John William Hillcoat - Gympie

Selection of articles from Trove re John William Hillcoat in the Gympie area.

LATEST FROM GYMPIE
Threlkeld's quartz crushing machine is now ready to commence operations, but the first crushing has been postponed to Monday next. Through the courtesy of Mr Hillcoat, the superintendent, I am in a position to give you some particulars concerning the establishment, which I took an opportunity of inspecting this morning. The site is admirably chosen at a convenient part of the first pocket, scarcely a mile from the Post Office and just beyond the Chinese camp. The Victoria, Golden Currie, and Boulton reefs run directly towards it to the south. There are ten stampers, and the engine is of eight horse power nominal, the whole machinery being from the foundries of Messrs P N Russell and Co, in Sydney. Steam was got up for a trial on Monday and Tuesday last, and everything worked most satisfactorily, no jarring or vibration of any kind being perceptible. The tank is fed by a pump worked by the engine, and the first well, thirty three feet deep, is forty feet below. The pipes pass from the base of this well through a tunnel 4 feet 6 inches in height, and 3 feet 6 inches in width. At distances of forty feet from well No 1 down to the river bank, are other slabbed wells or shafts, to enable the pipes to be periodically examined and repaired with facility, whenever necessary. The tunnel is very well constructed, having set props every four feet from the main well at the river side to the first well at the lower shed. Taking a glance at the whole premises, it is at once palpable that all the works are completed throughout in the most substantial manner. The engineer's laboratory is in the enclosed yard, and that department is under the supervision of Mr Bennett, of Sydney. It has been questioned whether the onging is sufficiently powerful to efficiently work the ten stampers and the pump simultaneously .There is, however, little doubt that it will perform the double duty satisfactorily, as three men turning the pump wheel with wooden spokes not regularly fitted to, are able to send the water in large quantities to the tank.
Brisbane Courier 11 September 1868

KILKIVAN
The serpentine allurements of the Black Snake succeed in concentrating in that locality about 150 persons, who are all engaged in reefing. The Shamrock, Black Snake, Mariners', and Table Land are exclusively the lines of reef operated on, whilst returns ranging from 5dwts. to 11 ozs. to the ton continue to afford requitement and hope to the owners. In connection with this section of the mining interest, Mr. Hillcoat, manager of the Hope Machine, kindly furnished me with interesting statistics which, as compiled from the machine register, show that from February, I870, the date of commencement, to December 31st, 1870, there were crushed 1208 tons of quartz for a yield of 1507 ozs. 15 dwts. gold, or an average yield per ton of 1 oz. 4 dwts. 23 grs. Nothing can better demonstrate the value of the reefing interest in this district than the plain rendering of these few figures. In consequence of there not being sufficient employment, the Hope Machine is engaged only 12 hours a day. The reefers have a decidedly satisfied look, whilst the machine manager, Mr. Hillcoat, by way of offering a guarantee for the future, is erecting spacious and costly dwelling, which bids fair to surpass in architectural elegance most ordinary bush habitations.Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser 26 January 1871

CORRESPONDENCE.                  
OUR KILKIVAN CORRESPONDENT.   (To the Editor of the Chronicle.)   Black Snake, February 1, 1871.  
Sir, — I have just seen your issue of the 26 th ult., and must beg to be allowed to say a few words in reference to your correspondent's remarks on Kilkivan, especially as far as it refers to the Black Snake. Your correspondent has been wrongly informed with regard to the number of persons located on the Black Snake. If he had left out the 1 before the 50, he would have been nearer the mark, and even then he would have over-estimated the number. The quantity of stone crushed at the machine, as also the average yield per ton, is correct; and I fully endorse your correspondent's ideas with regard to the mineral resources of the district, and I believe that with capital to open the different reefs which are known to contain gold, silver and copper in payable quantities, this would be one of the richest districts in Queensland. It would be useless for men to come here without money, thinking they could get a payable reef at once, for they would only be disappointed. It is by companies alone that this place can be worked with profit. The Shamrock line of reef is one that in my opinion would well repay a capitalist. The crushings have averaged from 6 to 8 dwts. to the ton. No. 3 south has yielded from 1oz. to 2½ozs. to the ton. This line, with the exception of No. 8, is abandoned, the men engaged not having sufficient money to sink a deep shaft and test the ground at a depth of 150 to 200 feet. The tailings are valuable, containing a large percentage of gold in the iron pyrites, which can not be extracted by the ordinary crushing mill. The gold is of very superior quality, and realises from £3 12s. to £3 14s. 3d. per ounce in Gympie. I have no hesitation in saying that in Victoria such a line of reef would not be vacant a day, but would be made to return a handsome dividend to shareholders. The success of the trial of 3 tons -of ore from the prospectors claim , Marina's Reef, first crushed at the machine, and the concentrated tailings treated in the trace, and afterwards manipulated by Mr Cossins, has been so satisfactory that ground adjoining has been taken up, and formed into a small company, and will be tested in the same manner for gold, silver, and copper. With regard to the postal communication, it would be a very great convenience if the Post-master would have a bag made up for Black Snake. The mail contract is for a weekly mail to Kilkivan, via Black Snake if required. The road for a horse-mail is good, and one or two miles nearer than by Mullally's, and it would save the inhabitants a ride of 25 miles for their letters, a delay of a week in answering, and another ride of 25 miles, to post letters. One more remark with reference to your correspondent's idea of a "spacious and costly dwelling being erected by the manager as a guarantee for the future." I am erecting a plain cottage of three bedrooms and a sitting room, just large enough to contain my family (eleven in all), having no pretension in any way to an architectural elegance, and at the very smallest possible outlay. Yours, &c.,         J. W. Hillcoat,         Manager Hope Machine.
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser 7 February 1871

LAND
At the monthly sitting of the Gympie Land Court, on the 2nd instant, the following applications were conditionally approved by the. acting  Commissioner:
homestead. J. W. Hillcoat, 160 acres, pastoral, Noosa River;
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser 12 October1872

THE Gympie Times of Saturday last, says   "At the usual monthly sitting of the Land Court, held on Wednesday last, twenty-two   applications for 4192 acres of land were conditionally approved by the Lands Commissioner:
The following are the applications:  J. W. Hillcoat, 1280 acres, second class pastoral, Tinana Creek;
Brisbane Courier 11 October 1873

52 Ancestors #38 Catherine Anna Louisa Hillcoat

Catherine Anna Louisa Hillcoat was born in Adelaide on 4 June 1852. Catherine was the eldest daughter of John William Hillcoat (1828-1907) and Catherine Ellen Mant (1827-1903). John and Catherine had married in Bath, England, in August 1851 and left for Australia just over two months later. They arrived in Adelaide on 1 February 1852.

