19th Century News
Newspaper articles and advertisements that offer insights into life in Bothwell during the 1800s.
Sources Used: TROVE. Images. National Library of Australia. https://trove.nla.gov.au; FamilySearch: Australia, Tasmania, Government Gazette, 1833-1925. Images. https://www.familysearch.org.
BOTHWELL POLICE COURT - 18 May 1876
Saturday, 13th May, 1876. Before the Warden, Alexander Reid and William Nicholas, Esquires, J.P.'s.
Henry Craig, junr, and William Lewis were charged, on information of Mr Alfred Ibbott, with having trespassed on his land at Ibbot Vale, without reasonable or lawful excuse, and without his consent, contrary to "The Trespass to Lands Act." Both parties pleaded guilty. Mr Ibbott stated that a lot of young men, with dogs and guns, were continually trespassing on his land late at night; upon this occasion the defendants, together with others in company, had no less than six dogs with them on his lambing run. The Bench fined each of the defendants 5s, together with costs, 7s 3d. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8945153
ONE MORE GONE - 5 August 1876
On Thursday last, 6th July, the remains of an old and respected colonist were consigned to their last resting-place in the Bothwell cemetery. The deceased, Mr William Moyes, arrived in the colony in the year 1830 in the merchant ship Drummore from Leith, and since that date, a period of forty-six years, has resided in the Bothwell district, where he has reared a family of nine children, besides grandchildren, who are left with his widow to mourn their loss. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8946317
ACCIDENT AT BOTHWELL - 7 October 1876
On Tuesday last, a man named James Page was driving three horses in a dray at Bothwell, when a dog leaped over a fence on to the road, causing the horses to shy. One of them knocked Page down, and trod upon him, causing a fracture of his left leg. He was taken to the hospital yesterday, and he remains there under treatment. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8948407
BOTHWELL - 3 August 1877
An inquest was held on Tuesday last, the 31st July, at the house of Mr David Wylie, at the Black Marsh in this district, before Alexander Reid, Esq., Coroner, and the following named jury:- John Baker, George Baker, George Horne, Chas Manser, Alfred Webb, William Read, and William Wylie, touching the death of Alexander Wylie.
David Wylie being sworn said: I am the father of the deceased, who is the subject of this inquiry. He was between 17 and 18 years of age. Yesterday morning about 7 o'clock, deceased had his breakfast in the house with me, and then left the table to go to the stables to get his horse, and shortly afterwards my daughter Caroline told me the mare had got away from the deceased. I then went out, and saw that the mare was about 50 yards up the road. I then returned to the house and found that deceased had walked into the house by the front door, and was lying on the sofa. I asked him if the mare had hurt him. He replied, "Not much," but he said he felt pains in his ribs. He then got up and began to vomit. He went outside the house, returned again to the sofa, and again vomited, and asked if his face looked swollen, and on being told it did, he got up and said, "I am off to bed," and went in the direction of his room, but began again to vomit, and sat on the sofa. He did not speak again. He died in about 15 minutes from the time he laid down. He was in good health at the time he left the breakfast table. The mare that the deceased was about to ride was a quiet one.
Caroline Wylie, being sworn, said: I knew the deceased; he was my brother. Yesterday morning I saw my brother get on his horse at the stable door. When he had got one of his feet in the saddle, the mare bolted off towards the road, and when at the corner of the house my brother fell off, and after a short time, about a minute, he was groaning as if in pain. I then came into the house to father. I could not say whether deceased fell on a stone or not.
Henry George Horace Naylor, being sworn, stated: I am a legally qualified medical practitioner, residing at Green Ponds. Yesterday morning, about 9 o'clock, I was sent for to see deceased. I was told he had fallen from a horse. I arrived at his residence about 11 o'clock, and found that deceased was dead. From an external examination of the body, I came to the conclusion that deceased came to his death from internal haemorrhage and rupture of the bowels. Had I been present when deceased met with the accident, I could not have saved his life.
The jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict in accordance with the doctor’s evidence. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8954993
BOTHWELL - 15 August 1878
It appears that Mr Isaac Blake's waggon loaded with timber, including doors, window sashes, etc., for the new house at Cluny, being erected by M. Weston, Esq., and drawn by six horses, was about to attempt to cross the fording place at the Clyde, which was then much flooded, when the leading horses, apparently becoming frightened, suddenly turned round the end of the causeway, and the rest following, dragged the waggon into a deep hole in another branch of the Clyde, which flows round the edge of the causeway. Mr Isaac Blake, who was on the waggon, was thrown out into the water, and his teamster, who was riding a horse lent him by Mr Taylor, also fell into the river. Mr Taylor, who was present, immediately jumped into the flood and succeeded in extracting Mr Blake and his teamster Harris, and then, with great daring and presence of mind, managed to detach the horses from the waggon, and all got safely to land. Some of the horses were swimming for about twenty minutes, as it took considerable time to detach them all. Mr Taylor had to get on some of their backs to enable him to cut the harness. Mr Blake, with abundance of assistance, has succeeded in getting the load on shore, but the waggon still remains in the river, only a portion of it being visible, all efforts to get that ashore by means of ropes proving ineffectual. Mr H. Taylor deserves the highest commendations for his gallantry in rescuing both men and horses, and has undoubtedly earned for himself some recognition of his conduct. If anything would tend to demonstrate the necessity of a bridge across the Clyde at or near the place indicated, I should think this serious accident, nearly proving fatal to the lives of two men and six horses, would be sufficient. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8966732
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM DROWNING - 17 August 1878
On Thursday morning six horses in a light waggon belonging to Mr Blake, and driven by Mr Harris, left Bothwell, for Cluny, with three tons of building materials and rations, and while crossing the township ford one of the shaft horses became restive and unmanageable, which occupied the attention of the driver. Whilst he was thus engaged with it, the other horses became rebellious, and began to plunge about in the water in an alarming manner, causing the shaft horses to fall. There was a fix. Mr Blake and Mr Harris at once unloosed the leaders, and then, up to their necks in water, commenced cutting the harness to relieve the shaft horses. Whilst in the act of doing so, one of the horses made a plunge and knocked Harris down, and at the same time turned the waggon round, and it was a miracle Harris escaped being crushed by the waggon. About the same time Mr Blake fell into the deepest part of the river, and upon coming to the surface he made a determined struggle to reach a wattle tree growing by the side of the bank, which he succeeded in doing, thereby saving his life. The want has long been felt of a good footbridge, which could be crossed at the highest flood mark. Many narrow escapes have occurred at the same ford of life and property, which have never been reported; but we hope soon to see the want remedied. On Tuesday morning the waggon was not to be seen, the river having risen much higher. I had almost forgotten to notice the courage and gallantry of Mr Humphrey Taylor, who, at great risk, saved two horses from being carried down the river, and being probably injured or drowned. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232956579
BOTHWELL - 28 June 1879
On Monday evening, June 23, 1879, at the Wesleyan Chapel, after the performance of religious service by the Rev. Mr Saunders, an illuminated address, very handsomely framed, was presented to Mr G. W. Ife, who is about to leave Bothwell district for Hobart Town. It was dated Bothwell, June 29, 1879, and said that the undersigned (50 in number) residents of Bothwell and members of the congregation worshipping in the Wesleyan Chapel in that place, having heard that Mr Ife was about to remove to Hobart Town, could not allow him to leave without expressing their high appreciation of his earnest and self-denying efforts for the welfare of the community. As superintendent of the Sunday School, as class leader, as local preacher, and as a ready and consistent helper in the cause of temperance, and as a sympathising friend in times of sickness and distress, he had for upwards of twenty years laboured with zeal and large-hearted liberality. How they should fare in these matters when deprived of his help and support, they scarcely dared anticipate - but meanwhile they desired his acceptance of the address as a small token of the esteem and gratitude with which he would ever be regarded by them. The address concluded with a sincere trust that God's abundant blessing might attend himself, Mrs Ife, and family in the future. The address, which was accompanied by a handsome walnut writing desk, was presented by Mr James Taylor, Secretary to the Wesleyan body here, who prefaced the delivery by a few well-chosen remarks, which Mr Ife in most feeling and appropriate terms, gratefully acknowledged. There was a considerable number of people present on the occasion. Mr Ife is a man who, all will admit, will be much missed in every way. Whatever he undertook was always done in a most persevering and zealous manner; besides his usefulness as an able local preacher and manager of the Wesleyan Sunday school (the children attending which will sadly miss him), he has invariably acted with great kindness to the sick. Independent of these considerations, he is an enterprising, obliging, and energetic man of business. "Take him all in all, we shall not see his like again" here, I fear, for some time to come. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8978411
LANDS AND WORKS OFFICE - 3 September 1879
PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION ACT, 1877. ERECTION OF A BRIDGE OVER THE JORDAN RIVER, BOTHWELL TO MELTON MOWBRAY. SEPARATE TENDERS will be received at this Office till Noon on WEDNESDAY, 17th September next, for the erection of Bridge, etc., over the River Jordan, and forming approach roads to same. Plans and specifications can be seen at Council Chambers, Green Ponds Council Chambers, Bothwell and at this Office. Tenders must be in accordance with the prescribed form (which can be obtained at the above-mentioned places), and endorsed on envelope, "Tender for Bridge over River Jordan." C. O'REILLY, Director of Public Works. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8980904