Australian English Genealogy

Descendants of Elizabeth Mitchell

Notes - Page 9


140. Joseph Stanton

Death of Mr. J. Stanton
By the death of Mr. Joseph Stanton, which took place his residence, High Street, on Tuesday, Penrith loses one of its most estimable citizens. This community has reason to mourn his death, for he belonged to it in a very true sense, inasmuch as he was born at Castlreagh, lived in the Nepean district all his life and gained by his communal activities, his affability, and his blamelesness the valuabe fiendship of many. His mother and his grandmother were both Australian-born, his father being a Cornishman. Deceased was 71 years of age last September. When a young man Mr. Stanton went into business in Penrith, for years conducting a store in High Street. Some twenty years ago he relinquished the business and took up his residence in the commodious house opposite, which continued to be his home up to the time of his death. It was as a member of the Methodist Church that his public labors were chiefly known, and in that way he gave most faithful service. He was one of the very few left who went to the first Methodist denominational day school at Castlereagh, and throughout his life, both as a youth at Castlereagh and later in manhood at Penrith, he was most actively identified with the affairs of the church. Three positions in his stewardship that he held for many years and maintained till his death were those of trustee, local preacher, and a member of the Quartlery Meeting, and for some time he was superintendent of the Sunday School. His father before him was a trustee of the churrch, and one of its devoted members. Deceased training had taught him the luxury of doing good,'and he exercised it in an unostentatious but enthusiastic manner. Mr. Stanton evinced interest in circuit matters right to the last. He usually enjoyed good health, and only became seriously ill within the last few weeks . Deceased was twice married, his first wife pre-deceasing him many years. He is survived by his second wife, and his two sons and six daughters, viz.: Mr. Kendall Stanton (Haberflield) who served with the A.I.F 'Mr. Gooffery Stanton (in the service of the Bank of N.S.W., Penrith), Mrs. P. Walker (Emu Plains), Mrs. A. Hoonoy (Ashfleld),vaiul Misses Grace, Hosbaj Eiloon and Enid Stanton. There ae six grandchildren and deceasedalso leaves two brothers . (Mr. William Stanton, of Kogarali, and Mr. Josiah Stanton, of Castloreagh) and..0110 sister (Mrs. Lennox, of Penrith). Another sister, - Mrs. Lamrock, of Orange, pre-deceased him. The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon. The body was taken to Penrith Methodist Ohurch), where a very impressive servicewas conductod by Rev. S. 0. Roberts. He was assisted by Revs. J. B. Ponritli and J. T , formerly of Penrith circuit, both, of whom made reference to Mr. Stanton's devout life, emphasising his faithfulness and readiness for service. The hymns "Thy Will, be done" and Abide With Me were sung;  Mrs Hand presiding . at the organ. The interment took place in the methodist portion of tlio general cemetery, Kingswood, many relatives and friends attending at the graveside. Prayers were offered by Revs.  Pehman and Tarn, and Rev." Roberts read the Committal. A largenumber; of beautiful wreaths gave gragtuity testimony to
the widespread esteem which Mr. Stanton enjoyed. A memorial service will be conducted by Rev. S. 0 Roberts in the Methodist Church at 7.15 on; Sunday,
27th inst.  .
Source: Nepean Times 19 May 1923


141. Josiah Stanton

Fatal Fall
MR. JOSIAH STANTON
Mr Joslah Stanton, of Lambridge, died in Nepean District Hospital this Friday from injuries received In a fall from a horse on Monday morning. Mr Stanton was on his way home, when the horse slipped on the hard roadway, on the Castlereagh Road, below Andrews corner. He fell on his head, and suffered a fractured skull. Assistance was forthcoming, and Nepean-Hawkesbury Ambulance was summoned and was quickly on the scene. Mr Stanton was conveyed to the Hospital.
The funeral will take place this Friday afternoon, the interment being In the Methodist Cemetery, Castlereagh.
Source: Nepean Times 18 Apr 1936


