW.” Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953) 25 Sep 1941: 2 Edition: EVENING. Web. 5 Feb 2015 .

In 1857, Thomas married Grace McLeod of Wallan however Grace passed away in 1864 but not before five sons were born, including Thomas Haliburton. In 1868, Thomas married Christina Linton and they had a son and a daughter. Thomas moved to South Australia to farm with his brother Robert before moving to Dunkeld and then Glenburnie at Macarthur. He then purchased South Wonwondah south of Horsham, living there for eighteen years before moving closer to Hamilton, residing at Glencairn.

Daniel Michael SCULLION: – Died 27 January 1915 at Hamilton. Daniel Scullion was born at Garvoc in 1868 to John Scullion and Janet McKeller. He appears to have ventured into the hotel business in his hometown as the licensee of the Yallock Inn which he still owned at the time of his death. By then, Daniel had been in Hamilton around ten years, first operating the Hamilton Inn and then the Caledonian Hotel that still exists today. In 1909, Daniel moved to Horsham and took on the license of the Wimmera Hotel. Within a couple of years, he had returned to Hamilton, resuming as licensee at the Caledonian Hotel.

In 1914, Daniel’s sister, Lilias Scullion, a nursing sister, purchased one of Hamilton’s most well-known buildings, St. Ronans, just up the hill from the Caledonian Hotel and previously owned by former Mayor David Laidlaw. Interestingly, the Victorian Heritage Database entry on St Ronans, a report prepared by the Southern Grampians Shire, does not list Sr. Scullion as a former owner. There is an interesting article about the opening of the Sr. Scullion’s hospital, and the work that was required to make that possible, on the following link – http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119870490

“HAMILTON.” The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 – 1946) 2 May 1903: 27. Web. 25 Jan 2015 .

Daniel was a keen supporter of sport in Hamilton particularly the North Hamilton Football Club and donated many trophies to the club.

Margaret MEAGHER: Died January 1918 at Port Fairy. A colonist of fifty-eight years, Margaret Meagher arrived in Melbourne with her husband James Prior in 1859 aboard the Sarah Dixon. Originally from Tipperary, Ireland, the Priors moved to Port Fairy the following year and remained there until their deaths. James died around 1911 and when she died, Margaret had two sons and three daughters remaining. Margaret was buried at the Port Fairy cemetery.

John COGHLAN: Died 8 January 1918 at Garvoc. John Coghlan was an early native of the Colony of Victoria, born at Eastern Hill, Melbourne around 1841. His father, William Coghlan was a landholder in Melbourne but sold his properties and moved to the Western District, taking up land at Port Fairy. The family next moved to Warrnambool, living at a property on the Merri River, and John’s father continued to farm. After his marriage to Miss Patton, John and his wife moved to Cooramook near Grassmere and then later on to Garvoc around 1878, purchasing the property Pine Hills where he engaged in dairy farming. According to the obituary, John did not live as long as his parents. His father William lived to ninety-seven while his mother apparently lived to 107. John was buried at the Terang Cemetery.

“BREVITIES.” Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1889 – 1915) 5 Nov 1907: .

John PETTINGILL: Died 23 January 1923 at Yambuk. John Pettingill was born in Suffolk, England around 1843. When he was nine, he travelled with his parents to Portland aboard the Eliza. John’s father first worked at Castlemaddie Station at Narrawong owned by Andrew Suter. Mr Suter moved to Yambuk Station and the Pettingill family went along. When nearby St. Helens was surveyed around 1863, John and his father purchased 200 acres. John remained on that farm for the rest of his life. Around 1870, John married a Port Fairy girl, Miss Bowyer who was still living at the time of John’s death along with five sons and four daughters.

James YOUNG: Died 6 January 1925 at Hamilton. James Young was born around 1851 in Scotland and arrived in Victoria as an infant. The Young family settled in Ballarat and James attended school there before farming at Tatyoon, west of Ballarat. He then joined his brothers in the Wimmera to work with them in their stock and station business. When a branch opened in Hamilton in 1888, James moved south to manage affairs. A successful businessman, James soon built up the trade, also moving into public office as a town councillor for several years. In 1909, he served as Mayor and laid the foundation stone for Hamilton’s new Town Hall in Brown Street (below). Unfortunately, the front section of the Town Hall was demolished in the 1960s and a “modern” façade added.

HAMILTON’S SECOND TOWN HALL – Image Courtesy of the State Library of Victoria. Image no. H32492/2740 http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/63929

James Young passed away at his home Ivanhoe in Chaucer Street, Hamilton.

IVANHOE, HAMILTON. Image courtesy of Google Maps http://tinyurl.com/ot44noa

James was buried at the Hamilton (Old) Cemetery (below)

Sarah McDONALD: Died 25 January 1941 at Hamilton. Born about 1855 in Inverness, Scotland, Sarah McDonald was a true pioneering woman. She travelled to Tasmania as a child in 1857 with her family aboard the Persia. Unfortunately, her father and brother died during the voyage but after a short break in Tasmania, the family continued on to Portland. Around 1877, while still a single woman, Sarah rode from Branxholme to Horsham, with an overnight stop, to buy 320 acres at Scotchman’s Creek (Telangatuk) at the land sales. It was in that district Sarah met Lachlan Cameron and they married in 1876. Lachlan passed away in 1901 and Sarah stayed on the farm for a further twelve years before moving to Hamilton.

