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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48 CHAPTER 4. FOURTH GENERATION 1869 - 1907<br />
diagnosed, but it has been suggested that it may have been <strong>the</strong> consequence <strong>of</strong> some<br />
accident while on war service. However, this was not accepted by <strong>the</strong> Commonwealth<br />
Repatriation Department. He was first confined to <strong>the</strong> Be<strong>the</strong>sda Hospital, and in<br />
his last year to <strong>the</strong> Austin Hospital, where he died on 15 September, 1942. He was<br />
cremated at Fawkner Cemetary. He was survived by his wife and two sons, but<br />
Elsie was to die less than one year later on 9 September 1943. Elsie’s younger sister,<br />
Dorothy “Dorrie”, came to live in <strong>the</strong> <strong>family</strong> home at David Street, Preston, and help<br />
out <strong>the</strong> two sons who were only 19 and 16 at <strong>the</strong> time.<br />
Noel, by this time, had enlisted in <strong>the</strong> RAAF, and John was attending Preston<br />
Technical School. John went on to graduate as a Civil Engineer from <strong>the</strong> Melbourne<br />
Technical College (later RMIT), having been <strong>the</strong> youngest student to ever do so, and<br />
to qualify as a Local Government Engineer and as a Surveyor. After <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Second World War, Noel completed a degree in Architecture at <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Melbourne under <strong>the</strong> CRTS program.<br />
Uncle Harry is remembered by members <strong>of</strong> his bro<strong>the</strong>rs families as a balding man,<br />
a little older looking than William Belcher, on <strong>the</strong> occasions when he and his <strong>family</strong><br />
visited “Ro<strong>the</strong>say” and “Elmslea”, from Alexandra where he was Station Master.<br />
Such a visit may have been at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> death <strong>of</strong> “Gran” Ellen Belcher, his<br />
mo<strong>the</strong>r, in 1937.<br />
William Fleming Belcher<br />
William Fleming Belcher was born on 25th March 1895, at Euroa, Victoria, <strong>the</strong> third<br />
son and fifth child <strong>of</strong>f William and Ellen Jamieson.<br />
He spent his first six or so years on <strong>the</strong> <strong>family</strong> selection at Miepoll East, attending<br />
<strong>the</strong> Miepoll East State School (later to be renamed <strong>the</strong> Moglonemby State school) for<br />
a year or so, until <strong>the</strong> <strong>family</strong> moved to live in Euroa, in 1901, owing to <strong>the</strong> ill health<br />
<strong>of</strong> his fa<strong>the</strong>r. In Euroa, he attended <strong>the</strong> Euroa State School. The <strong>family</strong> moved out<br />
to a property at Riggs Creek in about 1909, and <strong>the</strong>re, on 27th September, at <strong>the</strong><br />
age <strong>of</strong> 14, he obtained his Merit Certificate, and left school to help his eldest bro<strong>the</strong>r<br />
manage <strong>the</strong> farm, now consisting <strong>of</strong> 960 acres, which had been leased out for some<br />
7 to 8 years He joined <strong>the</strong> Militia Cadets when <strong>the</strong> scheme was introduced in 1909.<br />
He graduated from <strong>the</strong> cadets to <strong>the</strong> Militia, <strong>the</strong> 16th Light Horse, when in March<br />
1913, he turned 18, riding his horse to Euroa for training. During his five years on<br />
<strong>the</strong> farm, he played cricket, with his elder bro<strong>the</strong>r Fred, for <strong>the</strong> Moglonemby team,<br />
and joined in o<strong>the</strong>r district activities, including <strong>the</strong> local Presbyterian Church, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r older members <strong>of</strong> his <strong>family</strong>.