Initially the family lived at different locations in South Australia where Catherine and John's first four children were born. In 1858 the Hillcoats were visiting family in England where Catherine's second sister, Ethel, was born in Liverpool. On returning to Australia they moved to Maitland, New South Wales where the next three children were born. Gold was discovered in the Gympie area in Queensland and the resulting goldrush lured many people to the area including John Hillcoat and his family. The youngest son, Harold, was born in Gympie in 1869.

Catherine Anna Louisa Hillcoat married Alfred Percy Lord at the Memorial Church (Christ Church) in Gympie on 11 April 1877 when they were both 24.

Initially they lived on Alfred's property, Woolooga, but after a series of droughts they had to walk away from the property in 1880. It was shortly after this that Alfred started working in the AJS Bank at Maryborough and then at Gympie, where he was manager, until the banking collapses in the early 1890s.

Catherine and Alfred had eight children who were born in Gympie - Robert Percy Lord (1878-1938), Reginald Simeon Lord (1879-1931), Catherine Ruby Lord (1881-1953), Louisa Pearl Lord (1883-1854), Mabel Beryl Lord (1885-1973), Alfred Victor Lord (1887-1984), Francis Guy Lord (1889-1927) and Arthur Brougham Lord (1893-1982). The children would have attended schools in Sydney.

When the banks failed Alfred renewed his interest in owning properties and moved the family first to Kiah Lake near Cooma and then to Oceanic View near Narrabri. Alfred appears to have managed the Narrabri property mainly from Sydney as he also had a home in Sydney, first at Lane Cove and then at different addresses in Hunters Hill. Family stories tell of the younger boys playing by the Lane Cove River when they lived there. In 1906, when Alfred purchased the first of his Queensland properties for his sons, Catherine definitely stayed in Sydney. She was unwell and died on 1 January 1907. Catherine was 54 when she died. She was buried at Gore Hill Cemetery.

Ruby, Arthur & Louisa with their mother, Catherine

Alfred and Catherine ensured that the children were well provided for. The boys formed a partnership - Lord Bros - to manage the properties in Queensland. Robert and Arthur were at Victoria Downs, Reginald at Biddenham and Victor and Guy were at Chatham.

The partnership continued until 1922 when Robert bought out his brothers' shares in Victoria Downs and gave up his share in Biddenham and Chatham. Arthur Lord then looked for property in northern Queensland but in 1924 purchased Metavale near Cunnamula. Reginald Lord continued to manage Biddenham.

According to Mary Roberts in her book, Victoria Downs, Guy wasn't interested in being a grazier but he was interested in financial matters including the stock market. He also travelled to places such as Hong Kong and New York. He died in 1927 aged 38.

Victor remained a grazier for a number of years at Chatham and then at Lorne Peak before purchasing 10 acres at Baulkham Hills where he grew gladioli.

Bea (Mabel) spent time at Victoria Downs where she met a wool-classer, Harry Midgley, and they married in 1923. Her two sisters Lou and Ruby lived in Sydney and when their father purchased the house in Manly, it was purchased in their names.

Catherine Anna Louisa Hillcoat was my great grandmother.

52 Ancestors #37 Alfred Percy Lord

Alfred Percy Lord was born at Avoca in Tasmania on 26 October 1852. Alfred was the youngest son of Simeon Lord and Sarah Birch. He had six brothers - Francis, William, George, Frederick, Robert and Simeon - and two sisters -  Louisa and Emma. Another brother, Edward, had died as a young child.

The family lived on their property, Bona Vista, near Avoca . Initially the children had a governess for their early education but then records show that at least two, probably all, of the older boys returned to England for their education - Frederick and Robert attended Kings College School. In the book, Victoria Downs, Mary Roberts noted that Alfred was educated in Tasmania but she did not know where.

Mary Roberts, in the introduction to her book, provides a summary of Alfred's early career. At the age of 17 he left Tasmania for Queensland to go to his father's property, Brookstead.  From there he spent a short time at Wilde Bay before joining his brothers, Robert and Frederick at Ravenswood in North Queensland. The three brothers with Mr H E King formed a partnership - The Gympie Quartz Crushing Company. They had two crushing plants and decided to take one to the Normanby goldfields and sold the second to a company in Chartres Towers. Unfortunately for the Lord Brothers, Normanby was not successful while Chartres Towers proved to be a profitable area for mining.

Returning to Gympie the partnership purchased a property in the Wilde Bay region - Woolooga - while maintaining interests in other goldming areas including Pioneer, Lady Mary and Caledonia Reefs and the Emperor Mine along with interests in Southfield Limited and Caledonia Pub.

On 11 April 1877 Alfred married Catherine Anna Louisa Hillcoat at the Memorial Church, Hale Street, Milton. The official name of the church is Christ Church and the stone building with shingle roof, in which Alfred and Catherine were married, was destroyed in a storm in 1890. A new building was subsequently built on the site.

Memorial Church - Image held John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Towards the end of the 1870s there was a series of droughts and the price of cattle fell and Alfred left the property in 1880. It is said that he had only a £5 note in his pocket and he had a wife and two children to support. At first he worked as a time-keeper on the railway line between Maryborough and Gympie but he was then able to obtain a job in the Maryborough Branch of the Australian Joint Stock Bank as a junior employee. In a short time he became manager of the branch and then tranferred to Gympie where he was manager of the Gympie branch of the bank. All was looking good until the economic depression between 1890 and 1893 caused the closure and collapse of many banks. Fortunately Alfred's investments in goldminig companies meant that he still had some economic stability for his family.

Alfred decided to try his luck once more on the land and he purchased a property, Kiah Lake, near Cooma in the Monaro district of New South Wales. The homestead was a stone building. Apparently the Sydney Mail in November 1897 wrote an illustrated story on Alfred Lord and his Kiah Lake homestead. Deciding that the property was unsuitable, in February 1898 Alfred sold the property to a Mr Rogers from Dubbo. He then managed a sheep station out of Narrabri for a number of years.

The Sands Directories record that Alfred had a house in Mary Street Lane Cove. In her book Mary Roberts recounts a story about Alfred's two youngest sons playing in the Lane Cove River.  In 1903 he was living at Ferdinand Street, Hunters Hill as in November 1903 his name, at that address, appeared in a list of new JPs. In 1903 produce was still being sold under his name at Narrabri and the property, Oceanic View, was listed in his name in the Sands Directories until 1907, so probably one or more of his sons worked on the property while Alfred and Catherine, with the younger members of the family, lived in Sydney. They later moved to a new house, Eskdale, 8 Ferry Street in Hunters Hill.