Trove Tuesday – Unspoken Memories

August 6, 2013 / Merron Riddiford / 5 Comments

Troving never ends. As newspapers come online it’s necessary to check them… just in case. Often I have filled the gaps in a story or found evidence that supports earlier findings because a “new” paper has arrived on the scene.

That was the case when the Lang Lang Guardian (1914-1918) came online recently. For the 2013 Anzac Day Blog Challenge, I wrote about my grandfather Les Combridge so it was pleasing to find the following article from June 21, 1918, that adds to his story . It is a report on the return home of two Grantville “fighting men” Trooper Cole and Lance Corporal Combridge. Aside from what I learnt about Les, this article paints a lovely picture of a small town gathering during that time. There is the decorated hall, singing and of course supper…ladies a plate please.

So what can I glean from this article. Firstly, there is confirmation that Les was on the troop ship “Southland“. Also the chair for the night was his future father-in-law, Culmer White. There is a reference to the difficulties faced by returned serviceman and lack of Government support, giving us an idea of the tone of public opinion during those times.

The horrors of war were mentioned but not elaborated upon and it is clear that Les preferred not to speak of his experiences . He was not the only one. Mr Bartells said his boys would not speak of their time in service. He quipped that it was only those that hadn’t been away that would talk about the War.

The saddest part of this article is the speech by Mr Bartells. He told Les that he could “spin yarns” about the bombing of the “Southland” when he was an old man. Les never became an old man. He died 19 years after that night in the Grantville hall, aged 40. He would have take those yarns to the grave.

Despite feeling sad for Les, my mood lifted when I reached the last paragraph. The final item on the agenda was supper and one of the helpers was Miss White. Les married a “Miss White”, Myrtle Rose, daughter of Culmer White. This could have been any one of Myrtle’s three sisters that were also “Miss White” in 1918, but it is nice to think that it could have been Myrtle. That may have been the beginnings of their courtship. They probably went to school together but with Les having been away at war for a couple of years they may have looked at each other differently as they each reached across the supper table for a cucumber sandwich. Les and Myrtle married 15 months later on September 16, 1919.

GRANTVILLE SOLDIERS’ WELCOME HOME. (1918, June 21). Lang Lang Guardian (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved August 6, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119515605

From Six Bob Tourist to Souvenir

April 25, 2013November 25, 2016 / Merron Riddiford / 6 Comments

This is the third year I have posted for the Trans Tasman Anzac Day Blog Challenge. For 2013, I share the story of Leslie Herbert Combridge.

When Billy Hughes spoke to the people of Australia on January 21, 1915, something must have stirred inside Les Combridge. It may have been pride, anger, guilt or simply his sense of adventure.

“WE WANT MORE MEN”. (1915, January 22). The Ballarat Courier (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 Edition: DAILY.. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73915492

On February 2, he travelled the 40 kilometres from Grantville to Wonthaggi and enlisted in the Australian Infantry Forces. He had nothing to lose. He was 18½ and working on a farm in a rural area so the chance to get out and be paid to see the world must have been some incentive. Why wouldn’t it be an adventure? The papers were full of stories of soldiers enjoying the sights of Egypt, the Great Pyramids and the market places. Besides, it probably would be all over by the time he got there.

WANTED—100,000 MEN.—STILL THEY COME. (1915, January 6). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 7. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1488026

After enlisting with his father’s consent, Les was assigned to the newly formed 21st Battalion. After training at Broadmeadows, the Battalion left Port Melbourne on May 10, 1915 aboard the HMAT Ulssyss.

This article from the Euroa Advertiser by “One Who Witnessed It” describes the arrival of the troops at the dock, boarding and departure.

DEPARTURE OF A TROOP-SHIP. (1915, May 14). Euroa Advertiser (Vic. : 1884 – 1920), p. 2. Retrieved April 20, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70371657

That account was a little different to that of A.M McNeil in his book The Story of the 21st. He writes

“Embarkation was quietly carried out. There was no fanfare of trumpets, and that night we slipped from the pier, down the bay…” (p. 7)

HMAT ULYSSES. Image Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ID NO: PS0154. Photographer
Schuler, Phillip Frederick Edward http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PS0154/

A.R McNeil described the voyage as “smooth” and a highlight was the arrival at the Suez Canal.

“…glorious trip through Suez Canal in daylight. Here we saw troops on active service for the first time, as the “line” was then right on the Canal bank (p8).

Egypt lived up to the reports back home

“Our first stay in Egypt is one of our happiest memories, In spite of the heat, and the not too good tucker, we enjoyed our time off thoroughly” “Cairo 20 minutes by electric tram and the sights, sounds and smells of our new surroundings interested us”. (p.8)

HINDMASH PATRIOTIC FUND. (1915, January 23). The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 – 1954), p. 9. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59302494

Private Dusting of Portland, with the 21st, wrote home of the sights he had seen at Columbo, Port Said and Cairo. Like others, he was keen to get to the Dardanelles.

Soldier’s Letter. (1915, August 18). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 3 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63974309

Bugler G. Barett wrote of the training the 21st Battalion were carrying out before they moved on to Anzac Cove. The food was good too, and a 8 pence a day allowance allowed for extras like tinned fruit and pickles.

Our Men at the Front. (1915, August 21). Brighton Southern Cross (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75045296

It was during this time that the term “Six Bob a Day Tourists” evolved to describe the Australian diggers. They could earn six bob a day and see the World.

