Stafford family and connections to john Gilbert

[Heather]

Thanks Manfred. Kilmore Historical Society received a research enquiry for John Stafford back in 2002. How's that for a memory?

I did a research for someone on William Stafford in July 2007. It would appear that he was the brother of John Stafford. William was the turnkey at the Kilmore Gaol and died in 1870 age 50.

Kilmore Free Press 31 March 1870. We regret to have this week to announce the death of Mr. William Stafford, an old resident of Kilmore. Deceased gentleman, who died at the early age of 50, was for many years past a turnkey in the Kilmore Gaol, and was, at the time of his death, in charge of that institution, during the temporary suspension of the other officer in charge. The general impression is, that the extra amount of labor imposed upon deceased gentleman by being in charge of the gaol accelerated his death, he having to work many hours in excess of the usual allotted periods of labour. We certainly think this is a case well deserving the attention of the authorities as deceased died in the assiduous discharge of his duties, leaving a large and helpless family totally unprovided for. Mr. Stafford was ailing for a few weeks past, but by great energy attended to his duty until Friday last, when he was necessarily compelled to take to his bed, and was only relieved therefrom by death putting an end to his sufferings at an early hour on Sunday morning last. We are confident that the Government would be doing a wise and necessary thing by acknowledging the long services of deceased by giving some compensation to his family who are placed in a very awkward position by the untimely death of its sole mainstay. To add to this unfortunate occurrence one of the children of deceased was buried a few days previous, and an addition to an already large and helpless family is hourly expected.

The last child was born after his death. The family were in the Kilmore and Wandong area for many years and I think there is a Stafford St. in Broadford.

BDM records show that John Stafford married Eleanor Anastasia Gilbert in 1854. A male child was born in Kilmore in 1855. Then nothing. Suspect they have moved on. Maybe they took that naughty John Gilbert to NSW with them?

Heather

[manfredvijars]

... yes, John Gilbert went with his sister and brother-in-law to the Kiandra golfields ... I suspect it's there where JG first met Frank Gardiner, prior to moving to Wheogo.


Posted this on another thread - "Bushranging history in Laggan"
----------------------------

John Gilbert was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1842. His mother Eleanor (née Wilson) died shortly after his birth. His father William subsequently married Eliza Cord, a girl only slightly older than his eldest surviving daughter, Eleanor.
In 1852 John accompanied his family to the Victorian goldfields.
Nine members of the Gilbert family arrived in Port Phillip on board the Revenue in October 1852.
They included William and Eliza, Eleanor (Ellen), Frank, James, Charles, Thomas Charbonnelle and Nicholas Wiseman.

When he was only twelve, Gilbert worked as a stablehand at Kilmore, Victoria for his sister Eleanor and her new husband, John Stafford, for a time before moving on to the Kiandra goldfields in New South Wales.

[Heather]

Manfred it was Mad Dog Morgan that passed through Kilmore about 1865. I will see if I can find the newspaper reference and copy it.

Heather

[manfredvijars]

.... of course you know of "Mad-dog" Morgan's link with Waltzing Matilda ???

[Bob Pacey]

No Mad Dog played on the wing for Newcastle I think. Nev will know.

Bobbo

[Heather]

No Manfred. Go on then, tell us. Learn something new on this forum every day. Love it!

Heather

[manfredvijars]

Mad Dan (Dog) Morgan was not a very nice man. Even in his own time Morgan was known as "the most bloodthirsty of all highway robbers".

The Victorian police had boasted that if Morgan crossed the Murray he would be captured within 48 hours.

The challenge was too great for Morgan and he crossed the river in April 1865. Within two days he had held up and robbed three properties, burned down haystacks and out buildings, and held up coaches on the Benalla Road. On April 8 Morgan held up his last property, Peechelba Station, near Wangaratta. In one of his better moods he demanded that the occupants, the McPhersons, prepare a meal and provide him with entertainment. He kept the family in range of his gun. then he 'requested' Mrs McPherson to play the harmonium to him while he ate. As the baby, Christina, kept crying in the next room, he angrily told a maid to 'go out and keep that brat quiet'.

Alice Keenan, the nursemaid, managed to escape and inform Mr Rutherford, the co-owner of the property. The following morning Dan Morgan was leaving the property when he found himself surrounded by police. He was shot in the back by station employee John Wendlan. He was buried at Wangaratta Cemetery.

The little baby who cried in that next room was Christina Macpherson.

In 1895 Christina Macpherson sat down and played a marching tune she'd heard. 'Banjo' Paterson, who was visiting Christina's brother, liked it and wrote the words of a song to it. That song was 'Waltzing Matilda'.

Some more Reading ...
http://www.nla.gov.au/epubs/waltzingmat ... stina.html

Christina Macpherson:

nla-ms-ms9065-5-s1-v_cr.jpg

[Heather]

That's an amazing story Manfred. Thanks for sharing it. I am going mad trying to find the reference I told you about. I know it was April 1865 and will trawl through the papers if I have to to find it. Love a good bushranger story.

Heather (The power of purple!!)

[Heather]

Rutherford wasn't one of the co-owners of Cobb and Co. was he?

[Heather]

You're going to love the story I have about Morgan when I finally find it Marty. I'll see if I can shoot down to Kilmore tomorrow and copy it. Gruesome as....