Charlotte Nation

Obituary
CHARLOTTE STANTON
There passed away, on Saturday, 29th December, 1928, at her residence Lambridge, Mrs Charlotte Stanton, wife of Josiah Stanton, after a brief illness. Deceased was a daughter of the late John Nation, of Belford, near Branxton, and was 68 years of age. Besides her husband she leaves two sons and two daughters, viz.: Wilfred (Dubbo), Lindsay (Lambridge), Mrs E. Broadbent, and Miss Jean Stanton (Lambridge). The funeral took place on Sunday, the remains being interred in the Methodist Cemetery. Source: Nepean Times 5 Jan 1929


Alice Gertrude Heilbronn

DEATH OF MRS A. G. JONES.
CANOWINDRA, Thursday.
The death has occurred of Mrs Alice Gertrude Jones one of the oldest pioneers in this district, who had been in indifferent health for some time. Born in London 79 years ago Mrs Jones came to Australia and to this district when very young. She married and with her husband took up farming at Tonaribin, Nyrang Creek. Mrs Jones was an untiring worker for the Methodist Church. She leaves six daughters, and three sons-Mrs J. Elbourne (Capertee) Mr. C. J. Jones Mr. N. Jones, Mrs. W. G. McCarron (Canowindra), Mr. F. Jones (Mendooran), Mrs F. Burge (Grenfell), Mrs W. Fleming (Coonabarabran) Mrs E Elbourne (Eugowra), and Mrs W. Sanderson (Sydney), There are 55 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Source: The SMH 26 Jly 1929


782. John Marsh Jones

Death Mr John Marsh Jones
News of the untimely death of John Marsh Jones, which sad event took place last Sunday afternoon, cast quite a gloom over the whole community. About a fortnight previous the deceased contracted measles, and subsequently other complications set in, the cause of death being menin- gitis, with which he suffered far a few days previous. The deceased gentleman, who was the eldest son of Mr John Jones, senr., of Belmore, was only 31 years of age. Perhaps no person in the district had less enemies or more friends ; his generous and kind disposition combined with an honest, upright nature, endearing him to all with whom he came in contact. We join in the widespread sympathy extended to the relatives in their sad hour of affliction. The funeral, whichtook place on Monday afternoon last, was one of the largest seen in the dis- strict. The burial took place in the Methodist portion of the local cemetery, the prayers at the greve being read by the Rev. D D Hunter, of Cowra. Mr R Ayrton carried out the funeral arrangements.
Source: Canowindra Star and Eugowra News 9 Dec 1910


148. Elizabeth Jones

THE COLLITS FAMILY.
Passing of the Pioneers.
(BY HERBERT J. RUMSEY, F.S.G..)

Source: The SMH 6 Aug 1932

In a recent "Herald" there appeared a notice of the death of Mary, relict of the late Pierce Collits, at Petersham, aged 91, and on the next day that of Elizabeth, relict of the late Pierce Collits, at Forbes, aged 80.  These two widows, who died within a couple of days of one another, were the widows of two Pierce Collits, who were cousins and both grandsons of Pierce Collits and Mary his wife, who were amongst our very early pioneers.  The first Pierce Collits came out in the Minerva in 1801. Up to about 1816 his signature may be seen as a witness to marriages in the old Castlereagh register in the Mit- chell Library. It is said that Collits had crossed the mountains before the real discoverers of the track, and he was one of those who helped Captain Cox to form the road in 1813-16. Before 1828 he had established a hotel at Mount York, 81 miles from Sydney, where there was a post-office under his charge before 1834. Oxley, the surveyor, in 1826, gives the height at "Vale of Clwyd, near Collits' Inn," as 2642 feet. When the new road was made to Bathurst via Hartley, this inn was left on a by-road and was closed.  Collits however, was not ruined by the loss of business at his hotel for he had sent his sons out as pioneers of the Belubula and Lachlan. Right ahead of all settlements they formed stations on all the choice and well watered spots from Canowindra to Cadow.  Only a couple of weeks ago I discovered In a small station cemetery on the Belubula, near Canowindra, the grave of one of his stockmen, Thomas Higgins, a former George street hotelkeeper, who had gone west with the Collits, and had been killed by accident in 1839.  Mitchell, the surveyor, tells in his diary of meeting James Collits (son of old Pierce, and father of one of the cousins) on March 28, 1836, with an aboriginal. The pair had been 70 miles down the river from Grudgery, near Forbes where Mitchell met them search- ing for water and grass for stock. He says that Collits told him that but for the help of the blackfellow he would have died for
want of water.