“SIX BOB A DAY TOURISTS.”. (1915, June 7). The Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1950), p. 3 Edition: THIRD EDITION. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article81003870

Despite the sightseeing, the boys were keen to get into action and on August 30, the 21st boarded the Southland bound for Anzac Cove. On September 2, 1915, the troops of the 21st Battalion, including Les Combridge, got their first taste of the reality of war. A German submarine torpedoed the cruiser and the call came to abandon ship. Men rushed to life boats, some spent hours in the water while others drowned and they would be noted in history as the victims of the first Australian ship struck by a torpedo. There were 14 casualties in total.

Men of 11 Platton 21st Battalion C Company IMAGE COURTESy of the Australian War Memorial. ID No. A00746 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/A00746/

The Southland after the torpedo attack.

The Troopship Soutland. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial Id No.A00737http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/A00737/

Neil C. Smith in the Red & Black Diamond: the History of the 21st Battalion mentions letters home were censored after the event and the story was not officially released until two months later. This article from November 15, 1915 was one of the first reports of the attack.

THE GENERAL’S PRAISE. (1915, November 21). Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1954), p. 1 Section: First Section. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57829146

After their rescue, the 21st Battalion spent a couple of days at Lemnos Island in the Aegean Sea. They then resumed their journey to Anzac Cove and their next big adventure began.

21st BATTALION AFTER ARRIVAL AT GALLIPOLI, MARCHING UP MONASH GULLY. Image courtesy of Australian War Memorial ID No: A000742 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/A00742/

Letters home described the rough terrain and the risk of Turkish snipers. At some of the posts, ropes raised soldiers up and down the steep embankments.

Our Boys at Gallipoli. (1915, December 14). Port Pirie Recorder and North Western Mail (SA : 1898 – 1918), p. 1. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95346962

Private Fred Ware of East Gippsland also wrote home of the terrain and gave an account of the trip on the Southland.

SOLDIERS’ LETTERS. (1915, December 24). Gippsland Mercury (Sale, Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 3 Edition: morning. Retrieved April 23, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89277160

Les Combridge, with C Company, found himself stationed at Steele Post. He would stay in the trenches for weeks. Steele Post looks as though it was one of the posts where ropes were necessary.

STEELES POST, GALLIPOLI 1915. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ID No: P01580.015 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P01580.015

Conditions were harsh. From the 21st Battalion Unit Diary on September 13, 1915 –

“Trenches infected with vermin, fleas and lice…Sanitary arrangements with regard to this Section need particular care and every endeavour is being made to perfect same”

This was no holiday.

On September 21, Les was charged with disobeying am NCO, the first of several charges during his years of service.

On September 30 the Unit Diary recorded that,

“A large percentage of the men are suffering from diarrhea of dysentery …This Battalion has been in the trenches for 23 days...”

On that day, Les was charged for being absent from his place of duty. Maybe he was making use of the limited sanitary arrangements available to him, given the diary entry for that day.

Another charge for Les came on October 18 of sleeping at his post while sentinel, but he was found not guilty.

During December 1915, as blizzards began to hit the coastline, the 21st Battalion was evacuated from Gallipoli with the other Australian troops and they began to make their way back to Alexandria. They spent some time at Imbros Island and Christmas and New Year at Lemnos Island where Christmas billies from home were enjoyed.

On January 4, 1916 they began the last leg to Alexandria.

When the 21st returned to Egypt, they spent time on the banks of the Suez Canal but when the 2nd Pioneer Battalion was raised soon after, Les joined their ranks on March 16, 1916. They sailed for Marseilles, France and began to make their way to the north of France, by train and foot.

After arriving in Morbecque, France on March 31, 1916, the Pioneers received a demonstration about Poison gas and Weeping gas as recorded in the 2nd Pioneer Unit Diary. They were now at the Somme, preparing to do the work the Pioneers were formed for, while still fending off the perils of war.

The Chief Engineer of the Australian Pioneers wrote of the work the 2nd Pioneers did near Ypres. He mentions the Battalion had suffered heavy losses.

The Chronicle. (1918, July 20). Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 – 1954), p. 2. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69681288

Colonel E.J.H. Nicholson wrote of the Pioneers in 1919.

Nicholson had the greatest respect for the pioneers and considered the 2nd Pioneers “the most respectable, steady, well conducted battalion…”

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS AND PIONEERS. (1919, May 16). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 – 1929), p. 7. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62198709

2nd Pioneer Battalion near Bapaume. Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ID No: E00343 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/E00343/

The work of the Pioneer Battalion was described in the Williamstown Chronicle. The Pioneers were give the nickname “Souvenirs” while the Engineers were “Ginger Beers”. The “Souvenirs” not only had to do hard labouring work but were prepared to fight if need be. They often worked with gun fire and bombing going on around them and as a result there were often casualties.

A PIONEER BATTALION. (1918, July 13). Williamstown Chronicle (Vic. : 1856 – 1954), p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69681256

On July 14, 1916, Les was transferred to the newly formed 2nd Tunnelling Company. On July 19, near Fromelles, the 2nd Tunnellers detonated a mine, the largest in its’ operational history, designed to shield the 32nd Battalion as they moved across No Man’s Land.

NEWS OF THE DAY. (1916, July 22). The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1023967

Les only had to endure digging underground for two months because on September 30 he moved back to the Pioneers, then at Le Torquet, to continue digging above the ground.

On October 18, Les racked up another offence, charged with drunkenness. As a result he lost two day’s pay.

On January 27, 1917 Les took sick and was transferred to hospital by the 13th Field Ambulance. They took him to Allonville and the 39 Casualty Clearing Station. He was then transferred on to the No 14 Stationary Hospital at Boulogne where he recovered from mumps.