Eskdale 8 Ferry Street, Hunters Hill

In 1902 there had been a bad drought in southern Queensland and by 1904 many properties were available for sale for low prices. Alfred wanted to make sure that his sons were established on the land. He purchased a property, Maryvale, south of Morvern in Western Queensland but soon needed additional land for his sheep so he purchased Victoria Downs, initially for agistment, in 1906. Deciding to make Victoria Downs the main property, Maryvale was sold. The directories show him still with a house at Hunters Hill in 1907 and from 1912 the directories show that he was living at Manly.

Alfred's wife, Catherine died on 1 January 1907. She had not been well for a number of years and would have stayed in Sydney while Victoria Downs was being purchased.

Alfred continued to purchase properties in Queensland for his sons to manage including Chatham and Biddenham in 1909 and Dunstan in 1915. The house in Quinton Road, Manly, named Bona Vista after the family property in Tasmania where he was born, was put in the name of his two daughters. According to heritage walk notes produced by Manly Library, stone for the villa Bona Vista at no 20 Quinton Road may have been quarried on site and from the imposing cliff face opposite.

20 Quinton Road, Manly

In 1920 Alfred married Amy Katherine Waring and his new wife and her mother moved into the Manly house. According to family stories Amy and her mother did not get along with the new family and things became so bad that Alfred's daughters had a brick wall built in the house ensuring that Amy and her mother lived in a separate section. One assumes, therefore, that the final years of his life were not the happiest for Alfred.

Alfred enjoyed sport and in his later years was a member of the Manly Bowling Club. According to the Advertiser (Adelaide) 21 November 1905 page 7) Alfred represented NSW (or Sydney) in lawn bowls including playing in Adelaide in 1905. One of his team mates was Harry Moses.

Alfred Percy Lord died at Bona Vista on 18 May 1927 and the funeral was held at the Rookwood Crematorium. He was 74.

Alfred Percy Lord was my great grandfather.

Victoria Downs Merino Stud

Article from the Australasian Saturday 28 August 1920 describing the operation and development of Victoria Downs, established in 1906, plus information about A P Lord. The article was transcibed from Trove.

VICTORIA DOWNS MERINO STUD - by BENDLEBY - HISTORY AND FORMATION

Victoria Downs is situated six miles north-west of Morven, within 50 miles of Charleville, and 430 miles west of Brisbane. It is a grazing farm with an area of 30,000 acres, and was originally part of Victoria   Downs Station, one of the early pastoral principalities of this district, which embraced a number of other holdings, such as Etona, Ivanhoe, Brunell Downs, and several other selections, large and small, some of which have since been further sub divided. The Lord family came here in 1906, and have therefore been here but 14 years. Up to the year 1911 general attention was paid by them to grazing and woolgrowing, but always with the set purpose of steadily improving the standard of both sheep and cattle. In 1911 an opportunity occurred of venturing into stud merinos. A small line of Deniliquin Stud Park ewes, cast for age (274 in all), was purchased from Sir. Thomas Millear, and with them some rams of from 50 to 100 guinea standard. Finding the results satisfactory, and a local demand having set in for some of the flock rams bred from these ewes, a further extension of the stud was resolved upon, and at different intervals the following purchases were made: In 1912 100 stud ewes, and again in 1914, 160 stud ewes were purchased from Mr. Millear. Both these lots were young ewes. Experience went to prove that the best results were obtainable from the older ewes, so in 1915 1,500 ewes, cast for age, were obtained from the same breeder, and again in 1916 500 more, making in all a total of 2,334 Stud Park ewes. Some of these ewes were nine and ten years old, and it was only natural that the losses should be heavier than would be the case with young sheep. Rams were purchased from the same breeder. In 1911 five stud rams were secured, the top price being 100 guineas. In 1912 four stud rams were bought at auction in Sydney at prices which favoured the buyer. In 1913 three stud rams were added, one at 200 guineas, the highest price paid up to this period. - This ram proved a great success, and has left his mark. In 1914 11 stud rams were added, including two at 300 guineas. Of these 11, 7 were purchased from Wanganella Estate (Falkiner's), one of them at 210 guineas and another at 170 guineas. In 1915 20 rams were added, prices being particularly low in Sydney that year. These were from Deniliquin Stud Park, and contained two numbered 1,905 and 1,840, which proved exceptionally good, the latter being one of the best ever, purchased. In 1916 another draft of 26 was obtained from the same quarter, 11 of these being old rams, which had been used in the Deniliquin Park Stud, including some which Mr. Millear had used singly. Of this lot 14 were bought privately, the balance being secured at the Sydney sales. Included in this lot was a ram bred at Wanganella Estate, a son of Ajax. For this sheep 460 guineas was paid at auction. Five others were purchased from Wanganella Estate. In 1918 special stud ram No. 410 was purchased from Mr. Millear for 300 guineas. This sheep has proved to be one of the best of all sires. In this year also Mr. Millear's exhibition ram at the Sydney Stud Park No. 10. was purchased for 2,500 guineas, a record price for a six year-old ram. It is too early as yet to make mention of the stock by this ram. At the-same time 700 more ewes of a similar denomination were purchased. The stud-breeding ewes on Victoria Downs at the present time number 3,000, all above this total having been passed on to Chatham. These are divided into 500 extra specials, 500 specials. 1,000 first stud, and 1,000 second stud. The lambings are up to Riverina performances, notwithstanding the fact that foxes help to keep down the annual percentage. This season the lambings have been poor, but there is likely to be an excellent summer lambing. The stud is worked on the basis of an annual output of 1,000 sale rams, flock and selected, at 4, 6, 8, and 10 guineas. For these there is a ready sale, with orders booked ahead. In Brisbane, in 1919, two stud rams brought 130 guineas, one 120 guineas, one 166 guineas, and one 90 guineas.

PROMISING YOUNGSTERS

This year's draft at the Brisbane sales was not as good as it might have been, and provided several southern visitors with an altogether incorrect impression as to the standard of sheep now being bred on Victoria Downs. Of the home-bred article I was afforded every opportunity of making close inspection. I examined the extra special ewes including some of those from Stud Park, in the wool-shed yards. Some of the young home-bred ewes were set aside by themselves to give me an opportunity of observing how they compared with the Riverina-bred article. I also examined special and first stud ewes and second stud ewes, and of the rams, all the reserves and workers. The tops of these, both rams and ewes, are a credit to the studmaster, Mr. Robert Lord. He has consistently paid attention to the make and shape and to the size of frame. He has established, width of carcase and length of body, with a straight back and a well-squared off rump. He makes a practice of classing, not only for wool, which must be well and evenly put on, but also for make and shape. His tops have got to stand wide fore and aft, have soft faces, good hocks, and well-covered backs. He is altering somewhat the type from the original Riverina article, and for the better, in which direction he receives considerable help from the local pasture and climate. There is an annual rainfall of 21in. average, and an abundance of good summer grasses-Mitchell, Flinders, Blue, and other sorts. Usually these black soil downs are not noted for their excellence during the winter months. This year, which, as explained elsewhere, is phenomenal, it would be practically impossible to overstock the herbage. The wool is bright, clean, well-nourished, and of good character. It is sound, sweet, healthy country, the choicer parts being open, rolling downs, with 20,000 acres free from prickly pear. Shearing is much later than in Riverina, September 1 being voted quite early enough.

