the family of james belcher of waterford, ireland - University of ...
the family of james belcher of waterford, ireland - University of ...
the family of james belcher of waterford, ireland - University of ...
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12 CHAPTER 2. SECOND GENERATION 1814 - 1849<br />
John and <strong>family</strong> head to <strong>the</strong> Goldfields<br />
Gold was discovered in Victoria at Clunes in June 1851 and by <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> 1852<br />
was being found at a large number <strong>of</strong> diggings in central Victoria.<br />
It is not known when John Belcher and his <strong>family</strong> first went to <strong>the</strong> goldfields, but<br />
in 1854 a child was born at Lyndhurst and by Tuesday 1st January 1856 when <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
son William was born, <strong>the</strong>y were located at Butcher’s Gully near Vaughan on <strong>the</strong><br />
Mount Alexander Goldfield. Probably this was only one <strong>of</strong> many areas where <strong>the</strong>y<br />
had sought gold. In any case <strong>the</strong> <strong>family</strong> appears to have settled at Shicer’s Gully, a<br />
tributary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Loddon between Vaughan and Guildford. Here <strong>the</strong>ir daughter Mary<br />
was to be born on <strong>the</strong> 24th August 1862. Mary was <strong>the</strong>ir 8th child, with at that time,<br />
James aged 12, Sarah aged 13, and William aged six being still alive, and John (Jr)<br />
and Lizzie and two children with names unknown having died. Elizabeth Belcher, at<br />
13 months old, having been born at Shicer Gully, was registered as having died on<br />
17th May 1860 at Shicer Gully, Kangaroo, supposedly <strong>of</strong> dysentery, and buried at<br />
Vaughan Cemetery by John himself. A son, possibly John junior, had been born and<br />
died at Lyndhurst in 1854.<br />
John Belcher is recorded as having a third share in a partnership which took over<br />
an abandoned tunnelling claim 300 feet by 240 feet on Table Hill on 24th March 1863.<br />
This hill lies on <strong>the</strong> right bank <strong>of</strong> Shicer’s Gully. His partners were an Edward Byara<br />
and John Furlong. John’s license had been renewed on 4th September 1862.<br />
Tragedy strikes <strong>the</strong> <strong>family</strong><br />
Between three and four o’clock on Saturday 6th June 1863, immediately after returning<br />
from work in <strong>the</strong> mine, John Belcher went from his home in Shicer’s Gully to go<br />
with his mate to divide some gold. Just as he was about to go a man named Plumer<br />
called to remind him to go to <strong>the</strong> settlement at Kangaroo (later known as Tarilta) to<br />
vote at <strong>the</strong> local Mining Board election. He attended <strong>the</strong> election, after calling at <strong>the</strong><br />
local and drinking with his mates. At a little past five, before it was dark, he started<br />
for home telling a miner named Michael Guest that he had to get home on time.<br />
At seven o’clock that night, a carter named Edwin Fox and a miner named Samuel<br />
Nash, who lived on <strong>the</strong> south side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Loddon River, heard a man call out across<br />
<strong>the</strong> river asking if he could cross. Since <strong>the</strong> river was in flood at <strong>the</strong> time, and <strong>the</strong><br />
footbridge a little fur<strong>the</strong>r downstream had been washed away, Fox called out “No”.<br />
The voice replied “Well, I must, so here goes”, and <strong>the</strong>y heard a splash, but since it<br />
was dark, could see nothing, and received no reply to <strong>the</strong>ir calls.