Out of hospital, Les marched into the 2nd Australian Divisional Base at Estaples on February 24, 1917, marching out again on February 27, 1917 to re-join the 2nd Pioneer Battalion on March 3.

From June 9, 1917 Les spent some time training with the 5th Army Musketry School and on August 4 he was promoted to Lance Corporal.

The 2nd Pioneers moved on to Ypres in October, 1917. The following photo shows the 2nd Pioneer doing what they did best. During the months of October and November, 1917 at Ypres the Battalion built water channels, stables and constructed a plank road as seen below at Chateau Wood.

2nd Pioneer building plank road at Chateau Wood, Ypres, Sept 26, 1917 Image courtesy of the Australian War Memorial ID NOl P08577.002 http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P08577.002

An article in the Cairns Post on December 29, 1917 included stories from the front. One of those mentioned was of a Sergeant from one of the Pioneer Battalions, lying injured in hospital. The Sergeant described the work his Battalion were doing on the roads near Ypres.

BATTLE STORIES FROM THE WEST FRONT. (1917, December 29). Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 – 1954), p. 8. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40273100

In July 21, 1919 the work of the Australian Pioneer Battalion was remembered in this article from the West Australian.

ENGINEERS, PIONEERS, AND TUNNELLERS. (1919, July 21). The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), p. 9. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27611735

On November 2, 1917, Les was wounded, receiving a bullet to his right elbow. The injury was described as severe. The 3rd Australian Field Ambulance, then stationed in Wippenhoek, took him to the 3rd Casualty Clearance Station. The 2nd Pioneer Unit Diary states that one “OR” was wounded on that day.

The following day, Les was transferred to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen France, but it was necessary to move him to England and he arrived at the 5th South General Hospital at Portsmouth on November 8.

On Februay 8, 1918 Les was transferred to 3rd Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford for just under a week. Patients with war related nervous conditions were treated there. Then on to Weymouth, Dorset to convalesce until his departure on April 10, 1918

So Les was on a ship home. But what was going on at home, who had he left and who had arrived?

ON THE HOMEFRONT

Les Combridge was the son of Herbert John Combridge and Jane Wyatt. Jane passed away in 1909 at Grantville, presumablyas a result of childbirth leaving Les, aged 12 and Horace Claude (known as Claude), aged two, the only children remaining from five pregnancies.

In 1913, Herbert married widow Sarah Hade (nee Jackson), already a mother of a large family. In February 1914, Herbert and Sarah welcomed Verena May. When Les left Australia 12 months later, Sarah was pregnant again and in July 1916 Harold Herbert was born.

Herbert had given his son his consent, maybe with even a hint of envy. In 1916, after the age for enlistment was raised, the then 43-year-old Herbert himself enlisted. After a short time at Royal Park, he was discharged due to a weak heart.

It seems that in each story I write for Anzac Day, rumours made their way home about the welfare of a soldier abroad. The Combridges had their own taste of this, leading to Herbert writing to the Army requesting information about Les.

On August 30, 1915, Herbert penned a letter to Colonel Hawker. At the same time, in Egypt, Les was three days away from boarding the Southland to Gallopoli.

“…I have had one letter from him since he arrived in Egypt and since then I have not heard there is two other families around here had sons went away at the same time and they have sent letters home stating that my son lost the use of his legs since he landed and then contracted pneumonia and was to be invalided home and as I have not heard from him I thought you may be able to give me some information about him as I am anxious and if he is unable I think some one ought to let us know I have only him and a lad of 7 years out of 5 from my first marriage losing 3 and his mother in a few years so trusting you will do me the kindness of letting me know what you can about him…”

Herbert writes with little punctuation but the worry he was feeling is not lost. He mentioned the children and wife he lost and the thought of losing another after such a short time must have been excruciating.

On September 7, 1915, a Lieutenant H Mackintosh, officer from Base Records, responded to Herbert to ease his mind somewhat. He advised Herbert that no official notification had come through about Les, but if Herbert was to send any evidence he may have to the contrary with the full details of the informant etc etc. A typical government letter.

Herbert replied, to let Lieutenant Mackintsh know that Les had since written and all was well. He had been in hospital with pleurisy and bronchitis but had returned to his Company. He went on to thank Mackintosh and apologised for the trouble he may have caused. He explained:

“..,it was sent to two different parties about him and I thought if he was to be sent back I ought have heard…”

On November 16 1917, two weeks after it occured, Herbert received the notification he had expected two years earlier. Les had been wounded. It was two weeks later, on December 1, that he learned that Les had been shot and was in the 5th Southern General Hospital at Portsmouth. Almost two weeks later he heard that Les was improving. It was looking like Christmas 1917 would be a little happier than was thought at the beginning of the month.

Herbert’s next official notification of Les’ health was mid March 1918. Les was “progressing favourably”.

When Les returned home in May 1918, he reunited with his father and Claude and met his two-year old brother for the first time. His step mother was pregnant again with a third child to Herbert.

POST WAR

In September 1919, Les married local Grantville girl Myrtle Rose White, daughter of Culmer Thomas White and Alice Elizabeth Hunt. On November 12, 1920 their first child, daughter Mavis Ayleen was born at Wonthaggi. Over the next 16 years, they would have a further three girls and a son.

Les farmed first at Grantville and later took up a property “Hazelbrook” at nearby Alumurta . He became involved with the Blackwood Forest Football Club.

COUNTRY NEWS. (1926, April 21). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), p. 26. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3746499

By 1937, and almost 20 years after his return from Europe, it seem that Les had got on with his life. But on June 28, Les died suddenly at Wonthaggi from heart failure. He was only 40 years old.