The elevation of this country above sea level is responsible for a colder winter than one would expect from the latitude. On the other hand, at Biddenham, 90 miles north, and recently purchased by these brothers, it has been the custom for some years past to shear in March. It will take some manoeuvring and three or four years to bring the dates into line. Among the 200 reserve rams and workers at Victoria Downs I saw some sheep of extra high class -typical Wanganellas, with strong heads and horns, broad, soft faces, wide, straight backs, and deep bodies; well-grown, shapely animals of the best Riverina standard.   With such a painstaking enthusiast as Mr. Robert Lord at the head of this stud, nothing can keep it back. It is only a matter of time for him to command the practical attention of many of the big flock masters located in Central Queensland. His sale rams have the advantage of being thoroughly acclimatised, and can be delivered at a minimum expense anywhere within the State, thus avoiding the risks and cost of either sea or land carriage. There is no doubt in my mind that this country can breed good stud sheep, more especially where it has been possible to subdivide pad docks, so that they contain a reasonable amount of shelter and shade. _ Water is plentiful below ground, and easily obtained by sinking. Windmills and tanks are in use, although, like the underground water supply, they have been, from a local stand point. a discovery of comparatively recent years. I saw Stud Park No. 10 out of the wool. He had cut 18½lb. for six months growth, and previous to that 35½lb. for 12 months' growth. He is now seven years old, but has all the appearance and vigour of a younger sheep, and, so far as could be seen from the little wool that was left on him, has improved somewhat in uniformity since he was introduced here. He is a very large-framed animal, and one of more than ordinary constitution.

FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS

Mr. A. P. Lord, the head of this family, has all through life had a hankering after pastoral pursuits. For many years it has been his ambition, not only to establish his sons on the land, but to give them every possible advantage within the com pass of his means. None realise this more fully than the sons themselves, who speak of their father, and of all that they owe to him, in terms of the highest respect. Although himself more skilled at finance than at practical sheep-farming, Mr. Lord was bitten with the desire to go on the land very early in life, and when still but a lad, assisted to form Woolooga, in the Wide Bay district. This place is now known as Booker's. Droughts and low prices settled all his youthful ambitions, and he dropped cut of the industry about 40 years ago for 15 years. During this period he entered the A.J.S. Bank as a junior, and made rapid progress up to the management of the Maryborough branch, and then to that of Gympie. Following on some judicious investments in Gympie mines, he got back to his old love and on to the land again, in the Monaro district in New South Wales, buying Kiah Lake, near Cooma. It was here that the sons got their first experience among stock. Finding the country somewhat inhospitable, Mr. Lord sold Kiah Lake, and drifted to Narrabri, where he remained about five years. After the big drought of 1902 Mr. Lord made out to Queensland, purchasing Maryvale. Finding it unsuitable for his requirements, and being compelled to look around for grass for his sheep, he secured paddocks on agistment at Victoria Downs. At the same time, he secured an option over the property, which had been obtained as a grazing farm in 1905. This deal was duly finalised, Maryvale being disposed of. Mr. Robert P. Lord, the eldest son, was the first of the family to make his home here. There are five sons in the firm as now constituted under the name of Lord Bros., Robert and Arthur, who live at Victoria Downs; Reginald, who is established at Biddenham; and Victor and Guy, who are at Chatham. With these two last named properties I shall be dealing more in detail later on. For the time being, it will suffice to say that Biddenham is a recent purchase of 90.000 acres, about 60 miles north-west of Victoria Downs, in a line with Chatham. It consists of grazing farms and leases, the majority of it first-class country. It was purchased from Mr. J. Rogerson, who had acquired it some years previously from that well-known pioneer, Mr. R. D. Barton. Biddenham was purchased in February of this year, and is to be worked in conjunction with Chatham and Victoria Downs. The sheep are of a high standard, mainly Wanganella blood. It has a carrying capacity of from 25,000 to 30,000 sheep   and 1,000 head of cattle. The merino stud is gradually being extended to Chatham, which is situated 85 miles nor' nor' west of Victoria Downs. Chatham has an area of 615,000 acres, made up of grazing farms and leases. About half of it is rolling downs, and the balance first-class open timber country. This property was bought as a going concern in August, 1909. For some time past it has been absorbing the surplus stud sheep from Victoria Downs, and has a carrying capacity of 14,000 sheep, and of about 600 mixed cattle. The general flock is of a high standard, bred up on Haddon Rig and Wanganella blood. All these three places grow wool of high quality and an excellent carcase.

52 Ancestors #36 Jane Cox

Jane Cox was born in November 1838 at Old Court, Cork, Ireland. Her death certificate states that she had lived in Australia for 45 years so she would have been four or five on arrival. Her father's name was William Cox.

Jane was twenty when she married William Clifton Weston on 11 May 1859 at the Wesleyan Church at Sofala.  She had been living at Sofala before she was married. Gold had been discovered at Sofala early in the 1850s and although, after a few years, many of the miners had moved on to new strikes, Sofala became an active goldmining area again towards the end of the 1850s.

Jane and William had eight children during the next 15 years - Percy Clifton Mckay (1860-1947), Mary Mornington (1861-1928), Annie Wilson Hardwick Weston (1864-1924), Edith Neville Weston (1866-1920), Ida Eunice Weston (1868-1901), John Bennett Weston (1871-1871), Jonathan (Jack) George Weston (1872-1904) and Clive Condor Weston (1875-1922). John Bennett Watson was only six month old when he died of bronchitis. The other children lived to adulthood and most of them  a variety of employment in country New South Wales.

Percy Weston became an auctioneer and landowner in Orange and at one time was president of the Wellington District Racing Association. Mary Weston married Herbert (Bertie) Henty Balcombe in 1907. Bertie had originally married Margaret's sister, Ida Weston who had died in 1901. Edith Weston married Henry (Harry) Seymour Blake in January 1888. Harry was Manager of Australian Joint Stock Bank, Deniliquin. Annie married George Hutton in 1889. Jack was an officer in the A J S Bank including several years at the Forbes branch. He suffered from consumption for eight or nine years and for the final three years of his life lived with Percy's family in Orange. Clive worked in the Civil Service and was an assistant clerk in the Petty Sessions Office at Balmain before leaving Australia for the Boer War.  He also served in World War I but was suffering from shell shock when he returned home and committed suicide. More details can be found in the Exploring Military History blog - posts Clive Condor Weston part 1 and part 2.

