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the family of james belcher of waterford, ireland - University of ...

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24 CHAPTER 3. THIRD GENERATION 1850 - 1868<br />

Figure 3.2: Memorial plaque on a picnic bench in Vaughan Springs, Victoria. “Presented by Louisa<br />

Harrop 1940 in memory <strong>of</strong> her mo<strong>the</strong>r Sarah Furlong 1848”<br />

Gully near Guildford, where his fa<strong>the</strong>r joined a partnership in a tunnelling claim, and<br />

had some success in finding gold. After <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r in 1862 and mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />

in 1864, when he was 8 1/2 years old, he was brought up by his 14 year old elder<br />

sister, and her husband John Furlong, in <strong>the</strong>ir home in Shicer Gully. He presumably<br />

went to school at Tarilta or some o<strong>the</strong>r place nearby, as he learned to read and write<br />

successfully.<br />

At some time before 1878, but probably when he was about 16, after his sister<br />

Sarah had died, William went to Echuca and got work at <strong>the</strong> sawmill <strong>of</strong> Edward<br />

Whitely. By 1880, William had purchased a quarter acre building block at Echuca.<br />

It is not known if he ever lived on <strong>the</strong> block, but in August <strong>of</strong> that year, he was<br />

working as a sawmill labourer at Bunbartha, near Tallygaroopna.<br />

Coming to Miepoll in 1880<br />

On 21st August 1880, he placed notices at <strong>the</strong> corners <strong>of</strong> portions <strong>of</strong> allotments 36<br />

and 45, Parish <strong>of</strong> Miepoll, County <strong>of</strong> Moira, on land <strong>the</strong>n recently thrown open for<br />

selection. On 23rd <strong>of</strong> August, at <strong>the</strong> Land Office at Shepparton, he made formal<br />

application for a license under <strong>the</strong> Land Acts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Victorian Government, for 320<br />

acres <strong>of</strong> land, being Allotments 36B and 45B in <strong>the</strong> Parish. The land was described<br />

as level, with medium soil, covered with box forest. A creek, <strong>the</strong> Middle Creek,<br />

passed through <strong>the</strong> two blocks. It would appear to have been an unreliable source <strong>of</strong><br />

water, even though subject to quite severe flooding. The land was reported not to be<br />

auriferous and no mining conditions applied.

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