32 CHAPTER 3. THIRD GENERATION 1850 - 1868 Twenty-one months later, her mo<strong>the</strong>r died, leaving her to be brought up by her 14 year old sister, Sarah, and her soon to be bro<strong>the</strong>r-in-law, at <strong>the</strong>ir home in Shicer Gully. When she was eight years old, her sister died leaving her and her bro<strong>the</strong>r-inlaw John Furlong, to bring up, with <strong>the</strong> help <strong>of</strong> neighbours, her two nieces, Louisa aged 6, and Dora aged 6 month. Despite this, she attended school at Tarilta, and learned to read and write quite well, and as she grew older, took more and more responsibility for <strong>the</strong> household. Her bro<strong>the</strong>r William, 6 1/2 years older than her, left home, perhaps when he was about 16, to work for a saw-mill at Echuca, on <strong>the</strong> Murray River, owned by an Edward Whiteley, who with his wife, (a daughter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Cook <strong>family</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Carrier’s Arms Hotel), lived with <strong>the</strong>ir 4 sons in <strong>the</strong> Mill House, next to <strong>the</strong> sawmill. Some time later, Mrs. Whitely heard that William had a 16 year old sister Mary, who had been ill (perhaps as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pressure upon her as housekeeper to her bro<strong>the</strong>r-in-law and 14 year old and eight year old nieces), and invited her to come to Echuca and stay <strong>the</strong>re for a fortnight’ s holiday. Mary did so, and from 1878 until she was married from <strong>the</strong> Whiteley home 0n 12th February 1890, stayed <strong>the</strong>re, employed as a house maid. It was <strong>the</strong> custom <strong>of</strong> Mrs Whiteley to go with her maid to <strong>the</strong> Carriers Arms Hotel at busy times, such as harvest, to help her mo<strong>the</strong>r, Mrs. Cook in <strong>the</strong> kitchen or to wait on tables. It is in this way that Mary met Richard Wheatley, a young English immigrant, whom she was to marry. Aftermarriage, sheandherhusbandlivedinPatho, inNor<strong>the</strong>rnVictoria, wherehe was a farmer, <strong>the</strong>y lived <strong>the</strong>re for many years. Richard Wheatley seems to have had some income coming from his <strong>family</strong> or property in England and in later years <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>of</strong> independent means. They had one daughter, Lucy, born on <strong>the</strong> 1st December 1890. During <strong>the</strong> time <strong>the</strong>y lived at Patho, <strong>the</strong>y were visited by her bro<strong>the</strong>r William, fromMiepollSouthandhisdaughterAda,andalsobyvariouso<strong>the</strong>rlocalfamiliesfrom <strong>the</strong> Euroa district. In 1916 <strong>the</strong>y later moved to Williamstown, where her husband died on 16th February 1928, aged 74. Mary, herself <strong>the</strong>n moved into <strong>the</strong> home <strong>of</strong> her daughter Lucy Barker, where she died on 22nd May 1944, aged 82 years.
33 Figure 3.8: Mary Wheatley née Belcher and her husband Richard Wheatley in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir Charles Street home Figure 3.9: Caption on back reads “Grandma Wheatley”