William was a surgeon who worked for the civil service as a coroner and later took on additional government responsibilities. Initially William's work took the family to Rylstone, then to Kiandra before settling in Coonamble where the last six children were born. Their home at Coonambe was called, The Willow. In 1876 they moved to Hill End for a short time before finally moving to Parkes. Their home in Parkes was The Pines.

Towards the end of 1887 Jane developed a pelvic abscess and nine weeks later on 11 February 1888 she died at her home. Jane was only 49.

The Australian Town and Country Journal 18 February 1888 paid the following Tribute to Jane:

OBITUARY.-I regret having to record the death of Mrs. W. C. Weston, wife of our efficient C. P. S. The deceased lady was much liked for her unassuming manner, great kindness, and consideration for all. She will be missed by numbers outside her own family and circle.

Jane Cox was my great (x2) grandmother.

52 Ancestors #35 William Clifton Weston

William Clifton Weston was probably born in New South Wales in 1833. His father's name was possibly John Bennett Weston. It has been difficult to pinpoint family information as there is more than one John Weston at this time and official birth records were not available. There is therefore lots of information to uncover about William's family and William's early life.

His brother, John W D Weston was born in 1832 and died the same year. Another brother, John Bennett Weston, according to the Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate 1 April 1911, died in Lancashire on 27 January 1911. I have so far been unable to locate a date of birth for him but as there had been another child called John he was possibly younger than William. I am also still looking for information about William's parents.

William was 26 when he married Jane Cox at the Wesleyan Church, Sofala, New South Wales, on 11 May 1859. Sofala is 46 km north of Bathurst and was a goldmining town. On the marriage certificate William's occupation is listed as being a surgeon.

In October 1859 a note in the Sydney Morning Herald reported that 'the following gentlemen have been appointed coroners for the districts specified, in connection with their names respectively ... Rylstone - William Clifton Weston, Esq., surgeon. (Sydney Morning Herald 22 Oct 1859). Rylestone was a small settlement to the west of the Blue Mountains. While in Rylestone, their first child, Percy Clifton Mckay Weston (1860-1947)  was born. By July 1860 there was to be another move, this time to Kiandra, a goldmining town in the Snowy Mountains  - William Clifton Weston, Esq. has been appointed coroner for the district of Kiandra (Australian Home Companion & Band of Hope 14 July 1860). Jane may have remained in Rylestone as her second child, Mary Mornington Weston, was born in Rylestone in 1861. The next move was to Coonamble, on the Castleragh River 569 km north west of Sydney, where the family lived until about 1878. Six more children were born to William and Jane while they lived at Coonamble.

William held a number of other positions in the town as well as Coroner. The first public school was built in 1869 and William had been appointed to form the Public Schools Board for Coonamble in 1868. He was also a JP and from 1870 could consent to the marriage of minors in the Coonamble, Dubbo districts. He was also the Clerk of Petty Sessions at Coonamble.

The Sydney Morning Herald 13 December 1876 reported that William Clifton Weston, Clerk of Petty Sessions, Coonamble, was to be Clerk of Petty Sessions and Registrar of the District Court, Hill End so the family was on the move back to where William had begun his career, as Hill End was not far from Sofala. Another notice in the Sydney Morning Herald 3 February 1877 confirmed that Mr William Clifton Weston has been appointed assistant registrar of births deaths and marriages for the district of Tambaroora, at Hill End, from the 1st instant. The stay at Hill End was short as the family moved to Parkes the following year when it was reported that Mr. William Clifton Weston has been appointed 'Assistant Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the district of Forbes, at Parkes, from the 1st instant' (Australian Town & Country Journal 27 July 1878). In August he was also appointed to be 'warden's clerk and mining registrar at Parkes, and to issue miners' rights, business, and mineral licenses' and a year later the Australian Town & Country Journal announced that 'Mr. William Clifton Weston, to be coroner at Parkes, and for the colony generally'.

William worked in Parkes for eleven years until his death in 1889. According to his death certificate he had been ill for a month before his death on 14 April 1889. There were a number of reports of his ill health and subsequent death in a number of newspapers. Below is the obituary from the Molong Express and Western District Advertiser 20 April 1889:

Death, of Mr W. C. Weston, C.P.S., Parkes. — This gentleman, we learn, died at Parkes on Sunday night last. It appears that the bones of the foot had begun to decay, and amputation was resorted to on Thursday, the 11th inst. Mortification, however, set in and the patient expired on the day above mentioned. The deceased was a very old public officer, having entered the public service 25 years ago, and was highly respected; he had been C.P.S. and Crown Land Agent at Parkes for over 10 years. Being a member of the Masonic brotherhood, the remains were buried on Monday afternoon with Masonic honours, the funeral being largely attended.

William Clifton Weston was my great (x2) grandfather.

52 Ancestors # 34 Annie Wilson Hardwick Weston

Annie Wilson Hardwick Weston was born at Coonamble, New South Wales, on 27 March, 1864. Her parents were William Clifton Weston and Jane Cox. Her father was a coroner and the family lived in different areas of New South Wales.

On 9 January 1889 Annie married George Hutton at St George's Church of England, Parkes. George owned the sheep station, The Troffs, west of Parkes. Annie and George had three children, William Clifton Weston (1889-1893), Eleonora Ruby (1892-1990) and Nancy Hazel (1889-1997).

According to family stories William was a very active little boy who was fascinated with water. Apparently the only way to keep track of his movements was to tie a lead to the kitchen table to stop him disappearing. The following report of William's death appeared in the Australian Town and Country Journal, 28 January 1883.

A Sad Accident.-On Friday last at Nelungaloo a sad drowning fatality occurred. Mr. G. Hutton, who was proceeding to Sydney with his wife and children, broke the journey and intended staying for the night at Mr. J. G. Lackey's residence. His little boy, 4 years of age, wandered away from the   house. A search was made for the little fellow who was found in a creek close at hand in about 2ft of water. He was carried to the house and every effort made to restore life, but without success. Wide spread sympathy is expressed for Mr. and Mrs. Hutton.

The family lived in Parkes until the beginning of the 1900s until when George, like many other pastoralists, was forced to sell his property after a seven year drought. George remained in Parkes finding employment as a rabbit inspector but Annie decided to take the girls to Sydney to live. George visited his family in Sydney from time to time but never lived with them again.

