Alexander CHRYSTIE - missing daughters

[judb]

Oh, I can't resist!

I THINK I am going to the National Library tomorrow.  Their catalogue says they hold copies of the Echuca paper from the mid 1800s but not a complete coverage. With a bit of luck I may be able to find some reference to the children's drowning.

Cando, what great finds from the 1841 census and FreeBMD, especially as the child's second name is Margaret which is the name given for Ellen/Evelyn's mother. 

Raylen, thanks for typing in all of the info on one post as I was going cross-eyed trying to go back and forth. Are you interested in the earlier UK ancestors?

Hopefully, tomorrow...................
Judith

[regross]

Have been looking t copies of the Port Phillip Herald for 1870 available here:

http://www.paperofrecord.com (must subscribe but is free) (do an  advanced search for drown)

and in 1870 Victoria was afflicted by extensive flooding,! including around Echuca and Rochester!!!  It was so bad the trains could not get through.

Found no mention of the Tapley drownings but lots of other drownings reproted from across Victoria.

Robyn in Wodonga

[judb]

Should have asked on previous post:

Do we have any clues as to time of year of 1870 that the children died? I see the reg no 268 for the deaths so perhaps not on the 1st of January??? Is there any way we can find how many death reg's there were in Echuca that year which should at least give an indication.

Thanks for link, Robyn - very useful for all sorts of research.

Judith

[regross]

Can't use the pioneer index as only lists place of birth at that time.

consecutive registraion numbers 8999 & 9000.  The other numbers refer to the inquest index I assume.

I experimented  by inputing 10000 found there was a registration, and then 11000 for which there was no registration listed I then  worked backwards
and there seems to be 10099 deaths registered for 1870.

This would indicate that the deaths would have been in the later part of the year.

Only by purchasing the certificates can wen know for sure.

Robyn in Wodonga

[cando]

Raylen thought the following information may interest you.  I can email you the pdf image of the hospital admissions.  The Victorian Gazettes dated would hold no more information that is listed here. 

If you would like to pm your email address I also have a little something else for you.

CHRYSTIE, Alex.    Victoria    Gazetted    26 Feb 1864    Gazette item sub title heading: Unclaimed Ship Letters
CHRYSTIE, Alex.    Victoria    Gazetted    24 Mar 1864    Gazette item sub title heading: Unclaimed Ship Letters
CHRYSTIE, Doris Catherine.         Death    09-06-1988    
CHRYSTIE, John Caulder.    Fairfield, Victoria    Hospital record    3/10/1919
Born: 1916    Age: 3y 6 m. Parent or Guardian: Chrystie, Walter
CHRYSTIE, Mary.    Traralgon Cemetery    Funeral notice    Died: 9/1/97    wife of Robert (dec)
CHRYSTIE, Mary.    Fairfield, Victoria    Hospital record    25/02/1937
Born: 1901    Age: 36y. Parent or Guardian: Chrystie, Alex [image shows husband of Alex]
CHRYSTIE, Robert Vincent.    Traralgon Cemetery    Funeral notice    Died: 25/12/94    Age: 73. husband of Mary

Cheers
Cando

[Raylen]

Judith and Robyn,

It will be interesting to see if anything does turn up in any of the
newspapers of that time.

cando,

Thank you for those details.
I'd appreciate the pdf image of the hospital admissions when you have a
spare moment.
  I love surprises!    my email address is on it's way to you

Raylen

[judb]

Awww, come on- what secrets does Cando have for you LOL LOL (Trying to ensure you (and Cando) can appreciate that I am being facetious!!)

Have had a lovely afternoon trawling the papers and found articles in
The Riverine Herald : Echuca and Moama Advertiser published in Echuca.

I'll put the gist of the articles in as I kow there are quite a few people following this.  If you pm me your email I can send you the scans of the articles. Direct quotes shown; I have put in anything about Mrs Tapley as a direct quote.

Wed 12 Oct,1870
The four children of Mrs Tapley "on whom devolved the sole duty of bringing them up, were playing on Sunday afternoon, about 5 o'clock, in a bark canoe at the back of Mr Langley's, the tailor.  The eldest, Fanny, about thirteen, had secured the boat, as she thought, with a rope.  With her was her sister Nelly, ten years old; a brother, Bertie, seven years and a half; and Willie another brother, about five."  Boat capsized; there were a number of people involved in trying to rescue the children.  Fanny managed to grab a stick held by another child and get to safety and "Willy" was rescued by a man who managed to grab Willy, hold onto the boat and drift down to the bridge where they were rescued.
The river was draggged but the bodies of the other two, who had been seen being carried along on the current holding on to each other, not recovered.  "Mrs Tapley's grief we shall not attempt to portray; she seemed stunned on hearing the news."

Sat 15 Oct 1870
Comment stating that the bodies had not yet been recovered.


Wed 19 Oct 1870
"CORONER'S INQUEST
The bodies of the two children, Ellen D'Arcy Tapley and Herbert John Cowl (sic) Tapley were found in the river yesterday afternoon.  A verdict of accidentally drowned was returned.

The first witrness called was Alexander Christy (sic) who identified the bodies." (My bold type)
The rest of the report is from eyewitness accounts of the accident much as the first article.

There had been prolonged flooding of the Murray in the couple of months preceeding but it was not in flood at the time, from what I can gather, although pretty full.  Interesting that there is no mention of burial etc - there was another child drowning ealrier in the year with similar  article but adding funeral details.  Obviously Elln/Evelyn was known as a single parent and obviously Alexander knew tha family well enough to identify the children.

Hope that sheds a little more light.................

Cheers, Judith

[regross]

What a great find.

It really puts one right in the middle of a family drama.

It still leaves open the question of the wherebouts of John Cowell Tapley who it seems was not in Echuca at that time.  It would be interesting to see just what is included abour him on the children's death certificates.

 
Robyn in Wodonga

[tropicalj]

Oh  well done Judith

it  certainly did bring  the tale  to life,  I  can only begin to imagine  the mothers pain and anguish.

So  now  then another Tapley daughter Fanny (  perhaps short for FRances )
what happened to her and her wee brother Willie.

I  have had a good look around and found nothing on Fanny either.

Jenn