‘ OTHER DISTRICTS. (1937, July 3). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), p. 21. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11115412

The loss of Les at such a young age must have hit hard. Myrtle had the five children, aged from two to 17 and a farm. Also Herbert was faced with the death of yet another child.

How do I know about Leslie Herbert Combridge. He was my great-grandfather. His eldest daughter Mavis was my Grandma and never in the 39 years I knew her, did I realise how much his death had an effect on her. Not until I started reading newspapers at Trove, that is. Then I found “In Memoriam” notices she had submitted, right up until 1947, 10 years after his death, herself then married and raising a family, living hours away from her beloved Bass Valley.

(1943, June 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page625813

(1944, June 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), p. 12. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page628551

Family Notices. (1947, June 28). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), p. 11. Retrieved April 25, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22436539

I can’t say how much WW1 played a part in the premature death of Les Combridge, but given the work he did, particularly with the Pioneers and the exposure to gas in France and the overall wear the conditions must have had on a body, it cannot be dismissed. Although with Herbert’s weak heart, hereditary factors were also at play, but Herbert, who didn’t serve, lived to 66, dying 18 months after Les, in 1939.

The places Les went read like a Contiki itinerary, but the hard working Pioneer was no tourist and for the most time, the sights he saw would be unforgettable but for all the wrong reasons. His time spent collecting his nerves at Dartford before his return to Australia giveing some clue to the mind-set he was in but how much this continued to be a part of his life is not know. If it was still there he must have kept it deep inside .

The early death of Les robbed him of time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He gave so much of his heart to Australia, there was little left for his family.

LEST WE FORGET

SOURCES

Australian War Memorial

Finlayson, Damien (2010). Crumps and camouflets : Australian tunnelling companies on the Western Front. Big Sky Publishing, Newport, N.S.W

MacNeil, A. R & 21st Battalion (A.I.F.) Association (Melbourne, Vic.) (1971). The Story of the twenty-first : being the official history of the 21st Battalion, A.I.F. 21st Battalion Association, Melbourne

National Archives of Australia

Smith, Neil C (1997). The red and black diamond : the history of the 21st Battalion 1915-18 (1st ed). Mostly Unsung Military History Research and Publications, Gardenvale, Vic

Trove Australia

Passing of the Pioneers

March 28, 2013October 18, 2020 / Merron Riddiford / 1 Comment

March Passing of the Pioneers once again gathers together a diverse group of Western District pioneers. They include a winemaker and a lighthouse keeper. There are links to some well-known Western District properties and families, and a Portland resident that grew up with an English author.

Eliza Mary KEARTON: Died March 1891 at Creswick. Eliza Kearton was a long-time resident of Portland. She had gone to Creswick for an operation but died of complications. She was born in London in 1820 and married William Tulloh in 1844 in Tasmania. William’s obituary appeared in Passing of the Pioneers in July 2011 and includes a lot of detail about their lives in Portland.

James ROBERTSON: Died March 1892 at Portland. James Robertson was born in Alvie, Scotland. Once in Portland, he set up the Iron Store business with his older brothers John and William Robertson.

Anne WILCOX: Died 12 March 1894 at Portland. Anne and her husband Thomas Must were well-known residents of Portland. Anne was from Sydney and married Thomas a Sydney merchant in 1842 before they travelled to Portland to set up a branch of Thomas’ business, Must and Flower. A few years after his arrival in Portland, he had an architect design a home resulting in Prospect, built in 1855. The couple lived there for the rest of their lives. In 1908 at St Stephens Church, unveiled a stained glass window in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Must.

ST STEPHENS CHURCH, PORTLAND

Ann PAXFORD: Died March 1900 at Portland. Ann Paxford was the daughter of Jonathan Paxford and Ann Bray and was born around 1818. She married Edward Francis Hughes and they arrived in Victoria in 1853 and Portland in 1854.

Ann had an interesting life while a child in England. She spent time with a young Marion Evans better known as George Elliott, writer. Looking further into the story, which appears correct, proved intriguing. Ann, through her mother, Ann Bray was related to Charles Bray a ribbon manufacturer and a leader of the “intellectual elite”.(Oxford Dictionary of National Biography) He described his house, Rosehill, as “a mecca for radicals and intellectuals” (The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy in Oxford Reference). Marion Evans lived at Rosehill and that is where Ann would have come to know her.

Janet McCRACKEN: Died March 1911 at Stawell. Born in Scotland around 1840, Janet McCracken arrived in Melbourne with her parents in the early 1850s. After a few years, they moved to Stawell and Janet married James Mathers. The couple lived in Stawell for the rest of their lives and had four sons and three daughters.

Daniel TYERS: Died 15 March 1915 at Byaduk. After arriving in Victoria around 1856, Daniel Tyers lived at Port Fairy. He later moved to Byaduk where he remained until his death at the age of ninety-five. He was buried at the Byaduk Cemetery along with his brother Samuel and sister Jane.

Tyers

John MOONEY: Died 29 March 1915 at Mooney’s Gap. In 1854, John Mooney from Ireland travelled to Australia aboard the Great Britain. His brother Lawrence had arrived the year before, so John joined him on the Ararat diggings. In 1858, the brothers planted grapevines at Mooney’s Gap near Ararat and started the Emerald Vineyard. In the same year, just down the road, Jean-Pierre Trouette, his wife Ann-Marie, and brother-in-law Emile Blampied were the first to plant vines at Great Western. While Troutte’s winery St. Peters no longer exists, other wineries from the early days, Best’s and Seppelts are still in production there.