Annie appears to have had support from members of her family. Her sister, Ida (1868-1901), had married Herbert (Bertie) Balcombe and when the house and furniture was sold Berite purchased some of the furniture. He later offered to give the furniture to Annie's daughter, Nancy, but she refused the offer as she could not afford the transportation costs and did not want to tell the Balcombe's of her financial difficulties. Annie's brother, Percy, also helped her as he provided her with a home in Sydney with the understanding that when his family was visiting Sydney from Orange they would stay with Annie and her family. The Sands and Kenny Directories for 1903-1907 list Annie as living at 47 McLaren Street, North Sydney. From 1910 to 1915 the directories show that she was living at Wyalla, at 46 Upper Pitt Street, North Sydney, which she ran as a boarding house. In 1916 this property was sold to St Aloysius School.

Wyalla

Milson's Point, North Sydney

Important sale by auction, to-morrow, Wednesday, May 17, at 11 o'clock a.m

At the residence, Wyalla, Upper Pitt Street, North Sydney

(6 minutes' walk from Milson's Point ferry wharf)

By order of Mrs. G. Hutton,

In consequence of having sold her fine residence and her decision to relinquish housekeeping, the whole of her superior furniture and general household effects, including the complete furniture and appointments for large dining-room, hall, drawing-room, 15 fully-furnished bedrooms (double and single), including a superior and well-finished six-feet bedroom suite.

Valuable pianoforte, by Paling and Co., a high grade instrument, in splendid order

Also, kitchen and laundry furniture and requisites

Quantity of outside lots, large outside venetian blinds, suitable for verandahs, balconies, etc., etc.

W. A. Little, Fine Art, Furniture, and General Auctioneer and Valuator,

Auction salerooms and offices, no. 98 Pitt-street, Sydney,

Telephone, city 4036

Advertisement in Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 16 May 1916

Although there were many opportunities for women to assist the war effort in Australia, Annie decided to travel to England, the 'Home Country' or 'Mother Country', to offer her assistance there. Her eldest daughter, Eleonora, went with her while Nancy, who would have been 16, was told to remain in Sydney. There is a lack of certainty as to what they actually did in England but it is possible that Annie, who was a good manager, worked as a supervisor in a munitions factory and then in a canteen serving food. They returned to Australia in 1919.

When she died on 29 April 1924, Annie was living at 25 Alexander Street in Manly. She was buried at Manly Cemetery.

Annie Wilson Hardwick Weston was my great grandmother.

52 Ancestors #33 George Hutton

George Hutton was born in Bath, England on 5 May 1850. He was the eldest son of William Forbes Hutton and Eleonora Mackillop. Later in 1850 his parents returned to Madras, India, where his father was a captain in the 34th Native Infantry. George's sister, Jean Elizabeth was born in Bangalore, India in November 1851. His parents returned to Bath in 1854 when a second sister for George, Eleonora Mary, was born in May. At this stage I do not know if George went to India as a baby but we do know that during the early years of George's life his contact with his parents would have been limited as he and his two sisters lived in Bath with his  grandparents, George Mackillop and Jean Eleanora Hutton.

On 23 October 1855 George's grandmother wrote a letter to her daughter in India providing a progress report on the bairns including information on George's first lesson:

George is greatly improved and is reasonable and obedient - he speaks more intelligibly, and does not lose himself so often in a maze of words and thoughts - I hope that when he can read he will learn to express himself well and clearly; he had his first lesson this morning and was very attentive - but I will have to begin with BA again - humanly speaking there will be no more interruptions and I expect to have to give you a good report of his progress in my next. Bessie tells me he was most anxious to do everything "as Grandmama would like". He does not know the Lord's Prayer quite perfect but almost so. I do not think he is quick at learning by heart, at present - but his technical memory will probably improve when he acquires the habit of giving his mind to his occupation. He is to write to you next, if he is a good boy - this goes by Marseilles and therefore must be brief and light.

The 1861 English census shows that George and his family were at the home of their grandfather, George Mackillop, at 26 Grosvenor Place in Bath. George's grandmother had died in 1859. There were five house servants working in the house. George was listed as being a scholar.

The next we hear of George is on 30 August 1869 when he arrives in Melbourne aboard the ship, Somersetshire. In the early 1930s George wrote detailed notes about his his first few years in Australia. He was met by Daniel Stodhart Campbell who took him to his home in Richmond where he stayed for several days before travelling to the property, Bundyulumbah, a sheep station north west of Deniliquin in New South Wales where he worked for Mr D'Arlet until November. George spent the next two months in Melbourne looking for work until he met Dick Creswick who managed a property, Brim, in the Wimmera. Dick Creswick invited George to return to Brim with him so they travelled by train to Ballarat where George purchased a horse and they then proceeded to ride to the property. Unfortunately the horse damaged a leg so they left her at Avoca and purchased a buggy to take them the rest of the journey, stopping off at the Avoca Races en route. George spent more than twelve months on Brim. George estimated the size of one paddock being about 20,000 acres and noted that he never rode the entire boundary fence of any paddock, the area being so huge.

On 31 May 1871 George's father arrived in Australia and he left Brim to meet his father at Ercildoune, a property near Ballarat owned by the Learmonths who were friends and business associates of the George Mackillop. According to George, his grandfather had helped finance the purchase of Ercildoune by the Learmonths. Unfortunately, before George Mackillop left Hobart, there was a dispute about repayment of the loan but the differences were eventually resolved.

George and his father returned to Melbourne and then travelled by ship to Launceston to view the Castra project, a settlement established by the government to encourage the settlement of officers from the Indian Army in the region. George noted: 'It was raining hard when we got to Deloraine and rained all night, so Dad jibbed on a 40 mile drive over bush roads in an open buggy. ' Instead they took a coach to Hobart. 'We had a wretched journey down, frosts and fogs nearly all the way, and as the coach was full inside we rode on top of the coach and were almost frozen.' After a week in Hobart they returned to Launceston by coach. 'Father tried to get inside seats on the  coach but they were all booked, but we brought blankets and rolled ourselves in those during the journey so we did not suffer as much as we did going down to Hobart.' George then added, 'However it cured Father of any inclination to settle in Tasmania.' Not surprisingly winters in Tasmania were very different from the climate in India.

After this adventure George's father decided to purchase land at Lilydale in Victoria and George worked with his father for several years as the property was established. In 1874 the rest of the family travelled from England to settle in Victoria and some of George's younger brothers were now available to assist their father. George told his father that he wanted to head north to Queensland to join an outlanding party moving cattle from Queensland. He decided the best way to do this was to travel by ship to a large port in Queensland and then contact stock and station agents to find employment. Unfortunately at this point in the story George stopped writing his memoir so there is a gap in the story. 

