James Clearihue, Eaglehawk, Australia

[jacksonvandevelde]

My third great uncle left his family behind in Canada in the early 1880s to seek his fortune in the Australian gold rush.

I have located and obtained his death record dated May 21 1893 in Eaglehawk, with a cause of death listed as "senile debility with want of nourishing necessities."  The family knew that his search for gold was not going well when James was located by his brother Alexander in 1885.  James was apparently paralyzed as a result of an earlier poisoning in a boarding house, and with very little money.  His brother left him with all he could spare, but James was apparently not willing to come home yet.  By 1890 (when his mother's will was settled), James had lost all contact with his family in Canada, with no word of either his death or whereabouts. 

Also in the death record is a note that "results of Inquiry held on the 23 May 1893 before John McKenzie, a Justice of the Peace."  There is no mention of what the "results" were.

Are the records or results of such inquiries publicly available in any archives?  Would they still exist? How would one go about accessing them from Canada?  I would be interested to see if such a record would give any additional insight into his life and death in Australia.

Thanks for any assistance,

[rosball]

The inquest file can be downloaded  free https://www.prov.vic.gov.au/explore-collection/explore-topic/inquests-and-other-coronial-records.   


An obit http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88967916

Ros

  ( Very sad - a proud and independent man who refused more help)

[jacksonvandevelde]

Many thanks! An the obit too!

Thanks so much for the quick an incredibly helpful response,

Mark Jackson
Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

[rosball]

Pleasure to help Mark 

It seems that he had a good friend in Charles Baker - a little consolation.

Ros

Adding : an advertisement looking for him in 1880 ( first column)
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202156667

[jacksonvandevelde]

Interesting!  This puts him in Australia earlier than I expected, and in contradiction of some Canadian census data.
Some family accounts have him leaving for Australia by about 1875, and they now seem to be correct (also consistent with Charles Baker's account to the coroner).
However, he appeared in the 1881 Canadian Census (age 60) with his wife in Quebec, or at least was reported in the census...
I now suspect that he may have been falsely reported in the 1881 Canadian census.
Only one family ever settled in Quebec with the surname Clearihue, so it is a fairly easy name to research here.  Anyone in North America with the surname is descended from this James' father.  There was a James Clearihue III, but he was well documented to have stayed in North America.

Thanks so much for all of your work!

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

1888 Victorian Post Office Directory

Clearihue, James, miner, Myer,s Flat.

There was an Alex Clearihue in Australia around the same time.

Gerry

[rosball]

There are a number of adverts for J & A CLEARIHUE in 1893 and 1894.

J AND A. CLEARIHUE, Commission Merchants, Dealing in Fruits and all kinds of Produce.
Special attention to consignments of butter and eggs Yates-street, Victoria,  CANADA, B.C. P.O. Box 536(?)
We have a large warehouse with good facilities for handling butter and produce in quantities. Consignments received in all lines
Correspondence solicited.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=%22clearihue%22&l-category=Advertising

Ros

[sparrett]

 For Your Interest
Re Alex Clarihue

Immigration record.
Ship Ocean Eagle. 1852
New York to Melbourne

CLARIHUE,(sic)  Alex
Aged 19
From Canada.
Native of Canada
Packages, 3
Description- Trunk and Bag
Description Wearing Apparel

More information about the luggage than the person

Sue

[Aussie1947]

Hi,

A Canadian, Alex Clarihue, 19 arrived in Melbourne in December 1852 on the Ocean Eagle, most likely James's brother.

Looks like Alex also ventured into NSW and Qld for his search for gold.

Unclaimed letters on 6th February 1869 for Alex Clearihue of Cape River in Queensland.

Bit of info on the Cape River Gold Field discovered in 1867.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1286367

1875 (Greville) New South Wales Post Office Directory.
GRENFELL
Clearihue Alexander, miner.

Gerry