OBITUARY. (1915, March 30). The Ararat advertiser (Vic. : 1914 – 1918), p. 2 Edition: triweekly. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74241893

In 1925, Lawrence Mooney uprooted the vines at Emerald Vineyard and used the land for other purposes.

Elizabeth Robertson MURDOCH: Died 7 March 1916 at Port Fairy. I did a little extra research at Ancestry.com.au on Mrs Whiting because I wanted to find her name, in preference to listing her as Mrs Albert Edwin Whiting. Elizabeth grew up around the Geelong area and married Albert Whiting in 1878. Albert was a son of Edwin Whiting and Hannah Manifold. Hannah’s brothers were Thomas, Peter and William Manifold, original owners of the Purrumbete run.

At the time of marriage, John was station manager for the Chirnside’s property Boortkoi. Their wedding was at Woolongoon, Mortlake then owned by Anthony McKenzie. Elizabeth and Albert moved to Port Fairy and lived at Boodcarra before moving to Loongana for several years before Elizabeth’s passing.

Family Notices. (1878, May 6). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956), p. 1. Retrieved March 28, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5931295

William HILL: Died 14 March 1916 at Warrnambool. Born in Ireland, William Hill spent the first twenty years of his time in Victoria working for Henry de Little, owner of Caramut station. He then began farming himself, first at Woodford and later at Framlingham where he had dairy cows for seventeen years. In the early 1860s, William married Mary Hassett of Caramut.

Mary FITZGERALD: Died 17 March 1916 at Tower Hill. Mary Fitzgerald lived in the Tower Hill district since she was ten-years-old, around 1849. She married John Fitzgibbon and she left two sons and eight daughters at the time of her death. Her funeral was attended by a large crowd of mourners.

John Joseph Thomas COOPER: Died March 1918 at Port Fairy. John Cooper was born in Somerset, England and arrived in Victoria with his parents as a baby. He became an assistant lifeboat pilot in 1883 and became the Superintendent of lifeboats at Queenscliff in 1892. Around 1905, he moved on to lighthouse keeping, working at Queenscliff, Port Fairy, Cape Nelson, and Warrnambool.

QUEENSCLIFF’S BLACK LIGHTHOUSE

CAPE NELSON LIGHTHOUSE

Marion Letitia HINDES: Died 13 March 1918 at Port Fairy. Marion Hindes, better known as Letitia, was born in London in 1848 and arrived in Port Fairy four years later. She lived with her aunt, Mrs Gillespie at the Union Inn at Port Fairy. Letitia married Richard Emery in 1889. Richard died eight years before her and she left no children. She had two cousins surviving and two nieces.

Margaret WHITE: Died 4 March 1925 at South Portland. Margaret White spent most of her life living in the Narrawong and Portland districts, an estimated eighty-two years. She married James Grant in 1870. She left two sons and three daughters. Margaret’s obituary mentions the hardships faced by the early settlers.

Old Resident Passes. (1925, March 5). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING.. Retrieved March 26, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64106818

Florence EDSALL: Died 22 March 1944 at Geelong. Florence Edsall was born at Warrenheip near Ballarat around 1858. She married W.J. Silvester and they lived in Cobden during their working lives, before retiring to Geelong. Florence’s husband was a Councillor with the Heytesbury Shire and was the first child of European descent born at Cobden,

Trove Tuesday – From the Heart

October 2, 2012February 7, 2021 / Merron Riddiford / 8 Comments

Not only do I have Western District families, but I also have West Gippsland families. The Combridges, Hunts and Whites resided around Grantville and Wonthaggi.

My great-great-grandfather was Culmer Thomas White, born in Thanet, Kent, England in 1857. Culmer descended from the Culmer and White families, well-known in Kent for their boat building businesses at Broadstairs. The two families came together around 1714 when John White married Mary Culmer. Culmer’s father, great grandfather and gg-grandfather were all named Culmer White. There are several other Culmer’s including my gg uncle Culmer William White and William Culmer White, Culmer’s 2nd cousin 1 x removed, who also immigrated to Melbourne, and his son Culmer Reuben White.

Almost everything I have found in the newspapers about Culmer Thomas White has been a treasure. None more so than this heartfelt letter written to Reverend Henry Howard in 1927 which was then passed on by the Reverend to the West Gippsland Gazette. Culmer was 70 at the time of writing.

Rev. Henry Howard. (1927, July 5). West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic. : 1898 – 1930) , p. 1 Edition: MORNING.. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68643758

It is a touching letter as Culmer gives his thanks to Reverend Howard, shows his pride in his children, and expresses his feelings at that time in his life, happy but at times lonely.

Culmer’s wife, my great great grandmother, was Alice Elizabeth Hunt, daughter of William Henry Hunt and Margaret Beatty, immigrants from Middlesex, England. Alice was born at Chilwell, Victoria in 1857.

Culmer died in 1938 at Wonthaggi and Alice in 1940 at Bass. They are buried together at the Grantville cemetery.

Culmer and Alice’s youngest child, Myrtle Rose White, married Les Combridge in 1919. They had five children, four daughters, and one son. One of those daughters was my Grandma, Mavis Combridge, later to marry Percy Riddiford.

Grandma passed away in 2007, but I did get to ask her about her grandparents Culmer and Alice, prior to her death. She told me the story of how she and her three younger sisters would stay at their grandparent’s house. Culmer would pick them up in a horse and cart and they would sit in the back as he drove them to his house. He was a “lovely man” according to Grandma. As is the way, there is still so much I would like to ask her about them.

