The Friendless Dead

From the Border Watch May 6th 1865

In the Government Gazette of the 20th April appears one of the most melancholy lists that have ever appeared it its sober pages.

It is entitled a “Return of all persons without relations, known or resident in South Australia, who have died, or been found dead in any public place in the colony during the periods between 1st January 1850 and 31st December 1864,

and concerning whose death the Police can furnish any information”. From it we select the following list of these hapless homeless wanderers, whose remains have been found in our own district.

Any property belonging to persons listed in the friendless dead article was sent to the Curator of Intestate Estates, Adelaide or sold and the proceeds forwarded the same.

Surname

Given Name

Date died/found dead

Where death occurred

Comments

ANDREWS,

Richard

6 Mar 1863

Thomas Smith’s Eating House, Blackford

Age 80 years, height 5ft 5in, stout made, grey hair; reported to the police by Thomas Smith that deceased died at his eating house, after a short illness

BARNES,

Elia

15 Nov 1860

Kaladbro

Found dead, age 30 years, height 5ft 9in, stout made, died suddenly; an inquest held; deceased was Irish; lived generally in Victoria

BERTRAM,

William

16 Aug 1862

Farmers’ Arms Inn, Mt Gambier

Age 34 years, height 5ft 8in, dark complexion, slight make; died suddenly, an inquest held; was ostler at Famers’ Arms, Mount Gambier; an Englishman formerly of Adelaide

BLAKESBY,

William

25 Apr 1864

Carratum Station near Mt Gambier

Age 40 years, fair complexion, medium height; died suddenly; inquest held on the body

CARTER,

Charles

17 Dec 1857

Mr McLeod’s Run, Nalang, Tatiara

Found dead, deceased was run against a tree while out riding and broke his neck; PT Budd made a statement before GB Scott Esq SM, who considered an inquest unnecessary and gave orders for the internment of the body.

CHAMBERS,

Thomas

24 Feb 1859

Mr McLeod’s Run, Nalang, Tatiara

Found dead, deceased was killed by spar falling on his head from a whim he was putting up; no inquest; body buried by order of H Jones Esq JP at Nalang

COCKSHEAD,

Thomas

8 Sept (1858)

Men’s Hut, Kannawigia Station, Tatiara

Found dead after an illness of 14 days, no inquest; body buried near Border Town

COFFY,

Darby

29 Nov 1857

Penola

Found dead, age 50 years, height 5ft 8in, grey hair, died under care of Dr Sandy; native of Ireland

CONNOR,

James

5 May 1863

Kadnook Station near Penola

Found dead, died suddenly; inquest held by GB Scott Esq SM

CURRAN,

Owen

24 Oct 1864

Mt Schank

Age 50 years, height 5ft 10in, dark complexion, died from concussion of the brain occasioned by a fall from a horse whilst in a state of intoxication; was five days in the bush; lived 48 hours after he was found, and taken to Mount Schank; inquest held on the body; an Irishman; supposed to have left a wife in Victoria

DAWSON,

William

5 May 1861

Charla, Tatiara

Found dead; deceased was thrown from his horse and broke his neck and was found immediately after by Dr Penny; deceased buried at Border Town, by certificate of Dr Penny, who examined the body

DONNELLY,

Abraham

25 Jul 1863

Prince of Wales Hotel, Penola

Found dead, age 40 years, height 5ft 7 or 8in, blind of an eye, grey hair and whiskers, burnt to death at the hotel; inquest held by PT Scott Esq JP; deceased was an Irishman

DUNSTAN,

James

30 Dec 1862

Mr Jeffery’s Station, Kallandale

Found dead, age 46, height 5ft 8in, light complexion; committed suicide by hanging himself by the neck at an out-hut on the station; an inquest held by GB Scott Esq SM; Dunstan was a native of Cornwall, England