Pierce Collits

The late Pierce Collits - The Memory of Bushranging Days. There passed away at his home at sand Hills on Friday evening last a very old resident of the Lachlan district in the person of Mr. Pierce Collits, who had been suffering for some time past from an internal growth, the immediate cause of his death. The late Mr. Collits was born at Hartley, in 1840 and was therefore in his 74th year. When he was but a few years old his parents moved to Gangaroo near Cowra, but the blacks became so troublesome that a return to Hartley was deemed necessary. The deceased himself let somewhat of a fearsome and varied career in those days. After merging into pastoral pursuits and this was in the immediate vicinity of Forbes, where he came to manage Bogabigal for his father Mr. Joe Collits, who purchased that property from the late Mr. Rankin. Later on mining claimed his attention in this district and he was one of the many who time after time bottomed duffers.  Deceased also lived about Bandon and Eugowra, but some years ago he settled down at the Sand Hills near Forbes where he ended his days. He leaves to mourn their loss a widow and ten children, five sons and five daughters, as well as a number of grandchildren and other relatives. His remains were laid to rest in the private burial ground at Sand Hills on Sunday afternoon last, when Rev. A. G. Gardner, Church of England Rector, officiated at the graveside. As might have been expected, the late Mr. Pierce Collits, had many exciting experiences with bushrangers, and became near to losing his life on a couple of occasions, but he used to declare that the closest shave he ever had was one with Dunn, whose blood-thirsty instincts were somewhat renowned. The deceased was riding out of Forbes in the direction of the river, near the point where Fitzgeralds Bridge now stands, when he met a man who accosted him with the dreaded command “Hands up”. The man turned out to be Dunn who asked him his name and the deceased replied Pierce Collits, which happened to be identical with that of another man in the district who had given information to the police about some horses stolen off Bundaburra Station by the bushrangers. Dunn then ordered the deceased off his horse and gave him five minutes in which to say his prayers before despatching him to another world, but Mr. Collits afterwards said that the sight of the deadly bullets in the revolver, which the bushranger levelled at his head, was quite sufficient to drive all thoughts of prayer out of his mind. Luckily for our friend Ben hall and other members of the gang then happened along, and when the leader asked the meaning of the little drama and was told by Dunn what he intended to doing, Hall explained the mistake and told Collits, who was well known to him to get off his knees. Dunn and Gilbert wanted to take deceased's horse, which belonged to his sister the late Mrs. Esther Young, who kept an hotel for seventeen and a half years at Bandon, where Hall worked with her as stable boy, but Hall knew the horse too, and he insisted on there being no interference whatever with the deceased, who continued his journey thankful alike to God and to man to whose seamy life it was well known there was a bright and kindly side. On another occasion Mr. Collits was invited by one of the members of Hall's gang to have a dip into his saddle bag, which was full of bank notes, but the deceased said, he wasn't  having any on it.
Source: The Forbes Times - Tuesday, 11th August, 1914. -----------------------------