I am very lucky as I still have a living link to Culmer and Alice, via my great Auntie Jean. I have also spoken to her about her grandparents and she reiterated Grandma’s words that Culmer was a “lovely man”. When I found this letter, I printed it out and sent it to Auntie Jean. She was thrilled. I have sent her some of the other articles I have found about him and she has enjoyed being taken back in time. I wish Grandma could have seen this wonderful letter.

Passing of the Pioneers

December 27, 2011March 12, 2021 / Merron Riddiford / 2 Comments

The final “Passing of the Pioneers” for 2011 sees another thirteen Western District pioneers remembered. That takes the number of obituaries recorded into the sixties. The information in each listing is from the newspaper obituary which is a secondary source. If I have found a pioneer interesting, I may include further information, for which there will be a reference available. All “Passing of the Pioneers” posts can be found under “Obituary” in the Category tab in the sidebar.

“Passing of the Pioneers” will be back in 2012 and with more Western District newspapers available at Trove, there were will be even more obituaries to choose from. I have also updated the post “The Horsham Times goes Digital” to reflect the current additions at Trove.

Bridget Priscilla TALBOT: Died December 1904 at Hamilton. Bridget Talbot was born in County Cork, Ireland in 1834 and arrived in Australia in 1848. She married John Jennings in Adelaide in 1849 and they moved to Hamilton in 1852 where she resided until her death.

HAMILTON PIONEER. (1912, January 13). Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 – 1918, 1935), p. 32. Retrieved May 27, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198127055

Bridget was buried at the Hamilton (Old) Cemetery (below).

Richard PRICE: Died 15 December 1904 at Milltown. Richard Price arrived in Victoria in the late 1850s and settled at Digby. He later went on to Heywood before making his final home at Milltown where he worked in the sawmilling trade. He had eight sons and two daughters.

John PERMEWAN: Died 23 December 1904 at Ballarat. Born around 1837, John Permewan gave his name to the well-known stores of Victoria, Permewan Wright & Co. He was known around Australia in commercial circles. Permewans still exists in Hamilton. It has seen a couple of name and location changes, but I would often visit there with my parents in the 1970s and 80s for horse feed and saddlery, but it also stocked hardware and still does today.

Effie MURDOCH: Died December 1914 at Romsey. Effie Murdoch is the oldest pioneer I have come across to date. She died at age 106. Effie was from the Isle of Skye, Scotland and arrived in Australia in around 1852.

Margaret HOARE: Died 16 December 1914 at Nhill. Margaret Hoare and her husband Bernhardt Mulraney arrived in Australia from Ireland during the 1850s. After spending time around Hamilton, Mt. Gambier and Goroke, they settled in the Mallee at Nhill. Margaret was eighty at the time of her death.

John HARRIES: Died 18 December 1914 at Stawell. John Harries was born at Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales in 1843 and arrived in Stawell in 1875. Like many with Welshmen, John could sing and was a member of Prout’s band at Ballarat and sang in the Presbyterian church choir.

John THORNTON: Died 15 December 1919 at Mount Myrtoon. John was born in Yorkshire in 1835 and travelled to Australia at age eighteen. He spent time in Melbourne and Gippsland before settling at Mount Myrtoon. He set up a successful stock and station business with links to Dalgetys. He was an accomplished cricketer and played for Victoria in his younger days. He was the Melbourne Cricket Club’s oldest member at the time of his death.

Mary McLEOD: Died December 1928 at Narracoorte. Mary McLeod was born in the Isle of Skye in 1842. After her mother died when she was eleven, her father moved the family to Australia. Mary took on the role of mother to her younger brothers. After they arrived in Melbourne, they travelled to Portland and then Narracoorte, South Australia by bullock wagon. She later married Angus MORRISON and they had eight children while living around the Apsley area.

Jenny Sage CRABBIE: Died 17 December 1932 at Branxholme. Jenny Crabbie was born in Edinburgh and having seen the boat the Julia Percy built in Scotland, she was offered passage to Australia by the ship’s directors, whom she knew. It was because of the ship that Jenny met her husband Benjamin Lear in Portland. Benjamin worked on the Julia Percy and continued to do so for some years after. Jenny would have been popular among Portland children. She was a confectioner, with a shop in Bentick Street, Portland for many years.

Annie PITTS: Died 12 December 1934 at Portland. Annie Pitts was born in Somerset, England and travelled to Australia with her parents, James and Sarah when she was three. She married John JENNINGS of Portland when she was twenty-one and they had ten children. Annie was eighty-five at the time of her death.

Louisa BROWN: Died 26 December 1937 at Camperdown. Louisa was just a baby when her family arrived in Victoria from Westminster, England. She married Henry SHARP, a stonemason, at Terang. They had four daughters and five sons, with the sons forming a quarrying business, Sharp Bros.

OBITUARY. (1937, December 30). Camperdown Chronicle (Vic. : 1877 – 1954), p. 7. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28321980

Nicholas WHITE: Died 17 December 1942 at Portland. Born in 1869 at Cape Bridgewater, Nicholas was a farmer but a keen sporting interest and was knowledgeable about all matters of cricket and horse racing. His wife had previously passed away and they had one married daughter, Ethel.

James Trotter KITTSON: Died 11 December 1945 at Cape Bridgewater. James was a member of the pioneering Kittson family.

OBITUARY. (1945, December 17). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 – 1953), p. 2 Edition: EVENING. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64406262

James left a wife, son and daughter and was buried at the Bridgewater cemetery.