EVANS,

Edward

16 Sep 1860

Cope’s country, Mosquito Plains

Found dead after a week’s illness; buried under warrant

FOX,

Joseph

31 Jan 1863

Border Town

No description, deceased left the house he was living at on the previous evening and was found dead about half a mile from the house; died through excessive drinking, buried at Border Town by warrant from Henry Jones Esq JP

GAMBLIN,

John

1 Jul 1861

Couker

Found dead, 50 years of age, height 5ft 4in, fair complexion, died after a protracted illness; Gamblin was discharged from the Adelaide Hospital, incurable; was a native of Northumberland, England

GOOCH

5 Dec 1864

Mr William’s property, Mt Gambier

40 years of age, height 6ft, complexion dark, stout made; deceased arrived from Horsham, Victoria on the 4th December and died before medical aid could be obtained, on the 5th in a shed, on the property of Mr William’s of Mt Gambier; inquest held; died from natural causes; had no relatives in the colonies

GREEN,

George

7 Feb 1863

Mt Gambier

Found dead, age 25 years, height 5ft 7 or 8in, medium build, fair complexion, found suffocated in a well near Mt Gambier; inquest held; deceased was an Englishman

HANSE,

Dorothea

27 Aug 1859

Mt Gambier

Found dead in her bed, age 79, complexion fair, an inquest held, deceased was a German woman

HILL,

John

14 Oct 1859

Mr Laidlaw’s Run, Kannawigia

Found dead; died at an outstation on Mr Laidlaw’s run, by taking a dose of strychnine in mistake for nitre; death reported to H Jones Esq, who considered an inquest not necessary

HITCHEN,

Richard

13 Jul 1862

Naracoorte

Age 50 years, height 5ft 6in, fair complexion and hair, died under care of Dr Gunning JP

JONES,

John

25 Mar 1860

Mt Gambier

Found dead in the bush about 2 miles from Mt Gambier, age 60 years, height 5ft 5in, grey hair, stout built; an inquest held; an Englishman

JONSTON, alias MATHESON or MAISEY

John Henry

17 Oct 1864

Glenroy Station near Penola

Age 24 years, height 5ft 7 or 8in, dark hair and whiskers; thrown from a horse and fractured the base of the skull; inquest held by GB Scott Esq SM; deceased was a native of Sydney, colt-breaker; has a mother living at Lake Condon, Victoria

KELLY,

James

17 Jun 1857

Kannawigia Station, Tatiara

Found dead, no description; deceased poisoned himself; GB Scott, Esq SM held inquest on the body

LEWIS,

Charles

14 Apr 1858

Mt Gambier

Found dead, age 40 years, height 5ft 10in, dark complexion, very thin; an inquest held, deceased an Irishman

LOUGHRAN,

John

26 Oct 1864

Royal Oak Inn, Penola

33 years of age, height 5ft 7 or 8in, light complexion, light hair, sandy whiskers and moustache, about 12 stone in weight; died from concussion of the brain, caused by a fall from his horse; inquest held by GB Scott Esq; the deceased was in the employ of Mr Edward Baye, surveyor, Victoria Government; native of Belfast, Ireland; Roman Catholic; has a brother in the colonies; his father is a wine and spirit merchant in Belfast, Ireland

McPHEE,

James

29 Aug 1864

Kincraig

Age 53 years, height 5ft 4in, fair complexion and hair; died of exhaustion; was attended by Dr Gunning; McPhee was a native of Scotland

MUNROE,

Findley

20 Dec 1863

Robertson’s Creek, Mosquito Plains

Found dead, age 25 years, height 5ft 10in, sandy complexion and hair; accidentally drowned whilst bathing in the creek; Dr Gunning JP held an inquest on the body

O’FLAHERTY,

John Bourk

18 Oct 1863

The Springs, near Mt Gambier

Age 40 years, height 6ft 2in, fair complexion, died from natural causes; an Irishman; a cattle dealer, well known in Adelaide

PEASE,

James

6 Feb 1863

Mt Gambier

Found dead, age 36 years, height 5ft 8in, dark complexion, killed at Mt Gambier by a boiler of a thrashing machine bursting; inquest held on body; deceased was an engineer; an Englishman, had relatives in Melbourne