In Parkes, New South Wales, on 8 January 1889 George married Annie Wilson Hardwick Weston. We know from articles in Trove that, at that time, George owned a sheep station west of Parkes named The Troffs. George's brother Arthur also worked on the property and some of the articles refer to the Hutton Brothers. Arthur was secretary of the Parkes Jockey Club and owned and raced a number of horses.
George and Annie had three children - William Clifton Weston (1889-1893), Eleonora Ruby (1892-1990) and Nancy Hazel (1899-1997). Family stories relate that William loved water and would often disappear. One day when visiting friends William wandered off and his body was found in the nearby creek.

The Troffs until the beginning of the twentieth century. Unfortunately there was a lack of rain in the years between 1895 and 1902 referred to as the Federation Drought. George and his family had to sell the property. A family member purchased much of the furniture. Annie and their two girls went to live in Sydney while George remained in the district trying to earn a living. He eventually became a Rabbit Inspector for the Molongo P P Board.


Rabbits were in plague proportion in rural Australia and rabbit inspectors were required to ensure that property owners were following procedures to reduce rabbit numbers on their property.  Newspapers contained reports of the rabbit inspectors at Molong Pasture Protection meetings such as the following report in Sydney Morning Herald Wednesday 23 December 1914 page 9:

Rabbit InspectorHutton reported that he had travelled 304 miles since the previous meeting, and had made 45 inspections. He reported ten holders to be unsatisfactory, and recommended three owners for prosecution. The board decided to lay poison in reserves at a cost of £25, and to prosecute three holders reported by Inspector Hutton.

The Sands Directories show that George, who was now 76, was a rabbit inspector in the Molong area until at least 1926. The directory entry also noted that he was a JP. Electoral rolls for 1930 and 1936 show that George was living with his daughter Nancy and her family on their property, Metavale, Cunnamulla, Queensland. My mother has memories of an 'old man with a beard' who used to call her, 'My little gal'. He spent most of his time reading or going for long walks.
George Hutton died in Sydney on 5 November 1936 at the age of 86.

George Hutton was my great grandfather.

52 Ancestors #32 Eleonora Mackillop

Eleonora Mackillop was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 11 December 1830 when her parents, George Mackillop and Jean Eleanora Hutton were living at 11 Ainslie Place in the New Town area of the city.

The buildings in Ainslie Place were built in the 1820s and were designed by the architect J G Graham. The houses in Ainslie Place face on to a small garden and behind the buildings the Water of Leith flows through the Dean Gardens - a private garden created in the 1860s.

The decorations on the balconies are a feature of the Ainslie Place buildings.

 

The above three images of Anslie Place  are taken from the street view of the area in Google maps.

Towards the end of 1832 Eleonora's parents, together with Eleonora and her four brothers, travelled to India. Eleonora's younger brother James died in Calcutta in July 1833.  Later that year the family moved to Tasmania where they lived until the end of the 1830s when they returned to their home in Edinburgh.

George Hutton's notes illustrate that travelling by ship could be eventful. After the ship to India rounded the Cape of Good Hope it encountered a cyclone. Eventually the ship reached Mauritius but was declared a wreck as the force of the cyclone had twisted the hull of the ship. The journey was continued on another vessel. Another ship, possibly the St George, was wrecked off the west coast of Tasmania. This ship was carrying family paintings and heirlooms belonging to the Hutton family.

In Tasmania the family lived in a large house with gardens in Davey Street in Hobart and this was where Eleonora lived until she was nine or ten. While the family was in Hobart Eleonora's two sisters were born. While they lived in Hobart, Eleonora's parents would have employed a governess and / or a tutor to provide at least a basic education for the younger children. The boys may have attended school. Unfortunately Eleonora's eldest brother, George Downie Mackillop, died in Hobart in November 1836 when he was 15. Two months later the family home in Hobart Town was first placed on the market as George Mackillop made plans to return to Scotland. The house was not sold until 1839 and advertisements for the sale of the contents of the house appeared in newspapers early in 1840, probably after the family had returned home.

The Scottish census for 1841 shows the family living in Ainslie Place while the 1851 English census shows that the family had moved to Bath where they lived at 26 Grosvenor Place. When Eleonora married William Forbes Hutton on 27 June 1849, the wedding took place at St Saviour's Church in Bath which was a short distance across the road from where the family lived.

Eleonora was 18 when she married William (33) who was an officer in the 34th Light Infantry in Madras India. No doubt Eleonora and William met through family as William's father, Thomas Hutton, was the brother of his wife's grandfather, William Charles Hutton.

Eleonora and William had eleven children - George (1850-1936) born in Bath and died in Sydney, Jean Elizabeth (1851-1939) born in Bangalore and died in England, Eleonora Mary (1854-1941) born in Bath and died in East Melbourne, Alice Katherine (1856-1946) was born in Secunderbad and died in Nyah (Victoria), Arthur William (1857-1930) was born in Ootacumund and died in Sydney, Dorcas Emma (1859-1938) was born in Bath and died in Malvern, Walter John (1861-1943) was born in Bath and died at Armadale, Margaret Isabella (1863-1950) was born in Bath and died in Armadale, William Lidderdale (1865-1929) was born in Torquay and died in Ballarat, Maurice Charles Graham (1867-1963) was born in Leckhampton and died in Melbourne and James Stewart (1869-1870) who was born and died at Leckhampton.

As can be seen from the details of the births of the first six children Eleonora made several trips between England and India. We know from the letter written in 1855 by her mother that Eleonora's parents had the responsibility of looking after at least the first three children while their parents were overseas.

Living in India provided a number of challenges, particularly for the families of the men working in that country. In the letter that Eleonora's mother wrote to her in 1855 she included the following advice to her daughter -

I hope and trust it may be God's pleasure to bless you both with health even in the Indian climate. Pray do not, from the fear of falling into indolent habits, run into the opposite extreme and overtax your strength in any way; what would be slothful indulgence at home is only necessary rest in India, and I hope you will take sufficiency of it.

In the notes about his family that George Hutton wrote in the early 1930s he recorded an incident when his mother was out riding. In the area near Coonoor she encountered some semi-wild buffalo on the terrace above the track where she and others in the party were riding. Her horse charged the cattle and lost his footing resulting in both horse and rider falling down a steep embankment. Fortunately bushes broke their fall. After that she was given a quieter horse to ride.

The 1861 English census records the family living in Bath while the 1871 English census shows them living at Leckhampton in Gloucestershire. It is thought that William may not have spent much time in India during the 1860s.