Surname Saturday Meme: Names, Places and Most Wanted Faces

November 19, 2011March 11, 2021 / Merron Riddiford / 3 Comments

Following the lead of U.S. genealogist Thomas MacEntee and in turn Australian genealogist Jill Ball, I decided to take part in this meme. It interested me more than others I had seen, because not only would I get my names “out there”, I also got the chance to do a stocktake. What an interesting exercise it was. With some names, I did not have to look up the details as I knew them so well, others I had to refer back to my tree, and for one name, I had basically nothing.

It’s easy to develop favourite families, with some just oozing information making them more compelling to research. The Harmans are an example of that. The Riddiford line was probably my least favourite and despite it being my family name, I tended to pass it by. When I did start seriously researching them, I found loads of information. This avoidance was probably due to them being 20th-century immigrants and my history interests lie in 19th century Australia. I had no choice but to delve into 18th and 19th century English history and I have really enjoyed it and learnt a lot and I continue to do so. I am glad I got over my previous mindset.

I also have more Irish links than I normally given myself credit for and I can now clearly see the branches I have been neglecting.

I have included the surnames of my great great grandparents, but I have taken the places and dates back a little further. If not, I would have had entries with just a single place in Australia with no indication of where the family originated from.

To take part, just do the following at your own blog, then post a link in the comments at Thomas’ blog post

1. List your surnames in alphabetical order as follows:

[SURNAME]: Country, (State or County, Town), date range;

2. At the end, list your Most Wanted Ancestor with details about them.

MY NAMES, PLACES AND MOST WANTED FACES:

BISHOP: England (Dorset, Weymouth) 1825-1850; Australia (South Australia, Adelaide) 1850-1854; Australia (Victoria, Byaduk)1854-1950

COMBRIDGE: England (Huntingdonshire) 1833-1855; Australia (Victoria, Geelong 1855-1935); Australia (Victoria, Grantville) 1900-1950

DIWELL: England (Sussex) 1825-1852; Australia (Victoria, Casterton) 1852-1893; Australia (Victoria, Hamilton) 1893-1940

GAMBLE: England 1808-1840; Australia (Victoria, Geelong) 1840-1850; Australia (Victoria, Colac), 1850-present

HADDEN: Scotland (East Lothian) 1823-1852; Australia (Victoria, Geelong) 1852-1865; Australia (Victoria, Cavendish) 1865-1975; Australia (Victoria, Hamilton) 1900-present

HARMAN: England (Cambridgeshire, Melbourn) 1800-1854; Australia (New South Wales) 1852-1857; Australia (Victoria, Port Fairy) 1852-1863; Australia (Victoria, Byaduk) 1863-present

HODGINS: Ireland (Fermanagh) 1816-1853; Australia (Victoria, Colac) 1853-1940

HUNT: England (Middlesex, Poplar) 1834-1854; Australia (Victoria, Geelong) 1854-1865; Australia (Victoria, Collingwood) 1867- ; Australia (Victoria, West Gippsland) 1880-1936

JELLY: Ireland (Down, Drumgooland) 1815-1845; England (Lancashire, Manchester) 1845-1854; Australia (Victoria, Casterton) 1854-1900

KIRKIN: England (London, Lambeth) 1859-1940;

MORTIMER: England (Berkshire, White Waltham) 1823-1852; Australia (Victoria, Cavendish) 1865-1930

PIDDINGTON: England (Buckinghamshire, Cuddington) 1700s-1880

RIDDIFORD: England (Gloucestershire, Thornbury) 1600s-present; England (Buckinghamshire, Cuddington) 1846-present; England (London, Lambeth) 1896-1913; Australia (Victoria, Ballarat) 1913-present

WEBB: England (Surrey, Clapham) 1845-1878; England (London, Lambeth) 1878-1900

WHITE: England (Kent, Broadstairs) 1857-1876; Australia (Victoria, Grantville) 1876-1950

WYATT: ???

MOST WANTED ANCESTOR:

When I started this I thought my most wanted ancestor would be gg-grandmother Mary Jane HODGINS. She was born in Ireland around 1849, immigrated with her parents West HODGINS and Martha BRACKIN in 1853 aboard the Marion Moore. She married Matthew GAMBLE in 1871 at Colac. That is all I know except for the accident which saw Mary Jane lose the top of her finger, as mentioned in the post Misadventures, Deaths and Near Misses.

However, when I looked at the completed list it seemed clear it had to be Jane WYATT, another gg grandmother and second wife of Herbert John COMBRIDGE.

I had previously found a birth for a Jane Wyatt born 1882, St Arnaud but this did not really add up, mainly because my Jane Wyatt married Herbert Combridge in 1895 in Gippsland. If I searched the Australian Death Index 1787-1985, I find the death of Jane COMBRIDGE in 1909 at Grantville but with no approximate birth year or parents.

As I was writing this post, I decided to have a look around for Jane again. I checked for people researching Combridges at Ancestry.com and found a reference to Jane’s birth in 1873. I searched again with this birth date and that threw up something interesting. There is a Jane Wyatt listed on the Victorian Index to the Children’s Register of State Wards, 1850-1893. Her birth date is given as 1873, but no birthplace. This could be my Jane and it could explain the lack of parent names and birth year on the Death index.

So, thanks to this exercise, I may have come a step closer to finding Jane Wyatt, but if she was a ward of the state, I may not be able to find anything else about her. So if anyone has information on Mary Jane HODGINS and her family, I would love to hear from you!

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