PHIPPS,

George

3 Aug 1856

Mt Gambier

Found dead, age about 60 years, height 5ft 5 in, grey hair, stout made; died from natural causes; inquest held on body; deceased was an Englishman

RIELEY, (believed to be)

Philip

23 Feb 1863

Mr Harding’s Station at the Two Wells

Deceased was found about 7 miles west of Mr Harding’s station, at the Two Wells and evidently had been there for a long time; Mr Harding believes the remains to be those of Philip Rieley who left his employment in Nov 1861, and left to go to Salt Creek through the bush, and got lost in so doing; Remains buried where found

SELBY (or SIBLEY),

Thomas

21 Mar 1863

Lawson’s Station

Found dead after a protracted illness, under care of Dr Baynton; body buried under warrant

STEPHENS,

Richard

28 May 1864

Batten’s Eating House, Tilley’s Swamp

27 years of age, height 5ft 6in, dark complexion, dark hair, slender made; reported to the police by Mr Kerr of Koorong; found the body at Batten’s eating-house; deceased had been ailing for some days; deceased had no medical aid

SWAN,

John

15 Sep 1864

Benaira Station near Mt Gambier

Found dead in bed at a hut in station, age 27 years, height 5ft 7in; Dr Graham gave certificate of cause of death; deceased was a Chinaman, cook at Benaira station

THOMAS,

William

10 Jan 1863

Kalangadoo

Found dead in the bush, body so decomposed it could not be described; inquest held on the body by PT Scott Esq JP; supposed to be an Englishman

THOMSON, alias LOCKLEY

31 Aug (1856)

Kincraig

Died at Kincraig under the care of Dr Gunning; buried under warrant

TOOGOOD,

Stephen

7 Sep 1859

Rivoli Bay

Found dead in a hut at Rivoli Bay, age 45 years, height 5ft 10in, dark complexion; no marks of violence on the body; an inquest was held, deceased was an Englishman

Unknown

16 Oct 1860

Lacepede Bay

Found dead, age about 26 years, height 5ft 5 in, fair complexion, sandy hair and whiskers, slender make; supposed to have drowned, found two miles north of Lacepede Bay, on the beach; found close to the sea; had on a thick flannel shirt, white shirt, and a pair of blue socks; near the body was also found one shoe, lace-up in front, cloth cap with patent leather band; supposed to be a shoemaker from Adelaide.

Unknown

3 Jan 1861

Jem Crow’s Flat, Long Desert

Found dead, the deceased was on his way to Adelaide, where he had a brother, a saddler; he was found lying near the road, dead; the man evidently died for want of water; there was nothing found on the body to identify him; he was buried by Coroner’s warrant

Unknown

Jack (the Cook)

26 Jul 1859

Between Border Town and Mr McLeod’s Station

Found dead, this man was lost on 1st January 1859, when on his way from Border Town to Mr McLeod’s station, and could not be found till the preceding date, when his remains were found by a shepherd; the remains were identified by the clothes worn, and circumstances of finding the body was reported to GB Scott Esq SM

WEST,

Henry

19 Nov 1857

Glenroy Station near Penola

Found dead; age 47 year, height 5ft 2in, slight dark complexion, dark hair inclined to grey; died from severe cold, no inquest held, a native of England

WESTERMAN,

George Alexander

24 Oct 1862

Mr McArthur’s Station, Limestone Ridge near Penola

Age 31 years, height 5ft 8in, light hair and whiskers, died suddenly; an inquest held by TP Scott Esq JP; body buried at Penola Burial Ground by AOF; native of Yorkshire, England

YOUNG,

Alfred

9 Nov 1861

Glencoe near Mt Gambier

Age 40 years, height 5ft 9in, dark complexion, died suddenly; inquest held; post-mortem examination; died from rupture of the heart; was an Englishman

Dates in brackets indicate that a year was not given but from the original order of the list it appears to be the year suggested.