In the early 1870s William decided to formally retire from the army and settle the family in Australia. Eleonora and seven children not already in Australia arrived in Melbourne on 6 May 1874. Initially they lived in Kew in a large house, Blythswood.

Blythswood, Kew

They then moved into Rockingham, next door to Blythswood, until their new home, Cooring Yering, at Lilydale was completed.  The house was built by David Mitchell.

Cooring Yering, Lilydale

The property was large enough to accommodate the large family and, possibly from time to time, visitors. When William died in 1896 Walter and Maurice inherited the Cooring Yering vineyard while Eleonora inherited the rest of the property.

In his notes about his family when they arrived in Australia in the 1870s, George Hutton recounted a story illustrating the emphasis placed by his parents on the education of their children. Dorcas had been sent to school in Tasmania it was decided that Margaret should also attend the same school. However when Eleonora was taking Margaret to Hobart the ship lost her propellers and spent the day drifting until a passing ship towed them back to Hobson's Bay. Eleonora changed her mind about margaret attending school in Tasmania and Dorcas left the school at the end of the term. One asumes thy instead attended school closer to home. In his notes, Peter Hutton mentioned that Maurice attended Melbourne Grammar School until 1885. Walter and William may have also attended that school.

Eleonora died on 30 July, 1900, and was buried at Lilydale Cemetery. She was aged 69. The story of Eleonora's life provides an example of the life of women whose family were in involved furthering the interests of Britain in India either in the Army, the Civil Service or as merchants and also in other new British colonies.

Eleonora Mackillop was my great (x2) grandmother.

52 Ancestors #31 William Forbes Hutton

William Forbes Hutton was born in Westerham, Kent, England on 25 February 1816. His parents were Thomas Hutton (1772-1856, a merchant in India and Janet Robertson (1781-1862).

Janet and Thomas were married in Calcutta, India, on 22 July 1802. They had ten children with William being the seventh child and the second son. He had two younger brothers and one younger sister. For a number of years Thomas and Janet lived in Penang where their first two children were born. The next five children were born in England between 1808 and 1816 while the last three children were born in Calcutta, India between 1818 and 1822. It is probable that the older children, including William, would have remained in England being looked after by family when Thomas and Janet went to India. Unfortunately census data was not collected until 1840 so it is not possible to confirm this, but it was customary for many English families in India to have their children brought up in India. This was a tradition continued by William with his children being cared for by his wife's family in England when he was in India.

William Forbes Hutton was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and according to notes written by his son, George, in the 1930s ‘he studied for an army surgeon but did not like the doctoring part of the profession, threw it up and entered the East India Company’s army’.
When he was 19 William applied for a cadetship in the Honorable East India Company Service Army for 1835-1836. On 3 February 1836 he left Portsmouth aboard the Malcolm for Madras where he arrived on 11 May.William Forbes Hutton was a member of the 34th Madras Native Infantry from 1836 until the early 1870s though he spent much of this time in England. Research undertaken by Peter Hutton in the 1960s established that William became an Ensign on 17 January 1836, a Lieutenant on 26 November 1837 and a Captain on 18 June 1845.

William Forbes Hutton served with the Field Force at Kurnool in 1839 and was present at the affair at Zorapore on 18 October 1839. Peter Hutton's research showed that William was stationed at Mercara from 1 January 1842, Mangalore from February 1845, Vellore from 1848, Dacca also from 1848, Moulmein from 1850, Vizagapatam arrived September 1851, Secunderabad arrived January 1854 and Trichinopoly arrived April 1857. Records show that he returned to Europe on furlough in November 1847, 1849, 1850, 1854 and 1855 and he was on sick leave in 1853. He officially retired as Major on 1 March 1873. The records regarding William Forbes Hutton’s service in the army are sketchy and additional research may provide more information.

As George Hutton's notes show life in India could be eventful. He describes how, on one day in the 1840s, his father was chased by an elephant when he was camped with some troops near a village in the foothills. The villagers complained that a rogue elephant was destroying their crops so a decision was made to hunt the elephant for a bit of sport. They walked through the jungle to locate the elephant. The weapons to be used were two single barrelled smooth bore guns so it was necessary 'to get within at least 80 yards to make sure of his shot'. When the elephant was located William fired the first gun and although the elephant was hit he just appeared dazed and then charged his attacker. The native soldier carrying the second gun disappeared leaving William to run back down the path pursued by an angry elephant. As the elephant gained on William, he fell and rolled behind a tree as the elephant raced past. George Hutton noted that after this experience his father was determined 'to let the natives kill their own elephants in future.'

From Bath in Time website

On 27 June 1849 William Forbes Hutton married Eleonora Mackillop at St Saviour's Church, Bath. The birth of the first six of their eleven children shows the frequency with which William and Eleonora travelled between England and India during the first ten years of their marriage. George was born in Bath in May 1850, Jean was born in Bangalore in November 1851, Eleonora was born in Bath in May 1854, Alice was born in Secunderbad in January 1856, Arthur was born in Ootacumund in July 1857 while Dorcas was born in Bath in June 1859. The remaining five children were born in England between 1861 and 1869. In the 1860s William appears to have spent more time in England than in India. 

On 13 May 1871 William Forbes Hutton arrived in Melbourne aboard the ship, Geelong, where he met his eldest son, George, who had arrived in Victoria in August 1869. In June William and George travelled to Launceston to view the Castra settlement, a project to encourage retired British Army officers who had served in India to settle in Tasmania, but weather so bad they continued to Hobart by coach before returning to Melbourne. Instead William purchased property, Cooring Yering, in Lilydale and proceeded to build a large home for his family. William officially retired from the Army on 1 March 1873 and later that month returned briefly to England. William arrived back in Australia in February 1874 with Jean and Arthur. Eleonora and the other children arrived later that year. Initially the family lived at Blythswood in Kew and then next door at Rockingham, until the house on Cooring Yering was completed and ready to move into in 1885.

The land acquired in Lilydale was used for farming - sheep and and crops - with one hundred and fifty acres set aside as a vineyard. According to William's obituary in the Lilydale Express December 4, 1896, 'The Colonel lived a somewhat retired life but was held in high esteem for his charitable deeds.' At a 'Back to Lilydale Reunion' in 1931 it was recorded that William Forbes Hutton had been interested in geology and owned a collection of rocks and minerals which were later donated to the local library. Marian Aveling in her book, Lilydale: the Billanook country 1837-1972  wrote that the large landowners in the area maintained close ties to Melbourne society and made visits to the city for shopping and entertainment especially after the arrival of the railway in 1881. No doubt members of the Hutton family travelled into Melbourne from time to time.

William Forbes Hutton died on 28 November 1896 at the age of 80 and was buried at Lilydale Cemetery.

 He was my great (x2) grandfather.