 John Collits had two sons Pierce and John, and one daughter Esther, who married James Young and they had a hotel at Bandon in the days when Sir Frederick Potting and Inspector Stephenson had charge of the police force in this part of the State. The Young´s employed Ben hall as a stable boy long before he took to the roads, and Mrs. Young´s brother Pierce Collits, as recounted in the Sydney Morning Herald at the time of his death had cause to bless the day he came in friendly contact with Ben. There were two Pierce Collits residing in the Forbes District for many years, the one who is now buried on his old property at the Sand Hills, near Forbes, and Pierce Collits, a cousin who managed Bundabura Station for the Stricklands, and who had his home in Lachlan Street , Forbes, in an old house which stood for many years near Dr. Vout´s surgery and home is now located. Contrary to general belief, the bushrangers were not always on the best of terms with the big cattle station owners and managers, and it was not always possible for them to take or exchange a horse when in dire need of one. That sort of thing was generally winked at, but when a thoroughbred race horse was taken from Bundaburra on one occasion Pierce Collits´s manager, reported the loss to the police. That fact in time came to the knowledge of the bushrangers, and Pierce Collits, then living with his sister at Bandon Hotel, nearly paid with his life for having the same name as the Bundaburra Station manager. He was riding a horse belonging to Mrs. Young and had been below Forbes. There was no Fitzgerald´s Bridge in existence then, and the river crossing was at Finn´s about 4 miles below town, where the stream mostly consisted of pools. Saying His Last Prayers Pierce Collits had ridden to near the spot where the South Condobolin Road is bisected by the road leading to Salisbury. he encountered some of the bushrangers, and then Dan Morgan, a somewhat bloodthirsty member of the gang, learnt the name of the lone rider, he put him down on his knees saying his last prayers, while he menaced him with a large colt revolver. The timely arrival of Ben Hall, who explained the delusion Morgan was under undoubtedly spared Collits, for it was an unforgivable crime in the eyes of the bushrangers for anyone to assist the police in hunting them down. Morgan then wanted to take the horse, but Hall knew it was Mrs. Young´s and again stepped in and prevented Collits being left stranded on the roadside. This Pierce Collits married Elizabeth Jones and they has 13 children most of whom grew up in the district. (Mrs. Elizabeth Mc Rae (nee Collits) was one of the daughters. She lived most of her life at ``WyWorrie" Ferry Street, Forbes.


Joseph Williamson

Death of Mr. Joseph Williamson.
" The silent oar has parted the silent river" and we have, with regret, to record the passing of Mr. Joseph Williamson of Nyrang Creek on Wednesday last, after an illness extending over 12 months. The late Mr. Williamson was born at Goulburn, and his early years were spent at Carcoar as a teamster. One of the pioneers of the district in which 48 years of his life were spent, he was the second to select land there in 1866. A member of the Methodist Church since its erection at the Creek, he held office as trustee and steward for 30 years. The deceased leaves a widow and eleven children, including Mrs. W. Trelford (Nyrang Creek), Mrs. T. Wilcox (Billimari), W. Williamson (N.Z.), and three daughters and five sons residing at home. Mr. T. Williamson is a brother of the deceased, while Mesdames Hurkett, G. Lockhart and J. Trelford are sisters. The funeral will take place in the Nyrang Creek Cemetery to day (Friday), the Rev. L. M. K. Mills officiating.
Source: Canowindra Star and Eugowra News 16 Oct 1914


814. Edgar Rollo Williamson

EDGAR ROLLO WILLIAMSON.
Edgar Rollo Williamson was born at Nyrang Creek, 18 years ago, and was the youngest son of the late Jos. Williamson, and Cecilia Williamson, of "Roseville" farm. He lived the comparatively uneventful life of a farmer's son until September, 1916, when he received a fall from his horse. The immediate result was not considered serious enough to seek the advice of a medical man, notwithstanding the fact that the boy was not feeling quite himself. Eventually, however, a certain stomatic condition emerged which necesistated medical aid. The doctors had great difficulty in locating the seat of the trouble, and it was not until several courses of treatment had failed that special attention was drawn to the head. There and then it was discovered that the skull had been badly fractured at some time or another, and, on account of it not having been attended to at the time, was now causing all the trouble. The aid of Sydney specialists was sought, but the consensus of opinion was that the opportunity of rectifying the cause had passed by. It was stated that had medical aid been secured immediately after the accident, the trouble would have been averted. The sad story is made sadder by the fact that the nerve centres in the head were so affected that before his death, the deceased had become almost, if not totally blind. He passed away at his mother's home after a sad and painful illness on Friday, the 8th November, the cause of death being given as "inflammation of the brain and other complications caused primarily by an accident." His body was laid to rest on Sunday morning in the Nyrang Creek Cemetery, and a memorial service was conducted immediately afterwards in the Methodist Church.
Source: Canowindra Star and Eugowra News 15 Nov 1918